Lake Eacham - House Sit

 3 - 23 April 2025

When we first started out on this latest journey we considered the possibility of doing some house sitting while we waited for our house to be built. We registered with a well-known company and received a number of responses. Unfortunately none were suitable in terms of location and/or dates, until we found a homeowner ad for a three week sit at Lake Eacham at about the time we figured we would be back in the north.

We made contact and were eventually accepted, met with Frank and Pauline to go over logistics and receive all the information we would need. We moved over from Atherton and set about establishing a routine which included looking after a small flock of chickens, as well as a geriatric cow. Most house sits include a dog, so we were more than happy to have a cow instead. Circe didn't take much looking after - just some hay in the afternoon and check she had access to water.

Early morning fog 

Being at Lake Eacham we were central to most places we like to visit so were able to get out and about in the mornings, and be home to let the chooks out to free-range after lunch. We went for a couple of walks around Lake Eacham itself as well as Lake Barrine. We also took another drive out to Mount Hypipamee crater as well as numerous visits to Hasties Swamp.

One morning we set off early for a birding and shopping trip to Cairns. We drove down the Gillies Highway and visited a number of special spots including the turf farm near Gordonvale and the boat ramp on the eastern side of Trinity Inlet. Mick was chasing some new birds and he scored 2 out of the 3 he was after. From Gordonvale we headed into Cairns to pick up some new camping gear and then went down to the Espanade for lunch and a walk. By then it was time to return "home" to tend to the animals.

We had three weeks at the house sit and enjoyed the luxury of a proper home for that time. It gave us the chance to get some life admin done, and to be out of the rain for a while. On our last day, we packed up ready to go once the homeowners returned from their early morning flight into Cairns. We had a bit of a plan for the next week, but still had some decisions to make. We made Atherton our first stop, to pick up supplies and some odds and ends, then headed towards Mareeba.

Atherton

 23 March - 2 April 2025

Before we left Cairns to return "home" to the Atherton Tablelands, we made one last visit to the Esplanade in search of birds, then packed up and were on our way. We made the usual stop in Kuranda for a walk around and a coffee, before continuing on to Atherton.

We checked in to the caravan park close to town, where we have stayed a few times. It is one of the best kept caravan parks we have visited and the bonus is that there is lots of birdlife around. The down side was that the rain we had been experiencing for more than two weeks, was forecast to continue. With that in mind we chose a site with a slab, close to the amenities.

We had originally planned to stay for three nights but decided we might as well stay for the ten days we had left before our house sitting commitment in Lake Eacham. We were glad we did as the rain continued on and off for the whole time, including a couple of nasty thunderstorms. There was significant rain across most of the state so we couldn't have escaped it anyway.

Lake Eacham has long been a favourite spot

We did all the usual things while we were in Atherton - Hasties Swamp, Petersen Creek, Mount Hypipamee Crater, a walk around Lake Eacham, and this time we went on the cruise around Lake Barrine. The Lake Barrine Tea House had a special on the cruise - free for over 65s in April so we took advantage and were very pleased we did. We've been on this tour a number of times and each time the guide had told us about the resident python that is "usually over there", but not when we've been there. This time there were four pythons spotted! Success at last!

Dinner Falls in Mt Hypipamee NP

Lake Barrine Teahouse seen from the cruise

We were lucky that on our final morning in Atherton the sun was shining after a very loud and heavy thunderstorm overnight. We were able to get the canvas mostly dry before packing up, knowing that we would be able to open the camper trailer once we were settled in at the house sit.

Cairns

 21 - 23 March 2025

North Queensland has had much more rain than is usual for a wet season and Townsville and Ingham seem to have received most of it. We waited anxiously for the Bruce Highway north of Ingham to reopen and set off as soon as we could. We were aware that with even a small amount of extra rain the road could be closed again.

We decided to scrap our plans to stay at Mission Beach as they were in for a heap of rain too, and instead headed straight for Cairns. We made it through Ingham and could see that the water was only just below the level of the road when we passed the Seymour River which flows into the Hinchinbrook Channel from the Herbert River. There was so much water around!

We stopped in Cardwell for lunch as has become our tradition and then continued on to Cairns. This time we chose a caravan park quite close to The Esplanade so Mick could get down to do some birding. Although we thought about heading to his favourite birding spot as soon as we were set up, it was getting quite late, and we were both exhausted after a long and busy day.

Blue skies at last - for a short while anyway

We did managed to get to a few spots for some bird photography the following day, including the Cairns Cemetery, which was only a block away, as well as the Botanic Gardens and, of course, The Esplanade. We revisited The Esplanade on Sunday morning before returning to the Caravan Park to pack up and finally make our way to the Atherton Tablelands.

Townsville - Mick and Laurie's

 20 - 21 March 2025

After 4 rainy days at Airlie Beach, it was finally dry enough to pack up and move on. As Mick was winding up the campper, he noticed the winch strap had almost torn through so that was another repair we would have to get done. We were headed to Townsville so were hopeful we could get that done, and also get some of the pinchweld needed to reseal the storage hatch.

Caravan park in Airlie Beach was so green

Townsville, and other parts of North Queensland had experienced another massive downpour of rain - over 200mm - so we were glad we had stayed further south for a few days - but there was more to come, and the Bruce Highway was closed north of Ingham, again. We drove from Airlie Beach and stopped in Bowen for lunch where it was just starting to rain. 

We continued on to Townsville and went straight to Clark Rubber to get the seal, then on to Mick and Laurie's. We had driven through some very heavy rain, but it had eased off by the time we reached our destination. Not long after arriving and getting settled, the rain bucketed down again and continued through most of the night. We were very grateful to be staying with friends and not camping in that weather.

On Friday morning, we checked and the road was still closed so we set about finding someone to repair the winch strap. I took the strap to Beehive Canvas who had said they would be able to do it straight away. The job only took a few minutes and they only charged a few dollars. Getting that job done meant we could get back on the road as soon as we were able. While I was out Mick replaced the seal, and I visited friends Wendy and Jay. While I was on the way to their place, I heard on the radio that the highway had reopened.

Back at Mick and Laurie's we had morning tea, packed up and said our farewells. We decided we'd go straight to Cairns as we were getting close to the time we had arranged to meet the people we would be house sitting for in April. 

Airlie Beach

 16 - 20 March 2025

We drove down from Eungella and stopped in Proserpine briefly before heading to Airlie Beach. Fortunately there was no rain around when we arrived so we were able to set about drying everything off again. We had more water in under the bed which Mick suspected was due to a seal on the side hatch not working as it should. Once again we pulled everything out and hung things up to dry. 

The rain held off for a while, but there was lots more forecast. We still had an old side wall / wind break from a car awning we used to have so we rigged it up to provide some extra protection on that side of the camper, while relying on the awning on the other. We crossed our fingers and hoped it would work.

We had a couple of days without too much rain and we were able to get out and do some shopping and to also go for a walk along the beach - with some birding added in for interest. We drove to Shute Harbour but moved on when we realised we would have to pay to park - even just to have a short stop at the lookout. We called in to a short walk in the rainforest in Conway National Park but didn't get far due to the very boggy track.

More grey skies

Most of the rain fell overnight, but that meant the canvas would be wet when we packed up if we stayed the three days we had planned, so we decided to watch the weather and make up our minds on a day by day basis. The caravan park staff were very happy to accommodate our needs, we just needed to them know by midday if we intended to stay. We booked an extra night and hoped for the best as the forecast suggested Thursday might not be too wet.

There was very little rain overnight on Wednesday and the sun was trying to poke through the clouds on Thursday morning. We did a bit of organising, and by morning tea time, the canvas was dry enough to be able to start packing up. We left Airlie Beach around 11:00 and started the journey to Townsville where we had arranged to spend the night with friends.

Eungella National Park - Broken River Bush Camp

 13 - 16 March 2025

We knew there was rain forecast for Eungella - but it is in the rainforest so we figured that would be part of the adventure. The sky was overcast but there was no rain until we stopped at Finch Hatton to pick up some milk. Milk had been hard to get since Tropical Cyclone wreaked havoc further south, but we didn't expect there to be none in Mackay supermarkets. Thankfully, the small general store in the Pioneer Valley had plenty.

It started to rain while we were stopped and continued all the way up the range to Eungella. It was still raining when we set the camper trailer up. We were very thankful to have a couple of good raincoats! We set up as best we could and settled in to enjoy the view of the creek at the rear of the campsite. Broken River is well known for platypus and we were hoping to get to see some, but we were really there for the birds.

Our home  for three nights

Because of the almost constant drizzle, we didn't do as much walking in the forest as we had hoped. We did manage to get out to the various platypus viewing spots a number of times between showers and were well rewarded. We also visited the cafe adjacent to the National Park office for morning tea. 

We saw at least one platypus!

On Friday afternoon we went for a drive down Dalrymple Road to a well-known spot where Eungella honeyeaters are found - and were in luck. The sky was grey, and there was some rain, but Mick did manage to get some photos. We rewarded ourselves with a drink at The Chalet - the local pub which had great views down through the valley.

Friday drinks with a view

On Saturday morning we went for another drive in search of birds - this time on the Crediton Loop Road. This one wasn't quite as successful, but helped to pass the time. There is no phone or internet reception at the campground so we drove up to Sky Window - a lookout - a couple of times each day to check the weather (hoping the forecast had miraculously changed - it hadn't). 

While we were at Eungella we had success with trapping our mouse. The first night, he took the bait and got stuck in the little house but managed to escape while Mick was trying to work out if he was in there! We set the trap again the next night, and I picked it up in the morning. I could feel that it was warm so we took it with us a long way from camp and released him in the bush. Hopefully there was only one - only time will tell.

We had no choice on our last morning than to pack up while everything was still wet. We managed to get the bulk done between showers of rain, before setting off back down the range to Airlie Beach - where there was the promise of even more rain!

Mackay - Blacks Beach

11 - 13 March 2025

We had stopped in Sarina and booked a couple of nights in Mackay at Blacks Beach and were looking forward to another nice beachside spot. Although there was rain forecast the sky was clear when we arrived and I was able to get some washing done. We had also discovered that water had managed to get in under the bed again so we had to take everything out and dry it off. We figured it must have been when we were caught in the really heavy, driving rain at Moore Park Beach.

We could see more rain out to sea

The weather was hot, and there were a couple of showers of rain but otherwise we enjoyed a fairly relaxing stay which included a number of dips in the pool at the caravan park. We walked along the beach a couple of times as well. We also went shopping for the next few days which would be spent at Eungella, camping in the national park.

We had suspected for some time - as far back as the NSW south coast - that we might have had a mouse in the camper trailer. We had bought traps and left them for a few days with no result so decided that we must have been mistaken. We discovered that our mouse had managed to get into the car and was happily feasting on packaged pantry items! We set more traps and the sneaky little thing was able to eat the peanut butter without setting of the trap. After purchasing some new plastic containers to secure the few packaged items we had left, we planned to stop at Bunnings on the way out of Mackay and buy some different traps - the ones that catch the mouse in a little house.

The day we packed up to drive up to Eungella the weather forecast was for rain - and quite a lot over the next few days, but we were committed so headed off anyway, stopping to pick up some more mouse traps - hopefully ones that would outsmart our hungry passenger.