buddy's Site

Our trip started from Hervey Bay Queensland on the 20th January 2007. We travelled South via the New England Highway as far as Glen Innes in NSW where we turned West and travelled to Bourke via Inverell, Moree & Walgett. Then it was south to Cobar and West again to Broken Hill then South to Port Augusta and thence Port Lincoln.

We then followed the Coast road round the Eyre Penisular and across the Nullarbo plain into Western Australia. From Norseman we turned South to Esperence then Noth to Wave rock before arriving at Albany, back on the coast, and again follwed the road around to the most South Westerly point of the continent, at Augusta, before turning North and following the coast via Margaret River, Busselton, Bunbury to Fremantle and Perth.

We tarried here a week or so before heading North to Jurian Bay, Kalbarri, Geraldton and finally Monkey Mia (Shark Bay) where we hand fed the dolphins. This was our destination for this trip.

The most Easterly point of the Australian continent is at Steep Point, about 20 mins by boat from here, but a full day over rough track by 4WD.

We had taken 11 weeks to get this far and reluctantly started heading back via the towns of Perenjori, Wongan Hills and Northam in the area known as the "Wheat Belt". During Spring this area has the most magnificent wildflowers to be seen in Australia. At Northam we watched the hot air ballons from our caravan each morning as they majestically floated overhead. Then it was on to Kalgoorlie where we visited the Gold mine " Super Pit" which is the largest man made hole in the Southern Hemisphere.

Then it was back across the Nullarbor on the Eyre Highway and down to Port Pirie. Thence to Clare and then Renmark where we camped for a week beside the Murray River. We followed the river to Swan Hill and Echuca before turning North to Hay and Griffith. Thence to Cobar and Northeast to Gilgandra and on to Tamworth, which is known as the Country Music Capital of Australia. From here we followed the Fossikers Way to Warialda and Moree where we stopped to soak in the thermal pools. Then it was off to Glen Innes, Tenterfield, Stanthorpe and Killarney before we finally arrived home after visiting family in Biloela and Brisbane.

We managed to take over 700 photos and these are just a few we sent to Buddy along the way.

 

    After getting back to Cairns and a couple of days sleep I was off again, this time to Kuranda. I paid the $39 and went by sky rail. It was absolutely breathtaking believe me. No I didn't get out at the two stations and go on any walks even though they were fully guided by park rangers. I had learnt not to trust myself or tempt God. We travelled over 2 or 3 ranges before we arrived. The following afternoon I heard that there had been a traffic jam from Cairns to Kuranda because of a tsunami scare. Thanks be to God I was already up there. Also it was a furphy.
Impressions - What was it doing up there ?(check out this link) No apparent primary industries, although some had tried to grow coffee until beaten back by the rain forest. Tourism is the heartbeat today.
Also, I found out that you can't wander up town at 6:00 pm for a hamburger tea. The whole place closes down  at 4:30!! and doesn't reopen until 9:00am. so, the next day  jumped on the train and viewed the Barron falls. The line was closed to Cairns until the line had been checked after the rainy season so I caught a bus back for $4. While up there I also saw the Bird World Sanctuary and the Butterfly World. There were a few other attractions but I decided to head back to Cairns and home to Hervey Bay

    Well I went on this day tour to the Daintree and it was excellent. When we got to the Mossman Gorge, we were told by the tour guide that we had 25 minutes to go on a bushwalk along the designated trails and that we were not to go across the swing bridge as we had to be back at the bus at 4:55pm
Simple. However, this dumbie went over the footbridge and walked and walked and walked. Eventually I ran out of track and time. Then came dumb mistake No.2 -  I decided to go overland, making for the mossman river - a thunderous white river roar it was. I soon learnt that it was not easy in rainforest as everything you grabbed for support was either rotten or a vile nettle. anyhow, I got down to the river, climbed up onto a large flat rock and decided to go to sleep ha!  I had picked the hardest rock in Australia and no matter how hard I tried it just wouldn't fit my back. Strange that. Anyhow, just as I was falling into an involuntary exhausted sleep, the bullfrogs started. just like being caught in a traffic jam with every car playing its own loud music on the sub woofer (bass). and this was on top of the river's deafening roar - I reckon the ABC should read this for they said" I just sat on a rock and waited to be rescued"  Ha! So cold and wet and shivering (I had stumbled across and into 2 creeks  on the way) I watched the moon go around 260? degrees until the sun came up. I decided that scrambling over the rocks towards the road was useless so I went overland again not grabbing hold of nettle palms - my hands and arms were already bloodied from the day before. I eventually came across  the walking track!! after awhile and was heading back towards the car park. I came across the SES and very helpful police on the way and we got back to the car park. Drama over. I can only humbly thank my God for I declared it a time of fasting to my God. So I never got hungry or panicked, no Crocodiles or wild pigs, my spirit was buoyed as the reporter testified and drama over. Thanks be to my God through my Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen and again, I say Amen. Also, the ambulance guy found nothing wrong with me either. To be fair, I gave no interview to the media and they just gleaned what they could.

    Lots of water but you get use to it . Cargo is loaded on the boat in Cairns (very busy time) when we arrive at lockhart river the first unloading takes place. The crane (the big yellow thingo) is expertly driven by a young fellow and was pure poetry to watch. The whole action is highly organised and we could see that practice makes perfect - The Trinity Bay even carries its own forklift truck whick was firstloaded onto the barge from Lockhart River and then transferred back to our ship again when finished. Impressive!!

    We had a couple of days in Cairns photoing etc then it's on board the MV Trinity Bay for a 5 day trip to Thursday Island. Once we got use to the routine - stacks of food , noisy 24 hr engines etc - we started photoing again. One of the interesting things I noticed was the almost impromptu lighthouses which were mounted on 'h' type pipe frames mounted in the water at strategic places. It was often difficult to tell the mainland from the many islands. Fortunately, they had a computerised GPS system so we spent much of our time running back and forth trying to identify this or that position. It was really good when we got up the next morning. First we checked our position then we had breakfast! The name of the company that ran the vessel is Sea Swift and they can be found here Our photos on board, taken by the company, can be found here, There are many others also. They were already booked out for May to November! ( the non Cyclonic season)
Enjoy

My photos start at  the Maryborough West Railway Station with various trains passing through as we wait for the Sunlander which will carry us North to Cairns on the 1st leg of our Journey. (We are a party of 5 from the Hervey Bay Senior Citizens). Finally we are on  our way. Various photos of the terrain taken from the train window as we move along. The biggest thing that strikes  us is the verdant green grass(long) and the water just laying by the roadsides and the rail lines. Surely they could have harvested it all and sent it down to Hervey Bay where we we are so desperate for rain. Never mind, we will get used to it as we come to realise that the North did not miss out on any of its seasonal rain. But we did.