Meandering into Townsville, we caught our first view of the East Coast in 5 months. We greeted this view with hesitation. Conversations began to focus on specific themes, exploring means to extend our holiday, whether we could start the holiday again, and what tricks we could employ to avoid driving back towards our regular life. Unable to find easy answers, we departed Townsville to head North again.
Due to the sheer number of grey nomads here, and the complete lack of legal free sites, we’ve spent two weeks ‘growing fat’ at caravan parks. Luxuries have been in abundance; unlimited water, unlimited hot water, air conditioning and heating on demand, toilets that someone cleans for you, and real washing machines. I’m unsure if we will be able to wean ourselves of our now glamorous lifestyle, particularly when it starts getting colder as we head south.
Outside Ingham (following an investigation we can confirm the town is not related to the chicken brand) we dropped our jaws as we saw Australia’s tallest waterfall, at 268 metres. By the time the water was halfway down it had become a mist, and as it reached the barely visible pool below it gave an effect of dry ice spreading.
We explored several more waterfalls at Babinda Falls and Josephine Falls, enjoying the water clearly in abundance in contrast to the top end, before heading on to Mission Beach. Mission Beach enthralled us with its relaxed, tropical atmosphere. There was little to do but laze on the beach, walk along the beach, swim at the beach, have a beer while looking at the beach, and enjoy long showers with the seemingly endless water. We enjoyed this time so much that we booked a stay for our return trip.
Eventually we emerged from our lazy daze, heading out from Mission Beach for two dives on the Great Barrier Reef. As we dived we compared this dive to Coral Bay, the bleaching of the reef that hadn’t been apparent at Coral Bay, and the much more hands on approach to marine life here that made us slightly uncomfortable – knocking on turtle shells, feeding leftover lunch to fish, dancing with an inquisitive fish, and a very relaxed approach to completing diving log books. Our queries became secondary as one of us surfaced a little too quickly on the after-lunch dive, and provided an additional, unscheduled fish feeding.
From there on to the Daintree, to an eco resort with Eclectus Parrots roaming the grounds, a carpet python and albino python, three wild cassowaries across its breadth, and a rescue habitat for swamp wallabies and kangaroos that included the opportunity to assist them to eat. The anxiety we had felt at arriving at the east coast faded as we hiked through the private rainforest walks, our paths crossed by frogs and small birds. Even cassowary hunting, while fruitless, proved an enjoyable exercise.
Two frogs that decided to cross our paths by jumping on Vaughn’s lap provided the perfect apex to the experience.
We marked our nothernmost east coast experience, at Thornton Beach, with a run on the beach with the dog. We mentally prepared ourselves for the coming month, where everything would be souther, colder, greyer, and wintery-er.
We proved poor at our wallowing, arriving at Cairns and exploring on our bicycles to uncover a fantastic esplanade, a giant artificial swimming lagoon, night markets with bargains to good to refuse, and what has been quoted to me as ‘the best massage ever. EVER.’
From Cairns, we headed to what we thought was going to be a pink castle at Paronella Park. In the 1930’s, a Spaniard named Jose Paronella decided he wanted to build castles beside Mena Creek Falls. Sourcing materials from local sand and earth, and what was available cheaply second hand, he built 6 small castles, including one hydroelectric power system which was finished 20 years before electricity formally came to the region.
The foundations for a recreation park were created, with refrigerated ice cream, waterfall swimming, a cinema, and grand ballroom with a mirrorball decades before disco became common. We observed all of this with some interest, but when the lights dimmed and a string quartet started playing, the silhouette of a castle as their background, we truly became part of the experience. We were no longer learning about past experiences, but having our own.
While this post was being written repairs to the motorhome included the replacement of a water fitting that created a waterfall whenever we plugged in to mains water, and a new tire as apparently a wheel alignment and cam kit for a motorhome can run into the thousands. Onwards to the next repair!
We also found a new entry for best street name. Vaughan Street. Not quite there but pretty darn close…
Ahh, such fabulous experiences. You two have set the benchmark very high. Nice to hear you have been enjoying luxurious living. We have been in short sleeves etc so far, but we hit Moss Vale showgrounds and winter woollies tomorrow. I reckon you have until at least the NSW Central Coast before you need to worry about the cold, during the day that is. Bateau Bay is lovely. Will be seeing you soon, very excited!!!
Some of the best holidays I have ever had were in Far North Queensland. Dazzling photos.