Cooktown - Cotton Tree

Mt Molloy - Bramston Beach.Stopped to provision at woollies in Cairns, then dump at Babinda and on to Bramston Beach for a couple of nights. Took a photo of Ray (HW) fishing, nice.

Stopped at Innisfail River Drive CP for a week and rode around town and along the river down the south bank and out Coquette Rd via the Moresby Range National Park to Coquette Point. Some steep hills here but a nice ride with some good views.  Did some maintenance on the MH. Then moved on to Kurrimine Beach where I came across Ken and Carroll last seen in Chillagoe, small world. Stayed a week then on to Cardwell CP. Time to do the laundry and housework.

Bluewater then Home Hill. Stayed a couple of nights and fixed more minor maintenance issues with the MH riding back and forth to the hardware in town. Decided to stay one more night. Go for a ride watch the NRL then head south tomorrow. So rode to Inkerman Hill a 12km ride before pushing up (walking) the very steep 1km long a 200m high hill. Coming down was smoking the brakes, 24km return a nice workout.

Headed off about 9am. Dumped. Stopped at Proserpine for lunch then on to OConnell River ~50km south of Proserpine and about 2 km off the Bruce highway right on the river, nice just me here. I think it is part of the Eungella National Park but not sure. A smouldering fire rekindled for tonight, nice.

Anna on HW Facebook page says she is looking for a house sitter in Hervey Bay, I agreed. Mid October fits nicely with Bauple. I have previously agreed to do a farm sit at a macadamia farm in Bauple.

St Lawrence. Decided I will stay another night and look around town. Rode 10 km into and around town, not a lot to see. Mid arvo walked around the dry wetlands and then to the pub for a schooner.

Headed of early. Stopped for fuel in Rockhampton and lunch somewhere south of there. Drove a bit over 230 km but it was worth it as Calliope stop is really nice. Grass and shade. Might stay another night. Rode the 20 km return to town via the old bridge and almost disused highway just to see how big it was, surprisingly large and busy town. And they have bats.

On to Gin Gin and Bauple where I checked out the farm by bike. Should be OK for two weeks.

On to Cotton Tree booked into the the Cotton Tree CP, back on my site for a bit. Do the mail catch up with people all the normal stuff I do here then its back to Bauple to eat macadamia nuts for two weeks.

Innisfail looking from Coquette Point

Ray fishing at Bramston Beach

Inkerman Hill near Home Hill

Calliope free camp

Bats near the town at Calliope

Mareeba and Cooktown

Arrived at Mareeba mid morning, did the provisioning before joining all the CMCA at the rally. Maintenance time for the MH, leaky plumbing. Rode to a caravan spares place twice once to get plumbing bits and then a second to get a new gas strut for a bin lid. Met up with Chook and Deb again and a few others.  Watched the entertainment at the main tent, over 300 motor homes here.

Xmas in July lunch today, sorry NOT me, bah hum bug! Drizzled most the day and all night so I expect the gods had the same opinion. Rode around town between the showers.

Walked around the market set up here at the rally, interesting, not very. Still full of head cold so lazed around most of the arvo. Went to happy hour talk about Cooktown, sounds good so might spend a week there and do the show.

Headed off toward Cooktown at about 1030am after topping water and dumping. Easy drive to Rifle Creek camp spot at Mt Molloy. Headed off very early next morning as I did not sleep to well. Showered about 100km down the road.

Arrived at Cooktown, disappointed in both the new $5 camp and the showgrounds so headed 10km back out of town and stayed roadside, a much better option. Named it Chook's Gravel Pit and entered it in WikiCamps.

Good night by the highway at Chook's Gravel Pit. Drove into town and rode the bike up Captain Cook's lookout, hard work, but great view.

Next day back to town to Mt Cook National Park, about 930am. Climbed the mountain 440m (according to my smartphone GPS) and 6 km return. A tough climb best done in the cool of the morning as it can be stifling climbing through the thick undergrowth and under the tropical canopy.  The path is marked with tree tags but is hard to ID in places.  The best view is about 50m south of the transmitter equipment shed on a rocky outcrop.  Took some nice photos.

When staying at CGP I met a lady I've been sharing the gravel pit campsite with most nights and had a few drinks with her each afternoon exchanging travel stories.  Heading south tomorrow after a week here.

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 View from the Top of Mt Cook

There is a logbook at the top of the mountain and I entered several world records in  the book for the date 1/8/2013: First to the top that day. Fastest in my age group for the day (to be confirmed) 

Ravenswood - Fletchers Creek - Chillagoe - Dimbulah

Decided to go to Mareeba MH rally via the Gregory Dev Hwy rather than the coast like everyone else.

Easy drive to Ravenswood. Nice spot, nice showgrounds, booked for two nights. Laundry day, doing it by hand, this is new. It all smells better than when a machine does it!  Went for a ride around town, cemetery of course, pubs and other old buildings including the gold mine, very interesting place.

On to Fletchers Creek, nice. Got a spot right by the river, lucky! Lots here! Easy drive to Greenvale booked into the Caravan park $18/n and had a few beers at the Three Rivers Hotel, nice. 75 houses in town, no cell phone service, no free to air TV and just one small shop, pub and servo.

Archer Creek (Ravenshoe) for lunch and the night. Drizzled and wind blew all afternoon, cold! Next day stocked up with veggies before driving to Almaden in time to see the Savannahlander train arrive at lunch time. Met the stationmaster Dennis who told me all about the town and rail in its heyday. Set up camp out front of the pub for the night. Had a few beers with the local station owner and roustabouts. A friendly bunch, working on getting pissed ASAP, usual thing for Saturday night I suppose. Wayne ex jockey, Brad cattle station owner, his missus and about 10 others, good time had by all.

Arrived Chillagoe about 9am dumped and payed $6/n for the next 7 nights and set up at the showgrounds, basic but good enough. Met Ken and Carroll. Turns out Ken and Carroll are from Meandarra, go figure. Rode around town, the water hole, the weir, the cemetery, a really good town for tourist as all the streets are named for where they go. Weir St, Hospital St, Hill st, etc. Not showing much imagination but... Stopped off to check out the general store, veggies come in Wednesday, nice. Went for a beer at 4pm to the other pub, I was the only customer for nearly an hour. It is Monday.

Went out to the Balance Rock and the Chillagoe Caves and got some good photos. Then rode over to the smelter, very interesting! Got some good shots here too. State of Origin tonight. Queensland victorious again!

Left early Sunday stopped at a campsite at Eureka Creek for lunch, nice, but no internet or phone. Headed off at about 4 pm just in time to get the last powered site at Dimbulah CP. Met Ferrell Erroll a Highway Wanderer staying at the CP, came over for happy hour, gunna have to hide from him from now on.  Don't think he is likely to read my blog.

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 Ravenswood

 The Savannahlander at Almaden 

 Balance Rock - (camera may not have been  level)

The smelter

Townsville Dam Fine Rally

Home Hill - Townsville DFR

Left Home Hill just after 8am provisioned in Ayr and booked into the DFR in the early arvo and was allocated a shady site, not good. Chook and Deb are here, must catch up. Went for a 10km ride and felt better for it. My neighbour for the next week is Chris and his dog Diesel.

Over the next 7 days I rode the bike tracks into town along the Ross River.  The first 9km are ordinary but further downstream its very picturesque the path weaving across the river and along the banks with some very nice views. Some rides were as much as 33km. Caught up with Chook and Deb, nice.  Other days I caught the bus into town and walked around. Fantastic weather, clear still days.

I also checked out the entertainment here at the rally. Some daytime seminar type sessions were interesting and the trade day and public open day with market stalls was good. Checked out the night time entertainment but it did not appeal, might when I'm ten years older, but I hope not!

Spent some time with Chook and Deb. Moved into the sun and parked next to Vianna and Robert who I previously met in Home Hill. Had some interesting discussions with John and Cheryl and 3 others around the fire at night. Then the talk turns to CMCA and the caravan park overlords, I got sucked in, may have alienated people, oops. The argument put is always the same all caravan park owners are evil and are lobbying government to stamp out free camping. I don't believe you can or should use the broad brush with that argument as in things are different from the coast to the outback or country towns.

Went for a ride with Chook and Deb along the river, 30+ km, nice day out.

Not sure that I'm a rally type but it was interesting at times.

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 The Rally site

Love to see a biplane in action

Dalbeg, Deep Creek and back to Home Hill.

Home Hill
Fog and mist early but looks like it will clear to a nice day. Rode around town, stopped at the cemetery, as you do, lots of graves mostly older people here. The streets are numbered 1 to 10 and crossed with avenues 1 to 17, not much thought went into that forefathers!

Provisioned at Ayr woollies after dumping and taking on water. Whilst driving to Dalbeg came across the tag-along-tour group headed to the DFR stopped at Deep Creek veterans retreat. Had a quick look at Dalbeg and it didn't look inviting so turned around and went back and stopped with the tour group. Met BJ the organizer of the tour. Met Reta and David HW we had met before at Maroochy Primary School. Also met Phillis, Tony and Pat all solos and Nobby turned up as well. Stayed a couple of nights, quiet not much to do other than sit around the fire at night.

Packed up, dumped, provisioned at Ayr and headed to Giru. Giru a quiet sugarcane town with not a lot other than a mill and an interesting hotel. Rode around town in 5 km. One night here was enough.

Drove to Woodstock short trip, easy. Rode around town 10 mins, nothing to see. Walked to the shop and back, done it all now! Played some basketball and then cooked dinner. Quite a few MHs turned up today for the trivia tomorrow night. Lots of dog people as well, could be a big weekend, wow! Checked out a military auction and had a look at the dog agility trials, smart dogs! And went to the trivia night. Food was very average. PA was loud and at 8pm I left to watch the Wallabies go down after a poor showing.

Back to Home Hill for 4 nights before going on to the Dam Fine Rally in Townsville. Stopped back at the showgrounds and it has grown near out of control motorhomes everywhere. Managed to catch up with a few people and made new friends but gave happy hour a miss as it was out of control.

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 Home Hill cemetery

 The Burdekin River Deep Creek 

Cane Fires Home Hill