Of Cockatoos and Kangaroos: It's a LONG ROAD but there IS a POT of GOLD ...

Just to kick off this post I thought I'd reiterate our theme of Australian wildlife by including an image sent to us by our friend Cathie Newman in Vancouver. She and James (with whom I first came to Australia way back in 1978), along with their two kids, had a little trip Downunder about five years ago. It would sure be good to see them back here some day. Cathie has quite a naughty sense of humour. Here's the image she sent:

It always takes a little while to come up with a title for a new blog post. I briefly toyed with "From the Bible Belt to the Banana Belt" because I kind of liked the alliteration. There are lots of religious billboards alongside the roads in rural southeast Queensland and, from time to time, plenty of stuff in the news about various religious groups and their carryings-on. And, in Innisfail, just a little way south of where we are now here in Cairns, some serious banana growing happens. (In fact, 90% of Australia's bananas are grown in Queensland and most of those come from the Innisfail area.) However, I didn't want to offend folks with the first half of the title and, in reality, we're now in the middle of serious sugar cane growing country. There isn't really anything catchy about "From the Bible Bet to the Sugar Cane Belt" now is there? So what you see is what you get and hopefully the reasons for the title will become clear pretty quickly.

Day 1: To Isla Gorge

We folded up the tent and kicked the camel into gear good and early because we knew we had a fairly long drive ahead and hoped to get in a walk at Isla Gorge National Park when we arrived. Unfortunately, we didn't make the best route choice right from the start. Really we should have driven back to Warwick and north from there, but we do like to cover new terrain where there is a choice. We hadn't been to Toowoomba before and thought it would be good to travel via Gatton and the Lockyer Valley. The route was very windy, with a great deal of ongoing road works due to the damage done by the devastating floods of 2011 and then again in January this year, making for a very slow first couple of hours. (This Youtube video gives some idea of the devastation caused by those floods.) Still, the sobering experience of the aftermath adds a darker thread to the tapestry of our travels and brings us closer to the reality that people had to live through at the time. All up, the day's drive turned out to be about 540 kilometres and took around eight hours, including breaks and hold-ups due to road works. At one point we caught up to a huge piece of mining machinery that was being transported along the highway, trailing it at about 40 km/h until it - along with a stream of traffic behind - came to a full stop at one of the many sections where road repairs were happening.

Eventually we arrived at Isla Gorge, but not after a bit of an unnecessary detour. Given the name of the National Park, we naturally assumed that we'd be in a gorge. We did pass a sign that said "Isla Gorge Lookout" but thought, 'That can't be it - there's no campsite or National Park sign'. After descending quite some distance we came to another roadworks hold-up, and asked the flagman if we were nearing the entrance to the park. He told us that it was back behind us, commenting, "It's not particularly well signposted, is it?" So we turned around and drove back up the hill to the lookout. As a National Park Isla Gorge turned out to be a very nice campsite, but little more. There was no obvious walking track and no fresh water, but it did have pretty good views over the gorge which apparently protects a few rare species of plants and animals. If you are travelling through it makes a good overnight stop but you wouldn't go out of your way to spend time there.

Day 2: arriving at Blackdown Tablelands National Park

There wasn't really anything to keep us at Isla Gorge the next morning, although Di did go take her camera out briefly while I was getting breakfast. A few birds were about, including Rainbow Lorikeets and Pied Currawongs, but nothing was showing off enough to make for a good photo. We hit the road pretty smartly and lo and behold found ourselves behind a big piece of mining machinery that looked like this:

The crew transporting this piece of machinery must have spent the night around the small town of Theodore and got back on the road just before us. When I say "crew" I didn't mention earlier that there were two pilot cars and a police car out in front of the the machine to warn and pull over oncoming traffic, and it was followed by two more pilot cars and a highway patrol car. A fairly expensive operation that was taking place over multiple days. Luckily, we weren't held up very long and the day's drive was fairly short.

The last part of the route was up a long, steep, narrow and winding road to Blackdown Tablelands National Park. Like Mount Kaputar, it was a place where caravans are not allowed but you can take a camper trailer. After our experience at Isla Gorge, Di wasn't sure about staying two nights at BTNP. It's necessary to book a campsite online for all Queensland National Parks but for some of these out of the way places you can often turn up - especially mid-week - and check out the campsites before you make your booking. There isn't mobile reception at the Blackdown campground itself, so you have to book from a lookout at the entrance to the park if you haven't secured a place in advance.

There are a few outstanding campsites and we were lucky enough to snag one of them. These reviews on tripadvisor.com will give you an idea of the positive vibes that the place sets off for folks. Campsites 9, 10, 11 and 12 are the best choices if you want to book in advance. Our campsite, which was number 11, is nestled in between two huge trees:

There is a large, separate fire area attached to site 11, safely away from the campsite itself. To cut a long story short, we decided to stay two nights and were really glad we did. It's an absolutely brilliant place. Maybe the following narrative along with the photos will help you understand why.

The first walk we did was the short cultural circuit right near the campground. It combines elements of the indigenous people's use of the land along with white settlers' subsequent occupation. Along the track you see examples of stencil art ...

... which are protected behind a viewing area:

Just past the rock art are these interesting towers:

Along the path there is a sign which tells how the indigenous people employed resin from the Grass Tree to make bush glue for use in fashioning stone tools:

At an elevation of about 900 metres asl, the park is quite unlike what you'd expect to see in the outback and is able to grow some fantastic trees, including massive Stringybarks that were once harvested for saw logs. There are also these wonderful giant eucalypts with smooth red trunks. We thought they might have been something called the Red Ash, but are unsure about that:

We loved the way they seem to just shoot straight up out of the ground:

This dead tree was down across the track ...

... but this live one gives you an idea of their towering beauty ...

Some conveniently placed stepping stones make it possible to cross rocky creeks without getting wet feet:

Banksias can be found along the track ...

... and in shadier spots the rock was covered in dripping mosses and ferns ...

... while in cooler places that got some sunlight these Everlasting Daisies abounded:

It became more and more clear, as we proceeded around the circuit that this environment, raised as it is from the surrounding plains, must have been a wonderful oasis for the indigenous Ghungalu people - especially during hotter months.

Alas, like most every other place special to indigenous folks, this are was appropriated by the European settlers. In the case of the tableland, cattle grazing was the activity this environment was subjected to. Evidence of early occupation still remains over a hundred years later. This sign details how bark was cut to use on the roofs and walls of simple shelters ...

... and here is the affect on the tree so many years later:

Evidence of the fencing that was done at the time still remains. Here is a sign that describes the work the methods used:

It was pretty cool to see the way fence rails were set right into a large stringybark in one place:

It was a very rewarding stroll after two and a half days of just about constant driving. One interesting fact we discovered was that the tableland wasn't really suitable for cattle grazing. Without enough phosphorous in the soil - and therefor the grasses growing on them, the cattle developed chalky bones. Also, if they ate a certain palm - as they did - they would develop rickets.

Back at camp, as soon as we lit a fire a few Pied Currawongs ...

and a couple of Laughing Kookaburras ...

... arrived expectantly. They were extremely brazen - especially the Kookaburras - and we had to keep an eye on them to ensure they didn't make off with the meat straight out of the pan. (We discovered that the guy staying at the campsite next door wasn't so vigilant and a Kookaburra managed to make off with a fairly large sausage. We were walking by his campsite and burst into laughter when we say about eight of them lined up waiting for the chance to swoop in for another raid.)

Day 3: the glorious Rainbow Falls

While the cultural walk was very enjoyable the real highlight of the visit was the hike we took the next day to Rainbow Falls. Di actually said she thought it was "the best waterfall walk she'd ever done". Not that it was the best waterfall that she'd ever seen but the most rewarding combination of a walk and the view you actually get when you arrive. Hopefully the following photos will help you appreciate why.

After about a kilometre and a half of gradually descending track, you come to a sign that tells you there are 240 steps down to the waterfall. Along those steps you pass this rock wall under an overhang:

As we descended further the protection from the sun provided by the gorge and the moisture from the creek created the perfect environment for a richness of ferns and palms to flourish:

The falls themselves cascade down a series of drops separated by beautiful rock platforms:

We thought we'd heard voices as we were descending towards the falls. Once we followed the stream bed down a short way we saw the two guys we'd heard below us on a lower shelf:

Getting to where they were involved taking off our shoes to cross the stream (again) and scrambling down some rocks and shimmying down a cleft using a rope:

The view below is taken from the ledge on which the two gentlemen were reclining:

After exploring below the falls we made our way back to the top and wandered upstream for a bath in this lovely pool with a sandy bottom:

After our wonderful morning's excursion we went back to camp, had some lunch and then got out the camp oven and put a roo roast on to slow cook for the afternoon. (Once again the Currawongs and Kookaburras arrived to try to steal some meat as soon as we lit the fire. They sure were well conditioned!)

While the the roo was roasting we set off on another walk. It involved following Mimosa Creek downstream for a ways, then crossing it and a few other minor streams to a lookout. It was another terrific walk with quite varied terrain, good views at the end plus the added bonus of an unexpected flourish of flowering shrubs just before the lookout.

Dinner that night was fantastic: the slow cooking of our roast roo and some veggies for about five hours meant the meat was falling apart and the mushrooms, parsnips and carrots in olive oil were like candy.

We really loved this little park and would happily visit again, especially if we were able to share it with our two grandkids. Maybe one day ...

Day 4: the road to Charters Towers

We resolved to make another early start the next morning as we had about 630 kilometres of driving ahead of us. With the leftover roo meat from the previous night's dinner we made up a couple of delicious sandwiches. Combined with a brace of Blackheath apples from the Logan Brae Orchard (now run by an ex-Tasmanian rock climber) we figured they would make a hearty lunch somewhere along the way. After boiling the kettle for a hot drink we managed to get away not long after first light, with the idea of having breakfast at Emerald, an hour and a half or so down the road. Before arriving at Emerald we passed through Blackwater, where coal was discovered in 1845 by the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt. With six major coal mines in the area, Blackwater bignotes itself as the coal capital of Australia.

Once past Emerald - where there is a beautiful big old railway station - and then had left Clermont behind there really wasn't much along the road, so there's not a lot else to say about the day's drive. The landscape is pretty flat most of the way. Broad-acre farming was in evidence but the landscape was generally pretty dry looking. At one point we passed through an area where huge fields were sown with in sunflowers, which we guessed were to be harvested for cooking oil. The roads were mostly long and straight with not a lot to look at and we were pretty pleased when we finally arrived at the historic gold mining town Charters Towers. It had gradually warmed up during our drive north and the mercury was at 31 degrees when we got to Charters Towers, so we were delighted to avail ourselves of the saltwater pool in the caravan park where we were staying the night. After a shower, and a cold beer we treated ourselves to dinner at Henry's Restaurant, named in honour of the colonial poet and short story writer Henry Lawson. I reckon he was probably as famous for his moustache as his writing, but nonetheless much loved as the battler's champion. Here's a picture of the restaurant with Lawson's likeness looking down on prospective customers:

Inside there's a painting depicting a scene from "The Loaded Dog", one of Lawson's short stories set on the goldfields:

Day 5: an outback icon

On our drive up to Charters Towers we'd pretty much decided to stay there two nights. We were interested in exploring the history of the area, needed to refresh our supplies and a bit of a rest from driving seemed in order. We were very pleased that allowed ourselves the time to poke around this historic town. It's full of old buildings that have been very well preserved and which are testimony to the richness of the gold deposits that were exploited hereabouts. Here is the Telegraph Office, built a couple of years before the end of the19th century ...

... and the original City Hall with its Doric (?) columns ...

... the very grand Excelsior Library ...

... the impressive Bank of New South Wales, built in 1889 ...

... the old Ambulance Station, built in 1900 and now a museum ...

Unfortunately it was closed, but I did snap this photo of an old Ford ambulance through the window:

We paused for coffee and cake in a cafe in the historic Charters Towers Stock Exchange Arcade ...

... where there are quite a number signs detailing the history of the gold mining and the reasons for the establishment of the stock exchange. Here are just a few of them:

Back at camp I noticed a fist-sized seed pod lying on the grass near the camper:

Neither Di nor I have any idea what it might be so if anyone reading this can identify it we'd appreciate it if you'd add a comment to the blog ...

Day 6: on to Undara

Our plan for day 6 was to do a reasonably short drive to Undara and have a walk in the afternoon. We visited this marvellous place in 2011 after the big wet that year, and were unable to do the walk through the Hundred Mile Swamp because the track was flooded. It might sound like we missed out on that trip but in fact quite the opposite was true. Because it had been so wet the environment was peppered with various plants in flower, with lots of birdlife about and quite a few Pretty-faced Wallabies bounding about. We also met and shared a campfire for a couple of nights with Chris and Bob Healy, a lovely couple from Sydney. The most rewarding experience though was to be able to swim in one of the flooded lava tubes. This rarely happens so we felt incredibly fortunate. Being at Undara in such conditions left us with a high that lasted for several days and still brings back a wonderful warm glow. If you're ever in FNQ under such conditions, it's a must. In the meantime, you could visit our Undara SmugMug gallery for a vicarious experience of that trip.

Shortly after leaving Charters Towers we were driving through more interesting countryside, with volcanic features dotting the landscape. At one spot, after cresting a gentle rise we found ourselves looking at quite a sad sight: a beautiful dead dingo hung up in a tree, apparently after having been run over and scalped by a vehicle. That was the only conclusion we could draw for it was otherwise untouched. This is what it looked like:

Inevitably if you spend much time driving through Outback Australia you will come across a sign like this ...

... usually followed by another like this:

It's generally regarded as really important when you're travelling "out back" to have a UHF radio and be tuned to Channel 40 when you come up behind a road train, or one comes up behind you. Now, for readers outside Australia the concept of a "road train" might be unfamiliar. Probably not hard to figure out, but the reality is pretty confronting. I'm inserting a Youtube video to give readers a good clear idea of what we're talking about here:

So far we have only seen a few of these monsters in action as mostly they seem to have been on the move during the night and idle by the roadside during the day. And so far we haven't come up behind one on a gravel road, or have one come up behind us wanting to get past on a gravel road. No doubt that time will come. One thing's for sure though: you really want to know that nothing's ahead in such a situation and that's where the UHF radio comes into its own.

By this stage we'd been travelling through cattle country for hundreds of kilometres. Various breeds are in evidence, but probably the most popular in the hotter latitudes is the Brahman. We'd seen some quite large herds of mainly white Brahmans. (Although the wet season wasn't much to speak of this year in northeastern Australia, they haven't had the dry conditions graziers across much of the north have had to endure.) We hadn't had the opportunity to get a good photo of any of the cattle, especially in large numbers. If we'd been more on the ball - and less tired - just before we reached Charters Towers we could have got some pictures and video of a real life cattle drive being conducted right alongside the road by a few blokes on horseback. For the time being, here's a consolation shot of an impressive Brahman bull on the side of the road into Undara:

My, doesn't he have some equipment on him!!!

The vegetation you can see is classic Australian Savannah, which is fitting really as at this point we have just detoured off what is know as "The Savannah Way".

Upon arrival we set up camp, had lunch and then set off on our walk. Not long after you start the hike you're greeted by this sign erected in 2012 which honours the indigenous Ewamian people and marks 150 years since the Collins brothers arrived and started running cattle:

How different we found the conditions compared to our last visit! Fewer plants were in flower and it was very dry underfoot. You wouldn't know there was a swamp, although the grass in the lowest-lying part still had a good tinge of green:

There was plenty of evidence of major ant activity with lots of large diameter holes in the ground, including these two side-by-side:

There was also the odd termite mound ...

... but nothing like the proliferation we'd seen over the past couple of days. Although the trees are fairly sparse here and there are no towering giants like there were on the Blackdown Tablelands, there are some beauties including this multi-trunked specimen which we presumed met underground ...

... and the very occasional larger tree up to about 20 metres tall...

At one point we came across a small shrub that looked very much like some sort of native olive ...

... and in places there were some lovely, pale green Malaleuca viridiflora in flower ...

Anyone who knows us well or has followed this blog for a while will realise that we have an affinity for rock, and we enjoyed rambling over the occasional exposed slab of rough volcanic material ...

There are plenty of stretches of rock like this near camp for kids like us - and younger - to play around on and we hope to bring our grandchildren out to Undara some day to camp, play on the rocks and appreciate the natural beauty of the area.

After a short excursion out of the park to collect some firewood we repaired to camp and I got a pan of paella on the stove. Here I am back enjoying a glass of red while I catch up on my email ...

... and a little while later, after we'd polished off dinner and the sun had set, the two of us enjoying the campfire and starry skies ...

Day 7: the Pot of Gold

Although our drive from Undara to Cairns was quite short we were very keen to get on the road early. Living just about as far away from them you can be in Australia, we get very little opportunity to catch up with our grandkids and we were both excited at the prospect of seeing their happy faces and having a hug or two.

The drive from Undara to Cairns varies considerably, from fairly flat, dry outback country to the suddenly very lumpy, lush terrain of the Atherton Tablelands. We've spent a bit of time up on the tablelands over a number of previous trips and will visit again in the future. For this trip though we were happy to pass quickly on through and arrive at our destination. After settling in we took the kids down to the artificial lagoon on the Cairns waterfront. Here's a photo of Zavier with a string moustache and Asha hugging her noodle ...