I made the mistake of not posting anything from Cairns and we have been in radio silence (no internet access!) ever since but as I have a bit of time sitting here in an auto workshop on the tip of Australia (you’ll have to read on to find out what happened...), and internet access,here is a catch-up of the trip to date (apologies for the length and any typos in advance):
Before leaving Marlborough, we decided to patronise the Caltex as a thank you for the night’s free, albeit noisy, accommodation. We filled up with 150 litres of fuel at 10c a litre more than the next fuel stop along, and then also (predictably) decided to fill up with coffee to go. After forking out six dollars for two coffees, Jules was pointed in the direction of the kettle and jar of Nescafe in the corner... Might just pay for accommodation next time... And time to get over our coffee addiction for a few months. The espresso bars seem to have well and truly dried up.
We had a few days up our sleave to make it to Cairns and so decided to make the most of it and stop by a few National Parks along the way. First stop was Smalley’s Beach in the Cape Hillsborough NP, just north of Mackay and 297k’s above our previous nights stop. Beautiful bush camping spot right on the beach, marred only, in the opinion of the kids, by the fact that camp fires are not allowed (OK, I admit it, I might have been a bit disappointed too).
We still arrived late (too much messing around shopping centres in Mackay) but we did have time for a walk along the beach at sunset... Having previously mentioned to Jules that ‘we’re in croc country now’, I could see her tensing slightly each time one of the boys strayed close to the water’s edge.
Next up was Bowling Green Bay NP, 342k’s north. Another nice spot with wallabies and bush turkeys coming right up into camp. Still no campfires allowed, but this park did have cold showers and a toilet block and a great little swimming hole a short walk down the river. We couldn’t see any crocodile warning signs so decided it must be safe to go for a swim (croc always obey signs, right?). Unfortunately Jules and I had forgotten to bring our swimmers along, so we had to send the kids in alone... Two went in and two came back out again so it was all good.
237k’s north again was our last stop before Cairns; Murray River NP. Finally allowed to have a campfire (over which I expertly BBQ’ed some Tandoori Chicken...). Another great swimming hole nearby with some small rapids clearly designed for two kids and their slightly kid-like dad to spend some time sliding down. (Too shallow for crocs, I reasoned).
The next day, a short 173k’s, was the agreed date to meet up with the other three car loads that we were travelling up to Cape York with. We stayed at Crystal Cascades Holiday Park, which was just like it sounds, but served it’s purpose well: hot showers, washing machines and a chance to pick up last minute supplies (supermarket and bottle-shop close buy). That evening we also got the opportunity to test out the camper trailers waterproofness again, as a solid Queensland downpour sat over Cairns for most of the night. (Perhaps I can blame all the extra hassle involved in camping in the rain for not posting the above before leaving civilisation? Nice try?)
All in all, it was a good trip up from Sydney to Cairns. It was great to have the opportunity to take a bit of time to make the journey (a couple of the other vehicles we are travelling up the Cape with had to make the whole journey in 3 long days...) and by the time we reached Cairns I think we were settling nicely into a travelling groove – regular stops for fuel, coffee and food and a steady flow of 70’s and 80’s music for those in the front seats and an unhealthy diet of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle DVD’s for those in the back. (Still, the DVD’s certainly kept the ‘Are we there yet?’s’ to a minimum...)
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