After a week in Melbourne we flew out in the rain on Wednesday afternoon . We'd spent fantastic time with family and friends - me meeting the new addition to the family as well as Emma, Pete, Fiona and Sophie, while Brian caught up with some flying, his kids and parents. His 95 year old dad took quite ill the day he visited, so he was glad of the chance to spend time with him.
We were happy to arrive back in Cairns and to step off the plane into a warm, tropical evening. I couldn't wait to pick up James next morning. We were both really keen to get back on the road and continue our travels.
Cairns Esplanade
Next morning started with breaky on The Esplanade, just a couple of blocks from the apartment we'd stayed in overnight. By 8am we were on Mandy's doorstep to collect James. He was pretty happy to see us and vice verca! She did a great job of providing the TLC our precious little 'princess' demanded. "He's such a sensitive little fellow" she commented. He was a bit frosty with us as we drove to the Cairns Airport for Brian to check out an aircraft for a client - no wagging tail, just big "I hate you for what you've put me through" eyes.
We were at Jayco to pick up the van by 9.30, then on to do a big shop to stock up supplies before heading out toward Atherton, South-west of Cairns. We were planning a slow trek South so as to be back in Northern Victoria for a wedding on November 30th. The drive through the valley and up onto the Tablelands was spectacular. The winding road climbed from sea level to 1000 meters, with lovely views. We had would do a short day of travel so we could pack all the supplies away and let James settle back into his old life, but around midday, as we approached Lake Eacham where we planned to overnight, Brian's sister called to say his father had just passed away. While it was a shock, it was not unexpected. Brian was so pleased that he had seen his dad a few days earlier.
The news changed our travel plans - at least in the immediate short term. We decided the best course of action was to get to Yeppoon as quickly as possible so Brian and his oldest daughter Natalie (who lives there) could fly back to Melbourne together for the funeral. James and I would stay at Cool Waters, the caravan park we'd stayed at when in Yeppoon a couple of months earlier. Brian wanted to get a flight on Monday, which would give us three days to travel the 1300 odd kilometers. Given we had already departed the main route to Atherton to go to Lake Eacham, we decided to by-pass Atherton completely and continue on to Ravenshoe via back roads. That proved to be interesting! We ended up on a narrow, one vehicle road that wound its way through the lush farmland of the Tablelands. It was lucky no-one came in the opposite direction - in many spots we wouldn't have been able to pass. After a very slow drive we arrived at Ravenshoe in time for a very late lunch.
We had a look at our maps and came to the conclusion that while it would be a couple of hundred km shorter to go to Yeppoon via the Bruce Highway on the coast, we might find it quicker traveling to stay inland, away from traffic and roadworks. Also, we could follow our original plan to a degree and see Charters Towers. We had a brief drive around the sleepy little village of Ravenshoe which is, by the way, Queensland's highest town, before going to Archer Creek Rest Area 16 kilometers West. The next potential spot to overnight was a couple of hours further on. That would have us setting up too late and put us out of phone range. Brian had calls to make to family etc and we needed to book flights for Brian and accommodation for James and me in Yeppoon. With school holidays starting Friday that could prove tricky.
Archer Creek looked like a reasonable spot. There were half a dozen or so campers there when we arrived, but it was spacious and we were able to park away from others, in some shade, and leave the van connected. The temperature was in the 30's, so the three of us went for a walk down to the creek at the back of the camp area. The lovely crystal-clear stream babbled over rocky outcrops and James couldn't get in quickly enough. We threw the ball out and he burnt up masses of energy swimming against the current to retrieve it multiple times.
Just before dusk I got a fire going. The high Tablelands air was cooling rapidly. Suddenly a bloke walked up behind Brian as he was sitting reading and grabbed him around the neck. Brian got a heck of a surprise, even more so when he saw it was a dear friend, John Williams, who was traveling in the opposite direction and had stopped to overnight at Archer Creek as well. What a coincidence! It couldn't have been better timing. John and his wife Joy joined us by the fire for dinner and gave Brian a real lift on a day that would no doubt be etched in his mind forever.
We bid farewell to John and Joy at 8am Friday morning, planning to cover at least 500 kilometers for the day. I opened the back door of the Beast for James to climb in but he had other ideas. He insisted on a walk down toward the creek. Strange, I thought, he must need to go to the toilet. I followed him down the track and he started sniffing around in the grass. Then it became clear what his urgency was. The ball! He'd left it in the grass the afternoon before. He grabbed it and when we got back to the car he happily got in.
The Kennedy Highway heading South-west was a good stretch of road for 95 km before branching just short of the Undarra Lava Tubes. The Gulf Development Road (Savannah Way) continued West for 500 km to Normanton, Karumba and the Gulf of Carpentaria. We took the Kennedy Development Road travelling 98 km South-west to The Lynd Junction. The road alternated between a single lane and dual lane carriage-way, but the surface was good and it was relatively flat and straight, so we could sit on our usual 97kph indicated. We only had to get on the gravel shoulder for on-coming traffic a couple of times. We re-fueled at the Oasis Roadhouse just past the junction. The fuel price was good at $1.61/ltr but man, the lady behind the counter was a grumpy old bag.
At the Junction we turned South-east onto the Gregory Development Road which was pretty much the same as the Kennedy Dev Rd. I drove that leg for the 250 km into Charters Towers. About 40 km out of CT we passed the Fletcher Creek Rest Area. It looked fantastic. It was a huge open bushland space that allowed for free camping all along the banks of a quite substantial waterway. If we hadn't been in a hurry we would have probably spent a couple of days there.
At Charters Towers we stopped for a short wander around the historic town. The town centre and surrounding area has heaps of Heritage Listed sites. According to Wikipedia it was founded in 1870 when gold was first discovered. Its gold production became uneconomic in the 20th Century, so it died down a bit. Recent mining exploration however has resulted in a bit of a re-birth. It has been estimated that there now exists more gold underground in the area than the total removed during the Gold Rush in Australia. Citigold Corporation Limited is the key player in CT's mining game with gold being mined from two major deposits. It plans to open three more mines directly under the city and expects to extract gold at the rate of 250,000 ounces per year. If we'd had more time we would have spent a couple of days in the area - not to worry there's always next time!
Main Street at Charters Towers
We were back on the road by 2.30, continuing on the Gregory Dev Rd which turned into a lovely wide, smooth highway South of CT. Our aim was the Cape River Rest Area, 112 km further on. When we arrived there it was right on the highway which had become much busier with a fair bit of road train activity. Balyando Crossing was only another 85 km South, so we continued on, hoping to find a spot further off the road. We arrived at Balyando Roadhouse with 22 litres of fuel left in the Beast, filled him up (at $2.05/litre would you believe!), and paid $15 for an unpowered site right down the back near the dry creek bed. It was quite a pretty place - very basic with a lovely bushy 'outback' feel. By 6pm we were sitting out in the 30 degree dusk awaiting the full moon to rise. We had knocked off over 650 km for the day - one of our biggest yet in over 6 months of travel!
Camp at Balyando
Saturday we planned for around 300 km, unsure of whether we would overnight at Emerald, where we had been several months ago, or Bundoora Dam. The latter would add fifty or so kilometers to our overall trip and meant we would bypass Emerald on a road we weren't sure of. We decided we would have a chat with the locals at Capella to get the low-down on the dam before making a decision.
Clermont was the first town on-route - 166 kilometers south of Balyando. We hit the road at 8.15 in beautiful weather and cruised along comfortably until some fifty or so kilometers out of Clermont. Without warning the road turned into an invisible roller-coaster that just about saw us airborne. The Beast stabilized itself with no drama and Brian backed off on the speed. The dips in the road, however, worsened and we got lurched around a few more times before eventually slowing down to 80kph and accepting a safe, but still rolling ride. As we came around a bend in the road approaching Clermont a huge mullock heap loomed ahead of us out of the flat landscape. Coal mining is apparently the town's economic mainstay and Clermont serves as a hub for the mines in the area. This was one of the big ones! We stopped in the small main street for a walk around to explore and take photos of some colorful murals. We also had really nice coffee and cake.
The mullock heap went for miles - conveyor on the left
Capella was sixty kilometers further South. The Gregory's road surface became smooth and even again, thank goodness. We called into the local newsagency to ask about Bundoora Dam and were advised the road out to it and then on to meet the Capricorn Highway just past Blackwater was good. Also the dam was a great spot to camp. Decision made - we would bypass Emerald. The dam is owned by Capricorn Mines and is largely known of and used by locals rather than tourists. We initially drove straight past the access track and had to double back. There was no signage at all and if it hadn't been for the explicit detail in 'Camps 7' we would never have found it. When we did it was a hive of activity.
Queensland school holidays had started the day before and there were tents and caravans set up all along the foreshore. The dam was alive with power boats, skiers, jet skis and kids playing in the shallows. We found ourselves a spot back from the water with lovely views, left the caravan hitched to the Beast and kicked back for a relaxing afternoon. It was quite hot so James spent most of his time in the water. Doggy heaven! It cooled toward evening so at dusk we lit a fire and immersed ourselves in the environment. Tomorrow we would be back on the coast dealing with traffic lights, caravan parks and suburbia. Monday Brian would be flying out of Rockhampton to attend his father's funeral in Leongatha (Victoria) on Wednesday.
We were happy to arrive back in Cairns and to step off the plane into a warm, tropical evening. I couldn't wait to pick up James next morning. We were both really keen to get back on the road and continue our travels.
Cairns Esplanade
Next morning started with breaky on The Esplanade, just a couple of blocks from the apartment we'd stayed in overnight. By 8am we were on Mandy's doorstep to collect James. He was pretty happy to see us and vice verca! She did a great job of providing the TLC our precious little 'princess' demanded. "He's such a sensitive little fellow" she commented. He was a bit frosty with us as we drove to the Cairns Airport for Brian to check out an aircraft for a client - no wagging tail, just big "I hate you for what you've put me through" eyes.
We were at Jayco to pick up the van by 9.30, then on to do a big shop to stock up supplies before heading out toward Atherton, South-west of Cairns. We were planning a slow trek South so as to be back in Northern Victoria for a wedding on November 30th. The drive through the valley and up onto the Tablelands was spectacular. The winding road climbed from sea level to 1000 meters, with lovely views. We had would do a short day of travel so we could pack all the supplies away and let James settle back into his old life, but around midday, as we approached Lake Eacham where we planned to overnight, Brian's sister called to say his father had just passed away. While it was a shock, it was not unexpected. Brian was so pleased that he had seen his dad a few days earlier.
The news changed our travel plans - at least in the immediate short term. We decided the best course of action was to get to Yeppoon as quickly as possible so Brian and his oldest daughter Natalie (who lives there) could fly back to Melbourne together for the funeral. James and I would stay at Cool Waters, the caravan park we'd stayed at when in Yeppoon a couple of months earlier. Brian wanted to get a flight on Monday, which would give us three days to travel the 1300 odd kilometers. Given we had already departed the main route to Atherton to go to Lake Eacham, we decided to by-pass Atherton completely and continue on to Ravenshoe via back roads. That proved to be interesting! We ended up on a narrow, one vehicle road that wound its way through the lush farmland of the Tablelands. It was lucky no-one came in the opposite direction - in many spots we wouldn't have been able to pass. After a very slow drive we arrived at Ravenshoe in time for a very late lunch.
We had a look at our maps and came to the conclusion that while it would be a couple of hundred km shorter to go to Yeppoon via the Bruce Highway on the coast, we might find it quicker traveling to stay inland, away from traffic and roadworks. Also, we could follow our original plan to a degree and see Charters Towers. We had a brief drive around the sleepy little village of Ravenshoe which is, by the way, Queensland's highest town, before going to Archer Creek Rest Area 16 kilometers West. The next potential spot to overnight was a couple of hours further on. That would have us setting up too late and put us out of phone range. Brian had calls to make to family etc and we needed to book flights for Brian and accommodation for James and me in Yeppoon. With school holidays starting Friday that could prove tricky.
Archer Creek looked like a reasonable spot. There were half a dozen or so campers there when we arrived, but it was spacious and we were able to park away from others, in some shade, and leave the van connected. The temperature was in the 30's, so the three of us went for a walk down to the creek at the back of the camp area. The lovely crystal-clear stream babbled over rocky outcrops and James couldn't get in quickly enough. We threw the ball out and he burnt up masses of energy swimming against the current to retrieve it multiple times.
Just before dusk I got a fire going. The high Tablelands air was cooling rapidly. Suddenly a bloke walked up behind Brian as he was sitting reading and grabbed him around the neck. Brian got a heck of a surprise, even more so when he saw it was a dear friend, John Williams, who was traveling in the opposite direction and had stopped to overnight at Archer Creek as well. What a coincidence! It couldn't have been better timing. John and his wife Joy joined us by the fire for dinner and gave Brian a real lift on a day that would no doubt be etched in his mind forever.
We bid farewell to John and Joy at 8am Friday morning, planning to cover at least 500 kilometers for the day. I opened the back door of the Beast for James to climb in but he had other ideas. He insisted on a walk down toward the creek. Strange, I thought, he must need to go to the toilet. I followed him down the track and he started sniffing around in the grass. Then it became clear what his urgency was. The ball! He'd left it in the grass the afternoon before. He grabbed it and when we got back to the car he happily got in.
The Kennedy Highway heading South-west was a good stretch of road for 95 km before branching just short of the Undarra Lava Tubes. The Gulf Development Road (Savannah Way) continued West for 500 km to Normanton, Karumba and the Gulf of Carpentaria. We took the Kennedy Development Road travelling 98 km South-west to The Lynd Junction. The road alternated between a single lane and dual lane carriage-way, but the surface was good and it was relatively flat and straight, so we could sit on our usual 97kph indicated. We only had to get on the gravel shoulder for on-coming traffic a couple of times. We re-fueled at the Oasis Roadhouse just past the junction. The fuel price was good at $1.61/ltr but man, the lady behind the counter was a grumpy old bag.
At the Junction we turned South-east onto the Gregory Development Road which was pretty much the same as the Kennedy Dev Rd. I drove that leg for the 250 km into Charters Towers. About 40 km out of CT we passed the Fletcher Creek Rest Area. It looked fantastic. It was a huge open bushland space that allowed for free camping all along the banks of a quite substantial waterway. If we hadn't been in a hurry we would have probably spent a couple of days there.
At Charters Towers we stopped for a short wander around the historic town. The town centre and surrounding area has heaps of Heritage Listed sites. According to Wikipedia it was founded in 1870 when gold was first discovered. Its gold production became uneconomic in the 20th Century, so it died down a bit. Recent mining exploration however has resulted in a bit of a re-birth. It has been estimated that there now exists more gold underground in the area than the total removed during the Gold Rush in Australia. Citigold Corporation Limited is the key player in CT's mining game with gold being mined from two major deposits. It plans to open three more mines directly under the city and expects to extract gold at the rate of 250,000 ounces per year. If we'd had more time we would have spent a couple of days in the area - not to worry there's always next time!
Main Street at Charters Towers
We were back on the road by 2.30, continuing on the Gregory Dev Rd which turned into a lovely wide, smooth highway South of CT. Our aim was the Cape River Rest Area, 112 km further on. When we arrived there it was right on the highway which had become much busier with a fair bit of road train activity. Balyando Crossing was only another 85 km South, so we continued on, hoping to find a spot further off the road. We arrived at Balyando Roadhouse with 22 litres of fuel left in the Beast, filled him up (at $2.05/litre would you believe!), and paid $15 for an unpowered site right down the back near the dry creek bed. It was quite a pretty place - very basic with a lovely bushy 'outback' feel. By 6pm we were sitting out in the 30 degree dusk awaiting the full moon to rise. We had knocked off over 650 km for the day - one of our biggest yet in over 6 months of travel!
Camp at Balyando
Saturday we planned for around 300 km, unsure of whether we would overnight at Emerald, where we had been several months ago, or Bundoora Dam. The latter would add fifty or so kilometers to our overall trip and meant we would bypass Emerald on a road we weren't sure of. We decided we would have a chat with the locals at Capella to get the low-down on the dam before making a decision.
Clermont was the first town on-route - 166 kilometers south of Balyando. We hit the road at 8.15 in beautiful weather and cruised along comfortably until some fifty or so kilometers out of Clermont. Without warning the road turned into an invisible roller-coaster that just about saw us airborne. The Beast stabilized itself with no drama and Brian backed off on the speed. The dips in the road, however, worsened and we got lurched around a few more times before eventually slowing down to 80kph and accepting a safe, but still rolling ride. As we came around a bend in the road approaching Clermont a huge mullock heap loomed ahead of us out of the flat landscape. Coal mining is apparently the town's economic mainstay and Clermont serves as a hub for the mines in the area. This was one of the big ones! We stopped in the small main street for a walk around to explore and take photos of some colorful murals. We also had really nice coffee and cake.
The mullock heap went for miles - conveyor on the left
Capella was sixty kilometers further South. The Gregory's road surface became smooth and even again, thank goodness. We called into the local newsagency to ask about Bundoora Dam and were advised the road out to it and then on to meet the Capricorn Highway just past Blackwater was good. Also the dam was a great spot to camp. Decision made - we would bypass Emerald. The dam is owned by Capricorn Mines and is largely known of and used by locals rather than tourists. We initially drove straight past the access track and had to double back. There was no signage at all and if it hadn't been for the explicit detail in 'Camps 7' we would never have found it. When we did it was a hive of activity.
Queensland school holidays had started the day before and there were tents and caravans set up all along the foreshore. The dam was alive with power boats, skiers, jet skis and kids playing in the shallows. We found ourselves a spot back from the water with lovely views, left the caravan hitched to the Beast and kicked back for a relaxing afternoon. It was quite hot so James spent most of his time in the water. Doggy heaven! It cooled toward evening so at dusk we lit a fire and immersed ourselves in the environment. Tomorrow we would be back on the coast dealing with traffic lights, caravan parks and suburbia. Monday Brian would be flying out of Rockhampton to attend his father's funeral in Leongatha (Victoria) on Wednesday.
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