As promised, here are the next two weeks of my travels.
Friday I went to a craft session all morning, there was unplugged music under the Fig tree at 4pm and this was great impromptu entertainment, after dinner we had the Hillbilly Goats band playing and we were dancing on the grass. |
| Rocky Creek |
Thursday 26th July, I had stayed at Rocky Creek campground last night, along with another hundred or so many of whom were making their way to Mareeba for the Christmas in July, Motorhome Rally. I was set up in time for M/tea where a lot of friendships were renewed, some from my home chapter of Wide Bay Wanderers, then off to a Line dancing session till lunch time. After lunch Judi & I rode our bikes into town, going on what looked like a short cut but wasn't really. Collected my mail, got some bargain shirts at Rivers and found a red dress at the Op Shop for Saturday night's dinner!! Afternoon tea turned into a music session with one on Ukulele, another Harmonica and others with various percussion instruments, lots of fun but had to get ready for the official opening and evening entertainment.
Saturday I went to Coffee Works with 3 other ladies, now I don't like coffee much but found that with a dash of chocolate liquour followed by all the chocolate in about 14 different flavours that you could eat it wasn't bad. There is a really interesting museum of coffee and tea memorabilia and a lovely gift shop. Spent the afternoon decorating my van in Christmas finery, then went to the unplugged music again and this time
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| Dancing up a storm |
Sunday one of the local Churches conducted a service under the Marquis, there is a local market held here regularly so it was a chance to get local F & V, then check out lots of motorhome accessories. Lot's of socialising today, with A/tea with lots of Solos to celebrate a few birthdays then it was time for the Closing ceremony. Weather had turned cold so no one stayed out to late tonight.
Monday 30th, said our goodbyes and spent the morning on the ususal filling of gas, petrol, water, food, doing washing etc. Leo, Judi & I met at the Information Centre to drive to Kairi and were joined by Ivan & Gloria. Judi had been given a bottle of Asti-Ricadonna so opened it to celebrate our last night together with a few glasses!!
Tuesday I drove back to Atherton, and looked through the Crystal Caves then the Patchwork shop before returning to Bob & Gloria's for a few days. We shared stories of our weekends, my Rally and her family get together with 22 visitors!! Gloria had sewn all her quilt blocks together but needed another fabric for the border so we drove to Atherton Wednesday for that then went up to the Lookout, it is really beautiful countryside. We then spent the afternoon sewing, I cooked dinner tonight of Kangaroo rissoles.
Thursday morning Bob left early to go gold prospecting on a friends property, in the hope of striking it lucky. Gloria was explaining how to get to Mt Hypipamie National Park with the Crater and Dinner Falls, then said lets go and drove me there, we had a lovely walk and M/tea of orange and mandarin from her trees. Back home for lunch before I left to drive to Herberton, where I walked around the old mine shaft areas then sat watching a beautiful sunset.
Friday 3th August I visited the Museum at the Information Centre, then did a guided tour of the famous Spy Camera Museum which was fascinating, he talked to me for over an hour. Then the drive to Irvinebank, most of it gravel road but not to bad, just that my little van lets lots of dust in. Every year the little town of 200 swells to at least double that number for a Country Music Weekend, with lots of the motorhomers from Mareeba making their way there. |
| at Mt Hypipamie |
Saturday they block of the street, there are market stalls, a truck pulling competition, bush poetry, vintage
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| the Truck Pulling comp. |
car and bike display and more with the Hillbilly Goat band playing throughout the day. I rode my bike to the Museum and around the lake. There was a country dance with the traditional cup of tea and sandwiches for supper. Sunday had a quiet morning, the band were playing at the Pub for the recovery breakfast session, and it was nice to just hear it in the background. I left at midday to drive to camp spot at Liverpool Creek stopping on the way at McHugh Lookout at Milla Milla then went to the Falls, checked out the Henrietta Creek camp spot in National Park. Stopped to watch a cane fire with Walter Hill Range in the distance, asrriving about 5.30 to meet Judi again.
Monday we were going to Paronella Park but Judi had to call RACQ, so we played Jenga while we waited. Another green tree snake in a nearby tree kept us amused for a while but was hard to photograph. We drove to Mena Creek in time for lunch then did a tour of Paronella Park, what an amazing story of a man well ahead of his time to design and build a castle in such a place. We also did the night tour and it was spectacular when lit up. Next morning we walked across the swing bridge to look at the Falls from another
angel before we left to drive to Etty Bay. I had heard so much about this place, it was a pretty little beach, we enjoyed fish and chips for lunch and walked along the beach but didn't see the Cassowary which Etty Bay is renowned for. Camped at ElArish tonight and it was one very large and one unusual looking spider in the tree we were looking at today. Wednesday it was cold and windy, before leaving I had Hot Chocolate for M/tea with some other campers at the Food Van that comes at 6.30 each day. We drove to the Murdering Point Winery (the name intrigued me) which is at Kuramine Beach and did some tasting, left with a few bottles of liquour then to Tully and as Judi had lived here a year ago she showed me around, then we had lunch and said goodbye again. I drove to Bilyana and 10 mins after I arrived a Cassowary came out of the bush right in front of me, lots of cameras clicking but all with a wary eye on the big bird who can be quite vicious.
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| Judi & I at Etty Bay |
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| Paper daisies at Herberton |
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