Having reached far north Queensland it is now time to prepare to travel the 2,500km to Darwin and then the further 2,200km to Broome. There is a small Covid outbreak in the Northern Territory so we are keeping a close eye on the border situation. Western Australia publishes an online list of border restrictions and we need NT to be classified as “very low risk” before we can cross the border into WA without having to go into 14 days hotel quarantine at our own expense – which we really don’t need.

The other border we keep an eye on is the the WA – South Australian crossing. There has been a small outbreak in WA and Perth and the Peel district have gone into lockdown. Just now WA says NT is still only “low risk” (we can’t cross) and SA says we can’t enter SA from WA when we want to come back.

It looks like we need to wash off some time before making a decision although with borders shutting like clamshells at a moments notice, things are not looking good.

So it’s back to the beach for us to see what happens!

No room in Port Douglas so here we are on Newell beach with Port Douglas’s Flagstaff Hill in the distance

First though we have to finish exploring the Atherton Tablelands. We are currently in Kuranda and our feet and Scoot get us around to see the sights.

The Kuranda Scenic Railway up from Cairns awaits return passengers who choose not to ride the cable car back.

Twin Diesel Electric locos drag the train up the mountain. When will they electrify this line I wonder?

The walking tract from the Kuranda caravan park takes us through the rainforest and along the now unused part of the railway line.
Mmmm, beard is a bit out of hand though … time to find the scissors!

The Barron Gorge, though still impressive, is running at little more than a trickle. I would love to see it in the Wet!

Millaa Millaa

Time to move on and the next stop is Millaa Millaa, home to one of the most visited waterfalls in Queensland. The country is delightfully hilly with steep windy roads. Trickiest, I find, is going down steep hills, especially the ones that start with “Trucks use low gear”. Are we a truck? Better safe than sorry I guess.

The road takes us through Atherton. It’s lovely to see so many blank concrete walls now sporting a mural.

Millaa Millaa is a very small town sitting on the main highway which drops down to Innisfal on the coast.

The centre of Millaa Millaa – originally a thriving timber town.

This huge 870 year old tree, a seedling in 1137, eventually just fell down

The first stop on the Waterfall Curcuit is the Millaa Millaa fall.

Then comes the Ellinjaa Falls. Those braver than us (young usually) can take the slippery path down for a swim at the bottom.

In the rainforest, plants grow on plants grow on plants.

The hills stretch away from the lookout atop this beautiful contryside. Amazingly, it is cold! We are just not used to it.
Scoot definitely struggled to get us up this hill.

Newell Beach

Time to leave the cold hills and return to the relative warmth of the coast. Port Douglas is full, full, full so we go 25km further up the coast to Newell Beach where we settle for a couple of weeks, with the occasional trip to Mossman and Port Douglas for supplies and markets.

Port Douglas is a firm favourite of ours. Newell Beach is straight across the bay.

It is becoming increasingly clear that our original plan to do a long lap of Australia has now been completely shredded. The chances of us making it around without getting held up at one state border or another are now very low. We have resigned ourselves to spending more time up here in far north Queensland before making our way back south to Noosa for the beginning of October.

There are good things and bad things about this. The good things are that it is giving us a chance to explore the area more, and also to get in lots of reading, which we both love. On the other hand, we will also miss catching up with all our friends in WA which we were really looking forward to. Also we are spending far too much time crammed into caravan parks which are all bursting at the seams with migrants from the southern states escaping from both the cold and the Covid lockdowns which are now happening all too regularly. Finding free camps on the coast is all but impossible and if you do find one, they too are crammed full.

We have also discovered that many southerners regularly over-winter up in these parts, spending three or four months in the same spot before going south again for spring.

Newell Beach is a very small community and it is lovely to be able to walk along the beach with Scoot getting us to town when we have need.

There is a deep inlet at each end of Newell beach, surely home to the odd salt water croc!

There are signs of erosion and everywhere … these seats could once be sat on.

Lovely position right on the beach but I suspect the climate change future might look bleak

Essentials are near at hand!

We have really enjoyed the birds here – they sing us awake and sooth us to sleep and sometimes just dazzle our eyes.

Fancy living with a name like ‘Orange-footed Scrubfowl’!

The tiny but exquisite male Sunbird

Jacqui plays fast and loose with a giant fish.

The weekly Mossman market, nestled under magnificent trees, is the place to get local supplies of fruit and veg, not to mention stunning clothes and fabrics

As a reminder that the serious businness of harvesting sugar cane is under way, the cane train chugs through the heart of Mossman

Mossman Show, just like the old days in Albany!

This is a real local show far north Queensland style. Over two days the whole town and all the surrounds turn out.

What would a show be without horses.

The crowd gathers awaiting the action

First come the Axe Men …

This man came a long way last, but then he is 83!

Then those magnificent men in their flying machines.

Time for food … yum.

And, of course, you must have miniature pig races

And the winner is … Purple Pig – Hoorah. (Pic by Jacqui)

Lots of showbags (three different stalls)

Giant soft toys

Hooray … the domestic chook hall. Old English Game Wheaten bantums were our pets back on the Wolery

Our favourite rooster was Ernie … just like this one!

On the other hand, there wasn’t much sugar cane to judge in Albany

Mareeba and on to Cooktown

We now go back into the hills to Mareeba where coffee and chocolate is grown and processed, and then on up to Cooktown. The last time we were in Cooktown was in 2006 when the inland sealed road had just opened. Then it was very quiet. Now the four caravan parks are packed.

Lots of casual work up here, just nowhere to live … rents have gone through the roof, as they have everywhere along this coast. The places that used to accomodate casual workers are now AirBnBs.

The Trinity CP just outside of Mareeba had plenty of space, and wet foggy mornings

The birds came to visit. Flocks of these enchanting Double Barred Finches entertain us

A Flock Bronzewing eyes us suspiciously

This male Crested Dove doesn’t have food on it’s mind

The Mareeba Council have provided this easy access RV parking area right outside Coles supermarket

On the road to Cooktown

One of the few free camps on the road to Cooktown … the Lakeland pub supplies the Pizza

Cooktown and the classic Top Pub. Last time we were here, there were horses tethered outside.

You can say lots with good street art. Interesting to think how much the locals helped Cook to survive, after which he said there was nobody here. Terra Nullius and all that.

Old buildings abound, although many have been destroyed by fire or cyclones over the years

The man himself

This pavement mosaic shows many sorts of feet watching the ship arrive.

There are a few interesting boats on the Endeavour river

There is a small but active fishing fleet. A small van does the rounds of the caravan parks every afternoon with the days catch

The Endeavour River (Pic by Jacqui)

The road down to Quarantine Bay looked particulary steep and we didn’t want to risk Scoot not being able to get back up. (Pic by Jacqui)

The Botanical Gardens are a delight with a well used cafe to boot.

It is now time to move on and return to the coast. We will return to a few beaches we already know and visit more that we don’t. Luckily we are both able to work as we go thanks to the wonders of the internet.

We do notice how big the travelling vehicles have got. We think our motorhome is big at eight metres but we often find that the caravan parked in the next bay is even longer … not counting the 4WD’s that pull them along which have also got bigger. The caravan parks are still the same size and so we all squish in together.

I leave you with a nest-in-progress just in front of us in the campground – such an amazing architect with just claws and a beak to work with.

A female Subird constucts a nest on a hanging tree root

Enjoy!

Alan.