Tannum Sands/Childers/Torbanlea

Leaving Mount Morgan we headed back out to the coast and down to Tannum Sands to once again catch up with the family for a few days. Baz was quickly into cleaning the van as we had bat droppings on the roof from being parked under trees in Cairns, also we were quiet grimy all over.  I thought I would lend him a hand by taking the Pajero through the car wash then leaving him to clean the inside. I did manage to do a good clean inside the van and made good use of Anita’s washing machine. All nice a squeaky clean ready for our next couple of months.

We left Tannum Sands Sunday afternoon travelling south for a couple of hours, we ended up pulling into Childers and stopping at their free RV area that is situated in the street behind the Post Office. It was nice to walk the main street of Childers and admire some of their very old buildings, being late on a Sunday afternoon the main street was very quiet compared to the usual congested daytime activity. We were walking past the local RSL and we were coaxed in by one of their members to enjoy happy hour drinks. It was an entertaining half hour spent listening to a couple of patrons talking crap after they had consumed a few too many whiskeys. We also met a solo traveller there and ended up at the Federal Hotel enjoying good company and a Sunday Roast.

Today we travelled a little further south only 38 klms to the Torbanlea Racecourse, they offer camping sites powered and unpowered and is only about 16 minutes out of Hervey Bay. We will stay here tonight before we move into Burrum Heads where we are booked for the next three weeks, hopefully Baz will have more success this year with his fishing off the river bank.

Morning tea at Childers

Unpowered area at Torbanlea Racecourse 

Mount Morgan

We had an overnight stop at Dululu, only about half a dozen houses and an abandoned pub with a good area for overnight camping. Hot shower and power if required, hopefully all who stay leave their donation to keep this area going.

We then moved onto Mount Morgan staying at the Silver Wattle Caravan Park for three nights. The park has new owners Debbie and Dave who are great hosts keeping up the previous owners tradition of supplying 4 eggs on arrival and a Happy Hour by the fire every night. This must be our fourth time we have stayed at Mount Morgan, and finally got around to doing the Gold Mine Tour.  I think I only got Baz on the tour as he now has some shares in the mine and he wanted to see if there was

any progress in it’s revival, with the hope of at least getting his money back. Trouble is QLD government is making things very difficult with environmental issues that need to be addressed.

 This quaint little mining town once was thriving back when the gold mine was in operation, with 27 pubs and 4 suburbs. As the population declines there are only 4 pubs left in the town of Mount Morgan, the Golden Nugget did close last year to then be bought by a group of locals who didn’t want to see it’s demise.

Dululu Hotel a little beyond renovating

Mine Office Mount Morgan

Chimney Stack 

Market Main St Mount Morgan

Theresa Creek Dam

We left Charters Towers and travelled down the Gregory Developmental Road towards Clermont, stopping for a fuel stop at Belyando, where the 9 metre wide load that we had previously been caught behind also pulled in for a break and fuel stop. We had intended having a longer break but thought we would get back on the road before they took off again, we didn't want to get caught following at a snails pace until they can pull over to let the vehicles through.

This is the fourth time we have camped at Theresa Creek Dam, it is always a very popular spot for a low cost stay. We counted between 60-70 campers each night with still plenty of room for more, we ended up there for 4 nights enjoying the peace and tranquillity with only the occasional generator humming in the background.

Traffic held up behind a 9 metre wide load

Up close to the mine truck that was being transported
on the Gregory Development Road

Sunset Theresa Creek Dam

Our campsite Theresa Creek Dam

Rainbow Lorikeet hoping for morning tea

Theresa Creek Dam

Out walking

Hoods Lagoon Clermont

Charters Towers

Thursday morning we enjoyed a quick dip in the thermal pools then we were on the road by 9.30am heading for Charters Towers. We stopped for any early lunch at Greenvale then heading off again we decided we may as well go right through to Charters Towers. It was a big day for us as we covered 440 klms, we don't usually like to do that distance towing any more, we usually like to be off the road now by around 1-2pm.  At least with sharing the driving makes it not so tiresome. 

We knew our friends Pauline and Les were already in the park at Charters Towers and we were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves only two sites away, so we didn't have to carry our chairs too far at Happy Hour. They were not expecting us until Friday so hopefully they were pleasantly surprised with our early arrival, trouble was we missed out on the scones that Pauline had planned to cook for our arrival on Friday.

We have stayed in Charters Towers previously so have done most of the sights of this enchanting outback town with it's 1890's heritage. With a quick trip up Towers Hill Lookout and out to the Berdekin Weir we refreshed our memory of the area. We have now caught up with the washing and restocked the van ready to move further south to Theresa Creek Dam for a few days.

Road trains Greenvale
This pic took my fancy as gives the impression
of the trailers having a truck towing either way

Lookout over Charters Towers

Selfie

Burdekin Weir

Innot Hot Springs

Wednesday we were on the road again leaving the rainforests of the Tablelands behind us. We negotiated the steep, windy range before passing the Windy Hill Wind Farm that has 20 wind turbines that provide enough power for 3,500 homes. Then we were passing through Ravenshoe, Ravenshoe is the highest town in Queensland and is where the rainforest finishes and the savanna begins. We were making our way to Innot Hot Springs following the Kennedy Highway. 

Innot Hot Springs Leisure and Health Park is very much like an oasis in the bush, with six pools which all vary in temperature. The Caravan Park is pretty basic with unlimited use of the pools, we spent a very relaxing afternoon soaking in the thermal pools and reading in the shade. It really is a hard life sometimes.

 Some people who want a more natural dip, dig a whole in the river sand of  Nettle Creek which flows just below the caravan park and soak in the hot thermal water. Some sections of the creek are really hot with the potential to burn your skin.

Windy Hill Wind Farm

Innot Hot Springs

Yungaburra

Our next stop was Yungaburra a Historical Town on the Atherton Tableland. We booked into the Lakeside Caravan Park at Lake Tinaroo for two nights but ended up staying for four. The community of Yungaburra have raised funds to construct The Afghanistan Avenue of Honour out near the lake, it is a memorial dedicated to the memory of all who served in the fight against terror in Afghanistan. 

While we were there we went walking along the Peterson Creek hoping to spot an elusive platypus, no such luck still very elusive! We also met up with Bette as she was passing through the Tablelands on her way to Wonga Beach. Bette is 89 yrs young and still travelling solo towing a caravan, she is truly inspirational, we first met Bette 4 yrs ago in Beechworth.

We headed out to Herberton which is the oldest town on the Atherton Tablelands its entire precinct is listed in the National Heritage Register, it also home of a Historic Pioneering Village that is spread over 16 acres. With shops, school, homes etc that have all been relocated to this amazing village with it’s beautiful displays of a bygone era, which is all beautifully laid out and maintained. We also had time while on the Tablelands to visit the Malanda Falls and the Crater Lakes area.

It was hard to pack up and move on as the last couple of days out at the lake was just beautiful with clear blue skies, with gorgeous water reflections on the lake it was very tempting to stay a little longer.

Afghanistan Avenue of Honour 

Our campsite at Yungaburra Caravan Park

Bette Thurlow (89) 

Malanda Falls

Curtain Fig Tree

Lake Eacham

Lake Eacham

Herberton Historical Village

Reflections Lake Tinnaroo Yungaburra

Sunset Lake Tinnaroo Yungaburra

Mossman

Last Thursday we were finally ready to move on after spending an extra couple of unplanned days in Cairns. As usual we were unsure of our next destination maybe Port Douglas, Mossman or Wonga Beach most times we know the direction we heading just not the destination. The distance from Cairns to Mossman is only about 80 klms but due to it following the coast line you need to drive to the conditions as it’s very windy  but it is extremely picturesque, with rainforest on one side and the ocean on the other.

We ended up at the Mossman Caravan Park which just happened to be about a Klm from a sugar processing plant, as sugar cane cutting is currently in full swing there was a constant background noise from the factory 24/7. No comparison to the engine noise of the Trinity Bay!

While we were at Mossman we visited the Mossman Gorge which is only about 6 klm from the town. It is located in the southern part of the Daintree National Park. Once at the visitors centre we boarded a shuttle bus that took us the 2klms into the rainforest, where there was a elevated broadwalk leading to walking tracks and a suspension bridge and several lookouts along the way with views of the river.

Venturing further north towards Cape Tribulation we detoured into Wonga Beach to check out the caravan park.We are glad we stayed at Mossman even though the park at Wonga was right on the beach, it was very shady from the canopy of trees, also most vans & vehicles were covered to protect them from bat droppings & exploding Wonga Nuts. Then it was onto the Daintree Village where we enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Pub before returning to Mossman.

Shuttle Bus Mossman Gorge

Elevated Broadwalk

Suspension Bridge

Mossman Rier

Walking track through the rainforest

Backpackers loving the swimming hole