July = MacKay North
Spent a couple of weeks with family then on the road again.
11 /7
Finally stopped raining . Headed off from Mackay about 9.30. Drove up
through Bowen to Guthalunga #54 Roadside overnight camp – a grass picnic area
with a loop road around it and caravans parked on both curbs. FLUSH toilets.
Looks as though they may be either expanding the parking or putting in a proper
caravan park. Chatting to a kiwi couple from Auckland – tour for 6 months every
year also. Met a Coromandal couple at the park this morning who have been
travelling for 12 years around Australia – this is their last trip.
So
many volcanic peaks everywhere – hadn’t thought of Australia being volcanic but
must have been very active once when you realise how much land is covered in
loam.
12/7
Have
decided to whizz up the coast to Mareeba so I can get to the rodeo so have shot
through Townsville and am at a park 40km south of Ingham – Crystal Creek (RACQ).
Ground to a halt driving and it is going to be too wet to put the solar panels
out to charge things anyway but I have pulled them out and read the
instructions – small steps. And I
want a shower and to do the washing. Was seriously planning free camping but…..
have also booked for 3 nights at Lake Tinaroo as I don’t think I will get
anywhere at the rodeo grounds. It starts Friday night and runs for 2 days so
should be fun. Only half hour drive to Mareeba from there anyway. Have joined Top Tourist - $30 give 10%
discount.
Anyway –
now I can take my time and wander back down through the tablelands and be back
around Mackay in time to get my sister from NZ.
Thousands
of green ants on the neighbours water hose – eeeeek! Have sprayed mine and not
putting the feet or anything down tonight. Did manage a very respectable
reverse in to the site though in one hit but the angle sites are not too bad .
Another
nice drive – top gear and 90km (on navman – nearly 100 on speedo.) Fuel down to
14L per 100km so very happy with that. Must have been the head wind coming over
– and all the extra weight I was carrying too I think. Nice flat roads and in
much better condition thank goodness. Am still fascinated by all the volcanic
cones though – all those Ngaruahoes everywhere – must have been a very active
region once long ago.
Could hear
dripping last night and thought my hose fitting must have been leaking. Finally
got the better of me and I chucked on a jacket and found the torch – only to
get wet when I opened the door – very gentle drizzle that wasn’t making any
noise on the roof. Whew – back to sleep happy!
How
exciting – went to put the washing on then wandered passed a group of people
playing with discs and a ball in a rectangle marked with white tape. They are
from a caravan club and are here to play disc bowls. All so excited about it.
About 30 in the club from ‘all over’ – Charters Towers, Townsville etc. The big nomad mid-week outing!
13/7
Headed of this morning around 8 and had a
lovely drive along miles of valleys among these high peaks. Cardwell is a
lovely seaside village – might have to stay there sometime. Still heaps of
sugar cane on all these flats between the hills, and starting to get bananas.
Got to
Gordonvale and went to McDonalds for a coffee – got into a car park with a sign
saying no trucks, trailers or caravans – didn’t see it until I came back out!
Oops – but got out OK. Then turned left off the Bruce Highway – following navman heading for
Lake Tinaroo caravan park. WELL – the road wound its way for miles and miles up
and along those hills I had been admiring!!!! Down to 2nd gear and 30km most of
the way AND there were so many road works where we had to wait to be let
through AND they were all on slopes – great fun trying to get going again with
the van on. The navman map looked like a kids scribble pattern! Then I read
that there are 300 hairpin bends on this road.
Without the van it could have been fun but such a lot of traffic.
Beautiful rain forest and I would have liked to have stopped at the lookout for
a while but…. Luckily there were places I could let people pass. I reckon I have taken 10,000km off my tyres
today!!!! At least I didn’t have to go down very far on the tableland side.
Lovely farms, lots of cattle.
Then
trying to find this park…. Seriously need some decent road signs! Then their
computer was down in the office so we all had to sit around for ages, until the
guy decided to give us sites without it! The 2 he gave me were hopeless so I
found a bloke who parked me in a much better place and went and told the guy
where I was. Lots of
horrible little sites here with slopes to get up or down on to them – really
needs redesigning - and tiny roads all round.
Needless
to say I feel a bit stuffed tonight. Aircon roaring – pretty humid and I don’t
want to open anything – lots of mossies around and my arms and feet are so
bitten by those sneaky sandflies that you don’t see or hear!!!! At least I have internet – oops power just gone off and then on again –
could be interesting place to be for 3 days. Chatty people here.
LESSON FOR
THE DAY – make sure I know where I am going before I leave!!!!
Gold coin
donation sausage sizzle tomorrow night – must be the camp’s big social event!
14/7
Rodeo at Mareeba. Hundreds of nomads there – did
wander around trying to find ones off the Grey Nomad website but gave up. insane place! Rodeo good but very
large arena so not easy to see – not as intimate as Raetihi! Warm day but a
breeze thank goodness. Very expensive food $16 for corn cob and small pork
spare-rib!
Sausage sizzle at park – very pleasant. All spoke
about where we were from etc. I was the only ‘foreigner’ and got a clap!
15/7
Quiet day. Washing – into the drier as rained and
drizzle. Wiz a lot of the day. Contacted from ‘Loki’ – to meet at Rocky creek
Monday. Did a couple of short walks. Thought I had a buyer for the battery but
too big for him. Tidied the back of the truck a bit. Smell – maybe something
died in the golf bag but can't see or get out – frog?
16/7
Went to Rocky Creek free camp. Lots still
here. Met up with Loki - GN site. 70y Canadian forester who has lived
in Tasmania 40 years. Took him to Granite Gorge then to
Mareeba – Coffee Works, then Coles for groceries. We are having prawns with pasta sauce and
spaghetti tonight. Went through the Mareeba cemetery – lots of mausoleums there
and above ground double graves all granite or tiles. Mostly Italian names so
must look into the history. All very clean and tidy.
Fired up the generator tonight as well. Still
haven’t used the solar although could have today – sun finally.
17/7
Good sleep –until 8.30! Have put the solar out
today. Packed tent pegs away and clean out van, polished truck. Sold the marine
starter battery that Jayco put in the van for $80. Could get depressed with
blokes telling me I have been ripped off – paid too much for solar – but then
they all get stuff on Ebay and know what they are doing!
Tried using the computer while charging on 12v but
it doesn’t seem to like that! Glued up some more trim inside the van also. loki has headed south to Tinaroo to camp in the park.
18/7
Fired up the gas hot water for the first time this
morning. By the time I walked all the way to the loo and made breakfast I had
hot water for a shower. Free camping is fine but I do like a hot shower every
day. Will be interesting to see how much water I have used. As you can see by
the photo the free camp I have been at is VERY popular. Allowed to stay 3
nights. There are waves of people who come and go every day. Probably 50 – 80
there each night.
All the rocks under the trees have regiment info
on them from WW2.
Decided
to go to Millaa Millaa caravan park. I have driven about 50km this morning up
into the misty mountains. I see there is a social golf course here. Maybe I
will shake the cobwebs out of the clubs! Tiny village and a small park – about
20 sites. Very damp underfoot – good thing I have 4x4 to get the van in and out
on to the grass site! Had to put the jockey wheel on a board so it didn’t
disappear! But I think I will find a hardware and get 4 more for the feet
- unaccustomed as I am to soft wet ground!!!! Still – at $15 per night
and the ablutions are right behind me…. :)
This area is so pretty - like NZ – rolling hills with
cattle grazing on real green grass. Lots of lovely bush – rainforest. Windy
road but nowhere near as bad as the 300 hairpins I did on Gillies Hwy. Once the
fog lifts it will be interesting to see where I am. Apparently it is usually
clear after lunch!
There are lots of craters and
waterfalls in this area to visit – and dairy factory that makes chocolates etc.
– heaven.
So now I am set up with power again – don’t think
solar will help at this place – I had better read up and see what I need to
visit in the next couple of days. Heaps within 50km so that is good.
Came
back to Elinjaa and Millaa Falls and did walk to them.
Bus load of US teens in togs getting their photo
taken in the Millaa pool – quite cold by the look of it! Fungus photo taken
with flash – might blow it up and frame it I think.
Got
4 paving tiles from the caretaker to put my feet down on so they don’t
disappear into the ground.
Chatted to a lovely old couple here for a couple
of months. Can duck out the back and on to the 9th tee of the golf
course!
19/7
Off to Malanda then
Neranda tea place, up to Yungaburra and then to Gallo Dairylands for Devonshire
tea. Bought some camembert. Then to Atherton. Got fuel and went to hardware for
wood. Scored a short plank of hardwood that they cut in to 4 – perfect for the van feet and FREE! Went
through crystal cave but didn’t bother paying to go down to ‘grotto’. Old town
and quite hilly. Went up to the lookout as well.
Back down Kennedy highway to Mt Hypipamee crater.
Amazing. 58m down from platform to green lake. Old
gas explosion pipe crater. Nice walk. Met another couple that are staying here
as well.
Decided to put out the awning for the first time!
Got the book out and was struggling when neighbours came along and helped me.
20/7
Day ‘at home’ – did the washing, went into ‘town’
for bottle water etc, played Wiz, then got the golf clubs out! Did 3 holes –
right hip collapsing a bit – keeps ‘catching’ me. And it was actually quite
cold at 4pm. Can still hit a ball though. Had the heater on in the evening –
damp feeling.
21/7
Lovely sunny day. Went to Ravenshoe via Tumoulin
road – nice drive. Steam train doesn’t
operate now and the railway yard was pretty full of campers. Will go there
Monday just in case I can get in but need to be there early I think. So off to
Herberton to the historical village. Very clean and tidy and interesting
displays in about 50 houses. Bit of a worry when things form my childhood are
now in museums though L
Took a couple of hours to get around. Fire brigade busy over the creek with a
bush fire – back burned it I think.
Have decided my sense of direction is ‘off. Around here – north and south seem the wrong
way round!
Have put the awning away again – let the morning
sun get on the van to warm it up! Hope I have done it right!
22/7
Lay day.
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