11th September 2007

Well hasn’t time flown! Thought it was about time that we updated the web site to fill you all in on our travels.

What we didn’t tell you last time (it was a sore point at the time) but at Port Douglas at the Pandanus Caravan Park the van was damaged through a tree branch. Broke our heart at the time but then we realised that we are covered by insurance. A phone call verified that and we organised for the repair under insurance and found that they also would pay for alternative accommodation whilst the van was being repaired and we could have it repaired in Cairns.

We did do some nice things there. Rob went for long walks on the beach. We had a ride on the Bally Hoo Steam Train, and visited the Port Douglas Markets. Have a look at the photo of the guy riding a bike and crushing sugar cane that they then sold with lime juice for $3.50 a glass! We also had a wonderful day at the Rainforest Habitat. We had lunch with the birds here and saw some amazing birds that are usually very difficult to find. Also here we saw our first Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo.

We had booked into Ellis Beach Caravan Park which is on the highway between Port Douglas and Cairns. We had a lovely spot just 25 metres from the beach. The van was there for 5 days until the repair place in Cairns was ready for it and then we were able to move into a cabin also at Ellis just 10 metres from the beach! So we spent a lovely time here sunning and swimming. (No Crocs here!) We went into Cairns after dropping the caravan off but it is just another city and over run with tourists. We do like to more unspoilt places…. Whilst there Steve and Vicki (friends we met at Walkamin called down and spent a day with us and then we arranged to go up to Walkamin and have a day up there.

We had to leave Ellis by about 8.30 am as they have invited us to Brunch! When we got there, another camper who happened to be a Country and Western singer gave us a concert in the lovely community kitchen. He and his wife also travel around and play at various venues. So we got this all free of charge!

On the Friday we had to leave our little cabin and head into Cairns. We could not pick the van up until 3 p.m. so we had time to waste. We found the big Stockland Mall and managed quite successfully to spend a few hours here. Even found a Sushi Train restaurant for lunch which was great. The last time Rob saw one of these was in Vancouver in Canada! Walter was very taken with it.

We picked up the van which was now as good as new and headed south to Bramston Beach. This is about 60kms south of Cairns and our ex-neighbours from Cobar were staying there. We had earlier arranged to arrive a week earlier but the repairs to the van changed that. Bramston Beach is just a small place on the coast. The park had been badly hit by Cyclone Larry but has also been sold to a developer so the current managers are very slack and no maintenance of any kind happens. The community spirit between the campers there is fantastic. They organise all sorts of activities in conjunction with a couple that live across the road from the park. Friday night (the fishermen) organised a fish BBQ. You just come around the camp fire with your plate and utensils, you put $1.00 into the kitty and they cook up their fresh caught fish in a lovely batter. All you have to do is bring your salad etc! On Sunday night, the couple over the road have a pasta night (spaghetti bolognaise). They have hosted up to 40 people…! Tuesday night is a theme night. Whilst we were there it was a sausage sizzle. They have had Chinese nights, European nights, Italian nights and so on. Wednesday night everybody goes up to the only shop in Bramston which is post office, coffee shop, general store and fish and chip shop. This puts funds also into the local community. The whole place is amazing. Many caravanners there have been going there for years at this time of the year. For our ex-neighbours, it was their eleventh year.

Len and Elaine were great and drove us around into Babinda, up to the Boulders and to Josephine Falls. Both these places are incredible, both in the rainforest and Larry’s effect very much still to be seen. Huge trees that have been there for over 100 years, snapped off by the wind like match sticks. The Boulders is actually a rocky gorge where Babinda creek drops down from the mountain. Babinda’s theme is Sunshine in the Rain. It has one of the highest rainfalls in Australia. Josephine Falls comes down from Mt Bartel Frere which is the highest mountain in Queensland. Very beautiful and high in the rainforest. Very easy walking track to both places. There is also swimming holes above the Boulders and at Josephine Falls but it was raining and the water was freezing.

Len also drove us to a lovely park in Innisfail. Again, Larry’s damage still very evident in this town that took the front of that cyclone.

We left Bramston and headed to a place recommended to us by friends we met at Walkamin. This is Rollingstone Beach. It is 60kms north of Townsville. To get there though we had to drive through Cardwell where we were told to stop and try the bakery pies. They really were yummy. Cardwell really blew us away; it is right on the coast and overlooks the large island of Hinchinbrook.

Rollingstone Beach Caravan Park is really the most beautiful spot and caravan park we have so far visited. We have had an absolute beach front site, overlooking Hinchinbrook, Palm and Magnetic Island. The park is immaculate and includes the greatest pool with waterfall. The sites are large and views unencumbered. Our view was greater than 180 degrees. The tide goes out for miles and yet comes in so very quickly. We met some great people here, Peter and Sue (from Condobolin), Marie & Bill (from Yepoon), Brian and Leonie (now from Wodonga but Leonie was a Dubbo girl). We had happy hour each evening out the front on the grass strip facing the beach, we had joint BBQ’s and helped celebrate Brian’s birthday, travelled the kilometres to Balgal Beach for the fish and chips, and the km’s the other direction to visit “Frosty Mango”. This is a great little shop with beaut meals (all featuring mangos somehow), great coffee and fabulous ice-cream of all flavours. (Mango Chicken was fantastic).

Whilst here we made a day trip up the Paluma Range to the little village of Paluma and onto Hidden Valley. Very windy road but the view on the top was spectacular overlooking the coast and the sugar cane and Mango farms. We drove out to Birthday Creek Falls and Paluma Dam before going on to Hidden Valley. The changes to the vegetation in 22 kms were startling. Really thick rainforest (cassowary territory) to mountain ash, then the really dry scrubby country as you dropped down the western side of the range. We had coffee and damper at a lovely old coffee shop where the wild birds come right in (not for the damper but the jam!). We had McCleay Honeyeaters and Lewin Honey eaters eating out of our hand and even a beautiful Rifle Bird came down to the table. HE was after the damper!

We also stopped on the way down at Little Crystal Creek and a bridge built in the 1930’s to provide employment for the unemployed in the depression. Under this bridge was another lot of beautiful rock pools but water was too cold for us to swim.

We leave here Wednesday 12th to drive to Airlie Beach. We are sure though that nothing can be as lovely as here and we will be sad to leave it.

12th September

We arrived here at Airlie Beach . Boy, has this place grown! We are booked into The Flame Tree Caravan Park, a Top Tourist Park close to Shute Harbour. We didn't really want to stay right in town, too busy and too many tourists! Its a lovely park with heaps of birds and wildlife. We went out to dinner last night at "Shipwrecked". It was recommended by the park and they gave us a voucher for one free desert! Lovely place right on the waterfront.

Shopping today (13th) and I (Rob) has to go and have a diving medical as they won't let you dive here if you are over 55 without one! Won't hurt me, just cheeses me off! With this done we will then most likely to book to go out on the reef either Friday or Saturday as the weather is absolutely perfect! Markets are on Saturday so it most likely will be Friday! If our mail arrives on Friday, we leave here Monday to head further south. If not, well we will stay another day or two!

Health wise we are not too bad though Walter’s hip prevents him undertaking much walking. The weather has been gorgeous and we are both getting good tans.

Until next time keep well and if you are travelling, travel safely.

The Happy travellers,

Rob & Walter