Monday May 14th. After stopping for yet another $50 of diesel fuel, we made our way to the Pacific Highway, the main north-south route running along Australia's eastern seaboard. The highway bypassed the city of Brisbane and we were soon motoring along in open country side along the narrow coastal plain flanked by the Pacific to the east and the green slopes leading up to the table lands in the west. The terrain was mainly covered in trees, though we did encounter stretches of open pasture land and, as we got further north, massive fields of sugar cane.
Since leaving Brisbane we have been amazed at the extent of the cane fields here. Mile after mile all the way to Cairns and beyond, endless fields of cane cover the coastal plains, broken only by tracts of bush, some farm lands and the occasional banana plantation. The cane is almost ready for cutting as the annual cane harvest begins in late May or early June and extends into early summer...November and December. The cane stands 12 to 14 feet high, the leafy green stalks undulating in the constant SE winds. This sea of green often stretches as far as the eye can see and the magnitude of this crop made us wonder how so much sugar could possibly be used in the world. (Though as Sue points out, most of the world's processed foods use sugar to a large degree). And we also marveled at the mammoth task facing the cane farmers who had to cut and harvest these thousands of square miles of cane fields. At least these days harvesting machines have replaced the thousands of men who used to work in stifling conditions among the snakes, rats and cane toads, to undertake the backbreaking and dangerous job of cutting the cane by hand.
We had to be in Cairns on Saturday May 19th as we had booked two weeks of time share at the WorldMark resort. We planned to do two or three fairly long days and then to find a campground on a beach where we could stay for a few nights in the new tent. We had decided that erecting the big tent for just one night was too much effort and that we would use the small two-man tent while “on the road”. So about 4:00 that afternoon, we drove through the town of Bundaberg with its large cane processing factory and famous (in Aussie at least) rum distillery, to a small beach called Mon Repos (which happened to be a significant turtle sanctuary and hatchery) a few miles away where we found a fairly rustic campground for the night. Most “pay” campgrounds (and there are lots of free ones in this country) have camp kitchens usually equipped with all the mod cons including a stove, gas bar-b-que's, fridges and even microwaves. But this place only had some wood-fired bar-b's and a solitary shelter with a couple of picnic tables. And it was here that we set up our Coleman stove and cooked up some sausages and veggies.
The next morning we made our way slowly into Bundaberg. The previous afternoon I had not noticed that our the fuel gauge was reading dead empty and we proceeded the 15 kms into Bundaberg at around 60 kph to maximize our fuel efficiency in hopes of ensuring we got to a service station before running dry. So after another fill up (fuel has so far been our major expense as we have driven north), we motored northward through the city of Rockhampton near the town of Yeppoon on the coast. (I mention Yeppoon only so that I can relate a joke that must be an Aussie classic, that someone had told me at the luncheon the previous Sunday.... “How do you find Yeppoon?? - It's right next to ya knife and fork!”). We stopped in Rockhampton at the spot marking the Tropic of Capricorn. Just 18 months ago we had stood straddling the Tropic of Cancer when we had driven north along the Mexican Baja Peninsula from Cabo San Lucas, and here we were replicating the feat in the southern hemisphere.
After a long afternoon drive of 325 kms, we arrived in the city of Mackay. We decided against another night in our cramped tent and opted for a cabin at one of the city's caravan parks. On-site trailers and cabins are a common feature of most campgrounds here and they are a good alternative to more expensive motels if you want the comfort of a real bed and a roof over your head.
The next day we again had a long drive of nearly 450 kms which took us to the tiny village of Rollingstone just north of Queensland's second largest city, Townsville. One of our guide books had listed a campground here as a real gem, so we made our way along a small road from the main highway to the gates of the campground which was situated on a long sandy beach. Our book was quite right as we found a beautiful large campground set among palm trees overlooking the beach and sea beyond. There was also a great swimming pool which would not have been out of place at any five-star resort. So we set up our big tent and stayed here for the next three nights.
The weather was hot and sunny and we enjoyed strolls along the beach as well as relaxing by the pool. Most of the beaches in northern Queensland are very gently sloping and when the tide goes out there can be hundreds of metres of sand, as was the case here at the campsite. We walked along the rippled sand each day when the tide was out. A little ways along the beach was the mouth of a small river and we were interested to see signs warning about crocodiles in the area. Many of the coastal rivers are home to salt water crocodiles and although uncommon, encounters with the big reptiles do happen from time to time. In fact just the other day we heard on the radio that one of the beaches just north of Cairns had been closed for the day due to a croc sighting.
On Friday morning we drove into the village of Rollingstone and headed for the community centre where we had been told there were computers providing Internet access. When we arrived we found that the half dozen or so stations were fully occupied by a group of seniors who were taking lessons in computer usage. The young fellow in charge said it would be about half an hour or so before one was available. We were about to head out for a drive around the area to kill some time, when one of the ladies who wasn't on a computer asked us if we'd like to have a cup of coffee while we waited. We agreed and sat down with her in the community centre kitchen and had a very nice conversation. She and one of the other ladies who joined us a little later, had all sorts of suggestions about where to go and what to see in this part of the world. They were very friendly and made us feel right at home. It's chance encounters like this that really make travelling interesting. Anyway, we got to use the Internet facilities for an hour and catch up on some email.
Saturday morning again dawned bright and sunny with a fresh wind off the ocean, which was a great help in drying the overnight dew from the tent. We were soon (Sue's version is “eventually”)packed up and on the road for our last leg up to Cairns, 300 kms to the north. The endless fields of sugar cane continued as we made our way northward and there were some signs of the upcoming harvest about to get underway. Throughout this region narrow-gauge railways have been built for the cane trains which carry the harvested cane to processing factories, and at intervals along the tracks, we saw hundreds of the wire-mesh cars being marshalled to form the long wagon trains that would soon be overflowing with cane stocks stripped of their leaves. We even saw a few rows of recently cut cane where the large harvesters had cut a swath in the thick growth. But it was evident that the major activity was yet to come.
By early afternoon we drove through the town of Edmonton (yes we'd come thousands of miles just to pass through Edmonton!!) on the outskirts of Cairns. We followed the highway into the centre of the city keeping a sharp eye out for any landmarks we might recognize. We had spent 6 weeks in Cairns in 1978 before embarking on our travels through SE Asia and had visited it again with Rob and Ryan when we vacationed in Australia in 1994. But as we drove in the city looked much different from those days as it had grown considerably and seemed to be one strip mall after another all the way to the centre. A few days later, right in the centre of town, we were to discover some landmarks we recognized from the Cairns of old, despite the old town being surrounded by dozens of new high rise hotels and apartment buildings, a major shopping centre (Cairns Central) and a wonderful new esplanade along the shore and docks on the eastern edge of the city. But on this Saturday afternoon as we drove into town, we were focused on one thing, finding the Worldmark Resort where we were to be staying for the next two weeks thanks to a time share exchange made long-ago.
Our instructions to get to the resort were from the airport on the northern edge of Cairns and as we were entering from the south, they didn't help much. We finally stopped at a travel agent right downtown and after some checking on various maps, they were able to direct us literally back the way we had come to the southern edge of the city...actually just north of Edmonton! Here we found the resort on a quite side street just off the highway, and checked in. We were delighted to find we had a beautiful and spacious, fully-equipped three-bedroom apartment situated right beside one of the resort's two fabulous pools and surrounded by beautiful tropical foliage. The king size bed alone was bigger than our two man tent, so we knew we were going to be very comfortable here. After unpacking we found a nearby shopping centre and stocked up on some food and other supplies .
As we have probably mentioned, our stay in Australia is planned for seven months. We have a return flight booked for December 2nd, so we have a lot of time to see a lot of the continent. However, as it is winter here we wanted to spend the “coolest” months of June-August here in tropical Queensland where the days should be sunny and warm. So, having settled into the Worldmark, our first objective was to check out more permanent accommodation where we could spend the next three months. We had a number of options we wanted to check out including Cairns' northern beaches, a number of small beach communities stretching along the coast north of the city, the resort town of Port Douglas about 70 kms to the north and an area called Mission Beach south of Innisfail a small city 80 kms south of Cairns. And of course there was the possibility finding an apartment right in Cairns.
We decided just to relax around the pool on Sunday, so on Monday morning we packed up a lunch and set off northward towards Port Douglas. The drive took us along the spectacular coast line where gentle waves swept in from the ocean to break on long stretches of golden beaches, the power of these once-mighty Pacific rollers having been spent on the Great Barrier Reef some miles off shore. And as we drove along we passed a number of secluded coves rimmed by high bluffs and bordered by the unbroken rain forest inland. All in all, a very picturesque drive.
We reached Port Douglas in late morning and walked around the obviously tourist-oriented village (“Visit Port Douglas for retail therapy”, said one brochure). We kept a lookout for “For Rent” signs but didn't see any and enquiries at a couple of real estate agents confirmed what we suspected, that Port Douglas was pretty much a tourist destination and any accommodation during this high season would would be on a per night basis, with prices usually well north of $200 per night! We took the opportunity to have a long walk along the beach sweeping for several kilometres around the bay, and then decided that we'd push on and strike this town off our list of possibilities.
On the way back we stopped at a lookout on a cliff overlooking a beach about 100 ft below. We were interested to see a man making final adjustments to a hang glider and we decided to eat our sandwich lunch and watch the takeoff. It wasn't long before he hefted his craft over to the edge, pointing the nose into the firm wind blowing up the cliff ,and stepped into the abyss to be lofted upwards by the rising air. Quite a sight. He soared higher for a few minutes and then made a pass close above our heads, the sound of the whooshing air quite loud as he passed by twenty feet above us. We were quite envious as he soared up and away, resembling the eagles we'd seen some time earlier riding the currents above this cliff. And later we noticed a little billboard he had left at the parking lot which advertised that he gave tandem flights for $120. We might have to consider going back for one sometime!!
Over the next couple of days, we checked out a number of apartments in Cairns. There were some nice complexes on the Esplanade overlooking Trinity Bay, but again there few possibilities for short term rentals and those that were available were mostly targetted at tourists wanting an apartment for a few days at most and were thus priced by the night and very expensive.
On Thursday we set out to reconnoiter Mission Beach which is about 100kms south of here. The day had dawned cloudy and as we drove south along the highway some light showers soon turned to heavier rain with occasional torrential downpours. Luckily as we turned off the main highway and headed to the coast, the showers let up and by the time we reached Mission Beach the rain had stopped all together.
The town was little more than a few shops and a couple of real estate agents, with private homes and low-rise apartment buildings and resorts scattered along the coast, most hidden from sight by the dense foliage bordering the beach. We parked the van and strolled out onto the beach which was pretty much deserted on this cloudy day. The wide, flat beach stretched in a long arc several kilometres around the bay. Tall coconut palms and a profusion of other trees and bushes lined the beach. And off shore a few miles sat Dunk Island, one of a number of inhabited islands and prime tourists destinations inside the Barrier Reef.
We decided to take a walk down the beach trusting that the rain would hold off. As we walked along it struck me that most of the buildings along the beach were hardly visible as they were hidden from view by trees and shrubs, just as they had been from the main road running along through the village. Even a couple of beach resorts were tucked into the undergrowth with only a path or two leading to the beach. In other beach resort areas we have visited in other countries, brush and trees around resorts which restrict access or interfere with the ocean view, are inevitably cleared by the developer. The unbroken coastal foliage we encountered in all the beaches we have visited in Queensland makes me wonder if there are laws about keeping the coastline in its natural state. Also, as we saw no high rise buildings either here or the day before at Port Douglas, it wouldn't be surprising if there were regulations against them too. If that is the case, the Aussies have certainly had some good forethought about maintaining the beauty of their beaches and coastline. As we walked along the beach here in Mission Bay it was almost as if we had found an undiscovered beach on some deserted coast. We were both impressed with this little bit of Paradise and we agreed we would have to come back here for a few days at one of the Mission Beach campsites during the next 2 or 3 months.
As far as rental accommodation here, we were again out of luck. One real estate agent told us that there was a major highway construction and flood control project underway nearby and that any rental apartments had been snapped up by the crews working in the area. Also, she said, prices had skyrocketed because of the increased demand. We had actually more-or-less decided that we didn't want to be in such a small community anyway, so we weren't really disappointed. So, after a picnic lunch sheltering under a tree from a passing shower, we began our trip back to Cairns.
We had seen a sign advertising 3 bedroom apartments for rent at Trinity Links, our timeshare accommodation, when we first arrived and had enquired about them when we began our search. They are reasonably priced considering the quality and amenities here and the location is great considering the proximity to the Cairns Golf Club next door, nearby shopping and easy access to many walks and attractions in the area. And we were able to get a short term, 3 month lease. So, we decided to go ahead and sign up for one from the 2nd of June. We don't really need the three bedrooms but we will have lots of room for any visitors that may come to see us and anyway, they are one of the cheaper options we found. Compared to a little patch of ground and an electric plug-in at $25-30 night at a campground, the apartment at just over $50/night is an absolute bargain. And membership to the gym here is cheap so we will be able to continue working towards our goal of getting fit. So, until the beginning of September we will be based here. We plan to make a number of excursions utilizing our camping equipment, but we are very pleased with our new base. Being in Cairns will be convenient for lots of things ranging from Internet access to volunteer opportunities, something Sue is interested in pursuing while here. We might even be able to find some Spanish lessons, as one of our objectives here is to keep up our studies of Spanish in anticipation of much more time spent in Mexico in coming years. Now, we can really start to enjoy our time here if only the weather would cooperate.
When we first came to Cairns in 1978 we were on the last leg of the our six months in Australia after having spent a year working in New Zealand. We spent six weeks at a campground here and then headed off to Darwin our departure point for SE Asia. That was about the same time of year (winter) and we cannot remember a rainy day in all that time, though there may have been some. We had day after day of sunny skies and 25-27 degree highs. But this time, we continue to get very inclement weather. We heard on the weather that at the end of an El Niño year (as this year is) there is usually an above average amount of rainfall on the eastern coast of Australia, and that is certainly what we are experiencing. We heard all about Australia's drought before we arrived here, and there are parts of the country that are still suffering from lack of moisture. But the FNQ (Far North Queensland) coast has anything but a drought. Someone told us that it has been raining here more-or-less constantly for the last eighteen months. This is supposed to be the start of the dry season but the only dry days we've had are the first two when we arrive on May 19. Today is the 30th and we've had constant cloud and rain for the last 10 days. We heard that on town to the south of us had 8 inches of rain in 48 hrs and I'm sure we have had many inches here in Cairns over the last few days. It is very muggy as a result and the moisture has certainly resulted in lush, green surroundings and beautiful foliage. But we are really ready for a few days of lying in the sun. The forecast is for some improvement over the next few days, so hopefully by the next blog entry, we will be able to report sunny skies!
(Last minute update: As I post this entry, we have just returned from a day at one of the beaches just north of the city. Finally a sunny day...We had a great time walking along the long stretch of golden sand and sitting in the warm sun...Paradise At Last!)
Some pics will follow when we have some time to upload.
Until next time, “G'di from Caans”.
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