Daintree and Cape Tribulation

The area of the northern cape of Queensland is some of the most beautiful land we have set our eyes on. Our journey began from Cairns and we planned to head to our most northerly destination first, followed by stops along the route as we travelled south back to Cairns. As we drove along the highway we were overwhelmed by the massive beauty around us. This section of the highway remains tight to the coastline which makes for spectacular views across the ocean and along the pristine, unspoiled beaches scattered on the shore. As we drove, we couldn’t resist stopping at the popular Rex Lookout. We couldn’t have asked for a clearer day, the skies were impeccably blue and the sun was shining. This spot is bursting with the kind of scenery that leaves you jaw dropped. You find yourself looking away in disbelief only to refocus on the absolutely flawless backdrop. I think what keeps this area looking so pristine is that the region is World Heritage Listed for the Great Barrier Reef as well as the Rainforests which meet the shores. Development has been backed off the “absolute beachfront” here leaving a buffer of rich greenery along every beach. After being blown away by some of the first views, we stopped at the Port Douglas lookout which must be one of the loveliest views overlooking a beach town. After stocking up on supplies in Port “Dougy”, we set out for Cape Trib. In order to get to Cape Tribulation, we had to travel across the Daintree River on the car ferry. This is essentially a platform which transports vehicles from one side of the river to the other, back and forth every 15 minutes. After our 2 minute putt across the mangrove-lined river we were ready to start our adventures through the oldest rainforest in the world, the Daintree Rainforest. Conventional vehicles (those lacking 4WD) can only drive as far as Cape Tribulation even though dirt roads continue all the way to the north shore. This area was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770 and incredibly enough, the views remain true to what he first explored so many years ago. Although there are a few accommodations and common conveniences none of these properties have compromised the natural area and therefore the coastline remains seamless. We stopped for the night at Myall Beach at Cape Tribulation Camping. We spent the day on the untouched white sands of Myall Beach but decided to check out the following morning since the place was way overpriced and the facilities here were very much sub-pare. We checked into the Rainforest Jungle Lodge where we were able to get power for the van and adequate facilities. We walked along Myall Beach taking in the incredible sights around us. We decided we would embark on a small hike in order to take a look at Cape Tribulation Beach. Yet another unspoiled area with top notch views. After another peaceful sleep deep in the rainforest we woke to a rather gloomy day which inspired us to venture elsewhere. There were a few places which had sparked our interest so we decided to make a couple stops before venturing back to Cairns to hand over our baby.

Rockin' out in the Rainforest

I know the term “Melting Pot” is way overused but I really think it’s appropriate when describing the Australian scene. Maybe the place has a strong identity and feeling of independence because of its geographical isolation, for whatever the reason there are many strong and distinctive sub-cultures here. The population on the whole seems fairly artistic, creative, and entrepreneurial. This is definitely what gives Australia a lot of its character and charm. Coming from Canada, we can relate very much to the pace of life and similar overall social aspects. Over here however, there seems to be less of a “mold” to follow when compared to our highly Americanized province, and nation. There seem to be niche communities all over the country here. One place where we really felt the freedoms on offer in this glorious land, was the Kuranda Roots Festival. We decided, on a whim, to get tickets since we had missed all the other events on tour here. We weren’t sure what to expect but from our previous Aussie experience we thought it to be laid back, interesting, and more than likely a good time. We checked into the Kuranda Rainforest Park where we would spend the following 2 nights of the festival. We were a short and very pleasant, rainforest walk away from the Kuranda Amphitheatre. We walked around town to take in some of the sights. After all the town of Kuranda is a classic tourist town. It has all the attractions from scenic railway, butterfly sanctuary, bird aviary, snake and bat farms, the local candy shop, and countless souvenir shops. The place is famous for its rainforest markets which are super cool. We tasted some of the splendid local fruit wines; lychee, mango, lime and spicy chili…all delish. We stopped at the general store and finally at the Bottle-O to pick up the weekend beverages. The evening concert didn’t start until 6:30 so we figured we would have dinner and a couple drinks, and head over. To our pleasant surprise, as Friday afternoon was winding down, we already had 3 interested buyers for the van. Buyers were eager, wanting the van immediately and offering us cash over the phone. We realized that we would have more say in when, where, and to whom we sold so we informed all those interested that we would be back in Cairns Sunday afternoon, giving everyone a chance to view and test-drive. I guess we got a little too into the “Goon” (Big box of cheap Australian wine) because we didn’t make it to any of the pre-festival events on the Friday night. After having our own private party and some good laughs, we headed to bed fairly early to get a jump start on the following day.

Early Saturday we had a light breakfast and walked down to the amphitheatre. The weather was great and from the buzz around town we could tell we were in for an awesome day. As we entered the park we were impressed from the start. There were three separate stages showcasing local Reggae and Dub talent. This place was unique and cool to say the least. Continuing the rainforest theme, the tiered seating was carved into the earth and the beats reverberated within the natural surrounding forest. There were several local artisan stalls selling a variety of handy crafts as well as an assortment of healthy gourmet foods. We chilled out all afternoon watching and dancing along to one impressive act after the other. The energy here was warm and overwhelming as hundreds of people, young and old, moved to the music. The festivities carried on straight through the day and after a quick stop back at the van park to bundle up for the cool Rainforest evening, we were back at the theatre for the night show. The crowd had doubled or even tripled in size after dark, all in anticipation of the headliner, Ash Grunwald. The party crowd was wild as he pounded through his set, everyone was happy and the place was glowing like a modern day Woodstock. We had such a great weekend and were so happy that we decided to take part in this annual event. By weekend’s end we had at least 8 people who would meet us for the van. One buyer in particular was super keen and made sure she was the first to see it come Sunday afternoon. She turned out to be a nice Scottish girl traveling with her brother and after taking a look and a quick spin, they were anxious about missing their chance once others arrived so they made us an offer on the spot. We were still counting on having the van for another week in order to travel north into Daintree and Cape Trib so when they agreed to wait until the 12th plus give us what we were asking…we couldn’t refuse. With a handshake and a down payment, we called off all other potential buyers. We knew Fran was the best vehicle listed in her price range but we were impressed that she sold to the very first person to take a look. Fran served us well as transportation and accommodation and she gave us the ability to self-cater which saved us hundreds of dollars. She turned out to be a great investment fetching exactly what we had paid plus an extra $100. Even though it was sad to let her go, we celebrated our ongoing good luck and sudden influx of cash, with a pizza party and would start our northerly road trip the following morning.

Love and let go...

Cairns, Australia really is a lovely place. The city is fairly large yet maintains a rather low-key charm. The buildings remain to code, all low-rise, with so many incredible places to dine, drink, party, shop, anything. It’s funny because nearly every place along the coast has a beach close to the main street or often the beach is the main street. Cairns however, has a neatly landscaped harbour with a large artificial lagoon swimming area. The lagoon extends into a park with an extensive promenade attracting a variety of enthusiasts. We actually arrived in town the same day as a U.S. Naval War Ship, the largest ever to dock in the scenic Cairns Harbour. Since our arrival US Sailors have flooded the recreational area along the esplanade, usually jogging or cruising the streets in uniform attracting a fair bit of attention. We spent a few days in Cairns knowing that soon enough we would have to put our van up for sale. Winter, particularly July and August, are the high season months for Cairns and we immediately noticed that the place was full of tourists and backpackers. The notice boards around town were full of ads selling vehicles of all kinds. We didn’t want to leave it too late so we figured we would give ourselves about 2 weeks to turn her over. For the next couple weeks Cairns would act as a home base and we had a few small trips planned from here. We didn’t want to travel too far away incase we had to show off Fran. The first weekend in July we had plans to attend the Kuranda Roots Festival about 30 minutes out of town. Seeing as we were scheduled to fly in exactly 2 weeks, we thought we would post our ad before leaving for the festival just to see how much initial interest she would fetch. We picked up a pay-as-you-go cell phone to field interested buyers’ calls and put together an impressive flyer. Friday morning before leaving for Kuranda, we walked around the main streets of Cairns locating 16 different bulletin boards where we placed our ad…here’s hoping, fingers crossed…

An overnight stop in Japoondale as we move a little further north.

I had visited Paronella Park on my first trip to Australia 2 years ago but after having issues with my camera card, I lost all my photos. For the two of us to be able to enjoy it together; made the experience even better the second time. Virtually an unknown site 2 years ago, today the park has been voted #1 tourist attraction in all of Queensland. We were greeted by an outgoing gentleman (exact same man who I encountered 2 years prior) who gave us the run-down and informed us Canadians of how this park was to be featured on the CBC. After a short conversation about Mr. Dressup we checked in with smiles on our faces. Included in our admission was overnight accommodation in the adjoining rainforest park. First and second impressions, we were already really impressed. So Paronella Park is a Spanish castle which was built by Joseph Paronella who migrated to Australia from Spain. Once a bustling residence and recreational area, what remains today is only a moss-covered stone shell. The park is set on the Mena Creek with a large tumbling waterfall. The property winds its’ way through lush green rainforest and is complete with secret passageways, peaceful gardens, a waterfall which Joseph built for his daughter, and child-like fantasy all around. This amazing place was in its’ glory throughout the 60’s and 70’s when it was used as the local tennis courts, community dinners and banquets were held in the ballroom, and it was also a popular picnicking hot spot. One thing is clear and that is that Joseph was a dreamer and he re-created a fairytale land for people to enjoy well after his death. It’s not hard to see why he selected this picture perfect location to fulfill his dreams. The surrounding area is lush with amazing ferns, palms, vines, trees, and ancient wet tropic vegetation. After being ravaged by fire and extreme weather only the castle's shell remains. The staff are constantly renovating and making repairs due to its’ surrounding climate. The wet jungle has eaten away at the once pristine buildings but this age has also produced an incredibly mystical character by covering the stone and concrete with vibrate green mosses and life. We toured the area at our leisure in the afternoon and after a great supper (nachos with fabulous Australian Avocado), we headed out for the night tour. This tour was organized by the Park Staff and is lead by a guide who gives you fascinating information about the history of the grounds or native bush tidbits. By night, views of the castle suck you further into the fairytale. Under the moonlight and densely starry sky, the magic of the place comes alive. Staying the night is a great experience because after the night tour, the overnight guests get free range as the place becomes our own backyard for the night. We saw a ton of new insects and forest creatures as well as plants and stunning trees. One new species that particularly caught our attention was the specimen hanging a foot above the entrance to the ladies washroom. The spider was bigger than our hands. It was alarmingly large and frightening and warranted a prolonged photo section in the afternoon. Later on during our stay, we were informed that this variety of spider is called the Yellow Orb Spider and that the material from which they spin their webs is, relatively, stronger than steel. We also read an article about how their webs can catch huge moth, bats, and even small birds. Talk about frightening! Also, the staff there told us of the location of an even bigger Yellow Orb on the property so of course we checked it out. This one was easily the size of our head with its legs extended. Its’ two body segments were at least the length of a long finger with the larger section being plumper than either of our thumbs. This thing was insane. We watched it for about 15 minutes and in this time it caught and consumed about 4 medium sized insects…we now know how they get so big. Eeeks! We gave ourselves enough willies to flashback for the rest of the day. We drove the short drive back to the highway, enjoying the green pastures and hillsides all around. On to Cairns where we will get down to business.

Lucinda to Mission Beach

Ahh Lucinda…this little town is sandwiched between the lovely coast off of Hitchinbrook Island N.P and hundreds of miles of vibrant green sugar cane fields. Lucinda and many of the towns in the surrounding area rely greatly on farming for survival. Sugar Cane fields border the Bruce Hwy and often stand a full meter above the vehicles. Visually out of place from the lush mountain tops and seas of green cane, are the refineries which are a necessary evil. Lucinda stands apart as the main shipping port for the tones of cane which is processed and shipped from its shores. At 5.6 km in length, Lucinda’s shipping jetty is quite the sight. The jetty is essential to the town’s ability to export its main crop and has been somewhat of a coastal “eyesore” since 1979. Wanderer’s Caravan Park just 500 meters off the beach is where we set up camp. Although the main draw here is fishing, we still found our peaceful place in the sand without a soul around, where we soaked up some sun for a couple days.

Leaving Lucinda we stopped in the quiet town of Halifax for a look at their Sunday market. A cool small-town vibe but not much that perked our interest in terms of buying. Another great afternoon followed by a great drive up to Mission Beach. To our delight, as we drove in to Mission Beach, our path was intercepted by an adult with 2 young Cassowary. The Mission Beach area has the highest Cassowary population in all of Australia. This sighting was much less rare than our first but, for us, equally as exciting. We pulled into Dunk Island View Van Park and new immediately that this was more what we had been looking for. We were within walking distance of Woolworths (big local grocer), a couple bars, the spectacular Wongaling Beach and everything we could need. We decided we would likely stay the whole week since they had a 7th night free promotion. We were tucked in on a pretty, shaded spot and took an introductory stroll around the area. Upon arrival at the grocery store, we wished we hadn’t taken the scenic route as we found that Woolworths was closing since it was 5pm on Sat (the usual in many Aussie towns). Not only was the store closing this early but it would be closed on Sunday. We had thought that this area would be accommodating tourists and therefore be open later but it turned out to be more “small town”, which was perfectly ok by us. We would survive for a couple days. We really enjoyed our time in Mission Beach. We were able to get into a real routine here which was nice for a change. I got up early every morning, tried to catch as many sunrises as possible. We would have something to eat, go for a walk or hit the beach. We started a mini workout and enjoyed staying put. On our last night we treated ourselves to another serving of hearty fish and we were thrilled to be able to order a little Canadiana in a POUTINE as our sidedish!

Cassowary Crossing...

Today was a great day. The morning at Taylor’s Beach Caravan Park started crisp. We have now found the lovely sunny weather but through the night the temperature drops quite a bit and the mornings are consistently cool. One of my favourite things to do is to watch the sun start her day. It’s really something when life allows you to take the time to live by the sun and appreciate the beginning and end of daylight. I woke early so I took advantage and headed the 300 meters to the beach in order to get some shots of the sun rise. Along the coast there is a regular break-of-day crowd, joggers, hikers, dog walkers etc. I sat along the quiet coast watching the sunrise and the passer-bys. After a couple nights at Taylor’s beach and a major sun-soak yesterday, we decided we would move on this morning and relocate. As we headed further North, a stop at the Wallaman Falls National Park, was on the agenda. We travelled the high-winding road into the park taking in the lush greenery surrounding us at every side. The weather was sunny, warm, and the falls were incredible. After a tough couple of kilometers down the track to the base of the falls, we were rewarded with some absolutely breathtaking views. Wallaman Falls is the highest straight drop falls in all of Australia at 265 meters. As the water falls with such force, there are 2 permanent rainbows which linger at the misty bottom. We made ourselves comfortable on a boulder at the bottom of the falls. We sat in awe of the force of the water, the colours of the rainbows, the beauty of the sun, the swirling mist, and the overall sights and sounds around us. After a nice afternoon taking in the natural wonder, we started back towards the parking lot at the summit. On the way down you definitely don’t consider how exhausting the route up will be but we made it without to much difficulty. After a worthy visit we were set to head back down the 50km route, returning to beach territory. To our (somewhat) surprise, Fran’s battery was out of juice. We were lucky to be stuck at a pretty popular parking spot as we were fairly isolated otherwise. After one unsuccessful attempt, recruiting assistance was easy enough as an older Aussie couple was travelling with a battery-jump-pack. We have found thus far that the Aussies we have encountered have been super kind and helpful. Since the country is vast and there are tremendous distances between settlements, the typical Aussie is prepared for anything. Within seconds our baby was started up and we were back on the road headed for the sandy coast. We couldn’t help but think how car issues in the “real world” are inconvenient, can ruin your day, and can be super stressful. Bottom line for us, we have no schedule, no job to be at, and since our house is on wheels and therefore always with us, if we were to get stuck; we would just pop our roof, and settle in for the night. We have food in the fridge, a stove to cook, a roof over our head, and a bed to sleep in. About 20 minutes later as we headed out of the rainforest, we noticed a truck stopped on the side of the road. We recognized it as the older couple who had just helped us out and the driver was waving his arm directing us to slow down and stop. As we rolled up, we noticed something truly amazing. In the bush, just feet beyond our vehicle was standing, the endangered Southern Cassowary. In its natural environment, right before our eyes was Australia’s largest free-flight bird. This bird is something else and there are only 1500 of them left in the world. Its’ looks are one thing which make it unique but cassowaries are terribly important to the rainforests’ survival. Over 70 species of trees produce fruit which is too big for the consumption of other birds and therefore these trees rely on the cassowary to eat and pass the fertilized seeds. We sat in amazement as it stood there relatively unaffected by our being there. We were able to snap a couple photos but remained in the vehicle as these birds stand as tall as we do and they have a reputation for being very aggressive. Wow! We thought, this was really a rare occasion. We couldn’t help but consider how our timing had placed us there just in time. Maybe the dead battery was meant to be…

It became clear to us as we sputtered along the country side, that we would be lucky if we made it to town. As we approached Ingham, Fran was struggling to keep running. We took a fateful turn down the street and she came to a dead stop right in front of a Goodyear garage. We spoke to the people at Goodyear and they directed us to another local garage specializing in electrical and battery issues. Unfortunately for us, it was nearly 5pm so all the shops in town were just about to close. Goodyear was able to arrange for us to get our van looked at the following morning. The kind folks there gave us a map and directions to the other shop and they were wonderful enough to give us a free boost so we could move on. We located the other shop and parked our van across the street where we would sleep for the night. It wasn’t the most ideal neighborhood but (free of charge) we had a decent sleep. First thing in the morning the shop boosted the van and started at it. They drove us into town where we killed time by visiting some local shops and chowing down on a couple classic hot meat pies. We were more than pleasantly surprised when we returned to the shop to see our van was already fixed up and even better than that it cost us less than $150. Once again we felt fortunate and were thankful for how easy everything seemed to be happening for us. Finally we were ready to hit the beach. We relocated to Lucinda where we planned to stay put and enjoy some quality beach time.

Fantastic Voyage

We spent a few days over the long weekend at a gorgeous free camping area. Calliope camping spot is very popular as there must have been well over 100 camping units scattered along the river and throughout the approx. 3km square forested grounds. We were so impressed at the fact that this area was equipped with toilets and sinks and basically was more scenic, lovely, and quiet than any of the places which we had paid for up until this point. The nights here were still freezing but the sun was warm during the day which allowed for us to bask and do a little exploring around the area. We slept for free at Calliope until we could stand our smell no longer. The van just wasn’t big enough for the two of us and OUR STINK! It was time to spend some money and get ourselves a place with a shower. Our next stretch of travel took us through the city of Rockhampton. Rocky is a larger city and therefore we made sure we took care of all the business needed, before pushing on to more isolated areas. Now that we were essentially permanently camping, Brandon was going through some serious withdrawal (it had been 5 months), he needed to get his hands on a guitar. We stopped at a major music shop in Rocky where he treated himself to something in our snack-bracket, a Martinez classical guitar. Now that we could supply ourselves with music for entertainment without battery or electricity, we were ready to embrace the “Van Lifestyle” and pushed on.

Continuing north we were aiming for the Alva Beach Holiday Park. At this point we were hunting for a quiet beach where we could hopefully hang our hats for a while and catch up on some sun. We selected this park because it wasn’t far off the highway and it advertised being within 300 meters of the beach. Seeing as our van is our current home, finding the right camping park can be like relocating to a beachfront apartment for us. We were in search of a realistic place to “live”, I guess. The owners were kind and bubbly and their facilities were kept immaculately. After 2 nights here with a good day on the beach, we thought the weather was still a little cold. We needed to find the perfect mix between proximity to common conveniences and beach seclusion. The plan was to drive. We needed to cover some ground and cross into the Tropical North where we could almost guarantee sunny weather. We agreed that Bowen was worth a look so we stopped along the way. We parked at a gorgeous deserted coastline where we sat back and took it all in over some muesli and yogurt. We spent the afternoon wandering and discovering the many interesting creatures living on the rocky shoreline. We carried on this afternoon just past Mackay, where we came to a stop at Black’s Beach. Pulling in here we were immediately impressed with the absolute beachfront of Seawinds Caravan park. We woke early and enjoyed our morning coffee as we sat in the sand. The views and beach were beautiful but we were torn about staying as the wind was fierce and rather chilly. As this area was still experiencing unseasonably cool weather, we would keep on truckin. Our, trustee camping guide recommended a place right on the beach which was a free-stay site so we thought we had to check it out. We arrived in the town of Rollingstone and located the rest stop at Balgal Beach. There were many people parked within the overnight area but we found a great spot in the front row only 100 meters to the beach. This stop in particular made us appreciate the lifestyle over here. We met a nice couple in their later years; after all, grey haired folk are “our people” these days. Seeing as we are avoiding the mega-touristic backpacker stops, we find ourselves moving from spot to spot with the older crowd. The great thing about retirement here is that you can get yourself a home on wheels and relocate as you choose based the seasons. There are countless free places to stop or camp, meaning that for them, there is very little cost of living. One thing for sure, if you spend any time surrounded by the touring crowd in Australia, it doesn’t take long to see that they are living it. We were limited to 48hours at Balgal and we would have loved to stay longer. We had our first serving of scrumptious fish and chips from the restaurant/general store, The Fisherman’s Landing. After 2 solid days of sun we were off. We were headed to Paluma Range National Park which is described as one of the most scenic drives in all of Queensland. The road was high and winding and through the walls of trees and vines along the narrow road, we could see miles of the seamless coastline. As we approached Paluma Village high in the mountains, we thought, we probably should have filled up on petrol before coming all this way…We noticed a sign for gas located another 30km away in Hidden Valley. We figured we would go the extra distance now and then once we turned around we would stop and visit, explore the area, and walk about. It seemed much further than 30 k, as it does when you fear you may run out of gas. The road narrowed to what was not much more than a bumpy dirt path. We expected there to be some sort of sign posted but we found ourselves driving in no-mans land, with only a couple simple shacks in sight. The places out there looked abandoned or condemned, and for a moment we worried we would be chased off the land by a shot-gun yielding bush man. Lucky for us we found the isolated Hidden Valley Eco-Lodge which was the only source of fuel in the entire area. The owner of the lodge greeted us when we pulled in for a fill. He explained a bit about his property and how they are a zero carbon footprint resort. He explained a bit about their use of solar power which went right over our heads so he invited us to see the set-up. He showed us their panels and power conversion room which was educational and fascinating. He explained how he and his wife had lived out there for 20 years without power but now with their solar power capabilities they have electricity 24hours a day. We visited a bit with the man, he explained how one of his sons was living in Western Canada and that he had been to visit and just loved our country. As duty-called, he had to excuse himself and therefore we were rolling again. Back through the wild we made it to Paluma Village. We stopped at a park where we used the facilities and when we returned to the van, she wouldn’t start. This wasn’t good. There were a couple Aussie men lunching in the park so we asked them if they could be of assistance to us poor tourists. Lucky for us, we caught them just as they were about to head back to work. They pulled up, gave us a boost, and within minutes we were both back on our planned route. Unsure of the exact cause of our flat battery, our solution was to drive to our next destination without stopping. We arrived at Taylor’s Beach and were glad to leave our car-troubles behind us.