16th to the 23rd of August

16^th of August

We went for a drive around the Atherton highlands. We first head down to Mt Hypipamee National park to check out our first water fall followed by a crater which was formed from volcanic activity blasting a hole in the ground which is now full of water and is over 100metres deep. After our nice bush walk we loaded the kids back in the car and headed over to Hugh’s lookout for a nice view over the valley beneath. We headed through the town of Millaa Millaa and out to see the water fall circuit there were some road works with the road blocked so we only got to see a couple but were awesome anyway. After seeing a few water falls it was time for some lunch so we headed up to Malanda to the Dairy café for some lunch. After lunch had a look around the info centre with pictures of all the families that have been in the area from the beginning and are still farming the land with stories of their beginnings and their struggles in the early days. After Lunch we took the kids out to the Nerada Tea farm to show them where tea comes from and enjoyed a fresh cup of tea. On the way back to the caravan park we called in out the front of a barra farm to get the a picture of the big barra. Last minute we decided to call into a little park in Atherton because there is rumoured to be Platypus living there. The little Platypus was flat out with a dozen sightings along with a turtle also popping up for air. Kate wanted to walk back to the caravan park as it was only half a kilometre down the road and had Emily in her pouch carrier, the kids being kids wanted to go with mum because they fear missing out on something so I had a nice drive back and enjoyed my first beer before they return.

 

 

17^th of August

We check out of the caravan park and head to Lake Tineroo up to the campsite called Kauri for a few nights at only $10.50 a night. We set ourselves up close to the amenities which included flushing toilet and good but not drinking water that we used for our showers in the shower tent. After months of red dirt bush camping it was great to have a nice grass site with a vista over a lake. This place is yet more proof to me that dams are the best not only does it provide all the water to the farm lands around for irrigation it was another beautiful area for cheap camping and a place if I didn’t need to return to Sydney soon I could stay for a month.

 

18^th of August

I decided to do a service on the truck and I also fitted a torque convertor lock up switch to the auto box. I headed into town and picked up some oil and filters so I could perform my last service before getting home. We let the kids have a day playing and mucking around with a swim in the afternoon ,with no driving as they were getting tired and feral after the last 2 weeks of almost not stop going. We ended up with some free fire wood of a fellow camper who wanted to get rid of it from his car and the kids enjoyed a camp fire before bed and after the kids were asleep Kate and I enjoyed the stars and contemplated returning to our normal life in just over a month and a half.          

19^th of August

I spent the day doing very little we sorted out the caravan a bit more with Kate informing me that we had space under the bed if I wanted to store stuff in there. Well after cleaning out the car I ended up with an empty roof basket for the first time on the trip somehow as all the stuff fitted inside the car and under the bed. I might even end up with some better fuel usage after cleaning off the roof basket.  

20^th of August

I had almost packed everything yesterday and told the kids if we got going quick enough and into town early I would shout them Maccas for brekkie. We got in to Atherton by 9am enjoyed some maccas before dropping mum and Emily at the local Hospital for her 4 month needles and check up. I drove down to woolworths where I took the other girls shopping for food. I finished food shopping and had organized a camp spot up in the Daintree just in time to pick up mum coming out of the hospital. The drive along the great divide and then down into Mossman was a nice change from the outback roads. We topped up with fuel just before crossing the ferry over into the Daintree rainforest and it starts raining as we get off the ferry. Rain forest by name rain by nature I guess. We set up at a great little caravan park called Lync-haven rainforest retreat and enjoy a few happy hour beers with fellow travelers.

21^st of August

Rain again I am thinking the west is better now I hate mud lol. I went for a drive back down towards the ferry because I thought I saw a info centre on the way up I was mistaken. We ended up going out to cow bay where the rain made it hard for the kids to get out but the wife had to feed the baby while we all sat in the car. On the way back to the caravan park we called into the Daintree icecream company for some great natural flavour icecreams. The kids spent the afternoon playing in the camp kitchen while I typed this blog. After I had finish typing my blog a couple of school teachers turned up to play scrabble and invited me to play I was nervous only ever played on my ipod and didn’t do too bad and managed to come 2^nd.

At the caravan park the owner had a croc and some kanagroos for the kids to look at.

 

22^nd of August

Still raining decide to head north up to Cape Tribulation I was keen to see some of the Bloomfield track and after the bitumen ended there was a sign a bit further on saying 4wd only. I didn’t think much of the sign and crossed a couple of creeks and went up and down a few steep hills. At this stage I am thinking the Bloomfield track will start in about 20km and I pull up and ask a gentleman if he was alright as he was out of his car (with his car heading south I am heading north), and asked him where the Bloomfield track was. The gentleman replied I am about to do it so I am assuming that you have just finished it. I replied “dam I missed it lol”. The gentleman informed me that the road only gets better from where I was to the north so I put Cooktown into the gps and found out I was 70km away. Kate and I decided to go to Cooktown and we had a pub lunch while there before checking out the information centre and the lighthouse lookout before returning home. We ended up going back down the dirt road again as the information lady informed me the bitumen is boring and we also found out it is 320km back to our camp site or go on dirt and is only 130km. When we returned to camp at least the rain had stopped with some happy hour drinks before retreating to the caravan for dinner and bed.

 This water crossing was just outside a little town when we crossed it on the way up it wasn't over flowing the road and the pipes under the road could keep up with the flow. I guess with the rain and a few hours in between the river had come up.

 

23^rd of August

Pack up and head out the rainy rain forest. We cross the ferry and pick up a big croc picture at the ferry crossing car park. We then head up to Daintree village where there was also a big barra and Kate had a look around at the shops. We then start heading south we called in port Douglas for a drive by with no money to waste in the shops or fancy restaurants there seemed little reason to stop. Everything is so close on the east coast 30minutes later we are in cairns looking for a caravan park and set up at the cairns holiday park top tourist member. It appears to be a great little caravan park with very clean and up to date toilet blocks with the biggest shower recess I have ever seen in a caravan park. We got cracking with some loads of washing and I cleaned all the chairs after being in the Daintree even though they were under the awning cover because it was so damp and no sun there was mould starting to form after 3 days good luck living there in one of the houses. The girls and I ended up having a swim in the pool before quenching the first with some beer.

 big captain cook on the way into cairns

10th to the 15th of August

10^th of August

Packed up and headed into Mt Isa. The biggest rodeo in the southern Hemisphere is on in Mt Isa this weekend and all the camp grounds are booked out. So we went to the info centre and enquired on over flow campsites. The Lady at the info centre was great and couldn’t give me more info if she tried on Mt Isa. The Lady at the info centre gave me a number for an overflow park at the local basketball courts. For $10 we had showers and toilets but no power. So we set up camp had a shower and headed into pick up some food supplys. We spent the afternoon at camp as the kids were exhausted.

11^th of August

Packed a lunch, called into Laundromat and did some washing and drying before heading into the rodeo at 10.30am. The girls were excited at first to watch the rodeo then they had an intermission for a couple of hours so we went down and gave the girls a treat on a couple of rides and some ferry floss. We ended up back at the rodeo watching a few more events while I enjoyed a couple of queenslands finest xxxx. After we had seen a rodeo for the first time we won’t be racing back but I don’t like watching any sports. We headed back via the city lookout before returning to the van for a cuppa.

 

12^th of August

Would have liked to spend more time in Mt Isa but I am low on battery power and need to get to a caravan park and none in Mt Isa available we decide to leave. We start to head to Normanton not sure how far we will make it half way is the Burke and Wills road house half way if we are too tired and we will stop there for fuel anyway. Well leaving Mt Isa the hills have started and the terrain is starting to change. We get to Cloncurry a little town down the road where we turn left to head north and straight away the strength of the tail wind is felt I can go up slight hills in top gear and the car is not working at all. On arrival at Burke and wills road house there was a huge cue for fuel all parked up behind the browsers. I pulled up beside the cars and joked are they waiting for me, that’s when a lady informed me there is no fuel. I drove up the front and the service station owner was out the front looking nervous waiting for a fuel truck said they ran out at 3pm yesterday almost 24hrs ago. I said that was only diesel right you have petrol, with him saying yeah your right you can fuel up. Just as I finish fuelling up the tanker arrives and fuels up the tanks and the next hour is spent sending through all the diesel 4wds waiting while I had lunch. Well the strong tail wind and nice driving is to much to let go by so we decide to go to Normanton. Well not long later the roads vary from 1 lane back to 2 lanes and back again for the next 200kilometres and when it is 1 lane bitumen it is centre of the road and when a car comes towards you, both of you have to drop one side of your car on to the dirt and hang on. If a truck comes towards especially a road train well get off as quick as possible and stop on the side and make sure the truckie knows your intentions I had one truckie start to go off when I was well and truly on my way to be completely off and stopped and the rocks and loose crap sitting on the side of the road a triple trailer truck throws up is awesome. I had my hand out the window begging the guy to get back on the bitumen before he passed me sitting on his 90km per hour and he made it just in time. Well we arrived at Normanton at about 4pm and booked in the local caravan park for a couple of nights and had a few beers with the fellow camps and chatted about our day.

 

13^th of August

Kids were keen for a ride and with 2 big things in Normanton Jess, Megan and myself head off and give Mum a break for a little bit. All up the Kids rode 4 km not to bad but they didn’t do it completely whinge free lol. We got a picture in front of an 8+metre croc that was meant to be a replica of the biggest one caught in the area in the 50’s glad it wasn’t me. We then rode all the way to the other end of town to get a fake picture of Jessica pretending to hold the big Barra. We returned to camp for some lunch and the kids were keen to test out the pool. I had to repair an electric brake cable that was broken and have a look into why our batteries went flat 2 days ago. I couldn’t find anything major wrong tested all connections and when I was at Mt Isa I cleaned the Solar panel as it had a bit of red dirt on it. Put it all back together and 2 days later the power seems to be ok so will wait and see. After my maintenance check-up I wanted to head up to Karumba and check out the gulf the kids were in the pool still and I offered them the 150km drive return, Jess replied take a picture Dad I will see it when you get back. So up and back for a speed run for a picture and return in time for happy hour and put it this way I only went to say I have being to the gulf I wouldn’t say it was worth it.

 

14^th of August

Leaving Normanton head back out of town and turn left to head east for the last time. It is 600kms to Atherton where we want to get to in a couple of days and I plan on doing 400km to day and have an easy run into Atherton tomorrow. The day starts off great we see a drover musting his cattle. We then past the Gulflander train going down the tracks what a cool looking rig. Then back to 2 lanes one lane and so on. Then flood damage repair road works every 20km having to stop at road works waiting for the go ahead. We stop at a rest area for lunchwhere 2 couples traveling together are having lunch break. After speaking to the 2 couples and the wives getting the grand kid fix on Emily they tell me at Mt Surprising there is a gentleman running a small caravan park and un-powered sites are only $10 and powered are $17. As Mt Surprising is right on the 400km mark and there isn’t anything either side for another hour of driving we decide that is not a bad spot to stop. I went un-powered site as I wanted to test the batteries out. The place was great and our kids went nuts under the sprinklers, that the gentleman seems to have connected up to an unlimited water supply and has nice green grass sites everywhere. The Greynomads find it amusing watching our feral kids going nuts. The Owner of the park comes out at 4.30pm and says he is doing a snake show today so I quickly dry the kids and dress them into what they will wear tomorrow and Jessica once again surprises all and wants to hold another snake. I have never seen someone know so much about snakes he must have talked for an hour about what to do if bitten, what snakes are the most venomous and where they live. If at Mt surprising stay at this place he even has a café where he makes breakfast, lunch and tea.

 our $10 camp site

 Emily out of my chair

 Kate had a surprise when she got up from the toilet

 

15 of August

Back on the road to Atherton after going through a dozen road work sites in 140km we have to pull into give Emily a feed and at the same time have Lunch ourselves we pulled off the road down into a surprising great free camp on a flowing fresh water creek. It is great to see river pebbles and green grass in a natural spot again after so long. We then head in the last 60km and are greeted with big hills ones I haven’t seen the likes of since I was in Victoria and a drizzle of rain also not seen since May at Tom Price. The girls are excited as we are now driving through the rain forest and clouds, climbing up hills 1150m above sea level. We check in to big 4 Atherton and great to be back on the east coast I could almost roll on the grass it’s so good to see. The girls have a play in the park before I take them down to the info centre and pick up some supplies from the local Iga.           

 Fresh flowing water

 This is at Atherton big4 caravan park