Maryvale and Condamine River

Our stay in Maryvale was a joy, mainly because of the company of our friend John who recently moved there. We generally  plan to meet up with John each time we travel to Queensland.

The very friendly Maryvale Pub -they have their own free 'Uber' driver

We first met John and Kathy in Western Australia back about 6 years and have spent many camp nights in their wonderful company. Sadly Kathy died in a bike accident early this year but John still wants to travel and meet up.

John's place - it's not really a free camp - we just did a send up for fun

He has just bought a flat 1 acre block in Maryvale just east of Warwick and is encouraging his friends to drop by and camp a night or two with him whenever you are in the area. So we did just that! John had other friends there whom we naturally befriended. We soon got to know John and Tracey and enjoyed their company too.

Tracey delighted us by cooking for all of us on the first night.  I returned the favour the second night and John the third night with the 4th night being a combined BBQ pit fire night for all comers.

Maryvale is such a lovely friendly place, it is no wonder that John is happily settled there. All John needs now is to get his plans passed so he can get his shed up and move in properly.

Daggs Falls & Queen Mary Falls

The five of us went for a drive through to Queen Mary Falls, stopping at Daggs Falls first.

Our two daggy friends (Pls note Rob is NOT a dag) ;)

We walked to see the Queen Mary Falls with the two Johns & Tracey doing the full walk down to the bottom of the falls and back.

A scrumptious lunch was enjoyed by us all at the Queen Mary Falls kiosk of their Wicked Cheesy Wedges with sour cream, bacon and onion and salsa.Oh my, these were so yum, I am almost salivating again as I write. (I am going to try to duplicate this recipe one day.

BTW you can camp behind the kiosk for a fee in their little caravan park. We were well nourished for a bit of light 4WDriving around Condamine River which is the head of the Darling/Murray River.

4WDriving around Condamine River

We stopped at a look out that overlooked the Gorge and lovely countryside.

John's car in front of us.

It is a wonderful drive going over no less than 14 river crossings! It was a fabulous day of great fun with these marvellous friends.

Our Tow Vehicle - a LandCruiser

We have been asked a few times about our tow vehicle. It is a 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 series with manual gears. We bought it second hand back in 2009 with relatively low kilometres from a mining company. It already had a bull bar. It also had a snorkel. We get an average of 430km to a tank while towing the van.

Now I really have to confess I have not the slightest bit car knowledge. (There's even a family lore about the time I reported to Rob about a friend of his buying a new car. Rob wanted to know more...Ummm it is white...ummm I think it is a sedan.... ummm... Boy did I get told off! Now I know to ask whoever to give me all the details a guy would want to know and I write it down so I don't forget!) I have since learnt a little more but not much... I now know the difference between most vehicle types such as 4WD, sedan, station wagon, ute, pantec truck etc... but some seem harder to define as the definitions blur somewhat! I can recognize a few car trademarks, and even a few cars now by sight because we had one of them once! That's why I love the VW Beetle - it is so distinctive. Yay Herbie forever! Oh what the heck I am hopeless and I acknowledge that... Now back to the car we have and yes, I have to run to Rob for most of these details!

Cooking on the back of the car

The seats are really comfortable which is important to me and it gets me from point A to point B without any hassles. I am not completely hopeless either around a car. I can change tyres, I can check and fill the oil. I know what the radiator is and how to fill it without cracking it. I do hate checking the tyre pressure with the little duvey lackey Rob has, but I can do it at the garage. But I love being a woman, on the 2 occasions I have had a flat tyre, some gentleman has come along at just the right time and changed the tyre for me! it life wonderful! :)

The back opened - I never promised it would be tidy for you!

Since the purchase Rob has added various bits and pieces including a turbo glide...(I have no idea what that is for but he is very happy with it! LOL). Rob installed rear vision cameras on both the van and the vehicle and an electric brake controller.

Rob built a cargo barrier and some custom boot storage to hold some of the tools, spare car parts, a few ropes and lots of 'stuff' that he feels he needs to carry. Normally the drawers have a stainless steel 'cover' which doubles as a bench top for cooking and food preparation etc.

The smaller drawer

The 2nd larger drawer

Above the boot storage we store our 110litre Waeco fridge, which can slide out for access right next to the plug to run it. Take note of the simple small fat screwdriver that acts as a brake for the slider! It does the job wondrously and is cheap and simple to operate!

Thankfully he also built me a permanent step so I can climb on it to see into the fridge. He has a spare battery installed under the bonnet and another spare battery in the boot.

My step near the tow ball

In the boot area we would normally also carry a One minute pop up tent, 2 self inflated air mattresses, sleeping bags. In the back seat area we carry the Camps 6 book and a small cooler bag with iced drink and fruit for nibbles on the road within handy reach of the passenger seat and a spare jacket for each of us if it cools down. 

The Nifty fold flat open fire BBQ cooker that Rob made

On the floor area on one side would be the Cast iron camp oven and the Nifty Barbeque. On the passenger side would be the 2 camp chairs for picnics. In the back seat area I like to keep a bag for the current in the car craft project and some incidentals such as toilet paper, wipes, a mini first aid kit and a fire extinguisher. We tend to remove a lot of these things when we are home.

The One minute pop up tent

Fraser Island

Some time ago we had a privilege of camping and 4 Wheel Driving on the world’s largest sand island, Fraser Island.

Fraser Island: Photos source: Australian Traveller

It is a World Heritage Site, making it a precious part of Australia’s natural and cultural heritage. It 122 km long and the only place where sand and rain forest live in harmony.

Photo source: Morgan's blog

There are beautiful long stretches of the purest white beaches you would see just about anywhere in the world. Endless clear blue skies, deep, translucent clear blue fresh water lakes, exotic rainforests and extraordinary sand cliffs are what goes to make Fraser Island a tourist mecca. It is also a great place for camping and 4WD. If you don’t have your own 4WD you can hire your one from nearby Hervey Bay on the mainland and explore the island at your leisure. You can pitch up a camping place on the beach, although you will need a permit. Alternatively you could choose the Youth Hostel or one of the many lodges and take a tour.

Typical sand road Photo source: BugBog

Photo Source: Travel Insider

Fraser Island is home to over 300 species of bird, including many rare coastal birds such as pied oyster catchers. The ground parrot also resides here along with honey-eaters and cockatoos. Pure bred dingoes, which are Australia's wild dogs, are also on the island. Though generally shy of humans, they are wild and visitors are advised not to feed them as they are highly dangerous and have been known to intrude in camp grounds especially when scavenging for food.

Wild Dingo photo source

You may be lucky to catch a glimpse of humpback whales as they migrate from the Antarctica between July and August. The sea, as inviting as it may appear to the casual observer are fraught with dangers such as Tiger Sharks, stingrays and other stingers which abound in the waters off the beaches!

'Oceanic' Nudibranch - a Sea Slug Photo by Richard Wilsher

Any of the pristine fresh water lakes of Fraser Island are safe for swimming. Lake McKenzie is probably the most famous of the lakes on the island. It has crystal blue waters and perfect white sands. However fame comes at a cost. It is a popular place and it can get rather crowded in the middle of the day during peak season. I liked to visit some of the other more remote lakes as all of them are terrific.

Photo source: rvantoy via TripAdvisor

We endeavoured to spend every second day driving through the rainforest either to a distant lake or the other side of the island. It didn’t really matter where we went everything was wonderful. Some of our team wanted a decent cappuccino at the end of one of the 4WD treks. There didn’t seem to be a shortage of coffee shops – they knew where they all were. I loved the idea of relaxing under the shade of the trees within walking distance of one of the many fresh water stream running down to the ocean. I also enjoyed walking along he beach and occasionally indulging in a bit of sand dune surfing. I also enjoyed walking around the ship wreck on one of the beaches.

Photo source: Innovation Hervey Bay

Was the Cape trip worth it?

I have been asked a few times now, if I thought the trip up to the tip of Cape York was worth it?
In a nutshell the answer is YES! It is an unforgettable adventure and the sense of accomplishment is great. It is a beautiful part of the country but it is hard going. However if you ask me would I do it again the answer is no at least not for a long while. We've been there - done that. There's lots more of Australia to see.

In our own recent trip, we joined up with a 4WD club from home, that was making the trip to the tip just one part of their 6-8 week long trip and thus were unable to dedicate more time to just the Cape itself.

Back to the Robbiebago - Mt Carbine & Rocky Creek

We were breaking away from the main 4WD group today anyway and since John needed to head into Coen for more substantial repairs on his trailer we decided to follow Chrissy and John and make sure that they didn't have any more dramas on the way.

A truck stirring up just a little dust

We left Moreton around 9.15 for a slow trip to Coen arriving around 12.30. John was able to secure the services, he required and so after a quick mini lunch in Coen, we decided to push ourselves to get to Mt Carbine today instead of tomorrow as originally planned. It meant a long day in the car but the rewards of sleeping in the caravan would be worth it all.


It was some 250km to Laura where we had the rest of our lunch? at 4pm. Across the road there is a delightful mini antique car, an Austin that is fully road worthy.

Morton Telegraph Station

As mentioned in the last blog entry, John, Ian & Wes got a good head start to get along the track. We slept in, if you can call it that as we left at 9.15. After nearly 2 weeks of packing and unpacking we find we are a tad faster, but we still need to allow an hour to have brekkie and pack up.  We caught up to them at Bramwell Junction, where they reported that everything was still holding together.

Ferns in the understory near Bramwell Juntion

Closeup of the same ferns

We then continued collectively to head on to Morton Telegrapgh Station for tonight's camp arriving around 2pm. It is a nice big relatively flat area adjacent to a crocodile infested river. (I haven't seen a croc anywhere this trip yet!) 

The very Tip of Australian mainland

On Sunday 15 July, 2012, we reach the ultimate goal of this trip, which is the Tip. The tip of Cape York is traditionally known as Pajinka.
 

We took yet another narrow & rough track suitable for 4WD only,  travelling over a couple of creeks. The drive is through some beautiful rainforest with lots of dappled shade and some flowers. Once we joined up with the main road, if you can call it that, we met lots of traffic going to the same place. We were fortunate to find parking for all our vehicles.

A good rambling but steep climb leads you up and over some small hills and eventually after some 800 or so metres you can see the famous sign that said you have arrived!  We all took lots of pictures both as a group and individual  couples. This is the pinnacle of Australia.

At the Tip of Australia

We returned to the carpark and walked on past to the now abandoned Pajinka Resort just 400 metres from the very tip. It was privately built and then apparently handed over to the Aboriginals, the Injinoo people who are the traditional owners of the land, who apparently did not approve of the resort and let it go to ruins. It seems such a waste to our ‘white man’s sensibilities’. There seems to be a lot of myths and half truths of what happened, A fire guttered the generator plant, the resort created a lot of environmental fall out, the Aboriginals hated it and destroyed it, etc, etc etc.

One of the beautiful flowers at the top

Interesting colours of a oyster fungi growing on a tree trunk

Next stop was Somerset beach for lunch. A lovely picnic and camping area on a beach setting.  We went to see the ruins of the Somerset homestead, one of the Jardine family's homesteads. There’s nothing much is left of it, but it's worth looking at for insight into the European history of the region and the impact of the Jardine  Family on the peninsula. 

Bob sitting astride a cannon at Somerset Homestead

Typical jungle abounds both side - note the smooth track - that didn't last long!

Some mangrove roots

Just down the road is Fly Beach, which is where you will find an extraordinary amount of rubbish washed up from the sea.  Thongs, shampoo bottles, you name it anything plastic. I hear even tv’s and such are found occasionally washed down from Indonesia. Shari said it’s nickname is Thong beach and it is easy to see why. Young Ryan was delighted to find and show us handfuls of these tiny little crabs. Hey curl up into little balls of no more than 1cm diameter.

Lineup of our vehicles on Fly Beach

On the way back to camp we stopped at the fabled ‘Croc Tent’.  This is a shop that is literally in a road side tent that is apparently open seven months of the year selling souvenirs. They even try to ensure that as much as possible their souvenirs are made in Australia. 

Tonight we all chipped in and we had a great pot luck type of feast including a fabulous baked dinner and a variety of other yummy goodness including a giant damper of course.

The top of Cape York specifically Punsand Bay

Since we separated from the main group, due to not pre-booking, we were to meet up with the rest early the next morning. Yet there was some sort of misunderstanding of just where we were meeting and so we ended up being at the Ferry a good half and hour or more earlier than the main team. Still we are all back together again and the Ferry ride is pretty uneventful. Once again we lead but there is more confusion as our GPS had us going all over the place. Ian had to take over. We ended up going past Bamaga right up to the wharf for morning tea and a short walk and photo opportunity, but a light drizzle put a damper on outdoor activities (pun intended!). Some needed to get fuel and/or groceries and so we arranged to meet up about an hour later to give people time to get their stuff. Bob and I took ourselves off to find the Tourist Information Centre, which we couldn’t find and so we ended up at the bakery enjoying a cuppa and some pastry items. Fresh bread was not too bad at $4.50, but there was a shortage due to the flour not arriving as the barge had broken down somewhere and was several days late. Such is life in a remote location.

  A colourful sunset at Punsand Bay

Soon we move on to our campgrounds at Punsand Bay (Camps 6: 935) way out from Bamaga, I think it was something like 20km out and very slow to get to it being so rough. The camp ground is very rudimentary at best and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, however the beach is fantastic.   

There is only one toilet/shower block close to us with 4 unisex toilets, one is for staff only, one is out of order and thus leaving just 2 toilets for maybe 70 - 100 people and they frequently run out of toilet paper on top of everything else. There are just 4 unisex showers in the block, with one being reserved for staff use only. There is a family size above ground pool and a bar is nearby on site which also serves food.

Two of the lovely brown & yellow butterflies seen regularly at Punsand Bay

 I was fascinated by the lovely brown and yellow butterflies seen frequently around the campsite. We also we fortunate to see a Papuan Frog Mouth whilst there.

Papuan Frog Mouth just above our tent

Continuing on the Old Telegraph Line, including Fruit Bat Falls & the Jardine River campsite

An 8am start had us on the OTL doing another 5 or 6 river crossings which continue to be interesting to say the least.  

Fruit Bat Falls

Our first stop was Fruit Bat Falls, which is a magnificent sight to behold and so tempting to go for a swim in that lovely clear free flowing river on such a deliciously hot day, that most of us succumbed, some of us jumped in clothes and an all. I think we all felt so much more refreshed after a good soak or even a water massage directly under the falls themselves. 

Sitting under the Fruit Bat Falls

Soon we must get back on the road and it is not long before we started getting into  some tough spots again. We all managed to get the vehicles and camper trailers through the extreme parts, sometimes with some assistance of a snatch rope. Mistake Creek was a reasonably clear stream with a firm base but with a very rough exit.  In Canal Creek we had to drive along the creek  a bit then navigate a difficult exit. Cannibal Creek had steep, eroded banks with sandy banks . Terry was talking everyone through step by step.  Cyprus Creek is partly covered by a log bridge. It was time to stop for lunch before we continued on.

Bob on the log bridge on Cyprus Creek

 Nolan’s Creek was the last one and a very, very deep creek with a deceptively soft sandy bottom!! The guys went in to check and then it was on with the water bras to protect the radiators, air down in tyres and seal up any gaps that may let in water in the camper.Bob managed to make it through to everyone’s surprise without the need of a snatch rope but the bonnet took a bit of a dunking here and smoke poured out the exhaust on his exit. He stopped up top, leaving the motor running to investigate. Apparently the dust bowl under the air filter must have fallen off somewhere on the rough tracks earlier and this left a relatively large hole some 3 x 2 inch for the water to get into the air filter and into the motor. We were lucky he got through the creek without stalling or else much more serious damage could have easily occurred to the motor itself.   At least we didn’t join the reputedly over 40 4WDs this season that Nolan’s had laid claim to already.  

Bob's initial bow wave in Nolan's Creek

Bob driving through Nolan Creek

Most of the others got through without too much drama, but Wes got about half way across the water and lost traction in the treacherously soft sand and got stuck in the middle with his camper trailer floating at a 45 degree angle to his car.  Terry had to snatch Wes out. Unfortunately a lot of water got inside the car but thankfully no real damage was sustained by Wes. John also met with a watery fate however he popped a tyre as he was snatched out. It took days for the cars to dry out and the contents within.

Wes in trouble on Nolan's Creek

 

We soon left Nolan’s after John’s tyre was changed, arriving at the Jardine River campsite.  Our camp tonight was on the banks of the river in nice natural bushland. This is in a national park and once again, Rob & I as well as Dave and Glen did not have bookings. The stupid sign gives you a number to call but there is no reception out there and they take far too long to take a booking back in Brisbane that we weren’t going to even try to use the stat phone we had with us. So we separated from the rest of the team and camped separately on a lovely riverside spot we found. John even had a shot at trying to catch a fish (or a croc!)

 

Dave fishing at Jardine River - maybe for a croc?