Coastal Queensland

A Trek Through Fresh Waterholes

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This next stage of our adventure is where we spent the better part of a week hopping from waterhole to waterfall.  The fresh water journey started with a rocky playground.

Stop 1 – The Paradise Waterhole & Rock Slides

Just out from Townsville we made it to Paluma Range National Park early in the morning to enjoy breakfast with nature.  We thought it would be more relaxing than the roadside stop we’d slept at the night before.  A 100m walk to the ‘Paradise Waterhole’ and we had to catch our breath as we plunged into the clearest, freshest (coldest) water.  Now fully awake, we ventured a little further down the road where we found a sign marked ‘Rock Slides’.  Waterslides of all varieties were scattered in this natural water park.  We mucked around on a series of slides while some onlookers laughed with us as we slid.  Making our way further down we stumbled across a small waterfall and a smaller slide.  It wasn’t long until we stacked rocks over a floodway to create a new slide which was longer and faster!!

Stop 2 – Some Fresh Fruit & Jourama Falls

Back on the road we stumbled across a farm fresh fruit stall where the farmer had just restocked!  She was the dearest person passionately explaining the unique tropical fruits to us as we loaded some up for an absolute steal (an enormous cucumber for 40c!)  Once the big bag of fruit and veg was loaded in the car we made our way to Jourama Falls.  On the way to the lookout we had a steep climb before opening up to a view overlooking the falls.  The water flowed from one cascade to another over a vast distance. Quite spectacular!  Enjoying the sights and taking silly selfies on the return trip, we bumped into another snake (becoming quite common now) which thankfully slithered into the bush!

Stop 3 – The Longest Pier & The Highest Waterfall

The next stop was from an extreme length to an incredible height.  First, was the longest pier in the southern hemisphere that was constructed in Lucinda.  At a total length of 6km, this was one monster of a pier.  Unfortunately walking on the pier is prohibited as its purpose is to allow cane trains to travel out to load giant freighters.  Standing on the beach it seemed to just disappear into the horizon.

Going from the longest, we then found ourselves in front of the highest single drop waterfall in Australia, Wallaman Falls (cascading a massive 268m).  Awe struck to say the least, we stood gazing at the sight before us on the lookout platform.  Not enough, we decided to take the plunge to the base of the falls which was an incredible test of fitness.  From an open forest into the depths of a rainforest the temperature dropped and the air became thicker.  The steep decent down had paid off, we found ourselves at the base of this mammoth waterfall.  As the sun crept out from behind the clouds, a rainbow (even a double rainbow at one point!) appeared before our eyes as the mist caused the light to refract.  Absolutely stunning!  With clouds creeping back over, the show was done and we struggled back up the 1.6km stairway to our car.

Stop 4 – Cruising the Cardwell Forest Drive

The next small beach town of Cardwell had a Forest Drive all of its own.  Veering off the Bruce Highway was a small loop that had a variety of pleasant swimming holes.  The first we found was Attie Creek.  700m up the track was a deep swimming hole with a complimentary rope swing and great ledges for cliff jumping! Already occupied by some backpackers we joined in the fun and jumped off the rocks.  All the water through this area was a stunning blue that seemed out of this world.

Back on the circuit we skipped the next stop, Dead Horse Creek, as we were running out of time and shot through to see the famous “Spa Pool”.  Created in combination of semi natural conditions and a man made idea, there was a small spa-like pool that had water flowing in from the creek.  We wished it only had a little more water flowing as the ‘jets’ weren’t too powerful!  This spa also flowed into a beautiful fresh water swimming pool which made for a very relaxing afternoon.

Back on the Bruce we continued north where we tucked into the Girramay National Park which was home to the Murray Falls.  Arriving late it was already getting dark so we just had enough time to set up and cook some grub.  Attempting a fire was too difficult as the wet rainforest didn’t provide any dry wood.  Instead we found ourselves in bed going to sleep to the calming rumble of the waterfalls only 300m away…

Coastal Queensland

The Magical Magnetic Island

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Arriving late onto Magnetic Island we drove off the Fantasea Ferry and made our way along a dark windy road until reaching the Bungalow Bay Koala Village.  As the sun slowly came up over the horizon, we were up and out of the camper with the excitement of seeing this new area.  Being here for a few days away from the mainland made this short stint on the island feel like a holiday from the holiday!  We made our way over to Picnic Bay (on the south end) and went for a stroll along the jetty to found ourselves with a magnificant view of tropical fish without even having to snorkel.  The water was an amazing torquoise and crystal clear!  We then stumbled across a rough walking track on the way back.  Along this, we had great views of Picnic Bay and a steep decent lead to a small hidden cove.

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That afternoon we ventured down a bumpy 4×4 road that lead to more secluded beaches.  A small walking track and boom!  Trees opened up to the stunning Florence Bay with no more than 20 people.  We had a late lunch here and even snuck in some cheeky beers ( a little crab mate was keen to get in on the action too!)  Once properly nourished, we threw the snorkels on and went for a paddle off the beach to a small reef.  As we entered the water, we realised there was no escaping home as Nay bumped into a work colleage from a school in Ringwood as he had just finished snorkelling!  As the afternoon slipped away from us we just lazed in the sun after being mesmerized by the tropical fish we’d seen and took the opportunity to continue the hard work on Brook.

We freshened up back at camp and went for a leisurely stroll with some travellers to watch the sunset over Horshoe Bay.  With our mat set up, we watched the world pass as small boats came in and out from their yachts and drunken locals provided entertainment.  One pretended to be a pirate and walked around yelling “Arrrrggghh!” to everyone and in doing so a classy elderly lady calmly replied “Are.”

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The next day we thought some exercise was in order and went to have a look at The Forts which had a major role in World War 2 for this area.  A 4.2km walk took us through the camps where signs were scattered along the path with detailed descriptions on each building.  Arriving at the actual Forts section, these buildings were very much intact and great to walk around.  The Command Centre and Telecomms Post were at the highest points which had plenty of information and all very accessible with fantastic 300 degree views of the ocean.  Just down the hill from these buildings were the gun emplacements.  These guns, each weighing over 10 tonnes, were hauled up the mountain by a tractor from Horseshoe Bay back in 1942.  The fascinating fact is that these two giant guns somehow disappeared without a trace once the war was over.

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The rest of our time here we spent repeating several of our favourite past activities.  We went snorkelling again at Arthur Bay and this time, to our luck, we saw a sea turtle who calming went swimming around us!  Travelling over to the west side of the island we discovered another beautiful beach to watch the sunset over the ocean.  This lead to our final day of clearing out of the Koala Village and having a browse at the local market at Horseshoe Bay.  With a why not attitude, we took the walk over to Balding Bay (a nude beach) for some giggles and spent the arvo here being very free!  The inevitable moment had arrived and the ferry back to townsville was sadly calling us.

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Overall, we had one of the best few days on Maggie and felt very rejuvinated after the busy loop.  It had places for everyone, great beaches for snorkelling, peaceful beaches for swimming and even a couple for the keen fisherman.  The next week was going to be a different chapter again as the ocean disappeared and fresh waterholes and falls were on the horizon…

Coastal Queensland

The Rounding Up Of The Loop

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Slightly disheartened as there was no surf, we continued north and found ourselves at the great entrance of The Capricorn Caves.  Just above Rockhampton, these dry caves were renown for their beauty and hospitality to a variety of bat species.  From back in the 1980’s to the present day, they are also host weddings in a magnificant cathedral ‘room’ in the heart of the cave system.  With a creative light show, it was easy to feel how special and unique it would be to wed here.  Whilst in this room our tour guide turned off all of the lights so we could experience true pitch black!  The song “Music of the Night” was played and it was easy to slip away into another world as the acoustics of the cave engulfed us.

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Other points of interest along the way were creative shapes in the rock formation that were lit up.  Some of these were obviously seen (the rhino rock) and others you really had to stretch your imagination!  Trees above the Capricorn Caves had also sent root systems down to find water and over the years some had grown to a solid 2 inches thick and over 20m long!  In fact, they tracked down one of the longer sets of roots to a tree above that ended up only being a couple of meters high.  On a bouncy escape over a series of suspension bridges, Nay whispered to Mark that she had heard the old bloke in front of her step on some “frogs” as we squeezed through the zig zag tunnel (a tight ‘zig zag’ passage used as the exit).

The next day lead to an early rise as we had learnt about the opportunity to take an iconic Australian photo.  Upon sunrise, at a tucked away spot in Cape Hillborough, Kangaroos congregate on the beach for a morning feed.  The sight was picturesque but had a toll as the early morning rise lead us to sleeping on the beach until lunch.  As the afternoon arrived, we went for a 2.4km journey through the rainforest which was home to a bright blue winged butterfly (it felt like we were in the butterfly enclosure at the zoo!).  We even stumbled across a harmless tree snake slithering along the path! The return track of this journey was the way we came or a swim around the rocks as high tide had absorbed our sandy track that completed the loop.  With shoes off and valuables safe, we jumped in waste deep water and took the short cut!

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As the high tide dropped later in the arvo, a causeway had opened up and we took the opportunity for a walk out to Wedge Island.  Said to have good snorkling we tried our luck but it clearly wasn’t our day as we just ended up cutting our feet open on the rocks!  By the time we were back at the car, our hunger pains were cranking up, so we took off to find a spot to cook some grub. In our search we discovered a perfect spot behind a golf course with beach front views.

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Our next and final spot that completed the loop was the Eungella National Park.  With a steep 10km windy climb into the mountain range, we pulled up at the Broken River campground.  With a small 50m walk leading us to a fantastic viewing platform, we watched for the first time in the wild, the shyest native animal, the platypus!  After observing one splash around for a while, we decided to pulled out our mat with some more delicious goon and spend the evening by the river.  Here we continued to watch a few platypuses swim a mere 10m away from us.  It was such a spectacular experience.

Waking to a frosty 2 degrees (which was a total shock to our system!), we climbed back down the mountain to a walking trail that lead to The Wheel of Fire Waterfalls at Finch Hatton Gorge.  This was an overall 4.4km return walk, involving a steep climb with a section requiring us to hop scotch across stones as the path seemed to have washed away in the river.  At the end, we came face to face with our own private swimming hole and fresh water flowing in from the falls.  It was just unlucky that it was so bloody cold, we didn’t swim!   

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After visiting these calming waterfalls in the morning, we had a solid 5 hour drive that same day to make it to Townsville.  This section took us back past Airlie, where memories of great times with the Johnsies (only 2 weeks prior) flashed back and were discussed about in the car.  Making it to the Townsville Marina by 6:05, we were right on time to catch the barge to take us out onto Magnetic Island…

Coastal Queensland

The Bundaberg Loop

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The goal of this section of the adventure was to complete the east coast of Australia.  Our last major trip we had only made it as far north as Fraser Island.  Therefore to close the gap, we were heading to Bundaberg to see how they made their rum!  As we headed south we dropped into Yeppoon and Rosslyn Bay.  We found a hidden walking track by the name of Bluff Point that took us on a 2.3km circuit around the cliff tops which looked over The Great Keppel Islands.  The breathtaking views also included the township, harbour and dotted in the ocean were boats cruising between each island.  It was a sight to see!  On the way down we were also lucky enough to spot turtles popping up for air around the cliff edges.  As the crocs weren’t residing in these areas we spent the arvo at the beach cooling off and Mark, like a big kid, played in the water park… by himself.

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That night we slipped into Rockhampton for a rediculously cheap $5 steak with sides for only $1 each!  What a win!  Considering we were at the beef capital of Australia and after our recent experiences at The Brook, we thought it would be interesting to take the opportunity to visit the cattle Sale Yards.  As we wandered through the cattle yards we must of stood out like buggery.  It only took seconds before an old local farmer came up and had a good yarn to us explaining what everyone was yelling about at auction.  Basically, the farmers rely heavily on their experience and knowledge of cattle, as they guess the weight of the cows that they bid on ($/kg) and only after they win, do the cows get weighed.  You could easily see how a rookie could get lost in the game.

After delving further south we ended up overshooting Bundaberg for another family catchup on Mark’s side.  Aunty Kathy, uncle David and cousins Emma and Edie were also escaping the Melbourne winter and were in a peaceful, charming town by the name of Woodgate.  We spent the afternoon catching up and swapping stories over some beverages and then later enjoyed a meal at the bowls club.  With only a short but sweet visit, we were off in the morning after a delcious bacon and egg breakie.  Driving away toward Bundy it was still hard to realise where we were in this great country as snippets of family visits seem to disorientate the bearings.

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Making it to Bundy, we were at the home of Bundaberg Rum!  Being here we couldn’t miss the distillary tour.  Even though distilling rum seems like a simple process, we found it was the small tricks along the way that made it incredibly interesting.  One of these, were the huge barrels that stored the rum.  They were built from oak and all hand made with no nails or glue.  The shape was created from timber and large steal rods were bent around the outside to stop it falling apart.  To hold the rum with no leaks, water was added and this allowed the timber to swell and clog any holes.  With only a two hour turn around, once there were no leaks, the water was replaced with rum and left to age for a minimum of two years.  The final and most rewarding section of the tour was the taste testings.  With only two samples each we took advantage and tasted top shelf rums with the most expensive being $140 per bottle!   Ensuring we were right to drive, we booted off to Agnes Water where the surfboards could finally come off the roofracks!

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Arriving at Agnes Water late afternoon we struggled to find a site at the bush camp to take us, as school holidays were still in fine force.  We ended up grabbing a carpark at Cool Bananas (a local hostel) and enjoyed our delicious goon red with some fellow campers around the fire.  Before we knew it, it was 1:30am (this was damn late for us!)  Struggling out of the tent the next morning we made our way up to 1770, the point where Captain Cook had first landed in Australia.  Here we went on some slow strolls and made it to a lookout, where we marveled at some whales jumping out of the water nearby!  On our way back to Agnes, we popped into some markets and ended up back at the bush camp.  Luckily a caravan had just left!  We had a lazy afternoon from here, booking a few events for the weeks to come and taking out Brook to continue the work.  The bush turkeys loved the juicy fatty pieces!  We went for a swim as the sun set over the mainland and found some more courage to enjoy some more goon. 

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Waking the next morning highlighted the depressing fact that the surf was non existent during our stay.  For the journey thus far, the boards were finding themselves still strapped to the roof!  This was sadly all the time we had at Agnes Water as we had to keep moving north to finish the loop and arrive in Townsville for a boat…

Coastal Queensland

Turning Over To A New Chapter – Airlie Beach

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Being back on the road did feel a little unusual again after being stationary at The Brook for the past month.  The sensation of being so free and roaming Australia was far from being dull.  We were excited for the next week to come as Nay’s family had decided to come up for a break in Melbourne’s winter to see us!!  Allowing ourselves three days to travel to Airlie, we made the most of a full sunny day and pulled the cow hide out (officially named “Brook”) to allow her to dry out.  It was a great opportunity to catch up on ourselves and prepare for wild week with the Johnsies!  Unknown to us, the day we had decided to burn across to Airlie came with a great thunder storm. The rain pelted down for a solid 24 hours just to make the trip interesting and created flash flooding in some areas.  We did however, still manage to stumble past the “Big Mango”. The beautiful Airlie everyone had talked about didn’t quite look the same, with ferocious looking clouds casting a dark and gloomy shadow over the town.

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Needless to say, waking up the next day, there was not a cloud in sight and blue skies welcomed the arrival of Dave, Maj, Tez, Charls, Livs AND Mark’s bday!!!  As Gobs was busy at work he joined in on the shenanigans halfway through the week.  The day was full of celebrations – beginning with breakfast, we went out for the first time on the trip to The Fat Frog.  Then followed a lazy day on the beach until we made our way to the Big 4 Caravan Park to meet up with the others.  We continued the celebrations late into the night with espresso martinis!

This entire week at Airlie Beach with the Johnsies seemed to fly by in a blink of an eye!  We had many activities to keep us all busy including copious amounts of swimming, smashing each other at tennis and seeing who can get the most hole in ones at mini golf!  We’d spent some time at the lagoon in town and went for a stroll and stumbled across a sand sculpture which was very creative.  There was also many a froffies and great discussions had on the deck.  We had made the most of being in the one spot for a long period of time and let the hide out to dry on the roof of the condo (the process continues!).

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As quick as the excitement hit us for their arrival, we were finding ourselves a week later saying goodbye to our visitors after having such an amazing week.  Finding ourselves back on the road seemed a little from the norm.  From being at the station, then a week at Airlie we were now back on the road with no idea where were to stay that night.  After a little research we found ourselves beside the croc inhabited Constant Creek, a little south of Airlie, which we were more than happy to be sleeping in the roof top tent!  After this quick stay over we found ourselves in a magical little oasis by the name of Notch Point.  It’s salty ocean waters also made home for crocs but the breathtaking views were well worth not being able to swim.

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We had decided to bunk a couple of nights along the foreshore to muster up a plan of attack in what we were going to do over the next few weeks.  The world was our oyster once again and the freeways down south looked welcoming…

Queensland

The Brook – The Final Weeks

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After the past massive week we had just accomplished, we were ready to have a lazy weekend around the homestead.  The farmer had advised us of a waterhole only a stones throw away which could be a nice day trip.  Packing a small lunch we went exploring.  After an hour of walking we came across the creek and what we had thought the waterhole was (later finding out the actual “waterhole” was still 1km past where we had gone).  Along side this beautiful place was the Basalt Wall which had been created by a local volcano.  We were careful not to venture too deep, as one could easily lose their bearings on an overcast day with the surroundings looking ever so similar.  It was indeed an amazing piece of The Brook.

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Back to our working reality, Monday-itis was slowly kicking in. The final two weeks seemed to fly by as fast as the holiday had so far.  We found ourselves in the house more regularily completing the jobs we were originally hired for.  We were still never up for a boring day, doing such a great variety of work.  From cleaning, mowing with a ride on, looking after the kids or just general handy work around the station, we were away from our standard 9 – 5 jobs and loving it!  They quickly discovered that we were seasoned painters as well and soon enough we were outside giving the school a make over with a fresh coat of paint.  We did however, only just hold back the urges of painting each other!

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As the next weekend rolled in, we were given details about the Cattlemen’s Ball in Greenvale (still over 2 hours away).  Deciding it could be fun, we packed our best flannies and went for a night out!  Totally different from what we had expected, it was still good fun.  As soon as we walked in, it seemed all eyes were on us as we were obviously not from the area.  Needless to say we made friends with some local youngsters who knew of The Brook station and with that, we partied the night away.  We also ended up being the only ones who actually camped behind the pub (making us stand out even more as tourists) as we were expecting a few swags from what was mentioned in the brochure.

Coming into the final week of work, we had really felt the last three had slipped by far too quickly.  Slowly running out of meat, the farmer was in need of a kill.  Mind you the meat before this seemed endless with delicious beef coming in all ways (even gigantic T-bone steaks!)  Lucky for us we were able to head along with the farmhand for this fascinating process.  He lead us through the complicated steps from when the cow was simply shot in the field, to the detailed process of making sure he didn’t taint the meat with any unwanted flavours.  To our suprise, he even let us skin it!  After enjoying a well earnt beer from this life changing process, we queried the farmhand in making a rug from the hide.  His response was simply “It’s very easy!  I’ll show you how to peg it out, salt it, rub it with a coarse stone and in time it will be beautiful!”  This was definitely going to be one project to remember.

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With the week wrapping up we finished the variety of small jobs around the house by playing more games with the kids and the odd handyman fix up.  By this stage we had also gained quite a loyal companion by the name of Lucky who was their farm dog that spent far more time with us than at the homestead.  Mark was even able to live another life long dream of mowing the airstrip in an old school tractor!!  The final day we were in the yard Nay was able to drive the Bacho over to the far yards (took a solid 45 mins) but sadly we both just missed a calf being born.  We watched in awe as the calf was standing and drinking milk from its mother in under an hour from birth.

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As the final day arrived there were emotions flying around from both parties.  Excitement was buzzing as we were onto the next stage of our adventure.  It was a strange feeling knowing we would probably never return or hear much from these amazing people who had let us into their homestead.  Even though we were there to work, we had gained such life experiences we could never have imagined.  So jumping in the car (with Brook the cow hide strapped to the roof rack), we were heading away from the property and had our sights on Airlie Beach where the first of our visitors were coming to see us…

Queensland

The Brook – Another Week In

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Needless to say we had a well earnt weekend ahead of us as there was no work on Saturday!  Knowing this we decided to slip back into town to do a big shop for the next two weeks and touch base with society (no reception and minimal WiFi at the station).  We also made the most of being in town and had a cute date night at the drive in movies!  Only $5 each for 2 movies, we unpacked our snacks and set up at the back.  It had a vintage feel to it as the sound from the car speakers crackled from the use of old school equipment.  To survive the movies, we had to sling the speaker provided into the car and crank it on max.  What a night we had!

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Back to The Brook the next evening we were refueled and ready for another action packed week.  On arrival we noticed our resident shower frog was having a tasty snack!  Starting with some minor cleaning jobs through the house (including Mark’s dream job of driving a ride on lawn mower) we were soon called out from the mundane scrubbing of walls, into the field.  This time heading over to the small yards (only a 2 min drive from the homestead) we found ourselves drafting another mob of cattle.  This mob was fairly fresh on the scene as we found them a bit more of a struggle to feed them through the process.  Finding ourselves in muddy, swamp like conditions with drizzle really testing our moods, the afternoon flew by as the last of the cattle were drafted.

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With fresh faces the next day we found ourselves tagging cattle before they were relocated to another paddock.  In our minds, helping the farmhand would be a breeze by simply moving the cattle through the yards – oh how wrong we were.  After demonstrating with a couple of cows, Nay was then placed on the “crusher” (a device to hold cattle in place) and Mark was on the end of the tagging mechanism.  Together we were a well oiled machine.  Once the nerves subsided from the first few inexperienced moments, the farmhand sent cattle to Renee where she held the cow in place and Mark then tagged (similar to piercing a person’s ear).  We also learned how to dehorn the more mature cows that snuck through when younger.  This prevents these horned cows dominating the mob in regards to food and water and minimizing potential injuries to humans.  We swapped places with excitement flowing through our bodies as we shared some laughs and frights, while disgruntled cattle made for some interesting moments as we tagged their ears.

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The next few days blurred by as one stayed back at the homestead and the other took the ranger out with the farmers to muster more cattle.  In this scenario, it was an entirely different world to the week before.  Being the only driver in the ranger, lead to quick decision making as our ears were glued to the cb radio awaiting the next order.  Driving through unchartered terrain with grass almost 3ft tall in some places, was one hell of an experience.  Nay came back with stories of running over a coil of barbed wire laying camolagued in the grass which caused all types of complications.  To make matters worse a couple of hours later, she ended up with a puncture over 30mm in diameter.   Upon pulling over, Nay discovered that she had ran over a tree root approximately 150mm long and 30mm wide and had to yank it out of the tyre.  Mark had a small chuckle after these stories were shared. Lucky for him, his mustering experience the following day lead to no misfortunes.  He still had a fantastic day to remember as he burnt through the unknown terrain mustering the mob of cattle and chasing after cheeky cows that wanted to go astray.  Each evening led to stories being swapped as the one who was left cleaning at home could only live vicariously through the stories of the musterer that day.

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As the week was winding up, we had one final day of drafting cattle in the far yards.  Being pumped for a friday, moods soaring, the day began with some wild and cranky cattle.  The kids of the farmer had joined us in the yards for the day and helped move them while also using the fences as a jungle jim.  Moods were slowly dropping as dark clouds were rolling in and cows were less obedient (in a handful of cases we were having to sprint up fences as we were charged!)  Churning through the 1200 head of cattle we finally made it to the end.  One last job of moving them to another paddock and we were clocked off for the day.  If only it was that easy.  Driving in an old Cruiser with no driver door and minimal brakes, a storm came rolling in to really ruin a Friday evening.  By 5:30pm we were dirty, muddy and stunk with a variety of scents on us.  A slow cruise back in the ranger with an icy chill blowing in and mud flapping through the windowless doors, we were spent.  So pleased it was the weekend we were in bed early and keen for a rest…

Queensland

The Brook – The Beginning

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As the morning blew by in Charters Towers, we found ourselves down a dirt road with all eyes pealed for a little street sign, “The Brook”.  Making our way to the homestead we were faced with two houses and not knowing which was the boss man’s.  Nerves pumping with a flow of excitement we saw the farmer emerge from the nearest house to introduce himself.  From here we went inside for a yarn and a coffee where he introduced us to the rest of his family.  With his three kids in tow we were shown around our quarters for the next month.  With basic amenities, a shed with a freezer and sink for a kitchen, it was perfect for what we needed.

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Arriving on Thursday, it felt fantastic to slip into a day (and a half day saturday) working week to kick things off.  We spent the Friday with a small induction and got into some general cleaning around the house.  We were also introduced to feeding the Wieners, which are teenage cows that are being wiened off their mums.  The kids who were keen to show us everything, rushed us over to the ranger (a small 4×4 ute) and took us out to feed these small juvenile animals.  The half day Saturday lead us to cleaning out a water tank that was full of grime and sludge.  As we both got stuck into scraping out the last of the gunk, we thought we were filthy.  Unknowingly, we had far dirtier days ahead!

A relaxing rainy sunday followed before we were thrown in the deep end with cattle.  He lead us out to some yards (later known as the far yards) which were a solid 30 minute trip from the homestead in the ranger.  Asking how big his station was, he answered with “52,000 acres”.  From this now small drive to the far yards, we knew we hadn’t even touched the sides of his land and the mind was struggling to get a grasp on how large a farm we’d landed on.  Upon arrival, he took us through an induction from how to walk with cattle, a bit about the yards and the process of weighing and drafting (sorting cattle out into types).  He dropped us in a pen with a few hundred cattle and we began processing them before we knew it.  What a thrill it was to move the herd through each pen all the way to the weighing bay.  This was only the beginning.

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Later this week we had two of his neighbours drop in to help for a big muster.  Leaving the homestead at 6:00am, adrenaline was pumping for what the day had in stall for us!  Finishing our processing from the previous day, we later headed over to the paddocks where the others had set off to muster the main mob.  At this stage our world was spinning, coming to the realisation of where we were and slowly closing in behind and around us was nothing short of 3000 cattle.  It was something we’d only seen on tv.  Thrown straight into the deep end again we were asked to help muster the back half of the mob in the ranger.  Having little knowledge, it wasn’t a suprise when the cattle (swear they knew we were freshies) decided to break out of the group and stapeded straight around us.  With all the comotion we heard the farmer shout over the CB “Quick!  Drive behind them before they all break out!”  Moving into action we threw the ranger into gear as fast as we could and zoomed behind the line to pull them back with the rest of the mob.

Once coming into a laneway section of the farm we slowly moved the cattle along to the direction of the yards for drafting.  At this stage the calves were becoming tired and dropped toward the back of the mob losing their mums.  With a little one deciding to give up and jump the fence, the farmer was quick to lift the barbed wire and shoot under on his 2 wheeler.  After capturing the calf, he then slung the young one over his knees to ride back to us and drop him in the ranger at our feet.  A second one gave up and Mark was instructed to run over and pick him up and carry him back to the ranger for him to enjoy the trip with his other mate!  There was even a moment where Nay was in the ranger by herself with these two trouble makers and while trying to apply the brakes, a calf had its hoof on the accelarator!  As this happened, the other one had his hoof and head tied in behind the gear stick and slammed the ranger into neutral. Once all cattle were in the yards we went through the process of drafting this enormous mob.

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After a restful smoko with fruitcake and billy tea, it was into a full on afternoon of drafting.  With the main boss man and his two neighbours, the five of us worked like dogs.  We felt it such a privalige to be among three experienced stockmen, being able to watch them in action.  We began with yarding up, drafting into particular groups, and then in the final hours, Nay was gathering calves into the branding area and Mark was helping the farmer hold the calves still. That afternoon we branded over 120 calves.  As the sun set on that friday afternoon, the yards emptied and the workers were cruising back to the comforting homestead.  Beers were cracked over a debrief of the weeks events and we savoured that first crisp drop of beer as it was well earnt after a massive week past.

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Queensland

A hidden tableland leading to an unexpected destination

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The morning after our massive hike at Carnarvon was fairly painful to say the least.  Sitting up in bed the muscles were aching and the legs weren’t too keen to carry us.  This didn’t stop us from looking over some pamphlets to discover the Blackdown Tablelands weren’t too far away and had already been recommended.  Arriving into the National Park early afternoon and bodies still very weary, we decided to have a lazy afternoon and take on the two short walks we had lined up the next day.  Having to pre-book our campsite at the Munall Campground, we decided number 9 looked good.  Upon arrival we discovered that someone had taken our spot, so instead we moved onto 13 as there were plenty of free sites.  Having fully set up and just starting a fire, we noticed a couple of vehicles slowing as they were approaching us.  Murphy’s law, with soooo many free campsites still unoccupied, we had unknowingly relocated into this groups pre-booked site.  Old mate grumpy pants was quick to have a go at us and threatened to call the ranger to have us moved.  It wasn’t until his wife calmly said “Lets just go to another site, there’s plenty around”.  The rest of the night was peaceful.

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The next day lead to a quiet, simple 2km walk with more Aboriginal heritage.  Information boards were scattered with knowledge of how they used the land and various plants in day to day life, such as grinding seads off wattle flowers to create flour for cooking.  We even came across a fence from old stock yards that were ingeniously crafted into the tree.  After this leisurely walk we headed south in the Tablelands to the Gudda Gumoo track for a lookout.  A short 1.9km to the lookout and we had breathtaking views over the national park.  From this point there was another section with 240 steps that lead to the Rainbow Falls.  Still a little sore from the other day, we clumbered down to see how magnificant they were.  We both agreed afterwards that these were by far the most stunning waterfalls we’d ever come across.  Crisp, fresh water cascading down numorous cliff edges into a pool of clear water, plus it had a sandy river bed!  Not knowing we were able to swim, we hadn’t brought bathers.  As we couldn’t miss this opportunity we stripped down into our jocks and went for a dip!  Having had a blast, the consequences of a commando walk back to the carpark, was well worth it.  We would definitely recommend the Blackdown Tablelands to anyone whe finds themselves in the area.

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Unfortunately, we had to keep moving on from here as we had found ourselves on a rather tight schedule.  A few days earlier, we had decided we’d reached a stage where we were ready for a short working gig.  Nay trawling over Gumtree, had stumbled across an ad for a “Home help and Gardener” position on The Brook station 2 hrs from Charters Towers.  Knowing this could be an in for some cattle work with a little cleaning on the side, we applied.  Less than two days later, we’d recieved a call from the station owner who said “You fellas sound great!”.  After working out the minor details, he was keen to take us on for 3-4 weeks.  The commencement date needed to be within 5 days as he was about to muster his 4000+ cattle. 

We were now having to make some distance back and bunkered down at Bedford Wier (45 mins north of Blackwater).  Luckily we only stayed here for a night, as our running theme of unwanted neighbours continued.  While enjoying the sunset at the wier with a delicious goon cab sav, a group of 3 men set up camp only 5m from us in a spacious paddock. Waking up this next morning, we had one of the laborious days of driving ahead of us.  Squeezing in the Tablelands meant a solid 6 hours of road trip classics. Nay occasionally napped, many licorice allsorts and party mix lollies consumed, before finally finding ourselves in Charter’s Towers.  A phone call to the station lead to the owner suggesting a night in town to arrive at his station with fresh faces the next morning.  We both had a restless sleep from excitement and nerves, for the next day we were to wake as farm hands and work at a station in Central Queenland!!

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Queensland

One hell of a trip through Carnarvon…

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As we weren’t able to camp at the actual Carnarvon Gorge Campground outside of school holidays, meant an early wake up from Nuga Nuga.  Burning down the highway we were finding ourselves closing in on Carnarvon as our surrounds were becoming that of a rainforest.  Now, the days hike ahead was no simple feat.  A 9.7km one way track lead to the furthest point of interest, the “Big Bend” and along this track there were several other fun filled landmarks to see along the way.  Quick calculations demonstrated that this walk was going to be over 22km (seeing all sights) and surely one to remember!  With our bags packed full of food for the trek ahead, we psyched ourselves up and made our way along the first river crossing into the Gorge.

Into a Moss Garden and onto the Amphitheatre
3.2km into our journey we came across our first turnoff, the Moss Garden.  Temperatures pleasantly dropping we found ourselves in a magical lagoon where all we heard was water trickling from the sandstone formations.  This garden is solely created by the mass of sandstone in which rainwater slowly penetrates until reaching solid rock and is forced out of the gorge wall.  The process of water flowing from the wall creates a mossy covered sanctuary where we found ourselves in.  A further 1.2km along the track and we came to a steep climb of stairs through which a tiny crack in a sandstone wall gave a greatness to behold – a natural occuring amphitheatre.  Over thousands of years through erosion water had created this hidden wonder.  During times of flash floods, the amphitheatre acts as a giant washing machine on spin cycle and with the subsiding water, all the contents are thrown out through the entrance.

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An Art Gallery like no other
With a total of only 4.3km down, we had made it to our third turnoff.  Not knowing what to expect from an art gallery in the gorge, we found ourselves quite lucky to experience this rich Aboriginal history.  An entire wall was covered with a plathora of detailed Aboriginal stenciling.  These included a range of stencils of hands, fishing nets, weapons of both Aboriginal and Europeans and even dark evil spirits from the dreamtime.  We stumbled across a visitors book which we quickly discovered the pen didn’t work and unfortunately couldn’t leave a memo.  Lucky for us someone had already written what we were thinking! After a late morning tea at this unique art gallery and only a quarter into the journey we continued deeper into the gorge.

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To the Big Bend!
From the art gallery, our ever changing surroundings became denser and more overgrown and at every rivercrossing it was a gamble on which stepping stone to take along the unmarked path.  This also lead to finding a vine to have a swing off!  Before we knew it we had arrived at the final three points of interest, all of which were 500m apart.  The first was a smaller version of the art gallery, the second was another gorge off the main path and the last, but definitely not least, was the “Big Bend”.  Being 2pm when we sat down, we knew we had enough time for a bit of tucker and a refreshing dip.  At this magnificant bend along the river, there was the most tranquil, crystal clear waterhole, which consequently made our quick swim bloody cold as the water was like ice!

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The long struggle home
Having a gruelling 9.7km walk back, we pumped ourselves up and started on the return journey.  Wanting to tick off all of the landmarks, we had to make one more stop on the way back, Ward’s Canyon.  Just to add to the burning sensation in the legs there was a steep 270 step climb to reach the canyon.  Nevertheless it was well worth it, home of the king fern and a peaceful waterfall.  This is the only location the king fern can be found in central queensland as it’s family is mostly on the coast.  Another fun fact is that the fronds on these ferns can grow up to 5m long!  Not your everyday garden fern!  Ticking off all the points of interest, we churned through the last of the kms and found ourselves back at the carpark. Entire bodies aching by the time we were there, we spent $1 for cold showers, with satisfaction knowing we had conquered the mighty Carnarvon Gorge!

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With no idea of where our next major destination was or how bad our bodies would wake up after this epic trek, it was all a suprise to where the next stage of this undetermined adventure would head…