Day 15 - Cairns Hinterland

Today was the day we explored a little bit of the hinterland in the mountains behind Cairns.  We were up early for a 9:15 skyrail ride from the base station just up the road for the airport through to Kuranda. We then took the scenic railway back into Cairns. 

Well unlike other Ross moment we arrived at the skyrail on time, in fact a little before time. I hold Katie responsible for all the pre packing ad organising so that arranging showers and breakfast was all we needed to do.

Now Stu isn't that great with heights and to say that the cable car style ride was a little out of his comfort zone was right on the mark. For some reason if there was white stuff everywhere it seems to be a little lower to the ground!

(Insert initial skyrail pictures - more coming)

We scooted up to the first station, Red peak station and had a fantastic passionate 20 minute talk by one of the rangers, Paul about the plant battles that occur in the rainforest, really brought the place alive.  All of us, boys included, were blown away by how things really workin a  rainforest environment. 

Paul talk pictures !

Back onto the gondola and we descend  somewhat into Barron falls, a massive gorge with Barron river plunging some 280 odd metres in a series of steps into deep pools.  It was only a trickle of it former self today but during the rainy season it would be quite a sight to behold. 

(Insert Barron falls pictures)

We descended in Kuranda crossing the mighty Barron river as the last stop. We then took the short walk to the town centre trough a myriad of shops, cafes and food stalls. Felt very over the top and touristy, kinda like we were trapped there .  Even struggled to find a seat unless we didn't have to by something .. But we made it to the towns central park and munched on Katie delicious egg and bacon pie that she had cooked in the camp kitchen the night before.

Popped into the information centre and as per usual the staff were more than helpful finding answers to or five questions. Now we really Griff or Andy to ask them but as least we have the information now!

We were scheduled to catch to train back at 2pm so after a quick treat of I creams for desert we head back to the train station.

Not sure what to expect with the train apart from going back down hill we wee absolutely god smacked with the engineering feet that was undertaken between 1887 and 1891 to connect Kunadra and Cairns. Carved into an incredibly steep gorge walls, the train climbs 320 odd metres over a 21 km stretch. The scenery was simply stunning, thinking about how they pulled off the effort given the shear steepness of the terrain and the conditions it is certainly impressive. In my view (stu ) better than the gondola rides :)

We rocked back at camp around 4:30 after a quick stop to bunnings for some essentials (say no more ).  With the next phase of the trip ie he dirt we thought that we should really take the opportunity  to hold she things back in a storage unit for the month we areaway 

Day 14 - Cairns

It was a day of recovery and preparation today. With the next phase of the trip commencing shortly we needed to get food, clothing and be relaxed, ready for action!

After a rather chilly night in Cairns standards (got down to 10 which is the coldest they had in the park in 27 years according to one resident).  As a result Chris was chilly on his first night of holidays. Stu and Chris headed into town for small things to make both his trip more comfortable! We picked up some other things fly nets - Who would have thought that fly nets would cost 12 dollars!  They saw us coming!

Cairns's big fish - although Andi and Griff were both quick to correct the call of fish to "it's a swordfish".

We rocked back to the park around 11am to see the boys enjoying a dip in the rather crisp pool.  But it had a slide so it made all better. They had a quick scuba diving lesson, which Andi loved and Griff not so much. Scuba diving equipment is now on Andi's wish list for Christmas!  Griff preferred to ride in the bike park (another facility I forgot to mention yesterday).

After a brief lunch it was tag team with Stu hanging with boys and Katie and Chris heading back to the shops for more food shopping. Who would have thought that someone who doesn't go into town more than twice a month would hit the Cairns metropolis twice in one day!

Stu and the boys did a range of activities at the park from putt putt golf to playing in the water park/ bouncing on the jumping pillows and finishing with a dip in the pool and warm spa!  Phew Dad was exhausted watching them!

Once the guys returned, Katie commenced making egg and bacon pie for tomorrow's adventure into the hinterland on the skyrail.  Not wanting to waste pastry, we now have containers of egg and bacon pie stacked in the fridge, on the counter and still we looking for storage places!  Good size Ross portions!

New neighbours gave way to new opportunity about conversations about the trip up north.  The good thing is that all cars made it back! They also gave us lots of tips about places to stay and those to avoid.  At the camp kitchen where we were cooking both pies and BBQ there were a few more travellers with tails and tribulations. All good stuff!

We returned to Ernie to munch down dinner, get the boys washed and in bed courtesy of a quick iPad time to get their octonaut fix!

Off for an big day on the skyrail into the mountains and return via a steam train so should be a blast.

Catch ya.

Day 13 - Townsville to Cairns

Early start with us staying out at Horseshoe Bay for the night, rather than back in at the marina and given that it was Andi's birthday it allowed us all some extra time to celebrate ... The engines kicked over at 4ish for a 4:30am departure and in time for a 9 o'clock departure from the marina for Townsville.  We had to be in Cairns for Uncle Chris's flight at 4:30pm.

Andi driving Paws back home with Griff waking up later just as we were getting back to port!

Sunrise over Magnetic Island 

It was one fairly average driving day as the frequency of towns was much higher than before.  If there wasn't a town there seemed to be roadworks that slowed us down again.  Slightly frustrating if it wasn't for the scenery.  To say the mountains around Cardwell and Cairns aren't impressive is an understatement.  It must be those mountains that contributes to Tully being the wettest town in Australia with several metres of rain per year being the average.  We didn't have time to stop at alot of places on the way up, but certainly have our eye on a few for our return trip.

We stopped off at Cardwell for lunch, surcomming to temptation of fish and chips on the beach front.  Well we learnt our lesson, $29 (the equivalent of 4 days lunch for the four of us if we bought bits and made up wraps etc) later and boys filled fish and fizzy drink we continued our trip further north, with them asking regular intervals "how many kilometres", as we pass through a town "is this the town we staying at?"

Cardwell foreshore. The shops are across the road behind this picture. No wonder they were wiped out in Yasi.

Lunch!

The frequency of red dust coloured trucks going South is increasing, it seems that they are wearing it as a badge of honour, while others taking the time to wash it down, if not only a little.  Dad getting very excited, Mum less so and the kids are oblivious.

We rocked into Cairns around 2:45pm and we were introduced to the Big 4 Cairns Coconut Resort.  Well it was the best setup from any other resort, Big 4 or otherwise, we have ever visited.  Firstly, we were showed the park on a golf buggy with a staff member giving us the lay of the land.  It's facilities includes: Not one but two jumping pillows, 2 swimming pools, a water park, fun rooms, tennis courts etc. All free.  Then the list of activities grows with external movies, concerts etc again no extra charge.  To say our boys eyes lit up would be an understatement.  You can see why this park has won awards for customer service, simply outstanding.

We have a slightly tight campsite at the back of the plot, about 4 metres for the cane train track as we discovered.  Not sure how many trains go by but I am sure we will find out!

Also noticed that fuel had taken a leap upwards from $153.9 in Townsville to $169.9!  That's cheap one of neighbours says, $2.45 a litre at the top in Bamaga! 

After picking up Chris without hassle we ventured to the shops for key groceries and stores.  Returning to camp we setup the remainder parts of Ernie whilst Katie started preparing dinner with the boys.  Chicken stir fry was on the menu ... Yum 

We are a little way away from the loos so thought that we might try out the shower tent and portable toilet arrangement out while we here ... Brave new world ...

Day 12 - Horseshoe Bay

Happy birthday Uncle Andi! It's his big day and it was great that we could be there to celebrate it.  Celebration details later...

Stu woke up and headed for the fishing rods again, seeing if we can get another big one!  It took sometime but yes we did finally get something, a sea slug!  Not something that we were expecting but a catch none the less, ticked Andi's "catch a fish" box anyway.

Once everyone surfaced, Gem got together an awesome breakfast of bacon and eggs which we munched while we were doing journal and writing blogs etc. Uncle Andi being the shy retiring type wasn't overly birthday celebration focused but we were able to sing happy birthday to him on the front deck at a volume that most of the boats around us would have heard, proven by a few other boats that popped over to wish him happy birthday during the day ....

The serious art of cake decorating commenced with the pre purchased carrot cake, frosting and smarties. It was a bit of a battle for Katie to not only keep two little boys at bay, but other more grown up children as well :) We got there in the end though ...

Happy birthday Andi

The plan for the day was to take lunch to the beach side BBQ's of the Horseshoe Bay township.  We were going to meet up with another family (Carlos, Sara, Sidney, 9 and Indi, 5) who had similar aged kids.  All the food prep kicked into high gear and the shuffle of people in the dingy (max capacity 4) commenced.  Stu and the boys went first, viewing an old wreck on the way.  The water was very clear and still, great visibility. Griff decided he wanted a closer look and hopped in! Getting very brave ... Quick dip and then back into the dingy to head for shore.  Another trip and the rest of us congregated  for a solid day of lazying around on the beach.

We met up with the Steenbacks and kids took off together after the the usual 20 seconds of uneasiness.  They spent the remainer of the day running, swimming, building sand castles, having a ball.  Isn't it amazing that kids can just click like that.

Tough day!

The parents caught up as well.  Amazing lifestyle that the Steenbacks have, they live aboard and are long term travellers, heading north towards to Darwin and then up into Indonesia.  Good luck to them in their adventures.

We feasted on the fish caught the day before, together with a light salad and potatoes, the six fillets fed all ten of us.  Fantastic meal, hopefully as we go further north we can repeat the process!

As a treat we popped into the local Thirsty Camel for a few take always in the early afternoon.  Felt like school kids comsuming them carefully without being noticed. 

About 3pm we took the kids off for a wash down in the showers and returned to the yachts to restock for dinner and a bonfire on White Lady Beach. The boys went with Sidney and Indi in their dingy and instead of getting back on Paws for a bit, Carlos dropped them all off at the beach whilst the adults returned to the boats to resupply. Seemed a bit surreal to the watching them from the deck with a  good 200 or so metres of water between us!  Sid and Indi however took the lead, clambering around on the rocks and collecting firewood. When we arrived Andi had also channelled his inner "Pop", presenting a t-shirt full of shells. On the boat, Gem and Sara commenced making Sushi for our dinner treat...

A few of us made our way over to the beach, there we met up with another family from the boat "Conrad" who the Steenbacks had caught up with previously. They also had kids that were 8 and 6. The kids had a ball, making a museum and display of bits they had found on the beach. 

We lit the fire just before sunset, being drift wood it burnt really well and was also very warm.  As the tide was still coming in we had to shuffle things up the beach a bit, never had that experience before, with new  wood going on the top side of the fire whilst the waves get closer to the bottom side! An old plate was found on which to cook sausages and steaks, and once the sushi was sorted, the art of trying to not mix sand in the sushi was on!  Most survived but it took some coordination and rationing of the Ross boys to ensure everyone got a fair share.  I am sure that a lot of you know that both Griff and Andi have a soft spot for sushi, Gem's sushi in particular. Well they were in fine form tonight!

Pictures from the evening

It was certainly a very special evening in a fantastic location and with great company, one of those experiences you will always remember!

We returned two very tired boys to Paws around 9ish, in fact Griff asked to head back so that he could  go to bed (very rare but appropriate given the activity of the day) and there was not a lot of argument to hit the sack.  Griff out before his head hit the pillow.

Early start tomorrow, Andi keen to get up and going around 5 or so, that we can make it back to the marina and hit the road by 9 as tomorrow we head to Cairns to meet up with Uncle Chris who will be joining us for four weeks on our way to the tip.

Night all.

Day 11 - Townsville / Horseshoe bay

It was a lovely night on Paws in the marina, we woke to a sunny and warm morning (warm on the Canberra scale, Gem still mentioned it was a little chilly) and we commenced the breakfast routine, bacon and eggs.  Andi and boys were all busy getting Paws ready for our departure to Horseshoe Bay on the east side of Magnetic Island.

We left at about 8:30am and headed out of the marina under the helm of Gemma and Andi.  After we left the heads the boys took turns in taking the helm, both doing well if not a little shaky to start with. There was a lovely weaving pattern in the water for a bit.

Pictures of the boys at the helm.

We had a small opportunity for some sailing but motored into Horseshoe at about 11:30.  

Picture of sail.

Picture of Horseshoe  Bay

From there we setup the rods and commenced entertaining the boys with prospect of landing the big one.  That didn't happen till later in the evening when Gemma hooked up a 60cm golden trevally, we scored 6 big fillets from that one ... 

Griff caught a little rock cod, his first fish ever.

Picture of Gem's fish, before and after.  

Little Andi not so lucky this time but was somewhat reassured by Uncle Andi's comment that "it's called fishing not catching". He did display an amazing amount of patience, sticking at it most of the afternoon. We think he is a lure fisherman as oppose to a bait fisherman as the baited line hardly stayed in the water long enough for a fish to come along.

We settled into a still night and Andi cooked us Spagetti Bolanaise and retired with a few quite wines to the slow rocking of the easterly that had picked up.  In bed by 10ish ...

We have plans for fish BBQ and beach play tomorrow with some of Andi and Gem's neighbours. See how we go ...

Day 10 - Townsville

Well the day started with a picturesque sunrise in the Woodland caravan park in which we had an over night stay. 

After setup last night Katie took to the laundry pile that had been building (washers and dryers were the main reason for staying in a caravan park before our boat trip with Andi and Gem).  Dad took to the BBQ for a very exciting sausages and bread for dinner.

One thing we noted was the temperature, a barmy 24 degrees around 5 ish dropping to around 11 or so overnight, very comfortable. 

The plan for the day was to take Charlie into town to have his free tyre service followed by a relaxby the   rock pool down on Townsville's strand till we catch up with the dam in the arvo. All went well with a few fun times had trying to find a place to leave the trailer/fridge whilst that was being done.  Next we popped into the shops to find a totem tennis bat/set (unsuccessfully, yep Andi's face is still a bit long...we'll try again in Cairns). Fun was had navigating a 10 metre be vehicle/trailer combination in a tiny carpark!

The promised swimming pool. Tough stuff for the middle of winter.

After the swim, the time for the our super exciting departure to meet Andi and Gem on Paws had arrived.  Pulling into the marina the boys were really excited, even to the point that they left us unpacking and locking up the chariots and made their own way to the marina gates in anticipation. 

Paws in all her glory! Looks fantastic hey!

The next hour or so flew by as Uncle Andi gave them a full debrief of how the yatch works in minute detail, and they were engrossed all the way.  The run through led into journal writing whilst Stu and Uncle Andi did the shopping for the next three days.  Very brave of the girls to leave us to our own devices ... We didn't do to badly I do say myself, only a few extra comforts purchased (with the girls in mind of course).

After a lovely BBQ dinner, the boys in bed (and soundly asleep) we caught up with JR, Ashlea and Emily in Brisbane to celebrate the news of a house purchase in Scarborough! Well done!  We also had a good chat to Big Stu, around a range of topics from general catchup to the 12 volt adapter to the Pap smear machine!  We retired for the evening with a big day planned, heading over to Magnetic Island for a few days in Horse Shoe Bay.  Maybe a while till we back in service to post the next blog updates.

Cheers for now.

Day 9 - Theresa Creek Dam to Townsville

Well we got up early and the pack up went really well, departing dead on 8:30am.  It was a long 507 km trip ahead for the day, a big one in the boys language.  When we popped into the information centre at Emerald the lady Max noted that there was nothing between Clemont and Charteres Towers, and on that she was dead right! Not a lot but red bitumin, long straight roads and an awful lot of rather  skinny looking cattle following by a lot of dead looking road kill.  It is really quite depressing to see just the shear numbers of roos that get wiped out on the road, it keeps the crow population growing constantly I am sure!  One bonus of this is that you get to see quite a few raptors up close. Today we saw today a wedge tail, sea eagle and two many kites and buzzards to mention.  They becoming like LBJ's or Little Brown Jobs for those birds that you can never identifiy, except they are rather large!

We arrived at Charters Towers and I must say that it was a little underwhelming.  The lady at the information centre was very helpful, to the point of not listening to our queries (where's the closet: toilet, supermarket and park) but we r now in possession of numerous brochures of the town! We still need to remember shopping hours are not the same - Woolies doesn't even open on a Sunday!

Now I thought bats slept during the day. Not in the CT. The trees in the park for lunch were absolutely covered with them! What a noise, and what a a lot of shit!

The run into Townsville was unventful, pulling up at about 5ish. Everyone enjoyed the temperature, finally an evening where we are still in shorts! Weare looking forward to a warmer night's sleep!