Wednesday 31st July - Pinnacle Village CP (Wonga Beach)

A nice quiet day today with a drive into Mossman to do some shopping, then Barry & Max both washed their cars and Carol & I have been to the pool and also read a lot.  Hope tomorrow isn't quite so busy.........

A couple of pictures of our site at Pinnacle Village Caravan Park

Tuesday 30th July - Pinnacle Village CP (Wonga Beach)

A nice warm night and at last the sleeping bag is tucked away under the bed.  Barry & Max are into some maintenance on our van today.  Apparently on our way here at some stage the under van plumbing (drainage) pipe was shaken off.  Barry thinks we may have lost it going over a cattle grid so there is nothing to connect our sullage hose to.  No big deal it is just that all our water is draining straight under the van.  I am sure the boys will love doing some maintenance!!!!!!! While they keep themselves amused with that task, Carol & I will probably go swimming (hard life, but someone HAS to do it) Went for a walk along the beach yesterday afternoon to see if we could find any shells, no luck.  Then on our way back we ran into a woman we met at the swimming pool earlier and there she was perched up under her awning with 100’s of shells painting them with lacquer.  Now we know where all the shells went……..

Van is now fixed and the boys will undoubtedly be looking for more bits to do......

Barry & max went fishing, but no luck, will try again tomorrow.

Lovely tree in the main street of Mossman with ferns growing on all the branches.

Monday 29th July - Herberton - Wonga Beach

Leaving Big River Caravan Park in drizzly rain with me securely covered in my poncho to get the Patrol hitched up to the caravan. Heading towards warm, sunny, balmy evenings, beachy, golden sands, torquoise water at Wonga Beach - hopefully....... I think the drizzle may have been because we were so high and actually sitting in a cloud.  Dropping down from Herberton to Atherton it is very steep with a sign for trucks to "use low gear"...Maybe by the time we get to Mareeba we should see sun.  And there it is, popped out of the rainforest at Tolga to a beautiful sunny day.   It was like driving from one time zone into another. The road is very steep and very picturesque, unfortunately it was a little hazy for taking photos so only got one. 
At last we have arrived in paradise, Pinnacle Beach Caravan Park right on the beach.  We have the best 2 sites in the park.  Tucked away in the camping area and right near the pool but not too close to be bothered by yelling kids. The caravans are facing each other with the cars to block off and give us even more privacy - too good.  Have already had 2 swims, water was magnificent.  Looking forward to more swimming and sunbaking tomorrow.  Booked in for a week but that may be extended.!!!!!  We have a large monitor lizard in the tree right beside the caravan.  Hope he stays there and doesn't try to join us in bed during the night.  I will keep the hatch closed just in case...

Sunday 28th July - Herberton

Herberton, where we are staying in the Wild River Caravan Park, is the Oldest Town on the AthertonTablelands (a bit of Trivia!!!) Today we took the Patrol out for a tourist day seeing the sights around the Atherton Tableland.  First call was Mt Hypipamee National Park where we went for a lovely walk thru the rainforest to look at The Crater as well as Dinner Falls. Then it was off to Malanda for a counter lunch at the historic old pub.  The day has ended up very pleasant after a little rain when we first headed off.  After lunch we called at the Curtain Fig Tree to take some pictures and have a look - a real Japanese Tourist day with the camera clicking all day today!!!!!.  Thru Yungaburra, Kairi and up to Lake Tinaroo for some more sightseeing before heading thru Tolga and then down to Atherton on our way back to Herberton.  Barry has spotted a Bunnings at Atherton so he and Max are in there to buy a new chain for the chainsaw while I stay in the car with Carol and write this.......could be a BIG mistake!!!!!.
Luckily not, so we are now back at the Caravan Park to discuss over happy hour our route for tomorrow.

 Camp Kitchen with open fire facilities at Wild River Caravan park, our Caravans at the back.

 The Crater at Mt. Hypipamee National park

 The Curtain Fig Tree

Saturday 27th July - Gravel Pit jupiter - Herberton Caravan Park

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIN - Have a wonderful day...xxxxxxxx     LuvYa Heaps

Left our overnight site with the Brahma Bulls lined up to bid us a fond farewell and safe trip.  Heading down the road there was a lot of road kill between Bluewater Springs Roadhouse and The Lynd Junction never seen so much, dodging all over the road to miss it... This particular part of the road also had "Call Points"  These are markers at certain points where you call up on channel 40 to let oncoming roadtrains know that you have just passed a particular number heading their way.  Interesting, we managed to meet 2 different roadtrains and I think they were very happy to know that we were approaching them. Stopped at Innot Hot Springs to have a paddle in the hot water, a bit Yukky with greeen stuff floating in the water.  The caravan park there charges $32pn to stay so off we went again.  Just started to rain after a beautiful sunny morning. Not cold though....Actually if it could rain a little heavier Barry could get out the "Sabco Blue Micro Fibre", top of the range, and wash the car & caravan - I'm serious here!!!!!!Walked down to Millstream Falls which are meant to be Australia's widest waterfall, beautiful.  Ravenshoe had a Railway Museum free camp but it was too muddy so again off we went. Ravenshoe is Qld's highest town (just a little trivia for you), and now heading to Herberton to stay in a Caravan Park overnight.  Looking forward to standing in a shower for an hour or 2.... Caravan Park is really nice, up the back on an unpowered site with the generator running for $20 a night..Showers, Laundry and we can light a fire if we want to. Too Good

Friday 26th July - Telstra Tower – Gravel Pit Jupiter

Hooray at last into ¾ pants, T-Shirt & thongs, very warm and very pleasant.  Stopped beside the road to get a load of firewood to top up our supply approx.. 90kms Sth of Charters Towers.  Hoping to put all my info onto the blog at Charters towers as I haven’t had the internet for 3 days now so it is all typed up and ready to “cut & paste”.  Had lunch at Charters Towers and then headed towards Fletchers Creek (camp 284) for the night.  Lordy, lordy lordy Fletchers Creek was disgusting.  There were 100’s, NOT exaggerating, 100’s of caravans that looked like they had been sitting there for a month at least.  A real “Shanty Town” feel to the whole place. Even a dead animal between 2 caravans, not joking……… so we kept going and found a pleasant spot at the back of a gravel pit on the Gregory Development Rd.  Not bad at all, Max walked down the back and we are very secluded.  I have named this camp “Gravel Pit Jupiter”……. Pictures of the clothes line Max has rigged up between the caravan and a tree, if we stayed here long enough it could also end up a “Shanty Town”.....Haha

Thursday 25th July - Staircase Range - Telstra Tower 35kms Sth of Belyando Crossing

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX

Spent 2 nights at Staircase Range and had the phones turned off as there was no signal.  Even when we walked to the top of a hill there was no signal.  Early start today – Max’s Birthday, on towards Emerald and then start looking for a camp for tonight.  One week today on the road and it is now starting to get a little warmer during the day.  Certainly not the nights though with a full moon and a beautiful clear sky full of stars and freezing.  Saw a coal train today at Gindle south of Emerald, 55 coal wagons then 1 bank engine and another 55 coal wagons – HUGE!!!! Into Emerald to fuel up, get more water, shopping and then onto our next camp.  The day is very warm and Barry has even put his shorts on during our lunch break.  Pulled into Capella and took some pictures of the monument in the Main street  to the lighthorsemen.  Didn’t look good for a camp site on the road from Capella to Belyando Crossing and thought we may have to keep going and find a Caravan Park.  Thankfully right opposite the Telstra Tower 35kms south of Belyando Crossing was a great little run off where we could park for the night.    Barry & Max think we may have pulled into “The Indigenious Used Car Lot”.  Carol was thinking of buying the Combi the fellas are taking for a test drive, for Max’s Birthday !!!!  HaHaHa

Wednesday 24th July - Staircase Range

Have decided to spend the day at Staircase Range as it is a beautiful day and we all decided to sit and unwind for the day.  Barry has managed to do his juicing and we have all been for a lovely walk through the bush to the top of a hill with great views.