Cobbold Gorge to Mareeba

After the Cobbold Gorge experience we were really hot so we ended up going for a dip in the beautiful infinity pool. It is something you don't expect to see out in the middle of nowhere. It was cool but very refreshing.

This is the wet bar in the pool at Cobbold Gorge

This is me in the infinity pool. So refreshing















The next day we packed up to head further east. Those other people in the Bushtracker that we had met in Normanton came into Cobbold Gorge yesterday. I think we are being stalked again. We headed to Mt Surprise for the night to a caravan park called Bedrock caravan park. The ladies and gents was marked by "Fred" and "Wilma". Tough luck if you had never seen The Flintstones on telly.
Ray cooked some Spanish mackerel for tea. I think it is even nicer than barramundi.
It is now Monday 18th August and we are going to Malanda, a little town on the tablelands about 30km south of Atherton. We are going to stay here for a week and have a good look around.
As we were leaving Mt Surprise, we forgot to put the caravan supports back up. It was only when someone yelled out that we realised what had happened. The welds on the supporting brackets ended up partially fractured but no damage to the stands. As we headed to Malanda we went through Mt Garnet and Ray asked a lady in a shop if she knew anyone who did welding work. Now Mt Garnet is only a small village and this lady said "Oh my husband can do that for you". So his workshop was just down the road and he welded the supports back together and charged $20. And we were on our way again. We chatted to him for a while and he told us about this great Ford Museum in Chillagoe run by an old fellow called Tom Prior. So we decided if we got a chance we would go there.
We got to Malanda about 12.30pm after stopping at Ravenshoe for an early lunch. What a lovely drive through beautiful dairy country and beautiful hills.
The caravan park is lovely right in a rainforest beside Malanda Falls. The downside was that there was very little mobile reception and no internet. Consequently I have a lot of catching up to do with the Blog.
We walked down to the falls in the late afternoon and saw a little platypus swimming in the pond. But we didn't have the camera with us.
The next day we went for a drive out to Millaa Millaa lookout which we had seen in the way in yesterday

This is me at the Millaa Millaa Lookout. Incredible view over the mountains towards Cairns

Another view

Some kookaburras flew in each afternoon and just stared at us. We eventually got the hint and fed them some raw mince. Well then they tried their luck a couple of times a day. But once a day was enough

We ended up with 5 of them. Some were only young.

We got ourselves some fish and chips from the local fish shop for lunch. What were the choices? Mackerel or red emperor. How good is that. No old Vietnamese catfish up here.
It is a bit cool here in the evenings and early mornings but the days are glorious.
On the Wednesday we went for a drive to Atherton, then out to Tolga to look at a wood art gallery. Beautiful pieces but very expensive. Then we drove out to Herberton.
Both of us have the flu so we aren't doing too much.
On the Friday we decided to go and see some of the beautiful waterfalls in the area.

This is me at Millaa Millaa falls. They were beautiful and only a very small walk from the car park. Not too many people around as we were there pretty early

And here is Ray at the same spot. There is still a lot of water around up here so all of the little creeks have plenty of water. You can see small waterfalls in the paddocks as you drive around the area

 

The next stop was Zillee Falls about 10km from Millaa Millaa. You could only get to the top of the falls. This is the creek running towards the falls.

This is Zillee falls tumbling over the edge. Another beautiful falls

And a little further on was Ellinjaa falls. You had to walk down quite a steep path but it was definitely worth it at the end . You could feel the water spray on your face.

An old log that had been washed down the waterfall. It looks quite like a modern art sculpture, mother nature style.

A beautiful old fig tree on the path down to the falls

Another view of the beautiful tropical rain forest. All so green and you can hear and see all types of birds. We were always keeping a lookout in the tree tops for a Lucholz Tree kangaroo but we never saw one. I would have also liked to see a cassowary but no such luck.

















The next day was Saturday and overnight we had some very light showers. We headed off to the Youngaburra markets where they had over 250 stalls. I started my Christmas shopping. We bought some unusual jam, banana, mandarin marmalade.
Bought a pumpkin, orange cake, chocolate and a really good looking wagyu beef pie from a stall which was selling all wagyu beef. It looked lovely and the price was right but we haven't enough room in the freezer as we are running stuff down before we fly home for 2 weeks.
Anyway we had the pie for tea and it was lovely.

Here is the family sized wagyu beef pie . It only cost $15 and did us for two and a bit meals.















Next stop after the markets was a visit to Curtain Fig just out of Youngaburra.

The fig tree is from the strangler fig species Ficus Virena. The curtain effect results from one tree leaning against the other on a 45 degree angle.

The strangler vine then grew along the oblique angle of the leaning tree dangling 15metres to the ground to create the curtain effect

This is the sunlight filtering through the curtain






















This was a beautiful bids nest fern growing right at the top of the curtain fig.

Next we drove a bit further on until we came to the Cathedral Fig.

 

It grows the same way but the host tree stays upright and the strangler roots just fall to the ground. You can actually stand inside this one. It is estimated to be about 500 years old.

This was a lovely old log on the ground on the way into the Cathedral fig

 

Another upward view of the Cathedral fig.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next we drove down to Lake Tinaroo. This is a man made lake built originally for irrigation to help the tobacco grower around Mareeba. It is still used for irrigation but now for coffee and sugar cane and mangoes etc. as Australia no longer has a tobacco industry. It is also very popular for water skiing and fishing.

 

Along the road leading to the lake a memorial has been built. It is a memorial to all of the soldiers and army dogs who have been killed in Afghanistan. It is called the Avenue of Honour and it was very lovely.

 

We ended up driving about 60km right around Lake Tinaroo coming out at Atherton into beautiful fertile farm country.

 

 

On Monday 25th August we headed on the Mareeba. We are staying at the Mareeba Riverside park. It has a lot of permanents and backpackers. The backpackers all appear to go out to work on the farms around Mareeba. It is fairly quiet.

 

On Tuesday we headed out to Chillagoe to try to find Tom Prior and his old Fords. We asked for directions at the Tourist Information place.

From when we arrived Tom treated Ray like a long lost friend. I think because of the F250. Tom has a lot of old trucks and utes as he used to haul all sorts of stuff all over North Queensland. On the way to Chillagoe we could see these huge square rocks placed in circles. we were unsure what they were but Tom told us that they were 20 and 30 ton blocks of marble and that is what he used to haul in his old trucks.

 

He started all of the trucks for Ray and they all started first go.

 

1925 T Model Ford 

1942 Blitz

1942 Dodge

1942 Ford Army Truck

1942 Ford Truck

Another view of the Ford Truck

1946 Ford V8 ute. This is the car Tom drives around for a normal car. He also has a Fairlaine which he says he uses for fancy occasions

1970 Ford Mustang

Ford Pilot

This is Tom standing in front of the garage which houses his old work trucks

This is Tom again in front of one of his trucks. They are all his pride and joy and it was a privilege to meet him and see his cars. He showed us all of them individually.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back to Mareeba we drove through a small village and had to slow down as 2 horses were grazing on a corner.

 

 

 

 

Yesterday we had an in town day. First stop was the heritage museum for a good look around. It was very interesting with a miniature village set up and a bit of history of tobacco farming as it used to be very big in Mareeba. Started by Italian migrants, as well as the sugar cane industry. Now Mareeba is famous for coffee, mangoes, pawpaws, potatoes and sugar cane.

 

A depiction of how the old butchers shop would have been like

The old hospital train which was still used up until 1983

Another view of the hospital train

Do any of you remember the old washing machine with the wringer attached

Ray having a "beer" at the old bar

 



Today we were supposed to go on the Skyline from Kuranda down to Cairns and back but we are leaving that until we are in Cairns. Remember way back on the way to cape Crawford we got hit by a huge rock and got a big star chip on the windscreen. Well Ray went to O'Briens Glass in Mareeba yesterday and he is getting a new windscreen today. Thank God for that windscreen cover with NRMA.

 

Now tomorrow we are heading on to Wonga Beach which is up north of Mossman. We will be staying there for 9 nights before coming back down into Cairns. While at Wonga we will have a look at the Daintree, Mossman and Port Douglas so I will Blog more then.

Normanton to Mareeba

Now I will continue on with our stay in Normanton. There is a lot to do in this area.
Tuesday 12th August.
Today we had booked to go for a trip on the Gulflander train. We are going from Normanton out to a fettlers stop called Critter camp. Critter Camp is called that because years ago one of the railway workers working there was bitten on the backside by a scorpion, hence the name. I am hoping there aren't too many of them around today.

This is me sitting on an old bench waiting for the train. The train does a variety of trips every week including a 5 hour trip from Normanton to Croydon on a Wednesday and returning on a Thursday. this trip is still used to deliver parcels and mail to cattle stations along the railway line. On other days they go on shorter trips.

Standing beside the train on its stop at Critter Camp. And no I didn't see any scorpions.

Another satisfied train passenger

Ray on the train

Another shot of the old train. It is about 80 years old and still runs very well. It travels through various properties and across some wetlands outside Normanton. The trip goes for 2 hours and it was very pleasant. A little bit of history.











That afternoon when we got back to Normanton another Bushtracker pulled in. It turned out to be a fellow and his wife from Kiama, who used to live in Dapto. He is an electrician at Bluescope and she works as a teacher assistant at Lake Illawarra High School. Small world as he had heard of Ray but had never met him. We also said goodbye to Wayne, Maria and Bindi from Queanbeyan. We had met them originally in Borroloola and they went on the train ride yesterday too. They were heading south but you never know we may catch up again.

Now we are heading further east. As we were leaving Normanton we passed a hitchhiker playing a ukulele. I hope some musical person gave him a lift. We stopped at Croydon for morning tea and who should follow us into town but Wayne, Maria and Bindi. Are they stalking us? No just out for a drive. We were going to stop at the Gilbert River free camp for the night but when we got there it was a big dust bowl and there was no water in the river, so we continued on to The Cumberland Chimney Historic Site which according to our book also had a free camp beside it.
Well it was beautiful.

The Cumberland Chimney, and the dam that was built to provide water to the mill and batteries, are all that remain of the Cumberland Mines on the Etheridge fields. The brick chimney was built in 1889 to dispense smoke from the large steam driven engines powering the batteries that crushed the gold bearing stone. At the time of top gold production there were almost 400 mine workers and families living here. Eventually gold petered out and by 1898 there was only 1 hotel. The telegraph office closed in 1899 and the school continued until 1915. Now all that is left is the chimney and a beautiful dam full of water birds.

Magpie Geese swimming on the dam at Cumberland Chimney. These are quite common in the tropical lakes and dams of the far north.

Looking down on our camp from the embankment around the dam. we were up on top waiting for the sun to rise over the dam. You can see the light on in the van as it was about 6am and still a little dark.

We couldn't resist it. Ray made a fire with some wood that we had left over from when we were at Ellenbrae on the Gibb River Road.

The sun just about to come up over the dam at The Cumberland Chimney

Water lilies on the dam

Just after we arrived, Ray called me outside and this handsome goanna was walking across the track. He was pretty big, About 1.5metres long.












Next day we headed to Cobbold Gorge. But first I wanted to stop and look at the largest rock collection in Australia at the tourist information office in Georgetown. Ray wasn't too keen but he came in with me. It was started by a gentleman when he was 12 years old and he collected the rocks all of his life. He was from Winton and he put the collection up for sale to fund his retirement. It was bought by the Etheridge Shire Council and put on display in George town. Sadly the man passed away a couple of years later.

Azurite Copper

Chrysophase

Petrified Fossils

















And on to Cobbold Gorge. Words can't describe this part of our journey. We have been to many gorges but this is surely the most beautiful we have seen.

A little bit of history about Cobbold Gorge just in case you never get to go there.
Robin Hood Station, supposedly called that because it adjoined Sherwood Mining lease, was originally owned by the Clark family and they took it up in 1901. It was kept in the Clark family until 1964 when it was sold to Cob and Mary Terry.  Cob and Mary put managers in until they moved to the station in 1971. Cob and Mary had 7 children and Simon was the youngest. In 1990 the property was divided up amongst 3 of the children with Simon and his wife Gaye starting Howlong Station.
For many years a permanent watering hole at the mouth of the creek had been used for picnics and swimming and watering cattle but no one had ever ventured up into the narrow gorge. In 1992 Simon and 2 of his friends from school took a small tinny and an outboard motor through the bush and went up into the gorge. After this Simon decided it was time to share the gorge with others and he could see the tourism potential of this. He researched the history of the surrounding area and the early pioneers who had been in the area.
In 1995 Cobbold Gorge Tours was started. They started with a camp area, toilet facilities and an office. Now there is a licensed bar, restaurant, a range of tours, an infinity pool, accommodation areas and a beautiful camp ground.. They also still have the cattle station.

The tour we went on lasted for 3 hours. First we went on a bus ride down to the gorge and then walked in the bush with a savannah guide. She talked to us about all of the foods available in the bush and what to eat or not to eat. We climbed the escarpment and went to look at the grave of John Corbett. John Corbett was an Irish  man who had come to Australia  in 1856. He became quite successful and opened a hotel and also a business which carried supplies between Townsville and various gold diggings in the north. His wife passed away at a young age leaving John to care for 3 small children.
After leaving his children in the care of friends John was heading from Normanton to Gilberton and then on to Townsville to arrange for the replacement of goods which had been lost on a sunk ship. At some time he was found murdered on the track between Western Creek and Gilberton. This grave was found on Howlong Station and is now part of the tour.

 

As part of the tour you are taken for a walk along the creek. Here we found a turtle having a little sunbake on a log.

Squatter pigeons resting on a rock.



These are some photos taken of the boat trip up Cobbold Gorge. They take you in a little tinny with an electric motor at either end, as they cannot turn around in the narrow gorge, so tourists can experience the peace and serenity in the gorge. It is truly a magical experience.