Ma:Mu

Nerada Tea Plantation

Zillie Falls

Ellinjaa Falls

Native Banana Flower along the Ma:Mu Canopy Walkway.
We left Millaa Millaa Tourist Park behind, damp and boggy after a light rain through the night.
Visited Zillie Falls, Ellinjaa Falls and Mungalli Falls in drizzle.
Morning tea was enjoyed at Mungalli Creek Bio Dynamic Dairy.
Discovered Ma:Mu Canopy Walkway as we headed towards Innisfail.
What a find.  This is a Must Do if you're in the area.
The canopy walkway resulted after the destruction left by Cyclone Larry in 2006. The North Queensland locals still talk about Larry as if the cyclone only happened yesterday.
To construct the canopy walkway, not a single tree was removed.  Instead, after Cyclone Larry, the walkway was constructed following the path of destruction.
The cyclone features quite heavily in the information panels along the walks.
More than nine hundred thousand recycled milk bottles were used in the making of the plastic decking used on the walkways.
A shuddering thirty seven metre high tower (cyclone proof of course) takes one up above the rainforest canopy.  Exhilarating.
Innisfail, a city of Art Deco architecture, is also recovering from Larry and a project to restore its buildings to their original glory is continuing today.
We don't have enough time to explore Innisfail fully so put the town on our agenda for a later trip and head back to Cairns.
The weather improves as the day wears on.

Freethinker, Vulcan, Open Stope, Ore Pass, Oh, and Puppies!

Here we are, camped under the Bougainvillea on the Town Common (Bill Newburn Park) Irvinebank.

Most of the historic museums seemed to be shut at Irvinebank today, except for Freethinker Cottage where we found these very cute little puppies, amongst other things.

Freethinker Cottage is a privately owned and run "museum" of mining and farm equipment.

Boris the Blitz Truck
Spent a bit of time sightseeing around Irvinebank, again, lots to see and do even though some attractions were shut.  Of course there was a cemetery or two to wander through and The Vulcan Mine remains.  The original Irvinebank Dam is closed to the public but there is a picturesque lake and weir close to the town itself.
But it was the owner of Freethinker Cottage that provided us with the most interest for the day with his endless collection of old motor vehicles, old farm equipment and tools, bush furniture, puppies, local knowledge and so much more.
Drove back to the Tablelands via Herberton and Atherton and now camped at wet and boggy Millaa Millaa.
On the way we stopped at Gallo Dairyland to sample the chocolate and the cheese but because I had an upset tummy I stuck to sampling the yogurt and nothing more.  Purchased some cheese to take back to Cairns.

So Much More At Chillagoe

Lunch @ Post Office Hotel

Where's mine?

A bit of humour was served with lunch at Post Office Hotel.

Remains of Chillagoe Smelter.

Railway line to nowhere at Chillagoe Smelter.  Chillagoe is one town of many where mining failed to live up to expected returns.
There's heaps to see in Chillagoe!  Marble is all around the place, literally.  A beautiful waterway with a weir and groves of majestic paperbark trees growing on its banks...
A wonderful day and very hot. We filled up our fuel tanks then sat and had a chocolate coated ice cream and made our way to  Irvinebank.  Lots of little towns on the way, which we didn't stop to investigate as time was limited.
Found a great spot to free camp (on the Town Common and with free HOT shower) opposite the pub at Irvinebank.
Had dinner at the pub, and early to bed.

Loves Me Like a Rock

Both Honey Pie and I loved the guided tour of the Donna Cave at Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park.
Our tour guide, Fred, was very informative, knowledgeable, patient and friendly.  Our group was in the cave for around one hour.  This is certainly not a cave that can be explored without a guide.
What fascinated me most was the concept of false floors on which we actually walked.  False floors are a bit like mezzanine levels and I couldn't help wondering about how strong they are and how much weight they could take.  But after holding a piece of stalactite and feeling how heavy it is, well, perhaps a false floor is pretty strong?  I just had to trust Fred!

Look at the shadow, can you see the outline of the Madonna?  This is why this particular cave is called The Donna Cave.

Here is a beautiful example of a 'curtain', also in The Donna Cave.

This is a pathetic photograph of me but every time I see it I laugh.  I can't help thinking of the Lord of The Rings movie and the Hobbits.  Is this how humans are made to look small using trick photography?  Ha ha!

"Hang on, I can't leave yet, this rock needs me right now!!!!"

Me and My Shadow

Well, I was right about the ablution block...terrible, cold water, ripped shower curtains, no privacy...
Also, may have picked a bad spot to camp our tent, right under power lines.  Woke this morning with the worse backache I've ever experienced which eased almost as soon as I was out of bed.  Could the power lines have caused this?

Playing with shadows.

Beautiful sunrise.

The aforesaid power lines.

This is the penultimate full moon of the trip.  (Actually, it was full moon on Monday but it's been too cloudy to notice!)
We've booked in to visit The Donna Cave this morning and need to be at the cave by quarter to nine.
It's shaping up to be a hot day. 

And Another Thing.

One more good thing about camping at Tyrconnell Historic Gold Mine is the fact that we could have a camp fire which I did and which I kept going for the entire time we camped.  This morning I couldn't let a good fire go to waste so I made gluten-free damper in the camp oven and then shared with Honey Pie and fellow camper Gary.  Yum!
After morning tea we packed up and set off to visit Mount Mulligan.
Did I mention that the drive to Tyrconnell mine is four wheel drive only?  I don't think I did...but it is.  So is the drive to Mount Mulligan.  On the way to Mount Mulligan and at Mount Mulligan one finds lots of cemeteries to visit with many an interesting and sometimes very sad story to tell.  At the turn of the twentieth century one poor family lost five of its children in a space of eleven years.
Mount Mulligan itself is quite an impressive landmark with its own tragic history.
During the early part of the twentieth century a coal mine operated at Mount Mulligan.
On September 19, 1921, an explosion at the mine killed seventy five men.  The explosion was heard by school children and mothers and wives in the town, many suddenly orphans or widows.
As I stood in front of the mountain and read the history of the disaster, cold chills ran down my spine.
As I travel the country and learn more and more about miners, I have gained a new respect for mine workers.  I think it takes a brave man (and woman) indeed to carry on in such an occupation.

Mount Mulligan.

Brick Kiln in front of Mount Mulligan.

Numbered Markers at the cemeteries, I'm not sure of their significance but can only conclude that each one represents a miner killed in the Mount Mulligan disasters.
***
We drove back to Dimbulah and then made our way to Chillagoe arriving just in time to book ourselves into a cave tour tomorrow morning.
Tonight, we're camped at the Rodeo Ground...okay camping but if last night's ablution block was the best so far, tonight's is looking to win the award for the worst this trip!

Showers With Frogs

Remains of the old gold mine and stamping battery.  The stamping battery is still in working condition.
We love it here so much that we've decided to stay a second night.
Unfortunately we are unable to see the quartz crushing machine in operation as the owners of the historic mine are on holidays and the site is being looked after by friends.
Despite this, there is so much to see and investigate, so much to photograph, well, we hardly notice that the machine is not working!
Gary, a fellow camper (the only one by the way) goes 'on tour' with us.  (It's actually a self-guided tour).  He and Honey Pie spend lots of time in 'man' conversation which leaves me free to take heaps and heaps of photographs!

Above are some shots of the old mine manager's cottage, which is now used as holiday accommodation.
The owners of the mine restored the cottage and lived in it for a while.  It has everything one needs to live in the cottage, including a wooden high chair.  If it's not specific to the period, it's very discreetly hidden behind closed doors.  (E.g. Microwave oven and electric jug.)

We wandered down to the creek for a nature treat and also found some mine shafts and an old bucket.
The butterflies were abundant but almost impossible to photograph.

The ablution block was a treat!  I would have to vote it the best so far.  I had the 'Ladies' all to myself until late the second day, as I was the only female camped at the camp ground.  But then I realised I had to share it with the frogs!  I think the frogs are white lipped tree frogs. There was one in the laundry tub, one on a toilet seat lid, one on the floor and one in the shower recess!
I had some free time to myself when Honey Pie and Gary went up to a nearby lookout.  While they were away I caught up with some blogging etcetera.
Generally a relaxing, beautiful day, although it's tended to be a bit windy.  Not to worry though, because our camp spot is well protected from the wind.

It's Magic!

A bit of mood lighting, change the setting on the camera, voilà!  It's magic!  This is why one shouldn't believe everything one sees in print.

Musty room or not, it was just as well we booked a room last night because the rain pelted down and the wind blew gales all night.

The set-up where we stayed was pretty clever. It's actually backpackers' accommodation which is housed in shipping containers arranged in a u-shape and the whole lot covered over with a steel roof. Perhaps the mustiness is part of the rainforest influence and a negative aspect of living in the rainforest!

The ablution and community kitchen block still left a lot to be desired and rainforest or not, cleanliness is not hard to be achieved if carried out on a regular basis.

A television was set up at the end of the dining area but this was commandeered by a Spanish national in his late fifties and we heard the news being broadcast in every language but English.

This was how we learned about the tragic incident at the Love Parade in Germany. It seems so hard to believe that such incidents can happen in this day and age of what sometimes appear to be excessive OH&S regulations. Not excessive enough perhaps?

The Spanish gentleman became quite animated when news of Spain's Rafael Nadal's Wimbledon win was broadcast. And so he should, haven't the Spanish also won the Tour De France, the German Grand Prix and the World Cup? I guess he had every reason to want to hog the television!

Above: Views of Kuranda.

Kuranda Village contains a mixture of galleries, churches, nature attractions, gardens, parks, markets and eateries (among other things!) (It sort of reminds me of Byron Bay – in the hills!)

Once again, the weather left a lot to be desired but we did manage to see quite a bit of the town. We contemplated visiting the Butterfly Sanctuary but decided to leave that until our granddaughter arrives in Cairns next month, for the impending wedding.

Honey Pie has already decided that the wet tropics/rainforest is not his cup of tea. Nice place to visit but the constant dampness is really getting to him.

But he doesn't have to wait for long before we're out of the wet.

Our plan is to visit Mount Mulligan and Chillagoe-Mungana National Park.

We drive through Mareeba, (stopping for great coffee at Jacques Coffee), on to Dimbulah where we have trouble finding a place to have lunch, and where we turn off onto the Mount Mulligan Road. The sky is now a brilliant blue, the sun shining and the weather dry.

We left the Mount Mulligan Road to investigate the area around Kingsborough and come across Tyrconnell Historic Gold Mine where we discover a great camp at the mine itself. We're quite impressed with what we've found and decide to stay the night.

Play Misty For Me

Barron Falls in the mist.
We left Cairns this morning in the mist, rain and cold.

First stop was Smithfield Shopping Centre to pick up a pair of casual shoes I'd ordered the day before from Earlville. I also spent some time searching for a top to wear to the wedding. The best I could do was to put one on hold at Noni B and order another in a larger size. The store promised to call me on my mobile once the larger size had arrived and then I could chose from the two. So fingers crossed.

After a quick lunch at the shopping centre we pointed the car towards Kuranda.

Muddy, wet and misty Kuranda.

By the time we arrived there most of the shops were closed so we made our way to Barron Falls Lookout to view the falls in the mist. Also did a short walk to the Railway Station (very expensive to travel on this line!) and up the street. 

We Found ourselves a caravan park on the other side of town and decided to stay in a cabin after a bit of a debate. The cabin was affordable but the room was very musty. The receptionist suggested we spray the room with freshener (I had my own anyway) but I knew that would only be a short term solution. In the end I left Andrew to make the decision and guess what ?  We stayed in the cabin.

 Camping would have been near impossible anyway because the camp ground was boggy, saturated from two weeks of constant rain. One camper van had already become bogged so in some ways we had no other choice.

I sprayed the room but in a short time I had to do it again....

A little Irish Pub in Kuranda.

Pitcher Plants or Dutchman's Pipes growing on Kuranda Station.


Tools and various implements embedded into the footpath at Kuranda.

Honey Pie

My sister wanted a canvas gazebo erected in her backyard in preparation for all the guests expected for her daughter's wedding.
Andrew gave her husband a hand.  Here he is taking a break after the strenuous effort.
Mostly had an easy day, my sister and I went shopping.  I need to buy myself a new top for the wedding as the one I've brought with me is too small now.  Yes...I've put on weight despite all the walking and mountain climbing we've done.
Tonight I cooked dinner for the four of us. Broccoli and Chicken Au Gratin.
Honey Pie packed the car again, as tomorrow we plan to head out west for more sightseeing.

The Tablelands

Today, Friday 23^rd July is a public holiday in Cairns (Cairns Show Day) and my brother in law had promised us a guided tour around the Tablelands. He grew up on the tablelands in the fifties and sixties.

The weather was somewhat miserable but we made the best of the day and up the treacherous Gillies Highway we went.

Sights we visited included Lake Barrine, The Twin Kauris, The Cathedral Fig, Mobo Creek Crater, The Chimneys, Lake Euramoo, Bromfield Swamp, The Crater, Dinner Falls, Millaa Millaa Falls and Lake Eachem.

Honey Pie and I had visited some of these attractions in the seventies and I'm looking forward to searching for the photographs we took during the earlier visit on our return home to compare them with photographs we've taken today.

We had lunch at Malanda Pub and had to return to Malanda for afternoon tea as everywhere else seemed to be shut! Couldn't blame them really, as the weather was fit for ducks and not much more.

Thanks to a knowledgeable local, we were able to see much more in the time we had than if we'd done the trip on our own.

My how they've grown!  Twin Kauri Pines.

Brightly coloured rainforest fungi.

Hypipamee Crater, Atherton.  That green at the bottom of the picture is water!  How deep is deep?
An eighty two metre deep lake with fifty eight metre sheer granite walls rising above the lake.

Picture perfect, Millaa Millaa Falls.  (People were swimming here even though it was raining).