16th 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.
17th 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.
18th 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.
19th 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.
20th 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.
21st 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 2nd.
At the caravan park the owner had a croc and some kanagroos for the kids to look at.
22nd 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.
23rd 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.
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