Never Boring

We have been on the A1 Aussie Highway, but in some parts you would never know it, we have definitely seen better.

It gets worse... 

and in some parts even worse still

And share the road with these huge guys

Camped along the Norman River (just outside of Normanton) at a private campground, and look who was sunning himself on the bank, a 10’ fresh croc

Sunset on another birthday..(steak chips and beans..my favourite)

This Aussie Eagle almost was roadkill himself... it was leaving it a bit late. 

And a horse

He was on the road just under Saddle Hill in Cloncurry...no joke intended!

Lots of mining history along the way...Croydon

Cumberland Chimney....old remains of a gold mining town. For my northern English rellies, we crossed over Newcastle Range, then Durham Creek to get to Cumberland.

So many RV’s, we seem to be unwittingly in a convey. Our neighbour here in Mt Isa said in 21 years of caravanning he has never seen so many vans on the road, and he has come across from NT, (the direction we are heading) and said there is no where to park up each night.....they have had enough and are heading back to Northern NSW after starting out in February and went west via WA....what a short fast lap of Australia.

Final couple of pics from the tropics...white mouthed green frogs will sleep anywhere

This was a first.....sugarcane tracks seem to be a cycle hazard at this T-intersection

We’re on the move

After 8 months here in Cairns North Qld, it is time for us to leave and head back over to Western Australia (this time from the north to the south) whilst the cyclonic wet season has left the northern tropics and the short dry winter is now here. We have really enjoyed revisiting Cairns and region for a lengthy time, (we feel like locals again), spending heaps of time with Craig’s family, and catching up with my cousin and friends. It is always sad to leave.

Our plan over the next month is to get through Qld and Northern Territory, to the West Australian border.

We still have a water pump problem to fix so fingers crossed we are not off to slow a start.

It is cane cutting season...and the mills are now fired up

And the cane is flowering, just waiting to be cut

We are swapping the lush green coastal tropics with all its rainforests for harsh red dirt, treeless plains and savannah grass, the adventure continues...

Cardwell Qld

We have moved 2 hours south of Cairns to Cardwell right on the coast/beach, but still croc country, and hope to be here for about 6 weeks. Thankfully we are able to visit Craig and family on the weekends still, and it is a beautiful drive through the cane fields and banana plantations, whilst surrounded by mountains, rivers and streams.

Cardwell is a great stop off for most caravanners and the amount of vans and motor homes heading north through town is none stop.  

This is us parked along the esplanade with Hinchinbrook Island in the background.

We find plenty to keep ourselves busy, and the esplanade is a great walk. We hope to explore a few of the surrounding towns and beaches whilst here.  

We love living like a local, but not becoming as quirky as some. This pic should be on my “seriously” page

Cairns Beaches

We have tried to explore the many beaches just north of Cairns over the past 6 months, and from all angles.

Our time in Cairns is coming to an end and we are now back in the Caravan and preparing to head 2 hours south to Cardwell for a few weeks.

Trinity Beach to Taylors Point Headland




View from Taylors Point summit

Palm Cove

Earl Hill from Palm Cove

Earl Hill Summit view to Yorkeys Beach

It’s hard to say goodbye to Craig and Sara and my cousin, and also our long time friends, all of who we will miss heaps.

My weekly birding walk in the botanical gardens has also come to an end for me, and Shane took this great photo this week of the Little Kingfisher 

A Cherished Reunion

Starting on Easter Monday we had a wonderful 9 day visit from Jessima and the 4 grand kiddies, Jenna, Jordan, Jacey and Jayde.  Not only did they all get to meet Blake, but Jayde got to meet Ayla, and we had a lovely family reunion with Craig and Sara, after 5 years.

Perfect weather allowed for many day trips to scenic lookouts, waterfalls, rainforests, beaches, night markets, skating, and to see rock wallabies and butterflies.

The highlight had to be our day out to Normanby Island in the Frankland Island group. We all snorkeled off the beach and also 200 metres off the shore in open waters with large turtles and tons of tropical fish, huge clams and pretty coral. Jacey and Jayde were excellent first time snorkelers. Mt Bartle Frere and the Pyramid along the Qld coast made a beautiful back drop as we sailed out of the Russell River to the reef. 

Some other great family moments we will treasure

Rex Lookout Captain Cook Highway

Jayde has now officially built the biggest cairn (with a little help from Pa)

Ayla loved hanging out with her cousins

Sugar World adventure park


Meeting baby Blake


Mossman Gorge




Granite Gorge Rock Wallabies


Josephine Falls 


It was one big sleep over

So sad to see them leave, and with our time in Cairns coming to an end we may not see them again until Christmas.

Cooktown

Four hours north of Cairns on the other side of the Daintree NP is Cooktown. We took a couple of nights midweek to revisit this historic region.

We stayed in very secluded Milkwood Lodge just 1km before Cooktown centre. Plenty of birdlife, Cairns Birdwing butterflies and a resident peahen on our roof.

Cooktown ...visited by Capt Cook in June 1788 for a month, named the Endeavour River where he did repairs to the Endeavour  after hitting the reef. 

We had a lovely visit to the museum to see the Endeavour’s anchor which was retrieved in 1979 and also a canon. The museum is housed in a convent c1888.  The streetscape is very historic, as Cooks Town became the thriving frontier town for the Palmer River Goldrush in the 1870s some 100km further east.

Hand carved curbing  lines all the streets

We drove up to the lookout on Grassy Hill

Walked through the Botanical Gardens to Finch Beach, 

explored Archer Point, and revisited Black Mountain NP 

and Endeavour Falls on the upper reaches of the Endeavour River.

A lovely lunch at the historic Palmer River Roadhouse and a scenic drive back home over the mountains via Julatten and Port Douglas finished off a great mini break.