76. Fraser Island 3

NORTH END –FRASER There are several boardwalks throughout Fraser that make negotiating the cliffs & bluffs such a pleasure.

COLOURED SANDS Kaz preparing lunch at the coloured sands.

LAKE Mc KENZIE Located in the centre of Fraser this lake is simply amazing. We arrived late in the day & shared the lake with few others. The water is so clear. You can dive below the surface & without goggles see for about 30 metres. The sand is like powder & again so pure. The water is cleaned as it rises through the sand below the bottom of the lake. The waters are reputed to be rich in vital nutrients & minerals & cleans jewellery amazingly well. The water changes to a darker blue as it becomes rapidly deeper. We had a ball here & was well worth the journey.

75. Fraser Island 2

FRASER FISH FINDER As usual Matt appears on the scene & bingo, there’s a fish. Matt no sooner came over to me to see what I was up to & hook up. Matt landed this feisty dart off Orchid Beach. Previously , I had surveyed the beach from the top of the cliff to establish rips, gutters etc & could see that the water was crystal clear & the sand very white; this made it particularly easy to spot the rays & sharks that patrol this coastline. The boys were keen to swim so I was able to monitor the arrival of the sharks & rays with my trustee polaroids. When a shark would appear you could spot it easily from 150 metres away; I would whistle the boys & they understood that they had to get out immediately until the shark had moved on.

OLD GROWTH FOREST We left the beach to locate our forest camp & were treated to great tracks surrounded by spectacular timber forest.

74. Fraser Island 1

MOHONO WRECK After negotiating a rising tide at the southern point of the island we powered north towards our camp for night one. On Fraser you must negotiate certain parts at the right time of the tide can catch you out. We had a swim at Eli Creek & moved along the beach to Dundabara Camp. Whereas within the caravan we had lighting, on this trip we had none. The night was black & without any moon it was impossible to see an object a metre in front. Fraser Island is now a National Park & is the largest sand island on earth. The timber forest in the centre of the island is remarkable & is home to many select timbers including  Blackbutt, Turpentine, Tallow etc. As late as the 1940,s these trees were being harvested from the old growth forest. Most travel to Fraser for the endless beaches, but if you are fortunate enough to get there, do spend a night in the forest.

ORCHID BEACH Have a look at this!. This is a part of the island that the tourist coaches cannot access. After diverging from the coastline you take a track through the interior scrub. It is a pleasant journey that just makes you feel real good. After about an hour you come to a small shop & this.

CHAMPAGNE POOLS Champagne floweth over the rim as the cork is released. At least that it was they believe this is like as the waves cascade over these rocks into the clear pools. The water bubbles & foams as the waves break & then enter the pool. It is also quite safe for a swim here. On the other side of those rocks there are many sharks, mainly bronze whalers, so it is always nice to be able to have a splash without the bities.

73.Woodgate Nat. Pk., Fraser Island, Tin Can Bay

WOODGATE NATIONAL PARK We travelled for ages along this very soft sand & eventually found the camp. One of those places that doesn’t really offer too many rewards. The next morning we returned to the main beach at Woodgate & enjoyed a swim, breaky & a bit of a fish. Should have just stayed there the night, but if you don’t check these things out you’ll never know.

TIN CAN BAY Over thirty years ago a stricken dolphin made its way up the shallows to Tin Can Bay looking for refuge after either being attacked by Sharks or suffering injury from fishermen’s  nets. The dolphin was an Indo Pacific species that frequent the waters of Hervey Bay. This lucky dolphin was taken in by some locals & over a period of months recovered so that he was able to return to the wilds. To navigate this river system is a ‘taught’ practice & the male leader then began to bring others from his pod to visit his human friends. To this day & three generations later they still arrive each morning at 7.30 am to be feed. It is a beautiful story & one we were fortunate to experience.

INSKIP POINT After negotiating the extremely soft sands of Inskip point we were on our way to Fraser Island. A car ferry takes commuters from the mainland to the island. We prepaid for our ferry, National Park pass & had our camping permits & were on our first full off-road adventure without the van. For the next few days we would live out of the Landcruiser & sleep in a tent. This is a magnificent part of the country; the climate is perfect, the water just right & adventure abounds.

72. Bundaberg 3

EVERY BLOKE LIKES HIS SHED What a cracker ! I fell in the love with this shed. I know that will seem a little strange to some, but I really like my sheds. Often as we are driving along I will say to Kaz; “nice shed eh?”. This was apparently the original harvesting shed in Bundy before the new processing plant was established. The new plant is the size of a small suburb.

SHED AT SUNSET “Nice shed eh?”

WOODGATE BEACH Just south of Bundy is some of the best of Queensland’s coastline. Firstly we stopped at Coonar Beach; very quiet, only about eight homes in town. Then we moved a little further south to Woodgate. We camped in the coastal bushland  within the Woodgate National Park & nearly got the van stuck between two large trees. These areas we were visiting weren’t that far from substantial towns such as Bundy, but the places were just so undeveloped; hopefully it will stay that way for a little longer.

71. Bundaberg 2

GO CART Dane loves quads & really enjoyed doing a few laps.

GRAND PRIX

SUGAR CANE FIRE The smoke could easily be seen from 15kms away. I had never seen a cane burn & it was something that I had wished to see ever since I was a young boy travelling north with my old man. Matt & I jumped in the car to investigate. The cane farmer was old school & still believes that this is the way to get the best crop the next season.

70. Bundaberg 1

BARGARA BEACH Another of Queensland’s  finest. We loved Bundy & Bargara Beach. The Green & Loggerhead turtles return here each year to lay their eggs.  As a result of this yearly event the surf patrol is unable to place shark nets as this would trap the roosting turtles. Talk about ‘only in Queensland’; up here they drop a line that has a buoy at the surface & is anchored to the oceans floor . Mid way up the line is a baited hook to catch the sharks that patrol this area of coastline. The sharks caught here are mainly great whites & whalers.

MON REPOS This place was established as a turtle rookery many years ago by a bloke from South America, hence the name Mon Repos. The  turtles that come here to lay their eggs have roamed the seas for 30 years before returning to their original birthplace to begin the life cycle over. The time for the return to lay is from Nov to Feb; we were about a week or two early but the discovery centre was informative & interesting. The rangers provide guided tours for limited numbers to witness the annual event.

69. Agnes Water, 1770, Bundaberg

GO THE BLUES Ex Maroons star & real country boy Jason Hetherington was camped nearby. Jason is a typical country boy & doesn’t mix his words. It was pretty special for the boys  to hang out with one of the games respected & true superstars.  All the best mate.

1770 FLOUNDER 1770 is a very pretty waterway first discovered by Cook. Nice Flounder Dano.

BUNDY CARTS Again the people of this great land blow us away & invite us to drop in & have some fun. Steve & his family own the local cart centre & water park.

68. Agnes Water - Grom

GROM This bloke would have the be one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. From the moment we met Grom he just opened up to the boys . (look at how intently they are listening to the master). Grom was originally from Gladstone & moved down to Agnes Water for the surf. His lifelong dream had been to establish a surf shop & surf school. From crude beginnings he has fulfilled that dream & in my book what more can you ask than that?. Agnes Water is about 50kms from the highway so it still remains pretty quiet. It is a beautiful spot free of crocs & stingers. It is the northernmost place that receives waves on the east coast of Oz. North of Agnes the Reef arrests the power of the swells.

DANE FARRELY Dano getting to his feet with Grom & Matt in the background.

MATT JOHNSON Not quite Big Wednesday but good on you Matt.

67. St Helens Beach

MUDDIES Brian knows exactly where to go. I have never seen such a diverse array of mangrove. You would pull up to drop a pot & within 10 metres there  would be three different varieties of mangrove. This truly is wild country out here & without experience of the local conditions you could end up in a lot of trouble.

SHARKIE Dane loves his shark fishing & this one didn’t snap the line. We cut the jaws out as a momento of our time with Brian & Dawn. The flesh is white & when cut into bite size pieces & crumbed they were absolutely delish.

MAIN COARSE So much fun seeing Kaz enjoy her fresh seafood. Brian & Dawn also grow a diverse variety of fruit & veges, & we were spoilt with all the delights whilst in their company.

66. Bowen, St Helens Beach, Yepoon

BOWEN BOULDERS Bowen is quite unique in this area in that the beaches & surrounding  cliffs are of large granite boulders.  Grand Final day had us venture to the pub where they shot the movie ‘Australia’. The Dragons put the sword to the Chooks & we had a great arvo mixing it up with the locals. Bowen is definitely one of our favourite places on the Queensland coast, we ended staying six days & didn’t want to leave.

St HELENS BEACH We met Brian & Dawn in Karumba (Gulf of Carpentaria) & they invited us to stay with them at their retreat in St Helens Beach. This joint is Tarzan country & Brian has lived it for many years. Brian & Dawn live almost exclusively from the land & what the ocean &  river systems offer. They are true characters & real fair dinkum aussies.  One thing you discover on the road is that everyone has some sort of baggage & Brian &Dawn have had their tough moments. It was a pleasure to meet them & we hope we can catch up in the future. Thanks guys for offering your generous hospitality &  keeping the boys in line. It was a great time & all the best for the future. (Leave some muddies in there Kaz).

YEPOON Rain teemed upon Yepoon for most of our time there, so what better place to go than the rainforest. About 45kms north of Yepoon is this quant village with a population of about 30. It is a town that has a general store and small sheds where artisans work with clay, bamboo, glass & paint. The overall feel of this place was very relaxed, very natural, very peaceful.

65. Bowen 2

TUGS We had actually met the engineer of this tug at lunch further up the coast & he had invited us to catch up when we were in town. These boats are huge & from memory I think they were about 370 tonnes each. They are the harbour response tugs & generally assist coal loaders a little further north to berth. In theevent of storm ravaged or cyclone swept swells these are the guys that are going to come to your assistance if needed.

HORSESHOE BAY We fell in love with Bowen; not a huge town, still quite oldish & the locals were easy going & friendly.

BOWEN MATES Matt is never afraid to spark up a convo. This gent comes down to the boat ramp whenever he likes to enjoy a cool one.

64. Bowen 1

BARNY On our trip south we stopped at Alva beach for an overnight free camp. It was a good camp with only a dune separating us from some very isolated & exposed coastline. The winds here were powerful & seemed to be a spot known to backpacking kite surfers. Neither of us can remember what the spark was that ignited a huge barny between Kaz & I, but what a dooesy.  Whilst we were having a great adventure, it was a full time job looking after the boys, something that Kaz had warned me about prior to our departure. Anyway, after a short lived divorce my beautiful wife bought me down a cuppa as I had escaped for a little time apart & went fishing from the windswept beach. We often stop to get some fresh produce; this one just south of Ayre was a beauty.

THE BOWEN CUP The Bowen Cup is huge. Matt seen here with some local punters.  Go you chick magnet!

BOWEN PUNTERS It never shows in the photos but it was really hot, very humid this day & the jockeys really worked hard as did their mounts. Matt is a mad keen punter & it was the first time he had been exposed to on – track bookies. He had a ball but only managed a few place bets this meet. Better luck next time Matt.

63. Dunk Island and Townsville

DUNK ISLAND We had made the journey south through the most lush rainforest, & arrived at Mission Beach. Dunk Island is only about 4 kms from Mission so we decided to do a beach launch & head over for a day. Dunk is a large island & the resort only occupies a very small percentage of the total land mass. The island is full of peacocks that apparently are quick keen to procreate. To attract their partners they bellow their mating calls throughout the forest. At Dunk they are in such abundance, that they actually trap the birds & relocate them to other parts of the island so that the resorts guests may get some sleep throughout the night.

DUNK SECLUSION Slightly to the north of Dunk lies a very small coral atoll.  How could you not call in to this spot for lunch on your own private island?. As we lunched we discovered that the atoll was on the edge of what appeared a very deep channel & several green turtles would surface for air as they travelled the north current. After a swim we collected a few varied shapes of dead coral and set off.

TOWNSVILLE After leaving Mission Beach we overnighted at Lucinda & then a couple of nights at Balgal Beach. If ever you stay here, (particularly on a full moon) ensure that insect repellent is applied liberally. Dane & I were absolutely hammered with sand flies. The pain lasted days, the bites weeks. The rule is if you are camped on a river inlet & there are mangroves; take caution. My bites required medication & I had the worst 3 or 4 days imaginable; I could think of nothing else but the constant burning, nagging pain & relentless itching. Townsville is a big town, much larger than I had ever imagined. We had a nice dinner at the Townsville Yacht Club.

62. Croc Farm 2

EMU WALK Dane will fearlessly approach any animal.

SNAPPY The feeding show that we experienced was nothing short of lunacy. Words simply cannot describe the show. To sum it up the records to date tell us that one keeper had his head bitten off, another his arm.

CONFIDENCE BUILDER Matt did quite well cuddling this Dingo given that weeks previously he was mauled by a watch dog. As it turned out this old female was very gentle.

No 61. Croc Farm

LITTLE SALTY


Matt with junior. Although its mouth was taped, this fella lashed out aggressively when Matt accidentally put his finger in its eye. Some say that they are prone to actually feeling some hurt if when you are attacked you can poke them in the eyes & after witnessing the response this croc gave to Matts finger I reckon the theory has some credibility.

ROO & EMU FEEDING

Dane with some less aggressive inhabitants of the farm.

ROO FEEDING

Kaz & Matt feeding this Eastern Grey

60. Etty Bay - Croc Farm

CASSOWARY CART We are leaving Etty Bay & I have just got some fresh water for the next part of the journey. For a tenuous moment I dead set thought this bird was going to take my spot in the cockpit.

JOHNSTONE RIVER CROC FARM If you are travelling around Innisfail you have to come here. This was the most  amazing croc farm you could imagine. It will have you leave in sheer disbelief .

MY NEW MATE Upon arrival you are greeted by all the residents.

59. Etty Bay

ETTY BAY MONITOR


There seemed to be couple of breeding pairs that lived here. They are majestic & move with an almost arrogant gait that says ‘don’t stand in my way’.

ETTY BAY CASSOWARY

The Cassowary is officially ‘endangered’. At Etty Bay they frequent the campsite daily.

ETTY CASS

For some reason we humans always want to pat wild animals. This is one that you don’t want to approach without extreme caution. They are a tall powerful animal & can disembowel the unsuspecting tourist with one strike of the massive three toed foot.