Townsville and Charters Towers

From Airlie Beach we backtracked north on the Bruce Highway to Townsville.  We had given ourselves all day to travel the 280km journey - so it gave us time to explore some of the sights on the way.

Our first stop was Bowen.  We had never pulled into Bowen on previous trips north and south, so we decided to head to Flagstaff Hill and check out the signposted Interpretive Centre.  The Interpretive Centre consisted of a couple of information billboards in a café.  It might have been a stretch to call it an Interpretive Centre, but the view from the top was very pleasing.

Towards Gloucester Island from Flagstaff Hill

Bowen - from Flagstaff Hill

Airlie Beach and the magical Whitsunday Islands

After arriving late the previous day, we were up early and keen to check out Airlie Beach.  Once a sleepy town you passed through on your way to the Whitsunday Islands, it has grown into a destination in its own right.

We enjoyed a relaxing morning around camp, catching up on school work. After lunch we headed into town to check out the Main Street and the Lagoon.  The Main Street is full of the usual tourist shops, aimed squarely at the backpacker market.  There is also a good selection of pubs claiming to be the number one party place in town.  In a way nothing much has changed here since my first visit here back in 1999 - except this time we fit into a very different demographic!  

Main St, Backpacker Central

The most significant change, the Lagoon has turned the waterfront area from a quiet grassy park and uninviting beach into a delightful safe swimming area.  Unlike the Cairns Lagoon, this one has deep water (2.0 metres at its deepest).  Just like Cairns, this one is often surrounded by young people worshiping the sun.

Enjoying the Lagoon!

Wallaman Falls and the first time the boys refuse to get in the car!

From Mount Surprise we took a scenic cross country route to Ingham via Valley of the Lagoons.  Crossing through dusty cattle stations, before passing Mount Fox Volcano and descending down the range to Ingham, we took great pleasure in traversing the road less travelled.

Lunch Stop - Valley of the Lagoons

The Pelican Lakes in the Valley of the Lagoons was a completely unexpected change in scenery from the dry savannah woodland.  The headwaters of the Burdekin River, this area was explored by Leichardt in 1845.

Pelican Lakes

On the road again, Undarra and Mount Surprise

With Rocky passing its first test, the Kuranda Range, with flying colours, I felt confident in hooking up Matilda and resuming our great adventure.  It took us a little time to reorganise ourselves so that everything was back in its proper place, but it was all part of a process to ensure we had everything we needed.

We bade farewell to Mama, Pa and Chris and Shelly and headed into Atherton to refill the fridges and pantry.  The IGA had one of the best selections of fresh food we had ever seen - and the large carpark meant even we could get an undercover park, keeping everything nice and cool. 

Store ship!

Full of food, fuel and water, it was time to head west.  With every passing kilometre the landscape became browner and dryer as we moved from rich dairy farms to open savannah woodland.   We pulled off the road to check out Millstream Falls, reputedly the widest single span falls in Australia.  During World War II, nearly 100 000 troops were camped in the vicinity, and some of the evidence of their traning camps could also be seen in the surrounding countryside.

A relaxing break with family, then Rocky returns

After being completely surprised by Jo's parents at Chris and Shelly's block, we enjoyed a wonderful few days catching up on family news and enjoying the serenity of their piece of paradise.  It was truly wonderful to relax and enjoy time together.   It was also a good time to take stock of all our gear and make sure we were ready for the imminent return of Rocky...

A wonderful picnic at the future house site

Making new friends - the adorable Millie enjoys a bonus cuddle from The Little Fisherman and Mum

Kuranda Sky Rail, Port Douglas, Low Isles and a wonderful surprise

Whilst Rocky was still in at the Dealer's, we were still in a holding pattern within a short radius of Cairns.  Thankfully this didn't affect us too much as we had a rendezvous with some friends from Sydney that had been put in place months before.  

In fact Nic and Dave, along with their beautiful two year old daughter had shared the start of our adventure in Tassie, and we were very much looking forward to catching up with them.  This time though they would not be hiring a camper trailer.  Instead of sleeping under the stars, they had chosen their Port Douglas Resort by the stars - and whilst we were camped down the road at one of the local caravan parks, we might have snuck in to enjoy some of the good life for a couple of days.

With a relaxing catch up being the main priority, we still managed to visit a couple of the most popular tourist attractions in the Cairns region.  In fact we had been looking forward to visiting these attractions for quite a while now, and I am pleased to say they did not disappoint.

Kuranda Scenic Railway and Sky Rail

We booked in for a train ride up the Kuranda Scenic Railway from Freshwater Station to Kuranda, with a return trip on the Sky Rail cable car.  This railway opened up Cairns to the tablelands when it was commissioned in 1891 - invigorating the small town of Cairns and allowing it to grow into a major centre.

The rail line was a major engineering challenge, its climb to Kuranda comprising of 37 bridges and 15 hard carved tunnels up the Barron Valley.  Some five thousand workers toiled to build the railway at its peak, but today we enjoyed riding in tastefully restored carriages past abandoned sidings that in their day had not just tent cities, but in some cases hotels and even breweries!

All aboard the Kuranda Railway... 

Some highlights of the Atherton Tablelands

We returned south after our adventures at Cooktown and Laura at a relaxed pace.  It was time to check out some of the things to see and do in the Atherton Tablelands, and (re)discover why this area is so popular with tourists and locals alike.

We saw some magnificent timber work at the Tolga Woodwork Gallery.  These places always showcase incredible craftsmanship - and the gallery here was no exception. Beautiful timber had been turned into exquisite furniture - and we all enjoyed walking through the gallery.

Tolga Woodwork Gallery - I had hidden Jo's credit card just in case...

Our next stop was Crystal Cave in Atherton.  Rene Boissevain has put together an amazing collection of crystals - and displayed them in a unique quirky cave.  It was fascinating walking through the crystals - many of them able to be held and touched.  

Inside the Crystal Cave

One of the most amazing specimens is a huge Amethyst Geode, standing over 3.5 metres tall. It is simply spectacular and takes your breath away when you walk into the room.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time checking out all the crystals here - even more impressive was that the vast majority are able to be held or touched.  Some of the specimens are extremely rare, others are simply beautiful. This was a fantastic place to visit.