I can hear the bugle in the background. 22 posts done and one more to complete. I promised more stunning images of the beaches in the Cape Tribulation region so here we go.
Cape Tribulation beach itself stands at the very end of the tarmac roads in the region.
Beyond is 100km of rough 4WD tracks to Cooktown (although you can reach it by an inland route). Beyond Cooktown is wilderness without a paved road in sight all the way to Cape York, Australia’s northernmost point.
The beach is again a stunner. We spent a couple of afternoons just strolling on its firm sands
At the southern end is an area of Mangroves. I was fascinated by this with the exposed root systems, everything you expect Mangroves to look like.
We spent ages poking around under the rocks finding crabs and the like. The most numerous creatures however are mudskippers, a kind of fish that lives out of the water at low tide and skips/bounces across the sand. I couldn’t get close enough to one to get a photo alas.
I then started to notice that many of the shells under the rocks were cone-shaped. We’d seen many on the beach at Lady Elliot Island but all we just empty shells. These looked like they were something more. To the uninitiated cone shells contain a rather testy little snail. It kills its prey by first releasing a paralysing agent and then while its prey is immobilised, slowly envelops it. To finish off it then injects its prey with venom. And here’s the interesting thing, the venom packs enough wallop to kill – yes you’ve guessed correctly – a fully grown person. Another of Australia’s deadly delights. Yes, there are even deadly shells. Science is at a loss to explain why many of Australia’s smaller critters pack venom which such extravagant toxicity or why the country has such a profusion of venomous creatures. One thing is for sure, it makes life a little more interesting and we decided not to turn over any more stones on the beach 🙂
We decided that sitting on the sand and enjoying the warm sun and the tropical ambiance was much safer. As I sat on the sand I reflected at the name. Captain Cook ran aground on reefs just off the shore here, hence the name he gave to the cape to reflect his troubles. Hard to imagine a more inappropriate name as you enjoy these surroundings
Saving the best till last.
Thornton Beach lies a few miles south of Cape Tribulation. We only spent a little over an hour or so here but it remains my favourite spot from our trip.
We strolled along it’s length down to the creek at the far end. The creek in question is Cooper Creek and a mile or so up the road they run boat trips to go croc spotting. As I wandered along I realised the rest of the family had abandoned me having noted the same. Not to be scared off by dinosaurs I continued on. The views were fine with Thornton Peak (second highest in Queensland) dominating the view
I spotted a dark shape on the sand upstream. I stopped! Now I’m sure you’d like a story of a close encounter with a croc, perhaps me wrestling one a la Crocodile Dundee. Sorry, it was a log. I decided that the views were not going to get any better so I thought it would be more sociable to return to the family 🙂
We spent a splendid time back at the other end of the beach just sitting on a very photogenic dead tree in the sand. The views and the moment were just sublime.
By way of celebration there is even a photo with me in it. Sorry about the lack of corks on the hat. I’ll only do so much for comedy value
We were lucky to see some extraordinary places on our trip but for me the hour we spent here was the best from a “place” perspective. I’m not sure if it was the weather (one of the best of the trip), the contrast between the sea, sand and forested mountains, the fact that we had the entire beach to ourselves (save one old couple) or just the simple pleasure of spending some quality time with my family enjoying this wonderful place together. Whatever it was Thornton Beach will always have a place in my soul
And, well, that’s about it. We left Cape Tribulation and as a final gesture we saw another Cassowary on our drive out.
The start of a very long and uneventful journey via lunch in the park at Port Douglas, Cairns, Brisbane, Singapore and London Heathrow. We had the usual airport frustrations (Brisbane, welcome the club of badly organised and unhelpful establishments) but lets not sour the memories with a rant about that.
Let’s instead close things out with a few reflections:
Travel
Getting to Australia is time-consuming but not as difficult as it once was. The joys of technology make long haul flights a good deal more pleasant than they used to be. I even did some calculations and the cost of the flights on a distance basis are pretty comparable with the flights around Europe. I’d also say that with a bit of planning and thought and Internet savvy it’s easy to arrange the whole trip independently. It’s as easy to book a hotel or a trip in Australia as it is in the UK. All the resources you need are online and you get the freedom to go where you want when you want. I would say that it does help to be a Project Manager and a serial planner.
Getting around Australia is also a breeze. It’s a big place, largely empty and long way from the rest of the world. This means roads are empty and beaches largely deserted. Driving around was simple and hassle free (not a traffic jam worthy of the name in 4 weeks) and almost everywhere quiet and unspoiled. Of the places we stayed only Airlie Beach seemed impacted by commercialism (we didn’t stay in Cairns). It feels very much like a stretch of coast that the rest of the world just hasn’t really found yet. To stand on a beach as stunning as Thornton on a cloudless sunny day and not see a soul is still hard to believe. It will be hard to walk on a beach in the UK or Europe now and not miss that sense of solitude
People
Without a shadow of a doubt the people in Queensland are the friendliest I’ve ever met while travelling. Very much the same feeling you get in the US but with a more down to earth feel and matey humour. I particularly liked their unique turns of phrase. My favourite was the car rental clerk in Brisbane when we arrived bleary eyed and jet-lagged. He asked me how we were doing and I said fine in the circumstances and returned the question. He replied “every day above ground is a good one” – I love that. Everyone we met, hotel check ins, bus drivers, waitresses shop owners was charming, friendly and funny. Everyone seemed to keen to show off the state/country and make sure that we enjoyed our stay. We did!
Final Memories
Much as I hate to do this I thought I’d share my personal highlights. It seems unfair as the whole 4 weeks was a highlight but as my blog is my own personal area of reflection I’m allowed to do it 🙂
Favourite Place – Thornton Beach, Cape Tribulation
Favourite Activity – Whale Watching
Favourite Hotel – Ecovillage Resort, Mission Beach
Favourite Bar/Restaurant – Marlin Bar, Magnetic Island (no photo I’m afraid) 😦
Favourite Meal – Lunch on the Beach, Dunk Island
Favourite Animal – Saltwater Crocodile
Favourite Swim – Lake Mackenzie, Fraser Island
Favourite Sunrise – Myall Beach
Favourite Sunset – Lady Elliot Island
Reading through these it struck me that the Great Barrier Reef isn’t up there.
This isn’t a reflection on it, it’s a truly extraordinary experience, worth the journey on its own and was the prime initial reason for choosing Queensland. I think it’s more a reflection on how much more there is to Queensland than just the GBR. I had an idea once I started to do the planning but once we were there it’s hard to put across just what an amazing place it was and how much there was to see and to do. I could list probably another months worth of trips, places and sights we didn’t visit on the same basic itinerary. Which of course leads to the inevitable conclusion that we will have to go back 🙂
So that finishes off my write ups of the trip. I think it’s appropriate that its 31st December so it just leaves me to say:
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS AND THEIR OWN BLOGS- THANKS FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS AND HOPE THAT 2015 BRINGS MORE ADVENTURES AND MORE BLOG POSTS TO ENTERTAIN AND INSPIRE ME
A post dedicated to our “local” beach at Cape Tribulation, Myall Beach. Mainly because I took so many photos of it but also because it’s a very fine beach indeed. Backed by the towering presence of Mount Sorrow and palm trees waving in the breeze it’s picture perfect and practically deserted, save a few students and hippies playing guitars. No sun loungers, no concession stalls, just natural wonder
It was only a short 10 minute stroll through the forest and mangroves to reach it, so every spare minute we took our leave and wandered along its length.
Like the rest of the holiday I was always up early to see it at sunrise. Sometimes on my own
Sometimes with TBF
We strolled on it during the day with the junior sherpas and funsters
And we strolled on it at the end of the day
We strolled while watching the Ocean Rafting snorkelling boat trip come in
I promised you another croc story so here it is. At the far northern end of Myall beach is a creek which you have to cross to get to the headland.
Like most creeks in north Queensland it’s home to a resident croc and until recently it was a decent sized one
In winter it’s barely a trickle and you can pretty much step over it. However in summer it’s more substantial. The general guidance is to stay near the sea and stay well away from the creek. Sound advice when large dinosaurs that can eat you live up there. One Belgian tourist decided that he wanted to go looking for a close encounter and find the croc he did, lazing on a bank. This wasn’t quite exciting enough so the fellow started making some noise in an effort to stir the croc into a more animated display. Still nothing. Undeterred, he moved in closer and started slapping the water with a large stick (can you feel the hairs rising on the back of your neck). He moved closer and closer, until, you guessed it, the croc decided to take a bite out of him. Luckily the croc had probably already eaten (hence its languid posing earlier) and the guy survived (sorry, did I say “guy”, what I meant to call him was, well, you can fill in your own word for someone who willfully provokes a crocodile with a stick!). The croc now with a taste for human flesh was moved on to somewhere more remote and replaced (yes “replaced”) with a smaller one that still lives in this creek. It is their natural home and not ours lets remember
An interesting story to reflect on as you stroll along this beach and paddle through the end of the creek.
On our final afternoon we walked over from Cape Tribulation beach, across the headland and all the way to its far southern end. A majestic stroll under a setting sun with dark stormy clouds hugging the mountains behind. Having to return to get the car gave me the chance to cross our croc creek twice more 🙂
As the UK enters a cold snap, here’s hoping some shots of a tropical beach in the sun shines a little warmth into your life
The final leg of our long journey. Across the broad Daintree River by ferry to the heart of the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation.
The Daintree is the oldest Rainforest on Earth and when you step – well – drive, off the ferry, you certainly get that impression. It’s often said that this is the end of the civilised world heading north in Queensland and whilst not strictly true (you can drive inland around to Cooktown further north) it certainly feels remote. The road is narrow and twisting, signs of civilisation sparse and the forest dark and dense. The whole area is off-grid as it were. No mains power, no reliable mobile signal, no luxury hotels. A whole world apart from the cosmopolitan Port Douglas where we’d come from. As if to welcome us to this ancient land we saw our first Cassowary. After all the effort we made in Mission Beach, here was one just wandering about in the road, completely oblivious.
Not great photos as it had pithered into the forest by the time I’d got my camera out but we were chuffed to bits to see one at last
We were staying at the Ferntree Rainforest Lodge (review here) in a little timber clad house in the forest.
After a brief explore we were straight down to the beach for a sunset stroll.
Off the grid it may be but this whole coast and it’s beaches are magnificent. We’d been lucky to stroll on some pretty amazing beaches right throughout our trip but the one’s here were a class apart. A few little tasters here but I took hundreds of beach photos so I’ll dedicate a couple of posts to them later – they deserve special attention.
This post will focus on some of the other delights the region has to offer and there are plenty. Insect life for a start. This little fella was waiting for us when we got back from our evening meal.
When we woke the next morning there was the most terrible noise in the trees above us. At first I thought it was birds but on closer inspection it was bats – hundreds of them. Spectacled Flying Foxes to be precise and they hung there, squabbling and bitching for the whole of our stay.
If you look at the top middle of the next photo you can see them roosting (or whatever bats do) in the trees
Most jungles have Monkeys but there are none in Australia so the bats make up for that. They really are rather splendid and cute if you don’t mind the leathery wings. It was great having their company for the stay
There are numerous boardwalks through the rainforest and Mangroves and the local one is the Dubuji. The rainforest and Mangroves are magnificent. Towering trees and palms and an extraordinary variety of plant life.
My one regret is that we didn’t see the forest at its best. In winter it’s pretty dry and relatively cool so the animal and birdlife isn’t quite as prolific as it is in the “wet”. Everyone kept telling us about how oppressive, humid and unbearable Tropical North Queensland is in the summer but it must be worth seeing the forest in all its splendour.
The weather was stunning while we were here and we took time out to enjoy the splendid free-form pool
We took an afternoon visit to the local Tropical Fruit Farm for a tasting session (review here). These were the fruits we tried
It’s been a while but my memory of each one is:
Tahitian Lime – well just like limes but made a very nice cold drink
Pommelo – like a large very sweet grapefruit
Yellow Sapote – a bit too mushy and banana-like for me
Carambola – Don’t remember! 🙂
Solo Papaya – very sweet and tasty
Sapodilla – dark brown with a texture like a plum and a taste like Muscovado sugar
Yellow Mangosteen – my favourite, very juicy like a Mango but very sour
Longan – like a Lychee and resembling an eyeball when peeled
Jaboticaloa – another favourite, very sweet and juicy, not unlike a grape
Alemoya – one of the custard apple family, very mushy and sweet, almost sickly
A really fascinating afternoon finished off with a trip round the orchards to see some of the other fruits
Jaboticaloa (unripe)
Yellow Sapote
Jackfruit
Custard Apple
And and ants nest stitched together from the leaves
Regular readers know of the family passion for swinging about in the trees and there’s a chance to to do it here in the rainforest with Jungle Surfing.
The instructors are a pretty zany bunch and while there are no tree climbing obstacles there are several zip wires through the canopy with stupendous views.
Everything kicks off with the “Hamster Wheel”. the first two people run around like household pets to winch the next group up to the first tree. Great fun and embarrassing all at the same time.
Needless to say it’s a total blast whizzing through the trees including being “encouraged” to hang upside down on the last run and behave like a salmon – the things we do for fun!
The same people also organise a night walk through the rainforest. Very spooky and surreal it was too. You can hear the various animals moving about. Tree Kangaroos, Bandicoots and we caught a few eyes reflecting in torchlight but again not as much we’d hoped. The guide said that after 20 minutes in summer he’d have been able to show us at least 30 different types of insects. It must be amazing to see a rainforest in the rain. We did at least get sight of a huntsman spider, cockroaches, frogs and a beautiful juvenile lizard.
Once we got back we opened the door to the lodge and saw something large scurrying about on the floor. For a fearsome moment I though it was a spider but in fact it was a very large cockroach. A few minutes were spent chasing it round with the old glass/card trick before we cornered it under the fridge and put it back outside.
We we were here for nearly 4 days and loved the place. It has a very hippyish, bohemian vibe, guitars on the beach that sort of thing. There was so much more we could have done and in fact did do. It was the beaches that are the real star though so more of that to come
A short post to highlight the rather splendid Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat. We saw a huge amount of wildlife in the – wild – but the family are always partial to a well presented zoo and this one is a fine example of how to do it. Review on Trip Advisor is here
It kicks off with “Breakfast with the Birds”. Most of the zoo is semi-open such that the birds and most of wildlife roam free – it’s kind of like a safari park you walk around.
The restaurant is in the bird area and you eat from a fine buffet with the birds flying around you
One of the rangers pays everyone a visit for a close up encounter with one of the lesser known creatures in this case a Frog-Mouth and very gorgeous she was too
Outside is a whole collection of kangaroos, birds, wallabies all of who are eager to fed. This is a real treat for the kids and they loved it.
Fortunately some of the larger and more dangerous animals are contained behind fences. This 5m Saltwater Croc for example
They also have Freshwater Crocs – note the longer, more slender snout but the same sly grin – never smile at a crocodile!
The tropical and freshwater bird enclosures have a huge variety of exotic natives. I never had any idea of the sheer range of bird life that Australia and Queensland possesses and their song was one of the enduring memories of our trip
The real highlight though were the close encounters and both the kids got to cuddle Snakes, Koalas and Crocs
TJF is clearly enraptured but TJS looks less certain. Perhaps the fact the Koalas are a bit smelly and wipe poop on their temporary handlers had something to do with it.
This one is called Samson and both kids were surprised how heavy he was and how strong his grip was. A little cheesy but as I said in a previous post, Koalas may not be around forever so why not get up close and personal with them while you can.
Sadly the kids weren’t allowed to cuddle the 5m Croc and had to make do with this tiddler. Perhaps that’s why TJS looks a little happier.
One more wander through the reserves and bit more hand feeding of the cute wallabies and to watch the kangaroos boxing (they are surprisingly big and very aggressive) and it was time to head off for some real wildlife close-ups.
The Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat was really well done with sympathetic and knowledgeable staff and a certain charm. I know that there will always be concerns about the rights and wrongs of these sorts of parks but for me the animals were free to roam within reason and education and close contact is an important way to reinforce the message of how precious and delicate our wildlife is. They achieve that here brilliantly in my opinion
I forgot to add in my previous post the second major attraction at Port Douglas – the Great Barrier Reef. Along with Cairns, PD is the gateway to the GBR. There are literally hundreds of tours leaving throughout the day to snorkel and dive. Most are huge fast catamarans that speed out to large pontoons on the reef with restaurants, underwater subs and waterslides. We went for something a little more low-key and chose Wavelength Tours who were focused on snorkelling and only carried about twenty people. You can read my review here but safe to say they delivered a superb day out.
It’s a long way out to the reef edge from PD so it’s a long 1.5 hour ride. The SE Trade Winds whip up the sea at this time of year so it’s a very bouncy and quite wet ride out. The journey passes with fitting of equipment and talks about reef ecology and diversity.
I should at this point say that the majority of photos are from the crew. They possess a full underwater equipped DSLR camera and I don’t. Taking photos in bouncy waves, underwater, of moving objects is pretty hard and they clearly know what they are doing. Thanks to Johanna who took the photos. I’m sure you’ll agree they are pretty amazing
We arrived at Opal Reef and got kitted up
Even though the waves were rough the water quality is quite astonishing. As soon as you dip your head under the water the clarity takes your breath away.
Where Lady Elliot Island was primarily shallow here the water was much deeper and the reef edges much higher.
The diversity of life was simply astonishing. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
The kids were struggling with the fins (you really need them as currents are very strong) so after an initial struggle we quickly worked out to “buddy up” such that I towed TJF around – holding her hand as I did all the swimming and TBF likewise paired up with TJS. It was actually quite a nive father and daughter moment as we explored the GBR together, hand in hand
We saw fish of all shapes and sizes (including “Nemo”!)
Coral of all shades
A turtle, snoozing on the bottom
We even saw our first reef shark, spotted by TJF but not in time to grab a photo
My favourites however were the giant clams, just like the one’s you saw in 1950’s B movies, grabbing divers by the ankles!
They are everywhere and a multitude of colours. They are of course harmless and no-one got trapped or eaten 🙂
You simply snorkel around in circles around the edges and see something new every time. You often hear people say that it’s like snorkelling in an aquarium and it’s true. You just don’t want to get out. However cold and tiredness and the need to get back to shore before dark mean you have to get out eventually. The reef delivered one final treat. As we approached the boat we got up close and personal with Angus, a Maori Wrasse who frequents the reef and comes over whenever boats visit for a quick feed
In case you can’t get the scale he’s about 5 feet long from tail to teeth and a little intimidating!
Reluctantly we climbed out and headed back to shore. The GBR is everything you imagine it to be and more. A true wonder of the world and I feel lucky and privileged to have seen it.
Even luckier, we got one more chance to see it later in the trip. 🙂
The Mission Beach area has much to see. Rainforest reserves, beaches by the score, the Great Barrier Reef a few miles offshore, inland mountains with tumbling waterfalls and swimming holes. We ignored all this and decided on a day trip to Dunk Island, the very prominant eminence just off the coast where we were staying.
The day didn’t look promising. Sun and blue skies had been replaced by dark stormy clouds and we got an absolute soaking walking the 20 yards from the car to the ferry boat with Dunk Island Water Taxi A wild and bouncy ride deposited us on Dunk Island for the day. At least it had stopped raining although looking across to the mainland it looked like the world was ending. All was dark and stormy
But who cares, it was warm and promisingly bright on Dunk. The island was completely devastated by Cyclone Yasi in 2011 and the once luxury resort now lies pretty much in ruins. Once you look beyond that it’s pretty much the quintessential mountainous tropical island. Steep slopes covered in lush rainforest dropping down to palm fringed beaches
We took the short walk along the coast to Muggy Muggy beach. A shingle strand with rocky outcrops and palm trees it was gorgeous. The sky was bright and cloudy but it was warm and – well – muggy, as you’d expect. The wind had whipped up the silt so the water wasn’t all that clear but snorkelling was still pretty good with lots of fish. I even managed a very close encounter with a Moray Eel and small stingray which gave me something of a start.
Best part was just sitting on the tropical beach looking out at the small Robinson Crusoe island off the shore and enjoying having the beach to ourselves, Castaways. Kind of.
We went back to the jetty for lunch. Just a portakabin but it served up one of the best meals of the trip. Fresh fish wraps, Calamari and for TJF the “Corona Shell”
A huge ceramic shell filled with ice and fresh prawns – TJF loves her fresh prawns – the Corona from the two bottles of Mexican lager that I reluctantly drank. Everything served with a cheerful smile from the proprietor.
As we at there on the beach looking at the stormy rainforest mountains on the mainland I have to say I was feeling pretty damn good. Well, drunk anyway. A real standout moment for the whole trip
Back to Muggy Muggy for another brief stay on the beach and a little more swimming and snorkelling
As we waited for the ferry home the sun came out and temperatures soared – we had to hide under the jetty to escape the heat. The views were tremendous and it was all too short a visit before we were ferried home
The final part of the journey brought some smiles. The Boat couldn’t reach the shore so we had to jump out into thigh deep water for another soaking but at least this was a sunny one
While the kids chilled me and TBF went for another long stroll through the coastal forest and mangroves and watch the turtles from Clump Point pier.
Restless feet and time to move on? Well we had to but we didn’t want to. Mission Beach and the Ecovillage Resort is a wonderfully quiet, charming and breathtakingly beautiful spot. With lots of large creepy crawlies to admire
Everyone said we’d love it and we did but there was still one more week of Queensland adventures still to go
I was looking forward to Mission Beach. Everyone asked us our plans while we were in Queensland and when we mentioned it they all said “you’ll love Mission Beach”. Expectations were high and it didn’t disappoint.
We were staying at the Ecovillage Resort (review here) which was a superb base. As soon as we checked in we were off to the beach a few yards through the forest. It’s a cracker.
A classic long strand of golden sand backed by palm trees with the mountainous Dunk Island just off the coast. Like most of the beaches in North Queensland it was deserted
The hotel was tucked into a dense pocket of rainforest growing on Clump Point, an outcrop of dark black volcanic rock. Due to its peculiar mineral content it supports a very localised and very diverse ecosystem and the forest is lush, dark and luxuriant. Now anyone that knows me is aware that I’m not big on spiders and I was a little edgy about how I’d cope with rainforest and it’s plentiful 8-legged beasties. Just outside reception there was a sizeable Golden Orb Spider maybe 6 inches across. They are one of the famous residents of Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) and really rather beautiful
I went to tell the family but TBF, no doubt with a sly grin said “you think that’s big, take a look up”
This one was at a conservative estimate 12 inches across, hard to tell as he was hanging out several feet up in the palm trees. Safe to say he was enormous and I was a little taken aback (for that read I jumped ten feet back and screamed like a girl). They are harmless in terms of venom but their fangs are big so they can give a painful bite. Apparently they are relatively shy and reticent and will climb away from you if you are unfortunate enough to get too close. I didn’t take any comfort from that and made a mental note to close all the windows and tuck my trousers into my socks. After a while you realise they rarely move other than the occasional lazy stretch of a leg and you get used to their presence.
The next day was taken up with much lazy walking and exploring the area. We had a fine walk down the beach to the centre of “town” – just a few shops and restaurants.
Back to our rainforest home for a swim in their rather splendid free form pool and lunch on the patio
In the afternoon we took a stroll along the Kennedy Boardwalk past Lugger Cove.We had our very first sight of the sign that warns you are in the domain of one of the worlds oldest predators. Adds a certain sense of adventure to a walk don’t think
It was one of the highlights of the trip for me. There was just something about the forest and the deserted beach that struck a chord. That and wondering whether I was going to be on the menu at any point
We decided not to see what was on the other side of the headland as that’s where the crocs hang out
The area is called the Cassowary Coast after the large and prehistoric flightless bird, with its razor sharp and lethal claw, that calls the area home. They are under threat and are very protected. They lost a lot of their habitat and food after Cyclone Yasi in 2011 that devastated this piece of coastline. They eat pretty much all the fruit in the forest so by their natural digestive process they are a vital part of the forest growth in the way they spread the seeds around. Unfortunately in the search for food they tend to wander onto the roads and get run over (more Cassowaries were killed in road accidents than by any other means). Consequently there are signs everywhere warning you to watch for them and be “Casso-wary”. By looking at the signs you expect to see them at every turn, taking up car park spaces, pushing in front of you in the queue at the supermarket, that sort of thing. We were even told by the hotel that it was very common to see one in the car park or in the grounds. We were in the area for nearly three days and the nearest we got was some suspicious looking poop.
After a wander around the beautiful (and Cassowary-free) Licuala State Forest we took another evening stroll on the increasingly windy beach.
A quick post on our road trip. After a few superb days on Magnetic Island we were back on the mainland and heading north towards our next stop. We needed a lunchtime stop for some R&R and a picnic lunch
The weather was superb so we thought a spot of river swimming was in order. Just north of Townsville are loads of rivers flowing out of the rainforest mountains of Girringum National Park. We chose Little Crystal Creek as the photos of the falls and its stone bridge looked rather appealing
It was. We dived straight in to the clear and startlingly, breathtakingly cold water. When I say “straight” I do of course mean me. The rest of the sherpas and funsters take an age in that typically British style where getting wet over a period of 10 minutes clearly warms the water up
It was great fun. Deep water, slides and jumps abound although even I was forced to call it quits such was the coldness of the water
The heat of the day was nice to sunbathe in, warming ourselves on the rocks
A picnic on the rocks finished off the excursion.
Bush Turkeys scrounging for food as they always do
I was tempted by a substantial leap into the pool under the bridge but I lost my nerve. I figure I’m getting too old for such things now.
A couple of hours of fun set us up for the short drive to our next stop at Mission Beach
What I had to say was “Good Morning, what a stunning island you are”
Another early morning stroll on the beach enlivened by Honeyeaters and the huge flock of Lorikeets that hang out on the beachfront.
They seemed to congregate on the verandah of the Mexican restaurant making a deafening noise and I soon found out why. The owner came out with their regular breakfast of bread and honey and they descended on him like locusts. The guy must have had twenty birds on his head, shoulders and arms and dozens more flying around him. He put down the food and they devoured it in seconds. A very entertaining start to the day
Exploration was on today’s agenda. The island only has a few miles of roads and a couple of settlements but there is an excellent bus service. We bought an all day ticket and set about the task at hand. We first stopped at the “capital”, Nelly Bay and took a long walk along the beach down towards the old main town at Picnic Bay (apologies for the dirty smudge I hadn’t bothered to clean off the camera lens).
It was another fabulous day. We’d wanted to reach the beach at the far end of the bay but it seemed inaccessible from the shoreline. We also couldn’t find a way down from the headland or from Picnic Bay so we gave up, shame as it looks like a cracking spot. We headed on down into Picnic Bay
Picnic Bay was by Maggie’s standards a bit uninspiring so we hopped back on the bus and went for lunch at an Italian Sandwich Bar at Alma Bay.
After a brief walk on the beach we decided to hop on the bus again and head to Arthur Bay that we’d spotted the day before. An inspired idea. On an island resplendent with great beaches this was the best.
Perfectly formed with granite boulders framing the view, clear water and great snorkelling. We spent a very lazy and relaxed afternoon swimming, sunbathing and chilling. Up there with the best beaches we visited and it had some stiff competition.
As the afternoon sun started to fade we bid farewell to beach and walked back up the hill to catch another bus. We had one more animal encounter to finish the day. Back at Geoffrey Bay the road ends at a small jetty. Amongst the rocks by the road lives a colony of Rock Wallabies and every evening they come down to be fed. Armed with a couple of bags of food from the local shop we wandered down there.
There were loads of them. Some braver than others but eventually we found a head high rock with several hungry mouths to feed.
They are exceedingly cute. if you lifted your hand up they rested their little paws on your hand to eat. Bless ’em
I asked this one to pose for a photo and he did
We even got a baby to feed.
The kids absolutely loved it as you can imagine. It’s rare to get this close to any form of wildlife outside a zoo and they were moments to treasure. Not quite as exciting for me as seeing the Koala in the wild – these wallabies are effectively semi-tame and habituated to human contact but it didn’t detract from the experience.
One of the mothers came down complete with baby in the pouch which was rather special
Interestingly kangaroo young often leave their mother’s pouch and then return as they grow. Once a Wallaby baby leaves the pouch for the first time it never returns
After an hour of close up contact with these little furry bouncing bundles we had to say our farewells and catch the bus back home.
Another really special day and we finished it with another session in the Marlin Bar.
Another place ticked off and a real surprise. Most of the places we planned to visit I was least aware of in some way. Maggie was just an interesting looking stop off but in its quiet charming way it was one of our favourites. Possibly due to the stunning weather, the best of the whole trip, or maybe the contrast with the previous few days grey skies. I like to think it was more the degree of surprise at what a marvelous place it was. It felt like a “real” island, lived on and home to real people rather than overtly promoted and commercialised or a sacred overly protected natural wonder. Just a thoroughly nice place with stunning scenery without being in any way ostentatious or self-serving. It had a charm that I don’t think anywhere else we visited quite matched. Perhaps most of all it felt like the real coastal Queensland.
As we took the ferry home the next morning I said to Maggie “I love you and I’ll be back to see you soon, stay just as you are” 🙂
After finally seeing the sun come out late afternoon the previous day we were finally treated to what the Whitsundays looked like under a blue sky. The next morning was stunning. Not a cloud to spoil the view (and no it wasn’t raining in my heart)
I sneaked out for a very brisk walk up the local hill, Mount Rooper under the pretence of finding some breakfast for the family. The views were now breathtaking.
If only we had more time. Our next stop was Magnetic Island a 3 hour drive and ferry ride away. We pondered staying in Airlie Beach for the day but really you need to be out on a boat to see the Whitsundays at their best so we packed up and headed out. It was a glorious, hot and sunny day and the drive north was stunning. We arrived in Townsville, one of Queensland’s bigger towns and caught our 30 minute ferry over to the island that sits just off the coast
Magnetic Island or “Maggie” as the locals call it was one of the few places I’d not heard of when I started planning the trip. We only decided to stay as it was a handy stop off on the road north. I’m so glad we did
The apartment rental agency gave us a lift to Horseshoe Bay, our home for the next few days. The Apartment was just stunning, huge, spacious and luxurious. It overlooked the Bay from a huge balcony and I instantly fell in love with the place (Apartment review here).
We had time to spend a couple of hours on the beach and took a swim in the warm waters – not as clear as further out on the reef but shallow and calm and perfect for the kids.
As we watched the sun go down we were joined by a turtle swimming just a few yards off the beach. We even caught a glimpse of a whale breaching far out in the bay. I’d been told Horseshoe Bay was the place to go for sunsets and it didn’t disappoint. Watching the sun set with the boats silhouetted in the foreground was just magnificent. What a find this place was. After a picnic tea on the balcony we turned in, very happy indeed in our new temporary home and pleased we’d decided to take in a stay on Maggie
As was my routine I was up early the next day and took a stroll on the beach before anyone else was up. As always I was joined by the usual dawn chorus of birds, primarily the ever noisy Lorikeets and the more tuneful Honeyeaters. This time I was joined by a Kookaburra but he must have got ourtof bed the wrong side as he didn’t laugh although he did pose for some pictures
We spent the morning just lazing on the beach out by the rocks at the far end of the bay. We had planned a swim but the tide was out and Horseshoe Bay is extremely shallow so we just pithered and pottered and enjoyed the best weather of the trip. We did manage a brief swim out front of the apartment before lunch but even at a couple of hundred metres out it was only waist deep.
In the afternoon we took a walk across the headland to see some of Maggies other more remote beaches of which the island has plenty.
After a short and rather hot walk through the bush we broke through the palm trees to Radical Bay and what a stunner it was.
Straight in for a swim to cool down in the tropical waters. I could have floated there all day but then I started to tingle all over and it was clear there was something in the water with us. It was like the feeling of prickly heat and a little uncomfortable and after a few minutes of scratching we got out. Something microscopic in the water was giving us a little nip or nips. Later research confirmed something called sea-lice, tiny jellyfish that can be something of an irritation but nothing too bad. We recovered by lazing on the sand and sitting on the rocks at either end of the beach watching the fish and the boats and just enjoying more sunshine and warmth after the grey skies of the Wetsundays
Maggie has loads of these pocket beaches between granite headlands and our walk around the coast (a bit of rollercoaster of ups and downs in the heat) took us to Florence Bay, itself a real stunner and like Radical Bay, practically deserted
We didn’t linger as we had one more walk to do, and one that Maggie is renowned for. After another punishingly steep hill we passed Arthur Bay – more of that little cracker in the next post.
We were heading for the forts walk, one of the islands main attractions. It’s home to a collection of WW2 ruins, lookouts and gun batteries scattered throughout the forest and they are fascinating insight into history. Nestled amongst the bush and Eucalypt trees the walk is well worth it just for the views and the history. However this was not what we had come to see. Our eyes were facing up to the tree tops trying to spot one the islands reclusive inhabitants. We looked everywhere and were getting neck-ache and a little downhearted that our luck was out as the day was fading away. Then we got a quiet shout from and man over to our left and went over to see. There just above us in the trees was what we had come to see.
A mother and her baby! We were truly blessed. We must have watched them for well over an hour transfixed. A rare treat to see such an iconic and such a threatened creature in its natural habitat and so close.
After a few minutes they started to put on a show for us. Slowly climbing the tree, baby clinging on at first and then separately. Watching the mother expertly climb the thinnest of branches and then gather the leaves was just amazing I took hundreds of photos fearing that I might not have got a decent shot and so pleased that I’d invested in a proper telephoto lens although they were only 15 feet above us.
Koalas are under serious threat in Australia, mainly due to loss of habitat. Despite the fact that there are hundreds of varieties of Eucalypts in Australia, Koalas can live on just five. As man continues to expand so the number of those specific trees is reduced and along with it the Koalas. As food becomes scarce many Koalas become weak and fall prey to a range of diseases that normally they can withstand. It’s diet is also the reason Koalas have their reputation for being limited of movement. Rather than being just lazy, they are just conserving energy as the leaves give them so little nutrition. It’s tough being a Koala
As darkness approached we had to tear ourselves away. As we did a male Koala gave a throaty roar from a few trees away. I never knew they roared (they aren’t bears of course!). Did you also know that Koalas are the only one of 3 species (man and chimps are the others) that have unique fingerprints, very much like ours. What an amazing creature and we felt privileged to have seen them. Who knows what their future holds
We swiftly made our way to the summit and climbed the lookout point. The ruins on the summit are extensive and there would be whole heap of fun to be had exploring. For us it was a very swift and breathless climb to the highest tower. We’d just missed the sunset but the views were still spectacular, albeit, well, dark really
As a final treat on the way down I noticed some movement by the side of path and saw an Echidna, a sort of Australian hedgehog. One of a rather odd group of Australian animals called Monotremes (“one hole”) on account of the fact they only have – well – one hole called a cloaca to lay eggs and, you get the idea. It was too dark to take a photo so we just stood and watched as the little pin cushion waddled off into the bush.
We caught a late bus home and finished off an exceptionally fine day in the best way possible. Cold beers and burgers in the Marlin Bar, handily placed next door to the apartment. A proper Aussie bar and I loved it and in fact, quite disturbingly, so did the kids. I’ll restrict them to just the 4 pints next time
I spend alot of my time surfing the web looking for ideas on places to go, walking routes, travel ideas and tips to plan the perfect holiday or day out. (I'm a project manager I like to plan). I thought it was time to share my own experiences and contribute to the vast amounts in information that's already out there.
I'll also add in some gear and tech reviews and when something irks me I may even use this forum to have a rant - I do that pretty well I'm told.There are a few pages at the top that give a bit of background to what I like to get up to and what you can expect to see in my posts. I'm not exactly a creative writer but I hope some people will find my stuff useful or inpsiring or at least enjoy some of my photos.
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