Out and About

GOLDFIELD TRAIL

My cousin has encouraged us to do a 17.2km return hike along the Goldsborough Valley Goldtrail to the Causeway. I couldn’t resist the challenge.  The terrain was easy to moderate but the distance in a one day hike was something we have only done once before, quite a few years ago.

The trail after the Causeway (8.6km along the Mulgrave River), continues on for another 11.5km to the Babinda Boulders

We were up at dawn to pick up my cousins at Gordonvale just south of Cairns for the short drive to the trailhead and campground in the Wooroonooran National Park

Had to find this cache on the way

Beautiful scenery and plenty of deep swimming holes

 

The rain forest trail


At the Causeway we had our early lunch, and rest before return walk

The adventure for what is beyond the Causeway is for next week


Back to the car by 1pm, for a cold drink and rest. Overall we surprised ourselves how well we coped with the distance and we had no after effects the following days.  It must have been the great company we had taking our minds off the length of this hike.

STONEY CREEK FALLS and Weir

Is a 9km return hike from the Caravan Park along the Barron River to the Glacier Rock Trailhead. Considering we lived in Cairns for 8 years, this is another walk we had not done

Up Up and Up following a tree root laden path


Had a lovely chat with 2 young European travellers who don’t mind swimming in the freezing creek, they took our photo




Ye Olde Weir Pump

Obstacles! Had to climb under the tree root behind me

We are still enjoying outings with Craig and family, including our Ayla Fridays.

Ayla loves a play each Friday at a playground, so we are ticking a lot off the list, although sometimes we go to Inflatable World jumping castles. Our first visit to Kuranda Koala World incl freshwater crocs, Ayla was very brave

Home life is awesome and comfortable, I must say almost everyday how I am loving winter in Cairns with daytime temps about 27° and overnight about 18°. We have extended our stay until the end of September and will prebook next winter when we leave. We never appreciated the winter months when we lived here for 8 years….too busy working…..now we have time to explore and ‘smell the roses’.

Hanging Jade in the botanical gardens

A beautiful sunbird playing next to where we sit at our van, just taking off

Life’s Good

Rewards for Improving our Fitness

In between spending time with family we have been trying to keep on top of our fitness, which we have neglected since returning to Qld. We have made excuses, some very valid too such as the wet weather, the flu and Derek’s sore foot, but really we also have not felt motivated.

All that has now changed. We feel well enough to start building up our muscles and strength, and with the goal of climbing Glacier Rock, we set about getting back into shape. (HOWEVER, Derek considers all of this a necessary evil 😅)

As well as our usual 4-6km per day walks around the Barron River, we are lifting weights and have had fun ticking off a few more local hikes

BEHANA GORGE -  Wooroonooran NP 7 km return hike, to Clamshell Falls, each kilometre got steeper, one hill is a killer known locally as Heartbreak Hill

Lots of swimming opportunities as we followed Behana Creek uphill

MACHANS BEACH  to Holloways Beach via new walk bridge

Looking back towards Cairns


EARL HILL and Half Moon Bay at Trinity Park

We had completed the much higher hill last visit so had unfinished business here.  4.5km circuit, with a few caches to collect on the way. We turned them all into 😃 faces, 

We started from the beach side, and it reminded us of Mt Coolum, lots of steps up the side of the cliff

Within minutes we had gorgeous views

It levelled out to some great views north over Trinity Beach and back over Trinity Pk to Yorkeys

GLACIER ROCK……the Ultimate Reward

It sits high up above our caravan park, and I can watch the Kuranda Scenic train pass along the top of the Barron Gorge twice a day at least. It is a 7.5km return hike (3 1/2 hours) from Stony Creek carpark, through rain forest and open melaleuca forest to fabulous views over Cairns

We followed the old Douglas Track from the 1860s which traversed the Aboriginal trade routes between the Coast and the Tablelands, before the Railway was completed in 1891 after taking 5 years to complete the Cairns to Kuranda section with 15 tunnels and 33 bridges and 83 curves, reaching an altitude from 5m to 327 m above sea level

I was so excited to finally meet the challenge

Rain forest from start to the mighty foot bridge, every step was uphill all the way to the top of the range

Over the railway line the stairs went up the cliff face

Killer stairs after a huge uphill climb, legs were shaking

We left the rainforest behind and had our first glimpse of the view, and our caravan.

After many much easier switch backs following under the power lines the view was even more fabulous. Time for a well deserved rest. Cairns city in the distance.

We went over the mountain range following the lines and then continued along the Douglas Track again

Straight ahead was Kuranda via the MacDonald Track

I Love the feeling of looking down over the landscape, the effort is so rewarding


We had timed it beautifully with the returning train from Kuranda 4.10pm and after chit-chatting too long at the top we made it to the foot bridge over the railway with just 2 minutes to spare

I was so excited, the engine driver waved back too.

I am back doing the Birding walking tours on a Tuesday through the Botanic Gardens, 2 1/2 hours, 5 km

Birds of the week, from my Birding Walks, Forest Kingfisher

And 2 Double Eyed Fig Parrots nesting