26/07/2004 - Stage 2, Day 59, Page 1 of 3 - Cairns to Bourketown, QLD

Got up early on Saturday 10/07/2004 to pack the car for our move to Darwin. We spent most of the morning at the awesome fresh food market in central Cairns buying loads of tasty goodies. By around 2pm we were finally ready to leave.

Before taking off on our mission west, Freddo had insisted that we had to go north up past Mossman to see Gill and Donna who are building a wildlife park up next to the Daintree rainforest. So north we went... They were still in the fairly early stages of construction, but they showed us around anyway. They had some lovely small crocodiles which were only about 750mm long (2 feet). They also had fabulous aviaries filled with a huge range of australian birds. They showed us out the back to see the cassowaries too. They were only young ones though and we took a couple of pics of the male before the camera batteries died a horrible death.




After checking out the park we headed south back to Mossman where we camped up the night at the caravan park. Next morning (11/07/2004) we took off to Mareeba. We had been told different stories about the lava tubes at Undara Volcanic National Park so we called them to check it out. We had been told that the larva tubes were awesome, but also that you could only see them on a guided tour, and that it was REALLY expensive to see them and also to camp there. It turned out that you could definately only see them on a guided tour and that the cheapest one was $35 each. Camping was extra... Hummmm... We got stingy and gave it a miss. If you want to know more about it, their website is http://www.undara.com.au.

From Mareeba we headed west to Chillagoe for lunch and a look at the caves. Here's the scenery driving towards Chillagoe.


Again we got stingy and decided not to go on the guided tour caves ($13.75 each), but only went for a look at the self-guide Pompeii cave.




On the way back to the car we stopped at the Brachina self guide cave entrance and took a picture of the cool green-bottomed ants on the sign.






Next stop was Balancing Rock about 1km away. It was pretty cool so we posed like mad and took lots of pics.












Had a bit of a chat with the general store lady before leaving town. We had originally planned to pike out on the dirt road west to Normanton (Burke Developmental Road) and go south a little to meet the main bitumen road (Gulf Developmental Road) which heads west to Normanton via Georgetown and Croydon. The lady at the general store thought the dirt road would be fine and that there were heaps of tourists coming into Chillagoe from that road. So we took her advice and blasted off west along the dirt road.

Not long down the track there was a hell of a **BOOM** while we were driving along minding our own business at about 80km/hr. Our first blow-out!








You know the best thing about being a girl is that sometimes boys just don't know whether you're just plain dumb, or whether you're pulling their leg. When we got to Normanton with our totally shagged and irrepairable tyre, I've put on my most serious face and asked the tyre shop man "How much for a puncture repair on this tyre?" He took a few moments (and a very blank look) to decide whether to laugh at me, or to politely explain that the tyre was rooted! Poor bloke.

Now back to the story, after Bradley galantly changed our blown tyre we headed off west again and finally camped up for the night at the junction of the Lynd and Mitchell Rivers. It was a great camp site and the Mitchell River was still flowing (not a given in the dry season up north). We threw the rod in with our flashiest lure on, but as usual caught zip.

Next morning we took off west again. The road was in really good condition all the way and we travelled between 80 and 100km/hr almost all of the way. We saw a pair of Sarus Cranes (Grus antigone) and took a picture. The Sarus Crane stands between 1.2m and 1.5m tall and has a wing span of about 2.5m. You can pick this crane from a Brolga because it has a lot more red on it's head and no dewlap under it's chin.


That night we pulled up at the camping ground at Karuma Point and it was definately the place to be! There were guys queueing up to clean their day's catch and noone had a fish smaller than a metre long! These people were clearly not Victorians! It's commonly said up here that you can pick the Victorians a mile away, they're the ones eating the bait. They use fish as bait up here that a Victorian would take a picture of and frame it! After organising somewhere to camp we went to the legendary Sunset Hotel for a beer. They have the best beer garden out and the sunsets are awesome. Didn't get a picture of one though, but we did go back there for a breakfast Baileys and a picture the next day before leaving town.




On the way out of town towards Normanton we saw stacks of Brolgas (Grus rubicundus) and took a heap of pictures. The Brolga stands to between 70cm and 1.3m tall and has a wing span of between 1.7m and 2.4m.


















Also saw a couple of willy wag tails (Rhipidura leucophrys). Didn't get very good pictures though.




Got into Normanton and headed for the local icon - the purple pub. Apparently many years ago they planned to paint the pub but the only color available was purple, so they ran with it! Now it's pretty famous.


While we were in Normanton I got a message that I'd been successful in the interview I'd gone for in Brisbane a week earlier and would have to fly to Melbourne in a weeks time for a second interview. I was SO EXCITED that i told Bradley that nothing could get me down, not even something as gross as fish and chips for lunch. He asked if I'd eat a steak for lunch, and I'd already put my foot in it too much to refuse! This was the first steak i'd eaten in over 2 years, the last one I ate was the first night that I met the Rudds in Mildura.




Headed out of Normanton after a horrible lunch and an expensive new tyre along the Savannah Way - the dirt road that follows the bottom of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Stopped briefly at one of Bourke and Will's camp sites.


We camped that night at the Flinders River, where we found ourselves under attack by hundreds of locusts! The bastards turned up just after sunset and were bouncing around like they were at a rave! They were bouncing in and out of our dinner bowls, the fire, the food tubs, etc... and they even tried to jump into our bed!


Next day (14/07/2004) we took off again and passed a huge herd of brahman cattle being mustered along the road.




Crossed the Leichhardt River and it was a really nice spot. It'd be a great campsite, but it was too early in the day for us. The map said there were falls at the river crossing, but I think the dry season had taken its toll on them. Stopped at Bourketown for lunch and saw some more brolgas!