17th September Townsville

A special day! Its Christy's Birthday 🎂🎂🎂. It's been lovely chatting to her this morning. Both our girls and their children are meeting up for time together to celebrate.
They wouldn't want either of us there as we have 'quarantined our caravan......Brian has the flu & I have the sore throat. Have just been to the 7 Days per week Super Clinic and both been given antibiotics....here's hoping.

We are enjoying the weather up here, after all, that's what we came for.
Our first few days were great as there were people here that we had met in Mareeba. Trish & John had a combie bus so they came with us up Saddle Mountain to the Heritage Tea Rooms in what was The Eureka Hotel, the oldest known building in North Queensland. It's a long way up but appears gradual, that is, until coming down, then it is considered as very steep because it's such a long way especially for trucks. We will go up that way with the caravan when we leave here beginning of October and go again to Fletcher's Creek before starting our trip south.
We went for scones, jam & cream and were not disappointed, they were stunning. It was very interesting & had a best craft shop I've been in, have got some new ideas.
We have had trip to Townsville CITY, golly it's big. We had a meal at the Casino with Janet & John from Ballarat ( saw them last in a Cooktown) , it's great catching up with folk you know.
The Strand is beautiful, Brian had a walk along it one day while I visited a shopping centre, but he found it very hot.
We have a craft group in the community area on Monday mornings & I was shown a cute casual handbag.......so I had to have one.....Called at a Vinnies Super Store (huge) and got a pair of size 0 jeans with elastic in top. As they were not lined, I also fought a red apron to use as lining.
First cut off the legs, these are then cut up to make the shoulder strap. Then stitch in the lining and sew up the bottom. It's such a cute 'Jeans hand bag' with its little pockets etc. It would be easy with a sewing machine but rewarding to do by hand.
We have been The Brothers Club (Nation Rugbt League) their club is 'Cowboys' and like The Tigers in Melbourne (Aussie Rules) they are in 'The Semi Finals' everyone is excited.
We have another 2 weeks here, first....get over these colds, then more lovely places to go.
We were only staying 30 days,but.......then there are the 2 Grand Finals on for both Football codes so....we are staying the extra day to be sure of good TV reception. 🏉🏉🏉🏉🏉🏉🏉🏉🏉
You really have to live in Australia to appreciate the hype!

2nd September 2017 Townsville

Well, I have some catching up to do.....
From Atherton we went to Tully.
The drive from Atherton to here this morning has been the most glorious, uplifting, spiritual, joyous part of our trip. The beauty of the mountains, tablelands, sugar, bananas. Oh yes I'm raving on.... I guess you get the message. Oh how I love it all. We were here 2 years ago & stayed at South Mission Beach & did all the  Tourist  things. This year we have thoroughly enjoyed doing a lot of it again. We signed in at the Tourist Information Centre to stay 2 nights at the Showgrounds for free. A great concrete site, toilets, dump and water available. We drove out to beautiful Mission Beach, then out to Tully Heads. We were able to sit outside our van and watch the white smoke from the Sugar Mill. We were facing the main road into the town from the Bruce Highway so watched trucks moving the sugar and the waste products out and the trains bringing the cane in for processing. We went through the mill last trip. It was great seeing the machines cutting the cane, loading it into the train bins and the trains  moving it on their special tracks. I went into the town & was silly enough to go into a Homeware Shop that had the most amazing array of gadgets I have ever seen, very high quality with prices to match! No I only drooled, I didn't buy. Then I went to Vinnies & bought a top for $2! 😁.
Then the aromas from the bakery tempted me, well it was afternoon tea time! That's my excuse.
I was telling the sales lady how much I loved the trip from Atherton to Tully, and a man came in and asked for "His daily bread". .......when I went to the car he came up to me and spoke about my expressions of the trip & then added 'You sound as if you are a Christian' & I responded 'So are you' & he asked 'How do you know?' answer, you asked for your daily bread!. He is the CEO of Vinnies & does a lot of the home visits for delivering aid to outlying families. He was telling me about one visit where the woman was amazed that he drove 170k and his response to that was "Jesus went a lot further to Calvery for our salvation." It was a privilege to meet him.
We also had a lovely trip up the Tully Gorge the wonderful variety of trees and every shade of green. Even typing this my very 'being' thrills at the mountains, the trees, the sugar cane, the bananas, and I must include the warmth.
The day before we left Atherton the latest 'Grey Nomad' email came with an article on an over 50s Caravan Park in Townsville........well we changed our plans and have come here , booked for 30 days. It is purely over 50s, Black River Stadium, 27 k out of the CBD. It's only 7k off the Bruce Hwy, very secure, huge sites & $30 per night BUT.....if you book for 30 days, you only pay for 24 😁😁😁😁. It's very community, some people come year after year for the winter. We are testing it.
The facilities are exceptionally good, hot, hot showers, great kitchen set up that any one can use & they put on meals at lease weekly. This Sunday, Fathers Day, they have a chief cooking a meal, $5 a plate! 😁😁. We have booked.
Bye for now, off the 'Happy Hour'.

29th August 2017 Atherton

We are again at the War Memorial Camping Park 12 k north of Atherton. A $5 per night donation for use of toilets, non drinking water and nice flat 'dry' grass surrounded by trees, what more can one ask for? We had our 2 days at Rifle Creek, very nice parked amongst trees then on to Mareeba Rodeo Camping ground. There is opportunity to get fish and chips there on Friday nights and even people come out from the town to cue up for them to open at 5.30. It was a long cue by the time they opened some even had their chairs, some, on bikes, some in their cars..so we sat with our neighbours and waited until it had well reduced before joining it. They were wonderful......no wonder they were well patronised. We had 3 nights there before coming here in our red dust covered car. It was a big trip 😉😉 27k...we set up the van , went into Atherton, through the car wash, oh it looks like new. Called at the $2 shop & bought 1 ball of wool I needed, then to The Salvation Army Op Shop where Brian bought another book & I got talking to the girl behind the counter. 'What's new?' She wasn't Army but asked if I had seen the display in their window. I went and did so, it was heart warming, a great display of all thing Army, photo of the Founder, a Bonnet, the Yellow Red & Blue Flag etc. I  went back and asked the young lady to convey my congratulations on to whoever did the display. With that another young woman came and said, it was the one behind the counters idea & research as well as design. The second lady was the lady Lieutenant in charge of the Corps. They have between 6 & 30 on Sunday mornings but have a 50 Volunteer base from other Churches who man their 2 Op Shops and a a caravan. It made me sorry we were not going to be here for a Sunday. Then we came home in time to cook our midday dinner!
To day we have been to Yungaburra (again), it's still the prettiest place ever. The original huge hotel has such an interesting display of photos depicting the settlers of the area. I went into a little shop & the sign said 'Closed' Monday & Tuesday! Today was Tuesday.....the guys response was , 'Well if I feel I don't want to work, I don't have to come in'!!!! He then said where in NZ are you from, I'm from Christchurch.....my response was, tell me more....he said , well Ashburton....OK, I was born there!! Then St Albans, Christchurch! ........I said 'Rutland St' he says, I know that!!!! Golly life is amazing.
There was another amazing book shop, mostly second hand & expensive, but wonderfully set out in categories, Brian bought 2. Its very much a tourist spot. The hanging baskets were and are annually funded by the Bingo at the Hotel. Oh, it's soooo pretty.
Tomorrow we are off again.
To be continued.

24th August Rifle Creek

Rifle Creek is a 2 night 'Free' camping area about 40k north of Mareeba, well , $2 per Vehicle donation requested! A really beautiful spot, lovely tall trees, flat, gravel well made tracks, picnic tables under cover, non treated water taps, toilets (with paper 😁😁!!) cold shower, the area can easily accommodate 50 camper vehicles. It quite suitable to leave the van for the day and go tripping if you wanted to..
Back to Sunday 20th at Cooktown. Friends from Ballarat tat we met in Warrnambool, pre Easter 2015. We have been to visit them at their beautiful property at Mt Helen ......well after that preamble......they arrived in Cooktown & we met at their van about 2.45 next went to collect fish & chips and back to our van and never stopped chatting until they left about 9.30pm. We had SUCH a lovely vist woth beautiful people.
After they left we packed and prepared for moving Monday morning to Laura 140k southwest and then northwest. Interestingly through banana plantations and watermelon growing area which was quite unexpected..
We had booked into a caravan park for 3 nights..........
Laura, Queensland. Hot! This is our second night here in the Caravan Park, ( no comment!)
Today we went for a drive north, about 30k. It's the only Road up to the tip of Australia. Originally we had intended leaving our van here and driving the car the 600+k up and stay in Roadhouses but we have reconsidered after today's trip.
The first 5k were sealed then 25k of roadworks....real roadworks, traffic lights, lolly pop people, detours, huge construction vehicles as well as the normal traffic, a huge water spray truck to help keep the dust down. Then 100 metres of paved.....then a sign "Gravel Road to the Top"!!!!!!
Brian said, well we have come this far we had better do some corrugated road.......another 100metres........we turned around and came back. No alternative route. 😡😡😡😡
We came back and went to the Cultural Centre which was excellent, photos, history, art work & a great Video of the area & the Aboriginal people. When we came out I saw our car 😭😭😭 it was covered in red dust!!, oh well, it proves we have been out and about.
There are interesting termite mounds in the Park, (must say something nice!)
That's enough of this place, we will forgo our third night and move on.......it's proved to be very good move, it was nice going through the watermelon & banana area again as we came down here the 205 k. We stopped at Mt Carbine Roadhouse for a hot chocolate, what a beautiful building, stunning polished stone throughout, wish I had taken my phone in so I could have taken photos. We are very near Mt Molly.
Tomorrow we head off again, don't get excited....it's 40k to the Rodeo Caravan Park at Mareeba AGAIN, For the weekend & good TV reception.  This has been a happy spot,
Oh, by the way......the dark glass cover to our flyscreen door hasn't been unable to release for the last month, we have had to either have the door open or suffer the heat with it closed, lucky not too many flies. We have enquired of others who have the same door & have been offered various suggestions but none have worked. So, a couple of days ago we rang Jayco, & eventually they got back to us with more suggestions, one of which has worked sufficiently to allow it to open & then it can be attended to upon our return. Hip-hip-hooray.

19 August 2017 Cooktown

It's catch-up day, we have had a wonderful week here in Cooktown and surrounds. This has been such a sightseeing experience, today is the only day we haven't gone travelling. I'm so sorry, no photos as I haven't learnt how to include them. You need to send me a friend request on Face book 'Rosemary Lantz', because that is where I post photos.
One days trip took us south 65k to Bloomfield Falls, lots of interesting sights on the way and some not so....drove a long way into Trevethan Falls and then ran out of road so nothing doing there! Black Mountain was fascinating, they are mountains of hard black granite and there are many very strange tales about happenings there, people & animals disappearing, planes reporting disturbance as they fly over etc. there are flying foxes, snakes, caves, & the Aboriginal people are scared of it or have taboos in certain areas. It's very strange, worth looking up in Google. The small towns we went through were well kept and it's lovely to see the flowering bushes. Brian walked to the falls but I'm not game to try that type of walk/climb. I'm using a walking stick nowadays because of poor balance. These falls are the most significant we have visited this trip. We had a picnic lunch in the park at Rossville & every person from that village waved as they drove out to the main road.
Another trip was north, 70k to Elim, we first went into Isabella Falls, had to ford a shallow creek and then onward......well we gave up & turned around, got back to the creek and saw the signs .....the falls were just on the left of the Ford!!   Definitely NOT Niagara 🤣🤣 & difficult to get a spot to see them & take photos, but we did. On then to an Aboriginal Community, Hopeville, a very nice small town, very tidy & most facilities. On to Elim beach with its colonial sands, Beautiful cliffs of bright colours and driving in to that area one could be excused for thinking they were in NZ with snow on the Southern Alps BUT, it was pure white sand among the green bushes. The sand is exported to Japan for glass making because it is 97% pure. You can not drive on the beach at Elim because it is sinking sand. Cars have been completely sunk there. There is a sign that it's $2,000 to be towed out ( if they can!) Brian walked out a little until he started sinking, took a photo and got out. There was one hermit living there and a number of derelicted corrugated iron shacks still with bits of furniture, bed, chars, tables. A bit further away was very basic camping ground with toilets & water (not one we would stay at) but it was where we had to pay $10 to go and see the coloured sand.
We have ticked of most of the sights, some we found most interesting. Mt Cook (green with NO SNOW). We can't drive up it, there is only a walking track & it's very steep.  Grassy Hill and Lighthouse is spectacular, the sight where Captain Cook chartered his passage out of the Endeavour River where he was stuck for 45 days due to tides, damage and the unusual reefs that he could see. Its great to see the Endeavour River and it tributaries from so high up. We had been on a sunset cruise on the river, 2&1/2 hours of pleasure, good company, good commentary, a, lovely cheese platter.. the sunset over the water turned on a perfect display. We sailed among the Mangroves (not Mangoes!😞)
The water front with its displays, James Cook statue, Musical ship, the wharf with numerous fishing boast and cruise boats. So far we have only had 'Fish & Chips' once......I did say  'so far' it's on the menu for tomorrow night, our last night here. While we were waiting for the fish & chips to be cooked, we chatted to the couple who had just eaten theirs while at the tables on the veranda, they were Aboriginal from the Community where we had been. Their granddaughter is at the Uni in Melbourne studying Community Health & a grandson is in NZ, he went there for Bixing & is now in Christchurch. It was a most interest & delightful conversation. They are worth the trip to Cooktown. We have been out to Endeavour Falls, they are in a Caravan Park which is spectacular but there is 3k of awful corrugated unsealed road to get there. So glad we hadn't chosen to stay there even although it is perfection. Again the Falla were 'piddly' not Niagara, but the setting made up for it.
The Cooktown Historical Centre is worth every cent of the $5 entry and in reality it's worth a 2 day visit because it is full of history & ever so interesting. They are to be very highly congratulated.
The local IGA has everything and at prices to be expected but not bad really.
I know it's hard to believe, but I haven't looked through the shops, it's a small town really.
Monday we go north to Lara.

13th August Mareeba Rodeo Camping Groungs

Well we had our 5 days ar Rocky Creek War Memorial Park, we contacted the 'Authorities' for permission to extend our stay 2 days beyond the allowable 3 days & had no problem with that. It was great fora $5 daily donation. We had trips to Atherton, Yungaburra, one of the prettiest little towns I have ever seen. Lake  Tinaroo withe its moving Afghanistan Avenue of Honour  , The Curtain Fig Tree. We did all this 2 years ago, but this time was just as special.
Our car was serviced on Tuesday and Wednesday 9th we took the BIG trip to Mareeba......36k!
We knew about the Rodeo Camping ground, so came straight here. It's huge, power & water & $18  per night. Great public showers, all we can possibly need & only 3k out of town. We booked for 5 nights and have done the rounds of the area, been to the Golden Drop Mango Winery, I really didn't know how Mangos were grown & the thousands of trees are in flower at the moment. Brian went to Granet Girge & Park and did 2 of the 3 walks he knew his limitations....grade 3 Track has long , steep, rock sections! I went to 2 Coffee experiences, the first was a working Coffee grower and ever so interesting. I had no idea how coffee was grown and there was a film on the whole process. The second one was ultra commercial with an amazing shop with coffee , tea & chocolate. One needed an open bank account to go there!!! The exquisite things for sale could be most tempting. I yielded not 😇😇.
Today we went out to the Airport, very small but lots & lists of light aircraft. We saw the MAF Hanger. The runways are skirted by banana plantations! What a pleasant landing. We went to the Infirmation centre again & went through their heritage display which has doubled in the last 2 years. We had been there to get some ideas about going to the top of Cape York & have made the decision not to go. Tomorrow we go to Cooktown & are booked into the Cooktown Caravan Park for 5 nights.
The weather has been very good , we had rain last Sunday, well, showers. It was raining as it went the the BapBaptist Church in Atherton, a very good and inspiring service.
Our temperature is around 11 in the mornings and high of about 28.....expecting about 33 in Cooktown 🌞🌞🌞🔥🔥🔥.
I don't think I can add photos because the have to be in Google and mine aren't!

Photos 5Augusr2017

Arco Creek early morning as every had gone

Misty Mountains just out of Ravenshoe

Rain forest entry into Atherton

Our current park 4.30pm Rocky Creek War Memorial Park