Tripping North 3

Departed Cairns early the next morning and was just starting to settle into the cabin by the river could have slept for a week with the sweet sound of the water over the rocks.  Decided to make a little detour on the way and show Lynelle a little of the northern surrounds.  Arrived at Kuranda a little after daylight and took a walk about this delightful village which has lost none of its charm I am pleased to say.  Back when I lived in the area alternative lifestyle people, I guess Australias version of the flower children, came from all over the world and many squatted in the rainforest.  They did not realize that the young locals were already flower children living the life we did!!

Kuranda Railway Station in my eyes had not changed from the days when would arrive at the station in the steam train, alight from the train rubbing the coal dust, soot, from our eyes as would lean out the windows defying gravity for most of the trip. Crossed the railway line and followed the river and through the rainforest for a delightful squiss at the locale and met some most engaging locals in the town and on the walk.  Lynelle went to the toilet before we headed off on the long journey south and aware of my once on a roll no stopping!!  while she was away I arranged for a beautiful snake I saw draped around the neck of an employee at the Venom collection facility.  I did not think Lynelle would take the snake but she surprised me and said it was something she had always wanted to do. Walking the rainforest track the shy "freshy" crocodile was swimming along beside me.  These are very docile and do not as a rule bite humans and do not grow to the savage proportions of the "salty".  They are usually a lot slimmer with a more tapered snout.

I drove through Atherton where I did not stop.  The area was tinder dry and brown and had never seen the Tablelands in this situation before.  Driving on to Malanda and Millaa Millaa the restoration of the green and moist returned so was not disappointed in that.  Stopped at the falls and unfortunatly one of the lens of the camera none of the shots turned out, a dob of butter had somehow melted into the equipment, very negligent on my part.

Down the Palmerston Highway and then headed the nose to Townsville and did not stop until I shredded a tyre somehow on the outskirts of Townsville heading towards Charters Towers.  A fellow helped me change the tyre and he lived in Townsville and used to be a Dalby boy!! and knew many people I did, it is a small world.  Once I married a Dalby boy how I ended up leaving the far north for the Darling Downs of Queensland but that is another story.

Unfortunately did not get the opportunity to photograph the country between Townsville and Charters Towers at sunset as had been my intention as the tyre debacle had delayed us somewhat.  Arrived at Charters Towers in the dark and then headed off on the development road through Belyando Crossing where I snoozed for a couple of hours and arrived at Clermont as the sun rose.  Lynelle's daughter is a school teacher at Capella so waited until a respectable hour so Lyn could visit and I could sleep for a few hours.  Shannon was one of the girls who would help me with the show horses so she gave me a demonstration on her horse and showed us her block of land she had purchased so I would at a wild guess imagine she is staying in the central west of the state!!

Lindsay, Hayley and Dale

Headed off in a hurry as had to pick up a horse at Comet and another at Rockhampton.  Arrived at Comet and luckily I went to the local pub which is a beauty I must say to gather information on the directions to the property.  Turned out 200 ks of dirt road, "dog track" down sandy creek beds and crossing the river.  Not on as would still be there with the rig I was towing so after spending too much time figuring things out and it was hot and dry headed on to Rockhampton to see some friends and pick up my old horse who I had given to another of the girls who had assisted me and she was having a baby and did not wish to risk riding and the area is experiencing severe drought.

 Lindsay his ever personable hospitable self but could not stay as was on a mission and left Rockhampton just as the sun set and drove arriving back to the Darling Downs in the small hours of the morning a little tired and crashed my body to bed.