Mackay to Weipa

We left Mackay on Friday 8^th July up to Cairns, stopping over at BOWEN, TOWNSVILLE and CARDWELL, enjoying the scenery as we went along.   Cardwell is still struggling to recover from Yasi, so many houses still have tarps on, some people are trying to sell, businesses have closed and the pub is a tin roof out the back of the original pub with a couple of tables set up for the bar.    That didn’t stop us from enjoying a couple of quiet drinks with some of the colorful locals. 

We are on a bit of a mission to get to the tip of Cape York so except for the 2 weeks in Mackay only spending 1-2 nights at each stop over.   In CAIRNS we did the first “touristy” thing, we jumped on the Kuranda train and did the sky rail back down.  It was a great day.   

Left Cairns on Thursday 14^th July, up the coast via Mount Molloy, then onto LAKELAND where we stayed the night before hitting the dirt!   We noticed along the way the that there were not too many 2wd out on the roads???   Actually we also noticed from Brisbane we were the only 2wd towing a trailer or anything for that matter….. My darl got some great advice from fellow travelers who were coming and going from the tip.  “No worries mate the roads are great, sit on 100k’s an hour and get as far as you can on the first day”.    Excellent we thought, this’ll be a piece of cake…….then we hit the dirt!!!!!!

Well, my darl turned into Possum Borne (rally driver) re incarnated and we HIT the dirt, hard and fast..  I just hung on most the way, I really don’t know what a bloke would call a bad road but in my mind these roads weren’t “great” as we were told just the night before.  Really my darl was having the time of his life.  Hitting the corrugations and the numerous dips, in his thrill seeker way.  “Yeehah”!!   we went into one dip, I just clung on to anything I could, grabbed his arm only to be told don’t grab my arm, I’m driving, oh okay, can we pull over soon…..Nah want to get passed Coen as far as we could get.    We got to Coen pulled over to fill up and yep our first flat for the trip, left front.    Got old mate to fix him up and on our way we went, how much further?   

Let’s pull over at Archer River, okay, YES!    Got to Archer some 65kms past Coen and guess what another flat….  Left back AND a bulge in the right back!!!   Also the 2 front tyres were just about down to the metal on the inside, something to do with wheel alignment I believe.  I somehow knew I should have taken more notice of that clairvoyant earlier this year.    

That little patch of red on the above beautiful landscape of the Archer River is me!!.....
Anyway we camped up for the night at Archer River a lovely spot, went for a walk down to the River where we come across a few indigenous (my dad told me I wasn’t allowed to call them anything else) folk setting up their camps for the week-end.  And guess what……

WE STILL SMILING!!        

Sorry George, we tried to save the bottle of Canadian Club for Xmas, but we just had to crack it after the day we had on the roads.

Seems our "Mission to the Tip of the Cape" has come to a screaming halt!!  Next installment, our time in Weipa........

We're Off - Alex Hills to Mackay

We set off from home on the 24^th June, all packed up and rugged up!   We had a first “big” day on the road  and pulled up at TANANA (on the outskirts of Maryborough).   Most impressed with the spacious park, had pool views.  As it was Friday night we decided to treat ourselves with dinner and drinks at the pub, which just happened to be next door to the van park, we are hoping they are all like this one…..

From there we set off, having an overnighter in ROCKHAMPTON, en route to MACKAY.  We weren’t very impressed with the park at Rocky, though it was by the lovely river, the park was packed in like sardines, bit too close for comfort, we like our space….  We enjoyed a good couple weeks in Mackay catching up with family and friends.   Did some sightseeing, Eungella National Park, Finch Hatton Gorge, Moranbah and spent a great week-end at CAPE HILLSBOROUGH where we took 3 bush walks.  Cath and I struggled a little on the inclines, the boys managed effortlessly….