Waterfalls FNQ.

After leaving Townsville we took our time heading north with some relaxing, peaceful camps alongside creeks and beautiful waterfalls. We were still getting a bit of rain (especially in the rainforests) but nothing too heavy. We visited numerous waterfalls and they all had a fair amount of water running over especially as the locals reckon they haven’t had much rain this year. Speaking of which, we called into Tully, the wettest town in Australia and true to form, it was pelting down when we came out of the supermarket. We sat and waited til it stopped before walking back to the car but the locals didn’t even notice and just carried on in it. One lady we spoke to who moved from Tully to Townsville said the one thing she didn’t miss was the mould and when you looked you could indeed see the mould growing on the outside of the houses so would hate to see the insides!

We stayed a couple of nights at Ingham and did day trips out to Lucinda on the coast (which has the best fish and chips I’ve tasted yet) and up in the hills to Wallaman Falls which is the highest single drop fall in Australia at 268 metres. On the way we drove through the village Trebonne and came across this old corrugated iron post office with old private boxes outside and still opens for one hour a day.

We then went on up past Hinchinbrook Island, through Cardwell stopping at the local ‘Spa Pool’ out in the forest for a dip before camping at Murray Falls for a couple of nights. Onwards next up to Paronella Park for a couple of nights (but that’s another story) and through Innisfail which we should have stayed at for at least a night as there’s some history and old ‘Art Deco’ buildings. We drove to Millaa Millaa up in the Atherton Tablelands and stayed a few nights using this as a base to look around and yep, more waterfalls! There’s some beautiful old historic villages up there worth seeing but watch out for one of the locals who bailed us up for a good hour telling us where and what to see. He was trying to send us up some goat track and in the end was reciting poems he wrote and movie lines before we got away!

For Easter we went out to Chillagoe stopping for a night on the way at Innot Springs where the creek has natural hot thermal springs and you can dig your own spa to sit in. Or you can just stay in the caravan park next door and use their pools all at different temperatures.

Chillagoe is on the Burke Development Road on the way to Normanton and has numerous limestone caves but only a few you can visit, some with a guide only and a couple on your own. There’s also the old smelter that use to refine tin, silver, gold, zinc but mainly copper. Mining is still(or again) active in the area. The main reason we came out this way was to get away from the school holiday and Easter crowds but there was a bit to see and turns out the camping was free at the rodeo grounds and had a nice creek alongside with swimming holes.

After Easter we headed back up to the tablelands and stayed a few nights at Tinaroo Dam and hoped to catch some ‘red claw yabbies’ but there was none about. This may have something to do with the low water levels, the rain or maybe cleaned out over Easter. Not just us, as others weren’t getting any as well!

Next stop the big smoke Cairns. Tell you about it later!

Hinchinbrook Island & Channel

Lucinda Jetty, 5.76kms long for loading sugar.

Spa Pool, Cardwell.

Wallaman Falls, Australia’s largest single drop fall at 268m.

Trebonne Post Office, still opens for one hour daily!

Art Deco building

Innisfail-Art Decobuildings.

Innisfail-Art Deco church.

Innisfail-Art Deco buildings.

The Tinnie! Kurrimine Beach.

Kurrimine Beach-stinger net.

Millaa Millaa Falls

Elinjaa Falls

Tablelands lookout.

Curtain Fig Tree

Curtain Fig Tree

Royal Hotel, Herberton. See the old fire escape!

Yungaburra

Millstream Falls

Chandelier-Trezkinn Cave

Chillagoe smelters

Tinaroo Dam