Cairns

 22 - 30 October 2025

We decided to return to Cairns in the hope of getting out on a reef trip to Michaelmas Cay - to photograph birds - but first we had to detour via the Atherton Tablelands. Mick had been without a laptop since the end of July when his had been returned for a full refund. This presented us with a dilemma as the specs he requires mean that we could only purchase online, and we needed a physical address for delivery. Not knowing exactly where we would be created a challenge but we ended up placing an order to be delivered to friend Bill's place in Mareeba. We hoped it would be delivered in time for Bill to bring it with him to Mission Beach but it arrived the day after he left.

Leaving Mission Beach we drove up the Palmerston Highway and stopped for a cuppa at Millaa Millaa before going over to friends, Rob and Cheryl's, at Ravenshoe to drop off a couple of things and pick up some more. They were travelling too but their current housesitters were home. We had a quick stop for lunch and some shopping then drove on to Mareeba and collected the new laptop, then continued back "down the hill" to Cairns. 

Once again we checked in to our favourite Cairns caravan park and scored a lovely spot by the creek, with lots of shade. The caravan park was starting to get a lot quieter as the weather warmed up and tourist season started to wind down. 

We checked the weather forecast and saw that the seas would be very calm over the next few days so booked a trip to Michaelmas Cay and Hastings Reef. Mick would get to do some birding and I could do some snorkelling so we were both happy with the plan. The next day we had lunch with Bill and Kerry who had come down from Mareeba on one of their regular shopping and business days in Cairns. 

On Friday morning we were up early to be at the marina ready for boarding at 7:30am. We chose Seastar Cruises as Mick had heard good things about the birding aspect of their trips. They advertise that they are the first boat to arrive at Michealmas Cay each day so there would be fewer other people around. The downside is that it looked like it would be a bright sunny day so not great for photography.

On the way out we were kitted out with snorkelling gear and Mick talked to one of the guides about his desire to get onto the cay to photograph the birds. When we arrived we were taken straight to the beach and dropped off. We were the only ones there for an hour or so, while everyone else snorkelled or toured in the glass bottomed boat. It was very hot and we were glad we had bought new sunshirts and were carrying plenty of water with us. 

Because the cay is a marine sanctuary there are strict rules to be observed when visiting including staying outside the exclusion zone. This made it a bit difficult for photography but Mick had a fabulous time anyway and did get some great shots. Once the first group were dropped off from the glass bottomed boat, I left and joined them for a snorkel back to the Seastar. 

Snorkelling back was great - the sea was calm and the gear provided was good quality so I didn't have any trouble with water getting into the mask. The corals weren't as bright as I had hoped but there was still lots of variety and some interesting fish to see along the way.

Meanwhile, Mick was still on the cay with a couple of staff. Once everyone else was either back on the boat, or on their way, Mick was picked up by the glass bottomed boat and taken for a circumnavigation of the cay with only a couple of other passengers who hadn't wanted to snorkel. What a treat to get such an exclusive tour.

Snorkelling was lots of fun

From Michaelmas Cay the Seastar continued on to Hastings Reef where we both snorkelled but the strong current at this location made it hard going so I didn't stay in for too long. Mick enjoyed a bit more time in the water before returning ready for the delicious lunch which was provided. After a very energetic day there were lots of sleepy passengers on the trip back to Cairns! We were so tired we shouted ourselves dinner of pizza that night from a food truck which visited the caravan park every Friday.

We spent some more time looking for furniture for our new house but also found time to visit the turf farm at Edmonton for some more birding. Now that Mick had a new laptop he was keen to get back into some serious photo editing. With the weather heating up, spending time inside the camper trailer wasn't pleasant - even with the new fan we had just bought - so we added a visit to the library at Manunda to our daily routine. The library is conveniently located in the shopping centre so we were able to pick up supplies while we were there. 

We thought about staying on in Cairns but decided to go somewhere different for a few days, We decided to head south to Googarra Beach because we had never been there before. We didn't book, just headed off to see what it was like.

South Mission Beach

 19 - 22 October 2025

We left Cairns feeling very proud of our efforts to find some furniture for our new home, and hoping that we would be able to move in soon. We headed for Mission Beach where Mick would spend a couple of nights with friends Mick and Bill, while I would stay at a caravan park at South Mission Beach, but first we had to visit the turf farm at Edmonton once again. It's a good birding spot and Mick is always hopeful of getting something special.

We arrived at South Mission Beach and were set up in time for lunch. I am happy to camp on my own, but am not confident that I could set up the camper trailer, with the awning, on my own. We set up and had lunch together then headed in to Mission Beach so Mick could meet up with his mates and check in to their accommodation.

I enjoyed a couple of nights on my own - walking on the beach, swimming in the pool, and being visited by the local cassowary family. Dad and three chicks roamed the caravan park several times each day and showed a great interest in anything vaguely resembling food. This created quite a challenge for me - preparing, cooking and eating outside on my own - all the while keeping an eye out for the free-loaders.

It's not easy photographing
a cassowary that's on its way
 into your kitchen and dining area

Mick returned to have a night with me at South Mission Beach where he also enjoyed the close encounters with the cassowary family, and of course took lots of photos. While we were there we took part in the "Aussie Bird Count", starting our 20 minute survey once the cassowaries arrived. Although our list wasn't very long, we were pretty chuffed to be able to include 4 cassowaries.

We decided to return to Cairns and possibly do a birding reef trip so, when we left Mission Beach, we headed back to our favourite Cairns caravan park,, but first we had a bit of a detour to enable us to pick up Mick's new laptop.

Cairns

 14 - 19 October 2025

We returned to Cairns so that we could do some furniture shopping, with a spot of birding also in the mix. We stayed at what has become our favourite Cairns caravan park which was very busy even this late in the tourist season.

Most of our days were spent touring the furniture shops, making a few purchases for our new home. We had some household items in storage but needed some new things as well. In between shopping we took the time to visit the Esplanade a number of times and had lunch one day at a favourite spot. 

The best time for birding is on the incoming tide

The weather was certainly starting to warm up and there was more rain so we spent a bit of time in the pool and seeking shade in the middle of the day. We hoped that we wouldn't have much longer in the camper trailer - we didn't want to be camping during a wet season.

Our next journey would be to Mission Beach where Mick had organised a couple of nights with his mates Mick and Bill, so we left Cairns, and headed south.

Atherton

 7 - 14  October 2025

We left Oasis Roadhouse early and stopped in Mount Garnett for a cuppa, had lunch at Mt Hypippamee, then continued along the Kennedy Highway towards Atherton. Returning to the Atherton Tablelands really is starting to feel like coming home. We had booked to stay at our favourite caravan park but were a day early so we went in to check if they could accommodate us. It was very busy and we were given the choice of a night on one site, then a move to the one we had been allocated, or the whole week on the new one. We opted not to move and set up in the lower section near the dry creek bed.

Friday night by the creek

Although it was a little further to the amenities and camp kitchen it was a great spot, and not as crowded as the rest of the park. We had returned to Atherton so we could keep some appointments and also to check on our soon to be finished new home, so most of our time was spent on "housekeeping" tasks. We even managed to get to a couple of garage sales, even though we really didn't have room for any more "stuff".

We made some time for a walk along Peterson Creek in Yungaburra to look for birds and platypus, but we were not successful on either count. It's a really nice walk, even without the wildlife.

We decided to head down to make our next stop Cairns so we could do some furniture shopping. It's not a big drive so we left just before check-out time, which is 10:00am, and headed down the hill via Kuranda Range.

Oasis Roadhouse

6 - 7 October 2025 

We had a quiet night and Lloyd Jones Weir and headed off towards Barcaldine. Foolishly relying on the GPS, we realised we were going the long way (via Winton) so turned back and took the road we wanted to be on - via Aramac and Muttaburra. Going via Winton would have added almost an hour and over 100km to our  travel. It really is a good idea to use multiple sources to determine the best route. We use GoogleMaps, paper maps and the GPS. 

We made it into Aramac where we stopped for a cuppa in the small rest area adjacent to the community camping ground. It was very windy so we were grateful for the sheltered picnic area which doubled as a camp kitchen. We continued on with a brief stop at Muttaburra and then on into Hughenden.

We planned to stay in Hughenden but, because the caravan park doesn't take check-ins before midday, we decided to have lunch down at the lake first. While we were there we decided that we might as well keep going and aim for Oasis Roadhouse.

Our second visit was much better than the first

Last time we stayed at the Oasis we swore we would never do it again but it was the most convenient spot for us to stop given that we would arrive late in the day. This time we took a powered site which put us much closer to the amenities. We'd had a very big day's drive so we had dinner and drinks at the roadhouse. The meal was better than last time too.

We made a fairly early start in the morning heading back towards Atherton.

Lloyd Jones Weir (near Barcaldine)

 5 - 6 October 2025

After a nice weekend in Charleville we headed off once again with an idea of where we might stay, depending on how we were feeling and what we found along the way. Our first stop on the route north was Augathella where we had morning tea in the park. There is a nice free camp (with showers and toilets) but it was way too early in the day to think about stopping.

We continued on along the Landsborough Highway and made our next stop at Tambo, in the park by the rather dry wetlands. It was the Sunday of a long weekend so we were expecting that some campgrounds might be quite busy. We checked out one north of Tambo but it didn't look very appealing so we continued on.

Our next stop was Lloyd Jones Weir south-west of Barcaldine. We were surprised that there weren't many people there when we arrived just after 3:00pm, so we picked a shady spot and set up camp. A few more campers arrived later in the afternoon, but it was by no means busy. It was a very pleasant place to camp for the night and if we'd had more time, and the weather hadn't been so hot, we might have stayed an extra day.

Late afternoon by the weir

We had come up with a bit of a plan which involved an early start which wasn't too diffcult. As is our habit for quick overnighters when the weather is good, we hadn't bothered with the awning, nor had we unhitched the car. We were able to get away before 7:00am,  and hoped to be able to get to Hughenden or even further,

Charleville

 3 - 5 October 2025

After three fabulous days relaxing and birding at Paddabilla it was time to move on. We didn't need to hurry so Mick spent one more morning taking photos before we packed up and headed back into Cunnamulla.

We only had a 2 hour drive from Cunnamulla in to Charleville so had a leisurely lunch in the park before heading north again. We chose a caravan park out of town where we have stayed before and opted for two nights so we could get washing and shopping done. We went for a wander along the Warrego River Walk and also a stroll around town. 

Mick never misses a chance to do some birding

Because of the bush setting, Mick was able to do a bit of birding around the cravan park so we managed to fill in our time very easily. We did need to keep moving though, so after two nights we packed up again and continued our journey north.

Paddabilla Bore (aka Eulo Bore)

 30 September - 3 October 2025

We continued west through Bollon and on to Cunnamulla where we stopped for a picnic in the park. Cunnamulla is always a good place to pull up for a rest and to pick up supplies from the small supermarket. From there we continued west the short distance to Paddabilla Bore (aka Eulo Bore).

We rarely stay in "free camps" without toilets but were prepared to make an exception for this one as it's a great spot for birding. It's also close enough to Eulo to be able to go in to empty our portable chemical toilet.

The weather was very hot so we chose a spot close to the bore with some shade. There weren't many others around and most were birders which always makes for a very pleasant stay. As usual, Mick spent most of the time out birding and chatting to others doing the same. Some were camping while others came in from Cunnamulla or Eulo for a morning or afternoon session.

Relaxing after a busy day relaxing

Despite the heat we enjoyed ourselves so much we decided to stay an extra day. We did take a drive in to Eulo to the dump point and for a very quick walk around the tiny town. We had thought we might spend a night there atthe camprgound behind the pub but decided against it once we saw it. 

While we were at Paddabilla Bore we considered our next move but found the campground we had picked out - one which had bore baths - had already closed for the season. In the end we decided not to detour further west, but to make our way north towards Charleville.