Mary Kathleen

 29 - 30 June 2025

We left Cloncurry after visiting the Sunday markets and headed west again towards Mary Kathleen. We weren't sure whether we would stay there or not as there are no facilities at all. Instead, we thought we might return to camp at Clem Walton Park where there are toilets and a lovely creek, and drive to Mary Kathleen later in the afternoon. We've stayed at Clem Walton Park on a few earlier trips and it's a nice spot to camp for a couple of days.

On the way we stopped at Chinaman Dam - another good birding spot - to have some morning tea. The water level there was evidence of a bumper wet season. Throughout our recent travels we have noticed how green the countryside was compared to previous years, and that many rivers and creeks were flowing.

Further west we turned off the highway and took the road down to Clem Walton park - but it was in dreadful condition and we definitely didn't want to be driving in and out to Mary Kathleen. We stayed and had lunch in the picnic area but the place didn't feel quite the same, with an old guy who had set up a permanent camp right in the middle of the camping area. He probably wasn't causing any harm but combined with the state of the road we made the decision to move on.

We drove back out to the highway and on to the old Mary Kathleen town site. The former uranium mine closed in 1982 but the town site remains, minus all the buildings. It is on private property where camping is permitted. From the town site it is a short (in distance) drive to the mine site. We drove in to the campground and saw that there were lots of people camped, but still heaps of room. With a cold night forecast we drove back out to the highway to collect some firewood a few kilometres away. 

Lots of other campers but still heaps of room

Back to the campsite we chose a nice spot with a makeshift firepit that would do us nicely. Of course we were there for the birds, so later in the afternoon we drove out to the minesite. The road was rough but not as bad as the one into Clem Walton Park. We walked up to the abandoned open pit which is now filled with water. When the sun is right above the water is a beautiful shade of turquoise but late in the day is not so spectacular. Mick spent some time, unsuccessfully, searching for birds before returning to camp.

Who would have thought an old uranium mine pit
could look so pretty?

We had dinner by the fire and an early night. We weren't in a particular hurry to leave in the morning as we were only going as far as Mount Isa. Once packed up we headed west and on to our next destination.

Cloncurry

 28 - 29 June 2025

We had decided to have a night at the old Mary Kathleen town site - for the birding of course. We headed off from Boulia after another walk along the river and stopped at Dajarra for lunch. From there we took the turn-off to Duchess which would have us on mostly gravel roads, but would be a bit shorter than going through Mount Isa.

When we rejoined the Flinders Highway we made a quick decision to head east the short distance to Cloncurry instead of west to Mary Kathleen. It was our 40th wedding anniversary the following day and we thought a pub meal and a night in a motel would be a nice way to celebrate, given our remote location.

We drove around town and selected a motel that was walking distance from a couple of pubs and settled in. We were able to do a load of washing which was a bonus. I had a bottle of prosecco chilled and we had a couple of drinks before setting off to find a pub for dinner. The one we chose was quite crowded - which is always a good sign. The meal and service were very good.

The following morning we headed off to do some grocery shopping and then to the Visitor Information Centre where there was a market. We had a bit of a look around and walked up to the lookout which provided some great views of the area. From there we headed west towards Mary Kathleen.

Fossils on display at the Visitor Centre in Cloncurry

Boulia

 26 - 28 June 2025

After an early start we returned to Lark Quarry for another serach for the Opalton grasswren before setting off towards Boulia. We plotted a course that would take us along some minor roads, goimg via Old Cork. The roads were in surprisingly good condition and we only took one wrong turn. Fortunately we reaslised before we had gone too far and were able to back-track to get ourselves on the right road.

We eventually rejoined the Kennedy Developmental Road and stopped at a rest area to have some lunch, the continued on to Boulia. We checked in to the caravan park and chose a nice shady spot by the Burke River. There was a lot more water in the river than there had been on our last couple of visits.

Late afternoon by the Burke River

This photo shows the same river in 2017 -
such a contrast!

Mick had a birding spot to check out so headed off for an early morning session, while I did some packing up. When he returned we decided to spend an extra day so unpacked again. We both went out in the afternoon but the target birds proved to be elusive. 

We took the opportunity to do some restocking while we were in "town" and also walked down by the river, making this a very pleasant and convenient place to stay. 

After a bit of deliberation we decided to head towards Mary Kathleen via Dajarra - but changed our minds along the way.

Little Jack - near Lark Quarry

 25 - 26 June 2025

We left Opalton and set off for Lark Quarry. We had checked the map and discovered we could cut across country rather than going back into Winton, which made for a much shorter journey. After a short stop for lunch along the way, and a spot of birding, we arrived just on 1:00pm. Bronwyn and John were still there having taken part in the 11:00am tour. They were having some lunch before setting off on one of the harder walks. We treated ourselves to an ice cream and walked up to the lookout. We spent some time looking at the information displays in the visitor centre while we waited for our tour.

The building protects the precious trackway

As luck would have it we were the only two people booked in for 2:00pm so we had a truly personalised tour. Once again, our guide was knowledgeable and we found it fascinating. The trackway has not been fully excavated so no-one knows what else might be hidden.

Big footprints amongst the little one

After time at the Trackway we set off to do some birding down near the airstrip and Telstra tower before continuing on to find where Bronwyn and John had camped for the night. They had sent their location in "what three words" format so, apart from initially missing the turnoff, it was quite easy to locate them.

Little Jack is a free camp in the true sense of the term - nothing there, just a clearing in the bush. We arrived just as the sun went down, so set up quickly and used the last of the timber we collected the day before to start a fire. After some drinks by the fire, we had an easy dinner from the freezer  and an early night.

We made a snap decision in the morning to get up early, pack up and go back to Lark Quarry for one last attempt to photograph the Opalton grasswren. We packed up as quietly as we could, but still woke the others. We said our goodbyes and headed off. We were going to take the Old Cork Road that is just north of Lark Quarry so it wasn't too far out of the way to go back. 

Opalton

 24 - 25 June 2025

We picked up a few supplies, fuelled up and set off for Opalton - in search of the Opalton grasswren. The road is mostly unsealed, but was in reasonable condition. We stopped a couple of times to look for birds and then also to collect firewood. We knew the nights would be cold so wanted to be prepared.

We headed to the community campground - Opalton Bush Camp - and selected a site adjacent to a carport shelter. This would give us some shade and meant we wouldn't have to use the awning. The shelters look like they have been erected to collect water as each has a water tank attached. There are toilets and showers heated by a donkey boiler, but no power. It would suit us nicely for the night. 

Great set-up at Opalton

Mick set off in the afternoon to do some birding, unfortunately without much success. He returned in time to have a shower and get the fire going. Most campers come to Opalton for the fossicking, and they are a friendly bunch.

Mick headed back out in the morning, before we packed up and set off for Lark Quarry. We had booked to do the tour at 2:00pm so were on a bit of a deadline, but figured we would make it in good time.

Winton

 22 - 24 June 2025

We had arranged to meet my sister and her partner in Winton so set off after restocking and fuelling up again. The drive from Hughenden was uneventful, and we arrived just on lunch time so went and had a picnic in the park before checking in to the caravan park.

We went for a walk in town and then later in the afternoon set off to do some birding at the sewerage treatment works. Unfortunately, we couldn't get close enough to see the water so we continued on and drove down to Pelican Waterhole. After a lot of recent rain there was a fair bit of water, and lots of birds around so Mick was happy.

Late afternoon at Pelican Waterhole

One of the main attractions in the area is Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, which we had visited 10 years ago. There has been some further development so I was keen to go again. We had booked our visit to also include a trip to Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways in a couple of days time. Bronwyn and John had also booked to visit both places.

We were all booked to start our tour at 9:45am with the March of the Titanosaurs, followed by time at Dinosaur Canyon. This exhibit has been added since our last visit and, as with the others, was fantastic. The dinosaur tracks have been painstakingly moved from their original location in a nearby creek bed. It's fascinating to discover how they were found, and what the tracks tell paleontologists. Dinosaur Canyon contains many models of dinosaurs with information about the habitat in which they would have lived. We could have spent a lot more time exploring this part of the complex.

One of many life-sized replicas in Dinosaur Canyon

Our next tour was to the fossil preparation room - probably my favourite. This is where volunteers process the fossils found in the local area. There are so many fossils waiting on shelves to be revealed, our guide said that it would take ten years to get through them all, without bringing in any new ones. 

The final tour was the collection room where the story of how Age of Dinosaurs came about. Graziers David and Judy Elliott had the foresight to contact the Australian Museum when they found what they thought might be dinosaur fossils on their property. Further exploration revealed some unique finds. From humble beginnings the Age of Dinosaurs was born, and continues to grow. In my opinion this is one of the best tourist attractions in Australia, which continues to grow and support research of global significance. 

On Monday night we went for dinner at Tattersall's Hotel for a celebration dinner with Bronwyn and John, and John's sister. In the morning we would head to Opalton and perhaps meet up with them again but nothing was definite.

Hughenden

 20 - 22 June 2025

After a restful night at Porcupine Gorge, followed by the rather strenuous walk out of the gorge, we headed off to Hughenden. Before checking into the caravan park, we drove down to the recreational lake for lunch. Last time we were there it was very windy and it was exactly the same this time.

We moved on to the caravan park and settled in for an afternoon of phone calls and chores. We submitted an insurance claim for the accident with the kangaroo even though we weren't sure what damage may be hiding behind the "smart bar".

The following morning we went for a drive to Mount Walker, about 10km south of the town. There are a number of lookouts, all fairly close together, that give fabulous views of Hughenden and the surrounding countryside. This was our first visit to this location and we were quite impressed with the way it had been set up with lots of information explaining aspects of the landscape.

A short drive for some great views

We did some shopping which included visits to the op-shop, butcher, baker and supermarket. Hughenden is a reasonable sized town where most needs can be met. We also fuelled up at the unmanned, and cheapest, servo before we left in the morning.

Porcupine Gorge National Park - Pyramid Campground

 19 - 20 June 2025

We started the day with a flurry of phone calls, discussions with fellow travellers and internet searches to establish that the route we needed to take was indeed open. We set off along the Kennedy Developmental Road and had only travelled about 15km when a kangaroo bounded out of the long grass and onto the road right in front of us. Mick yelled "watch out" just as I spotted it. I slammed on the brakes but it was too close and I hit it. I can't have been going too fast as the air bags didn't deploy and the roo hopped away - no doubt seriously injured.

We stopped and looked for damage but could really see any. The "smart bar" we had fitted a few years ago seemed to have done its job. Back on the road, a little slower this time,  checking to see there were no warning lights and everything seemed ok. The car was driving normally but as we increased speed a rattle appeared. We stopped to try to find out what it was and discovered that the smart bar had moved slightly, making it difficult, but not impossible, to open the bonnet. We stopped twice more before Mick found the source of the rattle - a plastic piece near the mudguard. He did a "bush fix" and we were back on our way. 

At first we had thought we might need to go straight to Hughenden to get someone to look at the car, but we figured it would be ok so we continued on to Porcupine Gorge where we has a campsite booked for the night. We'd stayed at Pyramid Campground a couple of times in our tent camping days, but this would be the first time in the camper trailer. It looked like the site we had booked had a fire pit so we stopped off along the way to gather some fire wood.

We found our site and it was just perfect - some shade and a fire pit, not too far from the toilets and  a short walk from the gorge itself. We were a bit stressed after our accident so just relaxed through the afternoon and decided to tackle the gorge walk in the morning.

We enjoyed a campfire while we warmed up some soup for dinner, then had an early night. In the morning we set off on the gorge walk at about 8:30am and, as expected we found the walk into the gorge to be relatively easy. There was quite a lot of water in Porcupine Creek so we spent a short time relaxing by the creek before tackling the return journey. The walk back is certainly a challenge and we needed to make a few stops along the way. 

The Pyramid looms large over the gorge

Once back at camp, we had morning tea, then finished the packig up and headed off towards Hughenden.

The Lynd Junction - Oasis Roadhouse

 18 - 19 June 2025

We drove from Cairns to Mareeba where we stopped to fill the water tanks and empty the toilet, then continued on towards Atherton. We stopped for lunch at Rocky Creek War Memorial Park, a very popular free camp, with a good day use area. From there we drove on through Herberton to a birding spot in Wondecla. We had let our friends in Ravenshoe know we were on our way, but we seriously miscalculated our timings.

We arrived at Rob and Cheryl's and stopped for a chat and to pick up some things we had left there. It was then we realised that if we didn't leave by 3:30pm we would be driving in the dark. There aren't many options the way we were headed and we had decided on the Oasis Roadhouse which we had heard served cold beer and excellent burgers.

We jumped in the car and headed off for the 2 1/4 hour drive to the Lynd Junction, arriving just as the sun was starting to set. We managed to get the camper set up as the light faded. We had high hopes, but found the campground to be very disappointing. We camped in the unpowered section which was at the opposite end of the grounds from the amenities, meaning a very long walk to go to the loo. 

We ordered burgers and drinks and found a table on the deck to have our dinner. It was Rugby League State of Origin night so there were lots of people and the pre-game show was on the huge TV screen. My burger was OK but Mick's was overcooked - maybe even cooked and then reheated.

Celebrating a birthday with a cold beer

The following morning we agonised over whether we would be able to get to our next camp at Porcupine Gorge National Park. The Queensland Transport app showed the road open, GoogleMaps showed it as closed, our neighbours saw the closed signs the day before, the Queensland Transport website didn't show anything in the list view, but hazards were shown in the map view. So much for relying on a government department!

In the end I rang Etheridge Shire Council who confirmed that road was open, but had been closed for while the day before due to some flash flooding. With that information we were able to head off down the Kennedy Developmental Road, otherwise known as The Lynd. 

Cairns

14 - 18 June 2025

We left Etty Bay and decided to make our first stop Eubenangee Swamp just north of Innisfail. There is a walking track that meanders along the river before climbing to the top of a grassy hill for a view of the swamp - one of the most important wetlands in the Wet Tropics of Queensland. 

Fabulous views of the swamp after a bit of a climb

After our walk we decided that Bramston Beach would be a good spot for lunch as we were already half way there. We found a nice park where we had a picnic and then went for a short walk on the beach. 

We arrived in Cairns and set up at a caravan park that we have stayed at several times before. Although it is about 20 minutes from the Esplanade the grounds and adjacent creek have lured us back a number of times. Unfortunately the weather forecast had changed to include a day of very heavy rain.

On Sunday we drove to Catanna Wetlands and walked along many of the tracks. This is always a good spot for birding, and a lovely place to go for a stroll. There are a number of bird hides, as well as tracks around the lakes and through the grasslands. 

You know you're in Far North Queensland

We had chosen Cairns as our destination so I could attend a medical appointment which took up all of Monday morning, then it rained in the afternoon. On Tuesday, when some very heavy rainfall was forecast we decided to take a chance and go into town to visit the spot where an owl was likely to be seen, as well as to go to the Esplanade. We met up with a couple of local birders who were more than happy to share their knowledge of the owl's habits, including exactly where it would most likely be seen. It wasn't in residence that morning, but Mick was hopeful he might be able to spot it on a future visit.

As it was morning tea time, we drove down to the Esplanade for ice-creams at our favourity gellateria. From there we went for a bit of a walk and spotted a couple of Nankeen night-herons. Mick didn't have his camera so we had to walk back to the car to get it. Fortunately one of the birds was still there and happily obliged by posing to have it's photo taken.

The rain had held out and we were able to get out again in the afternoon to pick up some more supplies for our journey into western Queensland. We set off on Wednesday morning, which was Mick's birthday, with a plan to stay somewhere with a pub where we could have dinner and a couple of drinks to celebrate. 

We left the caravan park and before heading "up the hill" towards Kuranda, drove down to have a look for the owl again - and there it was, just waiting to have it's photo taken. Mick figured that was a good birthday present. From there we finally left Cairns, on our way to stop off in Ravenshoe.

Etty Bay

 12 - 14 June 2025

We chose to go to Etty Bay because we had the car booked in for a major repair at Toyota in Innisfail, and because of cassowaries. Mick has lots of photos of this magnificent bird, but he is always chasing the perfect shot. We left Atherton after lunch in the park and drove down the Palmerston Highway, arriving in Etty Bay mid-afternoon.

We pulled up at the caravan park reception and as I stepped out of the car, there was a cassowary only a couple of metres away from me. Naturally Mick grabbed the camera while I checked in. Eventually he was able to drag himself away long enough to set up camp.

The welcome cassowary

We realised there were two cassowaries active in and around the caravan park and beach and spent a lot of time trying to photograph them. One was more than happy to come right into our camp - looking for food. Feeding cassowaries is strictly forbidden, but that doesn't stop them helping themselves to whatever they can find.

On Friday morning we drove in to Innifail to drop the car off and pick up a hire car. On the way we saw a young cassowary on the side of the road  but didn't stop for photos. On the way home from Innisfail we drove down to Mourilyan Harbour for a look. There's not much to see, but we did see yet another cassowary on the side of the road on our way back. That made four for the trip - most times we have only seen one.

A spectacular moonrise was an added bonus

We were only going as far as Cairns then next day so took our time packing up, in between photograpy sessions. We left around 10:00 and headed north.

Yungaburra - Bonadio's RV Park

 8 - 12 June 2025

We spent our last morning in Ravenshoe finishing the packing and readying the spare bedroom for the next guest - a friend of Rob and Cheryl's who had travelled with them back from Karumba. We finally left after lunch and made our way over towards Atherton, still not sure which spot to choose for a 4 night stay. In the end, economics won out and we headed to Yungaburra to stay at Bonadio's again. We enjoyed our last visit and the price was much more reasonable that the "high season" charges at the caravan park in Atherton.

This time the park was quite full but we found a good spot in the lower section, facing the rainforest. Once again we went down for the animal feeding and this time, the leaf-tailed ghecko showed itself. Later we wandered about looking for night creatures and were rewarded with a green ringtail possum high up in the trees. We didn't get to see the platypus, mainly because we didn't try very hard.

We went to check on the progress made on our new home and had a talk to the neighbours. They have been working hard to clear weeds from the bush down by the creek, so it looks like we'll have a bit of a job to do when we finally move in. 

One evening we went down to the Curtain Fig tree to see if we could spot the Lesser Sooty owl, and again we heard it but didn't get to see it. It seemed to stay very still and quiet, and out of sight, until we turned off the torch then it would fly over. 

One afternoon we drove to Millaa Millaa Falls. Mick was hoping to get photos of a kingfisher but it didn't oblige. It was a nice afternoon out anyway.

Millaa Millaa Falls is a photographers' favourite

While we were at Bonadio's we had to have a gas leak repaired and also an upgrade to meet the new compliance regulations. Leon was happy to come to us and did the first part of the repair while we were at Bonadio's but he needed a part to finish the job. As it was our last morning there, he agreed to meet us in a park in Atherton to finish the job. That wouldn't happen in the city!

Once the gas job was done, we moved on to Platypus Park for lunch then drove down the Palmerston Highway to our next stop - Etty Bay.

Ravenshoe - House Sit

 30 May - 8 June 2025

We left Yungaburra to drive to Ravenshoe where we would be house sitting for a few weeks. We met Cheryl and Rob at Merluna Station on Cape York in 2024, and it turned out they might be looking for house sitters in the future. We exchanged contact details and stayed in touch catching up with them in Atherton, at their home in Ravenshoe and then  at Lake Cargelligo in western NSW. When we returned to the Atherton Tablelands we firmed up arrangements to look after their home, three sheep and Lexie the dog, so they could go on a caravanning trip. Unfortunately for them their plan to head south along the Birdsville Track was stymied by record rainfall which closed that route for many weeks. Fortunately for us, they changed their plans and headed off anyway.

It didn't take long to settle into a routine and to get to know the area. We've been visiting the Tablelands regularly but haven't spent much time in this part. On one excursion we went down to Tully Falls. There are two sections of Tully Gorge National Park - the Tablelands Section accessed from Ravenshoe and the Tully Section accessed from Tully. The road to Tully Falls is signposted to advise unwary travellers that it does not go to Tully township, and also that it is not suitable for caravans.

After days of rain we set off on a beautiful sunny day and arrived at the falls picnic area in time for morning tea. After marvelling at the view we headed off on the short rainforest walk, only to have to turn back when we came across a lot of vegetation that had fallen across the track. Although we probably could have crawed through, we were very wary of leeches after the recent rains, and also rainforest ticks.  

We've now visited both sections of Tully Gorge National Park

On our way back home we stopped at one of the creeks just because we could. There are a number of places to stop, and heaps of trailheads for some serious hikes in the area. We didn't go walking, but did stop to take some photos of the creek.

Charmillin Creek - one of many on the Tully Falls Road

On another day we took the car into Atherton for a service and spent the day visiting our usual spots - Lake Eacham, Lake Barrine and Hasties Swamp. It wasn't hard to fill in the day. We stopped at Hasties Swamp a couple of times on our way to and from Atherton and we lucky enough to spot the resident platypus one day. 

While we were staying in Ravenshoe we didn't do as much sight-seeing as we though we might - mainly because we just enjoyed having a "home" for a while. We took the opportunity to attend to some business in Atherton, as well as to do some repairs and maintenance on the camper trailer, including removing mould from the canvas, and re-waterproofing it. Having access to a large shed and tools made the jobs so much easier. It was also a real treat to have a "proper" kitchen for a while.

Autumn leaves in the yard

Nothing beats a drink by the fire on a cold night

After almost 6 weeks Rob and Cheryl returned from their travels and we packed up to leave. Our next week was planned out to fit in some medical appointments and also to have some repairs done to the car.