Almost Home–Queensland

Kingaroy
21 – 22 March 2019

We set off from Flat Rock near Ballina and headed north up the highway towards Brisbane. We had intended to stay at Tamborine Mountain and had a smooth run up the motorways but struck some difficulty finding the right road up the mountain. A number of roads are not suitable for towing and on one you are actually prohibited from taking a trailer. We eventually found one that was suitable for us (although I wouldn’t tow a caravan that way) and made our way to the caravan park. Unfortunately it wasn’t what we expected -  the welcome was indifferent and the site we were give was a  dried mud puddle with a large pile of dirt in the corner. We opted to move on so drove back down the mountain – on the road we should have taken going up – and headed north-west away from the coast.

We drove through some nice little towns, but eventually settled on Kingaroy. As we were only looking for an overnight stop we wanted to get as far as we could and Kingaroy was perfect for us. We found a small and very friendly caravan park close to town. We are always conscious, and sometimes a little anxious, about the weather especially in south-east Queensland which is famous for its destructive storms. We watched one in the distance, glad that we had travelled as far as we had.

In the morning we set of again with Cania Gorge in our sights.


Cania Gorge
22 – 24 March 2019

We’ve had Cania Gorge on the list for some time and this time the timing and weather were on our side. We stopped along the way for coffee in Mundubbera and again in Monto, then turned off the highway for Cania Gorge. There is no camping in the national park but there are two caravan parks – one near the northern entrance and one near the southern entrance. We chose the southern one because of its proximity to most of the walks. The caravan park is ideally situated in a bush setting on the edge of a creek, with gorge walls beyond. It wasn’t crowded when we arrived so we were able to take our pick of available spots. It was a  very hot afternoon so we were grateful for the swimming pool and some shade.

Restless Flycatcher. I got out the binoculars more than the camera here so only one bird shot.

We decided on an early morning walk to avoid the worst of the heat and chose the 3.2 return, grade 3, Dripping Rock and The Overhang walk. This walk starts at the southern end of the picnic area, a short drive (or walk if you are feeling energetic) from the caravan park. It winds through eucalypt woodland and dry rainforest before leading to the base of Dripping Rock, then continues on to The Overhang. We found the walk fairly easy and enjoyed a short rest in the shade when we reached The Overhang. There are lots of walking options in this part of the park, but we settled on just this one. Had it not been so hot, and had we been staying for a few more nights, we would definitely have  done more walking. An afternoon swim was another welcome relief from the heat and a great way to relax after our walk.

Across from Dripping Rock.

The Overhang.

A skink enjoying the cool shade of the overhang.

 We headed off in the morning on to what turned out to be our final stop before home.


Eungella National Park
24 – 26 March 2019

We decided to make Broken River within Eungella National Park our last stop before home, but weren’t sure whether we could make it in one day. We prefer to only drive for about 4 hours each day but decided we would head off and see how we far we could get. Driving north along an inland route we stopped for lunch at Dululu, then we headed down the range to Rockhampton. Once you reach Rocky there is not much until Sarina and Mackay. the “Marlborough Stretch” is a notoriously long and boring drive. There is a caravan park and picnic area at Clareview but not much else along the way. Once we reached Sarina we decided to press on to Eungella. We stopped to book our campsite – Queensland National Parks has an online booking system for most campgrounds. We booked two nights and then headed through the back roads towards the Eungella Range.

Driving through the Pioneer Valley and up the range we noticed the recent (and very unusual) bushfires had left their mark. Rainforests are not usually subject to bushfires but a recent one had almost reached the top of the ridge. Such a sad sight to see. The Broken River campground is right on the edge of the river, adjacent to the main road. Although we arrived quite late in the day we were able to secure a spot right on the river bank. Broken River is well known as a good place to spot platypus, with a number of viewing platforms and spots along the river on the other side to the campground. We only needed to walk to the back of our camper trailer and set up our chairs to enjoy a great view of these beautiful creatures.

Great camp site!

Our own platypus viewing area.

We enjoyed a relaxing couple of days wandering along the pathways helping the other tourists spot platypus, and sharing in their excitement. This has long been a favourite spot of ours, but our first stay at the campground. We will definitely be back.

Eastern Yellow Robin, common and easily photographed.

Red-browed Finch.

Plenty of Blue Tigers about.

Although not seen as easily as on some other trips there is little risk of missing out here.

A common Green Tree Snake at the platypus viewing area.

Green Tree Snake... I know it's not green

We saw a stack of turtles.

After being away from home for over 30 weeks we were looking forward to getting home. Stopping for lunch in Proserpine we were not prepared for the extreme heat and humidity we were returning to. We had expected that it would have cooled down somewhat. Maybe we were just feeling it more having been away for so long!

Home again

14 September 2017

We left Richmond and arrived in Hughenden in time time for coffee at a favourite cafe, as well as a quick look in the local op-shop. From there it was on to Pentland for a picnic lunch in the park, through Charters Towers and finally home.

• We were away from home for 44 nights
• We travelled approximately 6 780 kilometres
• We visited 8 National Parks or Reserves (Bladensberg - Qld, Tjoritja/West Macdonnell, Yeperenye/Emily and Jesse Gaps, Trephina Gorge, N'Dhala Gorge, Uluru - Kata Tjuta, Watarrka/King's Canyon, Finke Gorge - NT)
• We camped at 6 National Park or Reserve campgrounds - Bough Shed Hole -Bladensberg,  Panorama - Trephina Gorge, Woodland - Redbank Gorge, Ormiston Gorge and Ellery Creek Big Hole - Tjoritja, Palm Valley - Finke Gorge
• We completed more than 25 walks in parks and reserves 
• We experienced some temperature extremes, from 2° overnight in Alice Springs to 37° in the shade at Clem Walton Park but we were not rained on even once
• We dubbed this trip  "Of Canyons and Chasms, Gorges and Gaps" because that is what we fell in love with in Central Australia

This screen shot from our WikiCamps Trip Planner shows our whole trip.

On the road again - Caliguel Lagoon near Condamine, Dalby and Bunya Mountains

Caliguel Lagoon near Condamine

26 – 27 October

We stopped at the visitor centre in Injune and enjoyed a free cuppa while we looked at some tourist brochures. We were tossing up between Condamine and Surat. We decided on Surat and set off again. We stopped for fuel and lunch in Roma and while there made the decision to go to Caliguel Lagoon near Condamine instead. Surat will have to wait for another time. We picked up some groceries in Miles and arrived at the lagoon early afternoon.

Our camp by the lagoon.

In a bush near our camp, lots of Caper White Butterflies were emerging from their pupae. These occur mainly west of the Great Dividing Range and migrate north in late spring. The front of our car is now encrusted with thousands of their tiny corpses suggesting that this was a very good season. For some.

This is a free camp and has toilets and barbecues – bring your own firewood. There were only two others there – a caravan and a campervan. We chose a spot with a water view and settled in for a relaxing afternoon, spoiled only by the number of flies, which were replaced by mosquitoes at dusk. Oh well, that's camping in Australia for you.

A pelican glides past in the late afternoon.

We made this a quick camp – not unhitching the camper trailer and not using the awning so we were able to be away early in the morning.

Dalby

27 - 29 October

We headed off to Dalby through Kogan, arriving in time for coffee at Macca’s before making our way to the caravan park that promised a short walk into town and the creek adjacent. We selected an ensuite site that had some shade and was quite private. After setting up the camper trailer we headed off for the short walk into town across the creek. We managed to find a couple of op shops and located the supermarket. We returned to the caravan park for lunch then drove back down towards the Visitor Information Centre. We stopped on the way at the camping store to pick up a few things. At the visitor centre we obtained information on the Bunya Mountains. All the information we had read indicated that you couldn’t get there with a caravan or camper trailer and the ladies there confirmed that. They suggested a town nearby that would be a good spot to camp for a day trip. We continued with some more shopping and returned to our little camp.

The caravan park is right across the street from the 2016 winning House Rules house.

We consulted some maps and realised that we weren’t really that far from the Bunya Mountains where we were so we decided to stay an extra night and visit the Bunya Mountains for the day. We walked the short distance to the pub – right next door actually – for a very nice, reasonably priced feed for dinner.

We set off early on Friday morning for the 52km drive up to the mountains. The road towards the end is very steep, windy and narrow – definitely not suitable for towing. When we arrived at the top we stopped into the National Parks office for walking track maps. We noticed there was a caravan and a camper trailer in the camp ground. The ranger confirmed that there is a way that is used by trucks to deliver goods but that it is still not recommended.

We headed down the road to have coffee at one of the cafes before setting off on a walk. We chose the Scenic Circuit – about 4kms and a grade 3 track. We had only gone about 20 metres when we came across one of the locals – a large python who didn’t seem to mind us getting close to have a good look and to take some photos. The walk was very pleasant but with a few uphill sections and steps. We stopped a lot to enjoy the view and to look for birds.

Python

Eye to eye with a Bunya Mountains python.

On the walk.

Paradise Riflebird. My second lifer for the Bunya outing. The first was a Black-breasted Button Quail (no photo).

Russet-tailed Thrush. Not a great shot but a nice record.

We returned to the picnic area in time for lunch, which turned into a bit of a comedy thanks to more friendly locals. The Australian King parrots showed a bit of interest in us from the moment we sat down. Actually, not just a bit, quite a lot. Once we took the food out of the bag we were joined by a few birds who obviously hadn’t read the “do not feed the wildlife” signs. They attempted to help themselves which made for an interesting time trying to hide food and get it into your mouth before your feathered friend took hold of it. We couldn’t resist taking lots of photos but definitely did not let the birds get any of the food.

Christie used the phone to take some pics of the cheeky Australian King-parrots.

I think this is a juvenile on my head.

Eating was a challenge with the hungry audience.

Male Australian King-parrot.

Juvenile

Brush Turkey. There is always some of these around.

After lunch we drove over to another spot the ranger had told us might be good for birding. A number of walks leave from Westcott. We started to walk along the Koondaii Circuit but realised very quickly why it is rated a grade 4 – we could see how it doubled back on itself very steeply. We opted to return to the picnic and camping area and spent some time enjoying the surroundings. From there we walked about 800 metres along the Westcott to Paradise track before turning around and heading back to the car.

Eastern Whipbird. The rainforest throws up many challenges to a photographer, low light and abundant obstacles being the main ones. There is a very out of focus leaf in front of the bottom half of this bird.

Young Red-necked pademelon. There are plenty of these about.

We decided to return to Dalby via a different route – through Bell. Again the road was steep, windy and narrow in parts. We were glad we had heeded the advice and not gone up with the camper trailer in tow. It was a very pleasant, but much longer at about 96km, drive home.

Again we were packed up early ready to move on.

On the road again - Carnarvon Gorge

22 – 26 October 2016

We left Capella and drove on to Emerald where we refuelled then stopped for a cuppa at the Lions Park just north of Springsure. It was a nice spot with a beautiful view, as well as a covered picnic table and toilets.

From there we made our way to Carnarvon Gorge. You can only camp in the National Park during school holidays so we had booked in to the caravan park which is adjacent to the National Park. The park is well laid out with lots of trees and visiting wildlife. Each evening there is a happy hour at the bar, followed by a talk about the National Park and the walks available. We ventured down to get the information we needed to plan our walks.

A couple of young Eastern Grey Kangaroos sparring

The beautiful Whiptail Wallaby (Macropus parryi)

Even though the weather here has been quite mild, we had a very cold and wet evening and night. Much colder than we had expected, and certainly wetter. Because rain was forecast for Sunday too, we decided on a couple of short walks as a warm up to the big gorge walk.

Channel-billed Cuckoos were seen and heard frequently.

I was surprised to see a Channel-billed on the ground

I was delighted to find that there was a a large group of Channel-billed Cuckoos in and around the campground. At home I frequently see these large (57 - 70 cm) migratory cuckoos flying over, alerted by their loud, raucous calls. Until now I've not had a decent opportunity to photograph one. 

Channel-billed Cuckoos migrate south to Australia in spring (some overwinter) to parasitise the nests of large birds such as currawongs, crows and ravens. Figs are their favoured food. There were many fruiting sandpaper fig trees around the campground at the time of our visit and these offered the best opportunities for me to get photo or two. Many of the fig trees were no more than 3 or 4 metres tall but the cuckoos are shy and masters of keeping obstacles between themselves and an observer. Mick

On Sunday morning we set off early and stopped at the Baloon Cave walk carpark. As promised, this was well signposted and easy to find. This walk is a short 1 km round trip from the carpark to an overhang (cave) where a small art site is visible, as well as the place where ochre was sourced. This was an easy and pleasant walk.

Ancient hand print.

Red-backed Fairywren

From there we drove up to the National Parks visitor centre and walked the 1.5km Nature Trail. Again well signposted and fairly easy. The most difficult part of this, and other walks, is crossing the creek. Free WiFi is available at the visitor centre – thanks National Parks! We stopped for a coffee and a look at the visitor centre at the lodge down the road, then returned to camp for lunch. Even though it was overcast and quite cool, we didn’t get any rain.

After lunch we set off again, this time to the Mickey’s Creek Gorge walk. This one is a bit longer at 3km return, but again well marked and fairly easy, with a couple of creek crossings. We marvelled at the spectacular scenery, and we hadn’t even ventured into the Carnarvon Gorge itself.

Back to camp and the sun eventually emerged from behind the clouds and the temperature dropped for another cold night.

Currawongs and Kookaburras look for an easy meal around the campground but should not be fed.

Kookaburra sits on an old Cub Camper awning.

Monday morning dawned clear and warm – but not too hot. We rose early and set off for the main gorge walk around 8.00am. There are a number of options and we chose the shortest and easiest. The main walking track snakes through the gorge and there are a number of side tracks taking visitors to various points of interest. Guides recommend walking up the gorge and stopping at the featured sites on the way back. We chose to just go only as far as Moss Garden – a 7km round trip, although we could have walked up to 14 km return had we opted to visit Art Gallery, Amphitheatre and Ward’s Canyon as well.

The walls of the gorge close in as you approach Moss Garden.

Weathered sandstone.

The moss garden

The walk is described as fairly level in some guides, but we found it to be more accurately described as a Grade 3 track. It had many stairs, although only in small groups, as well as a number of creek crossings (using stepping stones) and short climbs up and down. It was manageable but you do need a reasonable level of fitness. Because of the distance and challenges we knew we would encounter, Mick decided not to bring his big camera lens and this was the right decision. The walk up to Moss Garden was certainly worth the effort. Once there we were rewarded with a glade that was several degrees cooler than the surrounding gorge. We had the place to ourselves for much of our time there. There are a number of seats on the main walking track and we took advantage of these, as well as up at Moss Garden. The walk took roughly 3 hours so we were back at camp in time for lunch.

Rocks in a stream

One of the creek crossings on the walk to Moss Garden

We spent the afternoon resting and taking some gentle walks around the caravan park to keep our muscles working. Oh, and we did shout ourselves an ice cream too!

The early morning sun about to illuminate a Macrozamia ( moorei) cycad across from our camp.

Tuesday morning was spent washing and rearranging things ready for the next leg of our journey. We also visited the Rock Pool which is the only place where swimming is permitted within the National Park. We revisited Baloon Cave in the hope of finding some birds – without much luck this time. We finished our visit to Carnarvon Gorge with the roast dinner that is available three times each week. Great value at $25 each, for roast pork and lamb, apple and mint sauces, gravy, vast quantities of vegetables as well as bread and butter. This was followed by apple crumble and custard. You have to bring your own plates, bowls and cutlery, and drinks too if you want. Bookings are essential. The bar is not open at dinner time. We left feeling well satisfied.

The swimming hole. We didn't try it.

We set off early on Wednesday morning, still not completely sure where we would end up....

Cape York - To The Tip and Back - Loyalty Beach, Punsand Bay and Seisia

Loyalty Beach

10 – 12 July 2016

We drove along the Northern Bypass Road – by far the worst so far. There were some long sections of severe corrugations after a fairly good dirt section and even a long bitumen section. For a good part of the way it was again better to drive in the gutter. We arrived at the Jardine River ferry crossing and stopped to have a look around before paying our fee ($129 return for car and trailer) and crossing the river. Visitors are reminded that alcohol restrictions apply in Northern Peninsular Area lands - which covers most of the area north of the Jardine River.

Waiting for the Jardine River Ferry.

Once across we headed for Bamaga still not sure where we wanted to stay. We drove in to Seisia and had a bit of a look around and picked up some supplies at the supermarket then continued on the short distance to Loyalty Beach. This campground is in a bush like setting and is very spread out. We picked a spot with ocean views, but back from the beach.

Another encounter with a Palm Cockatoo.

We had a visit from our friends and discussed our plans to drive up to “The Tip” and call into Punsand Bay for a look. In the morning we set off but didn’t get very far. The corrugations were dreadful and we decided that, as we were going to stay at Punsand Bay anyway, we would save the drive for the next day.

We headed back into Bamaga and then over to Seisia jetty. There were lots of people fishing there and we did hear some success stories.

Taken from the Jetty.

In the morning we packed up and picked up more supplies (including fresh bread from the bakery in Bamaga) ready for the next few days. We had booked for two nights at Punsand Bay. We asked at the caravan park before we left about a road the “crazy woman” (my GPS) was suggesting we take and were told we must ignore her advice. Apparently all GPSs suggest the road that takes you through a swamp where even locals have been bogged! Lucky we asked.

Punsand Bay

12 – 15 July 2016

We took the back road (but not the one through the swamp) from Loyalty Beach which cut off much of the rough main road. It was little more than a track in parts but a nice drive until we rejoined the main road, which was rough in many parts.  We stopped at the Croc Tent which sells souvenirs and provides local maps. They had a huge selection of t-shirts – many of which we saw being worn in the camp ground over the next few days.

The campground at Punsand Bay is very big and sites there are allocated. We had a spacious site, with shade, back from the beach. There is a bar and restaurant that does wood fired pizzas every night and offers an a-la-carte menu some nights. We enjoyed pizza with our travelling friends Ruth and Boyd. The big attraction at the campground, apart from the wood fired pizzas, is the swimming pool. You can’t swim in the creeks or ocean because of the crocodiles so a pool is a well-used asset.

Civilization in the form of good coffee, drinks and pizza at the Corrugation Bar.

In the morning we set off for “The Tip”. The drive was beautiful, through some pristine rainforest and took about 45 minutes from the campground. Again there is an alternative route that takes you through swamp land – or deep soft sand – depending on the time of year.

The road to the tip through beautiful rainforest.

When we arrived at The Tip there was a tour bus there, as well as lots of other vehicles. We set off on the walk over rocks to the most northerly point on the Australian mainland. We timed it right – when we reached the sign signifying we had arrived, there was only one other couple there. We took each other’s photos and had some time taking some other photos. Amazingly there was mobile reception so we posted photos on social media and sent some to friends. As we set off back down the track there were heaps of people on their way out. Good timing on our part for once. We spent a bit of time on the beach before heading back to Punsand Bay. There are no facilities at The Tip - no toilets or picnic tables, or anything to encourage visitors to stay and enjoy the surroundings.

Interesting rock formations at the very tip of Australia.

We made it!

The beach at the beginning of the walking track to the tip.

There are some very nice views to be had from the track.

The car was a mess when we got back.

Our final day at Punsand Bay was spent relaxing. We figured we deserved it after all the driving on rough roads. We decided we would go back to Seisia for one night before tackling the road south again.

Drinks on the beach with Ruth and Boyd, very pleasant.

Just in front of where we were having drinks, charter flights come and go.

The beach at Punsand Bay.

 The non driving day was a good choice from a birding point of view. The park is crowded for most of the day but there is a quiet time, mid morning when most of the campers have either packed up and moved on or gone off to explore. I took the camera and had a walk around getting shots of Tawny-breasted and Graceful Honeyeater, Brush Turkey, Varied Triller and Bar-shouldered Dove. Mick.

Graceful Honeyeater.

Tawny-breasted Honeyeater.

Bar-shouldered Dove.

Varied Triller.

Brush Turkey

Seisia

15 – 16 July 2016

Because we didn’t have far to go, we didn’t rush our packing up, but instead made a leisurely morning of it. We were pleasantly surprised to find, when we reached the turn back onto the main (Pajinka) road at the Croc Tent, that the road back to Bamaga had been graded. Yay! That made the trip even quicker.

We made our way to Seisia and checked into the caravan park, again right on the beach. Because we were early we were able to secure a beach front hut. There are a number of these along the beachfront. There are really just a corrugated iron roof over a sink and bench, with some power points and a small fence around, but it was a really nice way to say goodbye to this part of the country. The floor is sand so it felt really tropical.

The view from our 'beach hut'. It was Friday afternoon.

We headed back into Bamaga to stock up again – fuel, groceries and alcohol. The pub bottle shop doesn’t open until noon. Because it is so remote everything is very expensive, but the variety is good. We stopped on the way back to the campground to look for Palm Cockatoos as Mick had been told about a possible spot – but they weren’t there. Instead he found them right where we were camped. That was a nice surprise.

Feeding on beach almonds.

My best shot of the local Palm Cockatoos.

Of course it rained in the evening, so we grabbed a burger from the take-away at the caravan park and enjoyed a couple of Friday drinks with a view. The huts are shared facilities and we were lucky that our neighbours were quiet types. As is common in many communities, horses and dogs roamed freely, including through the park. We were woken in the night by the sound of a horse (or was it horses) foraging in the neighbours food. There were signs warning not to leave food out.

Sunrise at Seisa.

In the morning we rose early for the long drive south, with Moreton Telegraph Station as our proposed destination.