Cairns for a few days



Cooking marshmallows



After my relaxing 3 days at Fletcher Creek I had decided to go as far as Greenvale to stop the night.  The attraction here are 2 'Sausage trees', 2 of only 4 known in Australia.  Nothing else to see so I kept going, when I passed a sign to the Undara Lava Tubes (this wasn't on my list of things to see) I stopped anyway.  Did a walk around the park and to the Bluff with my neighbours Ross & Bernadette to watch the sunset then after dinner listened to the entertainment around the open camp fire.  I toasted marshmallows when the singing had finished and shared some with a few backpackers who had not tasted them this way, among the guests was Barry & Debbie Maluga from Gladstone, it is a very small world. 



Sausagea tree



On Wednesday I did the guided tour of the Lava Tubes, very interesting and unusual, from the bus we saw some rock wallabies watching us.  They are very shy so we only saw their heads from a distance, we would never have seen them if it weren't for the guide who knew where to look.  Drove to Ravenshoe to stop the night, on the way paddled my feet in the natural hot springs at Innot, some spots were absolutely boiling, others were very pleasant and people had dug holes in the gravel and made their own private pools.  That night there was a town meeting to discuss the free camp spot that is near the railway line in town, my neighbours Rick & Jean were going so I went along.  The local businesses want it back so that is good for the travellers and locals, then we went to the local hotel for dinner.

Jean & I checked out the Vinnies across the road then I walked through town looking at galleries and shops, Ravenshoe township is the highest elevation of any town in Qld so a windfarm sits right beside the road at Windy Hill!!  The drive down to Innesfail on a winding road with low clouds was not much fun it was like fog at 3pm, I was glad to get to Fred Drew Park to stop for the night.
I met another Solo going to Cairns for the Ukulele festival here and we travelled together for the next 2 weeks.  Leo is a birdwatcher and bird survey volunteer so I learnt to appreciate the sounds of the bush and to spot a bird, things I took for granted before.
Saturday 30th we drove into Josephine Falls and as we walked up to where some were swimming I saw my first Ulyssus butterfly, what a magnificent colour.  Then to the Golden Hole for lunch before driving to Babinda to stop for a few nights, this town is Qld's wettest, so my solar wasn't working to well, used Leo's generator.  From Babinda you can see Mt Bartle Freer, Qld's highest mountain.
Monday we moved to The Boulders only 10klm away, another lovely camp spot, I am getting plenty of exercise walking to see the sights.


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at The Boulders



Tuesday it was Fishery Falls Van Park to charge my batteries and do the necessary filling and emptying of bits as well as washing.  The falls are on private property so I asked permission to walk to them, it is part of Cairns water supply.  Wednesday I drove into Gordonvale, didn't stay long the smell from the sugar refinery in the middle of town was terrible, I guess the locals just get used to it, then I met up with Leo at Aloomba to camp.  I have been doing lots more Uke practice as we get closer to Cairns, but wonder if I will manage to play for the 6 minutes we need to for the record attempt.

Thursday another short move, 10klm to Behana Gorge.  After a clean I had my own ensuite, with shower & toilet, it obviously hadn't been used in a long time.  A 3.5klm walk up what the sign said was medium incline, I would say steep.

Friday 6th July - Arrived in Cairns midday and had lunch on the Esplanade, walked through town and got groceries and some fruit & veg from Rusty's Bazaar markets.  There was a concert at the Hilton at 6.30 of Australian Ukulele artists, it finished at 11pm, thankfully it was a short walk to where we were camped.  Saturday morning I did a workshop with Manatoba Hal (a canadian I had never heard of) learning Blues for everyone, something to aspire to.  There were markets in Fogarty Park, as well as free workshops and lots of stalls all afternoon before the World Record attempt was made.  What a logistical nightmare, hats off to the organisers.  We didn't break the record but had 1,395 people playing the song 'Travellin' at the same time.

Sunday morning I went to Church, then spent the afternoon at the Botanical Gardens, it was raining but that just added to the rainforest feeling.  Monday I had the Van booked in for a service, Leo has a nephew in Cairns who is a mechanic, who fitted me in.  If I had taken the computer I could have written this while I waited!!!

Bye for now

at Cairns Gardens