Leaving Cairns at 11am we planned to head towards Cowley Beach, hoping that the wind would drop and we could enjoy some boating around the Barnard Group of Islands.  On the way we dropped in at Josephine Falls for a looksy and also for a slide down the rocks.  By the time we got to the Falls the weather was bright and sunny and we enjoyed the refreshing swim in the cool mountain waters.  In all we spent a couple of hours at Josephine Falls sliding to the rocks into the pool below.   Bushman Bud and the kids had a ball sliding down in multiple combinations with the waterproof camera in hand.  We had an awesome time enjoying the adventure of a beautiful place.  Josephine Creek is fed from the towering Mt BArtle Frere, QLD’s highest peak at 1,622m and by the time the cascading waters reach the bottom they are icy cool and as fresh as water can taste…beautiful!

I mention Bartle Frere because it was here just over a year ago that Joey Jess and Bushman Bud climbed the peak, twice.  Once up the Western Route, which starts at Josephine Falls and once from the Eastern side.  Therefore Joey Jess was pretty excited about her return visit and walked some of teh path reminicing about her past achievements…good on you Joey Jess, a spectacular achievement at just seven years of age.

From Josephine Falls we travelled to Innisfail for lunch at the skate park where the kids had fun on their scooters.  I ate the last of my Red Claw BBQed in garlic and butter.  Leaving Innisfail we eventually arrived at a rather windy Cowley Beach, the caravan park deserted.  The interesting thing was that the lovely beach had been decimated by drift wood, obviously the carnage of the rampaging cyclone Yarsi this time last year…what a shame that this previously unspoilt beach and gateway to the Barnard Islands was damaged in such a way.  With the wind up and the beach a mess we reviewed the maps and headed towards Bingil Bay and Mission Beach.  I am glad we did because the drive into this place is spectacular and when you get there teh drive along the beach is very special.  We missed this coastline last year and alsmost again this year so it was good to have a visit, if not a fleeting visit, to investigate a place for a holiday in the future.  We ended up staying in the Council Park right on the beach front overlooking Dunk Island.  The scenery in this place just magnificent.  Unfortunately the wind was still blowing, meaning the boat stayed on the car roof, but on its day, the boating would be sensational around these parts.

In the evening I made a Halloween pumpkin for the kids and they enjoyed an hour of more “Trick & Treating.”  They did amazingly well given the tourist season is well and truly at an end in these parts.

We will continue down the coast today and see where we get to.  We are heading to JD’s farm for the 5 November in Bundaberg and then onto Fraser Island with “Bessy” on the 7,8 &9th November.  We then head to Brisbane for teh 11 November for our course “Design Your Destiny” with Christopher Howard, a person who has been responsible for massive changes in my life and one of the reasons I am fortunate to share these experiences with you.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

With very threatening rain across the gulf we had to make the sad decision to avoid the gravel roads along the Savanah Way and bottom of the Gulf.  This decison has since proved very wise with some areas through the Gulf receiving significant rainfall…getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere is not fun!

So, we left the very hot Elliot last night and travelled through to a rest area just North of Tennant Creek.  Rising in the morning we fueled up at Three Ways and crossed the NT/QLD border early afternoon.  We have had significant problems with water in the fuel ever since leaving Darwin and have had to continually clean the fuel filter.

It is probably best to note that we had planned to fish King Ash Bay around Borroloola and Bing Bong…simply we just ran out of time, needing to be back in Brisbane by 12 November for some personal development courses.

Moving on we hit Mount Isa late afternoon and fueled up and ate dinner in town.  We left Mt Isa on dusk heading for Cloncurry and then onto Kurumba where we were hoping to get some fishing in.

We finally got to 100klm South of Normanton and stayed in a rest area overnight.  Waking the net morning we passed through Normanton and then onto Kurumba where we spent less than 2 hours.  It was very windy and was to remain that way for the next few days, combined with rain also on the way we decided that it was not the place to bunk down for a few days…boredom would have set in big time.  So, saying goodbye to the windy and hot Kurumba we headed off towards Lake Tinaroo, one of our favourite haunts.  Luckily we still had the best part of the afternoon still to travel so off we went heading firstly for Normanton and then turning left onto the Gulf Developmental Road we fueled up in Croydon and headed to Georgetown arriving there at dusk for dinner.  We were sick of the car and wanted to get as close to Lake Tinaroo as possible so the following day was only a short one in the car.  We finally pulled over into a rest area just West of Ravenshoe (nice rest area) and crashed for the night.  Next day we headed into Atherton, through Tolga and into Lake Tinaroo…finally we had arrived, 3,500 klms later.  You beauty, time to relax, swim, scurf, fish and catch Red Claw…awesome!!

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

With the sun rising, Amy and I headed to El Questro Gorge whilst Lynda stayed behind with Jess.  Amy and I planned to conquer the big boulder at the half way point and carry on to Mic Micking Pool at the end of the gorge.

Half the fun is the 4WD track in.  Whilst not challenging it contains a deep water crossing and winds its way through the Kimberley’s distinct vegetation to the beginning of the gorge.  Starting the walk from the carpark it is a rocky scramble along the river bed to the halfway pool.  The gorge on this section narrows as it closes in on the halfway pool with sheer cliff faces rising up from beneath you.  It is a beautiful gorge to travel through which get prettier the further you travel into it.

Safely at the halfway pool we sat and pondered how to get past the big boulder blocking our track…it is true that many people fail the challenge of scaling the big boulder due to having to wade through waist deep water to access the boulder.  What this means is that when you reach the boulder you begin climbing it with wet feet…which is exactly what you don’t want on a smooth slippery steep surface.

Well with shoes off and back pack held high we headed out to the big boulder.  Then the challenge of how firstly to get out of the water onto the BB and then how to climb it!  I pushed Amy out of the water to a safe perching point, handed her the back pack and balanced the hiking boots precariously on the BB.  After a few attempts I was out of the water perched on the boulder with a handhold and very small foot hold for one foot, Amy just above me holding on…what next.  I somehow managed to get one boot on my foot to give me a bit of traction and then at full stretch, with a lot of good faith in my rather bleak foot hold pushed myself up and across to another landing.  A slight slip and I was gone!  Yes…made it, hold onto Amy with one hand so she could collect the boots and then I dragged her to my ledge.  From there we both put our boots on and made the rest of the climb easily.

Back on the trail we quickly covered the remaining 2klm of the trip despite warning and notes on how difficult the track was.  Sure, it was challenging in parts but mostly just a whole lot of good fun as you tackled the big boulder and then the big series of boulder strewn across the gorge, the climb up the side of the waterfall and then finally the climb up and into Mic Micking Pool.

At the pool you are in awe of nature’s beauty.  The pool is small but enclosed by narrow sheer cliffs above you and the waterfall at the far end of the crystal pool is amazing as it freefalls onto rocks below.  We quickly undressed and took a surprisingly warmish swim (in comparison to other pools in gorges) swimming out to the waterfall and sitting underneath it on natures well crafter lounge chair.  We swam and played for half and hour enjoying ourselves and having some great fun together.  Several photos followed before heading back.

We descended the gorge quickly back to the big boulder (BB) and again pondered on a plan of attack.  I decided on throwing the walking boots 20m to dry ground.  Three out of four boots landed safely with one of my boots taking a bad bounce and a slight dip in the pool…minor casualty.  We then slid down the BB to the pool below, Amy taking an involuntary slide towards the bottom of the BB and an uncontrolled splash into the pool below.  I managed to stay in control and therefore kept the back pack dry.  A quick swim followed and then we walked out the remaining part of the gorge back to the car.

In the end the 3 to 5 hour return (without a swim) turned out to be about 4 hours with 1 hour of sightseeing and swimming.  In fact the walk out took less than an hour with a swim.

Heading back to camp we spotted J & T who had walked some of the Amelia Gorge and we talked about tackling Moonshine Gorge in the afternoon.

That is what we did, I did the loop walk trail and everyone else bugged out at the last minute and walked in the reverse direction just to the swimming hole.

My walk took me up over the range with fabulous scenery down onto the gorge and surrounding range.  Once up on top you descended down to the halfway pool where you could take a swim.  I decided not to and finally bumped into the rest of the group coming the other way some 500m past the waterhole.  We all retraced our steps so that those who wished could take a swim.  We lounged around at the water hole for some time before heading back to the cars around 4:30pm.  Halfway back to the car park I noticed that Jeff was struggling with Banjo on his back so I relieved him of Banjo and carried him back to camp for Jeff.

What was interesting about this walk and gorge were the layered rock formations which were balanced on a 45 degree angle and towered above you.  The gorge was wide and open and the walking difficult but the rock formations were the highlight.  The water hole I could give a miss and I really believe walking only 1 klm into this gorge will place you in the most interesting section of the gorge.

The other interesting part of the gorge is the long 4WD track to the car park at the start of the gorge.  The track follows the El Questro Gorge track until after the deep water crossing.  It then branches right and continues for several klms as it weaves its way to Moonshine Gorge.  You travel through a few rocky sections and a couple of creek crossings before arriving at the carpark.

Back at camp after nightfall it was time for a shower and for me an early night.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

Leaving our overnight camp half way between Norseman and Esperance we headed South stopping for morning tea at Scadden where the kids played on a giant Fig Tree.  They are always great for climbing and the kids had  a ball.  We left Scadden and headed to Esperance arriving late morning and stopped in town to pick up food supplies.  Whilst in town we found a massive blow up water slide park and the kids started their negotiation with us.  The choice was easy in the end, you just can’t deny any kid such an experience – especially after being car bound whilst crossing the Nullabor over a few days.  The kids had an action packed hour whilst mum and dad caught up on the gossip phoning friends.

Our plan was to head out to Lucky Bay and camp out in the Cape Range National Park.  Cape Range National Park is about 50 klms East of Esperance and the beaches and bays around this area are magnificent.  Lucky Bay itself is has a very sheltered camp and beautiful beach that you can walk around the bay to the lookout and granite outcrops on the far side.  Camping is charged at applicable NP rates and during peak periods a caretaker is present.

We arrived mid afternoon at Lucky Bay, set up camp and took the kids boogie boarding in the small surf.  They had an awesome time and we also were able to watch some of the sunset before turning in for dinner.  This place is definitely special.

Next day we caught up on some schooling and headed to various lookouts and bays in the surrounding areas.  First up was Rossiter Bay (average really compared to others), next xxxx and then down to Le Grande Beach where we went for a drive along the beach towards Esperance.  The beach is like a highway with hard sand and no real need to let down tyres.  We enjoyed the 25 klms of beach driving before heading back to Hammer Head Pt on Le Grande beach where yu are sheltered from the ever persistent wind.  Here we swam and played in the sand for the rest of the afternoon.  Later that day when heading back past Frenchmans Peak on the way to Lucky Bay Joey Jess begged us to climb the peak like she had done so some 3 years previously.  We agreed we would tackle the peak the next day.

The main challenge today was to climb up Frenchmans Peak and at about 450m above sea level not a real tough challenge after climbing the peaks of mountains such as Mt Bogong at over 1,900m.  Saying that you still need to do some hard yards.  The climb took us about 40 mins to reach the summit where you are granted amazing views of the surrounding Le Grande NP and its many precious and beautiful bays.  It is only at the top of this peak that you really appreciate the beauty of this area, so take the time to climb Frenchman’s Peak and be amazed by the view.

The wind was blowing a gale today and at times you felt as though you were going to be blown right off the mountain (or better described as an enormous granite blob).  In fact both Urangatang Amy and Joey Jess were both blown off their feet a few times…so be warned, watch the wind, you are very exposed on this granite blob!

The rest of the day was spent on the beach at Lucky Bay.

On the road to Duke Orleans Bay and Warton Beach was the plan for today.  Warton Beach is located a further 60 klms East of Lucky Bay and represents the start of Cape Arid NP.  Warton Beach is a beautiful area and there is a caravan park there for those inclined, alternatively you can camp out in the Cape Arid NP.

We spent the day on the beaches at Little Warton Beach and Warton Beach.  They beauty about this area is there are so many little bays in the surrounding area that you can always find somewhere secluded that is sheltered from the prevailing breeze.  We spent the morning around Warton Beach which is just magical, other than being a very popular place for all of those staying at the caravan park.  Take a drive on Wharton Beach to the far side of the bay and follow the track off of the beach.  Exploring this area you will find Little Wharton Beach and some small absolutely stunning bays awesome for swimming, fishing and diving in.  Further down Little Wharton Beach you can follow an overgrown and scratchy track for 1 klm or so to some more even more secluded bays. 

A day out to Wharton Beach and Duke Orleans Bay is a must, so buckle up and explore what the area has to offer, you will have an amazing day out – guaranteed!!!

The next day we explored the area around Lucky Bay, walking up the beach to the lookout and beyond.  Once at the end of the beach you cross the small rocky headland and head up another small beach.  Again you cross over a small rocky headland and then up a beautiful small beach to some very peculiar looking granite boulders.  Here we stopped for a while enjoying the beautiful spot whilst the kids enjoyed swimming in the beach and playing around the boulders.  You can continue on from here along yet another small beach, small rocky headland and then to another beautiful secluded beach.  We didn’t because the kids were getting tired but we recommend that you go it was simply stunning.  We did plan to drive there in the boat but unfortunately the wind became stronger and stronger the longer we stayed.

Another day at Le Grande beach brought an end to our stay in the beautiful Le Grande NP.  It is a special place, often tainted by the aggressive, persistent wind, though forever remembered fondly for the remarkable and stunning white beaches and amazingly turquoise blue oceans.  Without a doubt the beaches in this place are the best beaches in Australia.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

Next stop Cania Gorge, approx 250 klm inland from Bundaberg.

We left Dawson Creek Rest Area and headed for Cania Gorge arriving there around lunch time.  There is no free camping and/or National Park camping here so you have to stay in one of two caravan parks.  Being Big 4 members we stayed at the park closest to the Cania Dam.

During the rest of the afternoon we let the kids have some downtime using the playground, jumping pillow and swimming pool whilst Bushman Bud and Lovely Lynda had some relaxation time.

At five pm that evening the caravan park feeds the lorakeets and cockatoos and we headed to watch and join in the fun.  You get a handful of bird seed and can enjoy the birds close up as they balance on your fingers munching away.

After that we took a late evening sunset drive up to Lake Cania, which is another dam stocked with fresh water fish and Red Claw.  We drove up onto the lookout and watched the sun go down over the Lake.  What a great place for the boat enthusiast.  The lookout took in the surrounding gorge and dam and is well worth a visit – late in the evening is especially nice as you get all the colours reflecting off the sandstone cliffs in the late sun.

Back to camp, dinner and bed.

The next day we were ready to head of and explore Cania Gorge.  We travelled back down the main access road to the Cania Gorge picnic where the majority of the walks begin.

We decided on the Dripping Rock and Overhang walk, a combined return distance of about 3.5 klm on easy walking trails.  Dripping rock was kind of a mini Moss Garden and compared to Carnarvon Gorge is a low scale attraction.  Continuing onto the Overhang you are presented with a nice location to sit back for a while.  The Gorge here overhangs a considerable way over a small creek bed and is worth a visit.  We enjoyed this area and the kids had a great time playing in the small cave created by the overhang.

After the Overhang we headed up to Dragon Cave which was somewhat uneventful.  After that it was back to the caravan and point our way towards Bundaberg.

I sum up our Cania Gorge visit like this…we were spoilt having just visiting the Canarvon Gorge which is just spectacular…after that unless you find a really special place then it probably is not going to stack up.  Cania Gorge is a pretty place in its own right but for me not spectacular.

Leaving Cania Gorge we travelled through Kalpower on the way to Bundaberg.  This was mostly on very steep grade and winding rough gravel roads…the Kedron getting a severe work out as we passed through the very hilly ranges around Kalpower Forest and Recreation Area.

Eventually we arrived in Bundaberg late evening camping at the Bundaberg Port (which although listed in the Camps 5 book is no longer a free camping location and attracts a $1,800 fine if you stay there.  A security guard (nice one at that) very nicely moved us on.  Well done for being so good instead of the usually bloke who’s authority seems to have gone to their heads.

We eventually camped at Sharon Nature Reserve, a nice rest area, although a little noisy.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

Time for Joey Jess to summit this mountain.

Leaving Lake Tinnaroo at 5:30am we were caught out a little with the length of the drive to the walking track for the Bartle Frere summit.  This took us 1 hour and 15 mins meaning by the time we grabbed the back pack and sprayed ourselves with Bushman (for the plague like leaches) we hit the track about 6.50am.

Within the first 300m we realised that the climb was going to be torturous.  There had been heaps of rain the past couple of days and in places the track was water logged and extremely muddy.  This didn’t help the progress and it became a slow grind to the turn off to the waterfalls (about 1.5klm along the track…the name of the falls escapes me at the moment).  From here the track gets a little steeper in sections and the muddy overgrown track was becoming very difficult to negotiate.  You have to constantly watch where you are stepping whilst trying to follow the badly marked track which is in need of urgent attention…mark my words…someone will get lost on this track if it is not fixed.

The kilometres passed very slowley and Joey Jess was getting tired by the 4klm mark and we had a chat about continuing.  After thinking it through Joey Jess was happy to contine…the condition of the track and constant wiping off of many leaches were taking a toll.

We eventually arrived at Northwest Peak which seemed to take forever and stopped for a good break eating our sandwiches and realising that we had left some of our energy food behind…oops.  This seemed to refresh Joey Jess and we moved quickly from the Northwest Peak to the first of the two camps below the Bartle Frere Summit.  This was where the going got really tough and time was slipping away from us.  We had set a cut off time at 12:30pm for the summit and it was closing in on midday.  From the camp we had to negotiate about five massive boulders rising steeply up a small creek, all extremely slippery but not quite as dangerous as the Eastern side if you fell.  These were very difficult and took us a long time to climb over and Joey Jess was getting very tired by this stage and I started to question my decision to take Jess up the mountain…we were however, so close now that I wanted to give Jess every chance to succeed…so we pushed on.

After the boulders we then had to negotiate a running stream which after the rain was cascading down the mountain slope.  This was the last part of the mountain and completely unexpected as it was completely dry last time I came this way.  This was slippery and we both soaked our boots through.  We carried on though and came to the last 200m walk through rainforest…we had made it to the summit of Mt Bartle Frere…you beauty and good on ya Jess – what a climber and machine you are.  What great desire and determination you have in following your dreams and goals, I am so very proud of you for pushing through your limits and boundary conditions on such a tough climb and coming out the other side learning new lessons that will allow you to travel and accomplish even more in life.  You learnt many lessons on Mt Bartle Frere today, well done.  You gave it your best effort and succeeded by going the extra mile.  I love you and am so very proud of you!

We arrived at the top of the highest mountain in QLD at 12:40pm.  Unfortunately the peak was in cloud but we took the chance to take some photos at the peak next to the sign before having to get back down before nightfall.

I must say that I was a little worried.  It had taken us well over 5 1/2 hours to reach the summit and if we took the same amount of time to get back down we would be travelling on an overgrown track in dark…impossible, we would have to camp out and spend a very nasty night in a leach infested rain forest…that was all the motivation we needed.

We left the summit after about ten minutes and a phone call to Nanna & Gramps and Mum.  I pushed Jess hard to the Northwest Peak to try and make up some time.  We lost the track several times and I am thankful that I had the foresight to lay extra markers at places that were unclear.  We arrived at the Northwest Peak in good time and had a well deserved break.  I gave up my sandwich to Joey Jess and we continued on.  Down, down, down we went.  Time seemed to be slipping away when we heard the faint sound of Bobbin Bobbin Falls and realised we had come further than what we had thought…we were going to make it back to the car in daylight…you beauty.

On the track approaching the falls we came across a small snake sunning itself, trying to soak up the last rays of the day.  Try as hard as we could to scare it, we couldn’t get it to move.  We then started throwing sticks at the snake to give it a move on before realising that we would need to sneak past it.  It eventually moved just off the track and we squeezed past.

We arrived at the track to Bobbin Bobbin Falls and with new found motivation quickly knocked off the final 1 1/2 klm of track to the car.  Awesome and what a feeling of success.  We had climbed Mt Bartle Frere on a tough and very demanding day with the track in poor condition in 9 hours and 59 minutes…unbelievable effort by Joey Jess…I take my hat off to you my darling.  You did well today and achieved your goal.  You have now climbed some of the highest and challenging mountain peaks in Australia and are a long way to achieving your goal of climbing the highest mountain peak in every state…good on you…you go girl!!!

Check out the vids and photos…coming soon.

Bushman Bud & Joey Jess…Enjoying Australia

Check out the

On the road early this morning and a trip to Port Douglas and Mossman Gorge.

We arrived in Port Douglas around 9:00am and took sometime just walking the streets and browsing through a few shops.  It was great fun with the kids and yes…Bushman Bud ended up buying the kids some rather expensive bathers and Lovely Lynda some Lorna Jane active gear…why did I agree to go to Port Douglas…huh!

With the ladies happy and some funtimes had we topped off the visit with a nice icecream before heading towards Mossman Gorge.  Port Douglas for us was very much a tourist town with a beautiful holiday feel.  The main drag is littered with all kinds of shops and eateries and would have a great atmosphere at night times.  Whilst we appreciated the town for what it was, it is just simply not what we go on holiday for.  It is however worth a visit and if you have time…and are inclined that way…get down to the beaches and have some fun.

Leaving Port Douglas we headed back to Mossman and onto the famous Mossman Gorge.  Repairs and upgrades to walking tracks in the Gorge meant that the road into the Gorge was closed.  This meant cueing up for a shuttle bus…yes I said that right, cueing up!!! there are som many tourists that go to see this gorge which, quite frankly spoils the beauty of this special place.  After a very hot 15 min wait and uncomfortable bus ride we were dropped off at the gorge.  The walks at the gorge follow the cascading river for 700m with various platforms designed to give you a better look at the river.  Arriving at the top end of the walkway there is a swing bridge that will take you to a further 2.5klm loop walk but this does not give you any better view of the gorge, so save your energy for other walks along your travels.

The Mossman Gorge is a beautiful place but one trafficked by many people.  The river cascading over oval shaped smooth boulder is awesome to witness and you could only imagine how much better the sight would be in the wet.  It is a place to visit but be prepared to share it with the masses.

For me taking the track less travelled and making the effort to get out and about takes you into places just as scenic or more so.  These places are enhanced because many times you have the place to yourself…sorry but you just can’t beat getting off the beaten track and stumbling on a place of breath taking beauty.

Well, been there and done that…I think the saying goes.  Happy for the experience, but not likely to go back.

Another wait for the shuttle bus and finally back at the car.  We drove the 20 odd klms back to Wonga Beach and finished the day with another refreshing swim.

The Crebb Track beckons tommorrow.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

The day finally arrived to tackle Queensland’s highest peak, Mt Bartle Frere at a respectable 1,622m. 

Bartle Frere is in cloud 8 out of every 10 days so to get a day with bright sunny skies takes some doing.  Today was the day.

The initial idea was to scout the track so that Joey Jess could give the summit an attempt.  Jess has been asking me to climb the mountain ever since we hit the surrounds around Cairns.  So Hamish and myself (Bushman Bud) arrived at the start of the Western climb at 10:40am.  We knew this was late in the day to start the climb but were pretty confident that we could get up and back if we backed ourselves.  We set a cut off point of 2:00pm for the summit and set off on the track.

The first 2klm or so leads slightly downhill to Bobbin Bobbin Falls, a very picturesque water fall with amazingly fresh water to drink…you have to check out the falls when climbing Bartle Frere.  The falls are about 30-40m high and cascade down through the small gorge.  We left the falls for the return trip so as not to use up valuable time on the way up.

It is at Bobbin Bobbin Falls that the track starts to climb and this continues steadily right up to the Western Peak at 1,450m.  The trail is mostly through rain forest with some scrambling over, around or through large boulders along the way.

We moved steadily with little to no rest arriving at the Western Peak at 1:00pm.  Here we climbed up onto the granite boulders where you are greeted with amazing 360 degree views of the surrounding coastline and Atherton Tablelands.  It is also here that you can get a glimpse of the BArtle Frere peak for the first time…that is if you can work out which peak it is!  The surrounding country is full of small peaks which look like any could be the summit!.

Leaving the Western Peak we had one hour to get to the summit, this was going to be tough going.  We set off with new enthusiasm thinking that the summit was not that far away.  However this section of the track crosses a few saddles so you drop down about 200m before climbing 100m, dropping another 100m and climbing the remaining few hundred metres to the summit.  This makes the last 2klm quite a challenge and energy sapping.  Made worse is the condition of the track which has not been cleared for two years due to lack of funding.  Many times we had to stop to find the track and it is amazing that more people have not got lost on this section of track.  There were times when we were pushing through head height grass hoping to come out the other side and find a track marker…be very careful on this section. 

The last section of the summit is steep with some sections exposed to the sun until you finally arrive at a tree topped summit.  Therefore there is very little view of the surrounding country side other than one rock platform which leads you to spectacular views of the coastline.  These views are simply breath taking and although minimal are well worth the climb.

We arrived at the summit bang on 2:00pm after a torturous hour of hard climbing.  The torture was our own doing simply because we hadn’t left ourselves much time.  A more leisurely climb would not have been so sapping.

A quick lunch, photo and we were back on the track heading down.  Once again we had to retrace our steps several times to pick up the track…QLD parks really need to address this issue.  Put into perspective, this walk is to an iconic QLD location (being its highest peak) and the track was in diabolical condition…this in my mind was simply not good enough.

You always make up time on the way down but on this mountain it is probably not as noticeable due to many exposed tree roots which make the track unsteadyand uneven under foot and therefore at times slow going.

We did make good progress though and were back down at Bobbin Bobbin Falls at 4:45pm.  We wondered down the track about 100m which is steep and probably the last thing you want to do after pushing yourself realy hard for 6 hours.  The legs were a bit wobbly on the way down, but this was made up for easily with the fresh cool water.

Back up to the main track after 20 mins at the falls we were back at the car around 5:30pm.  What a day full of hard climbing and pushing the body really hard.  Got to say I love to trash the body in this way and it always feels good food for the soul.

So all in all, we probably spent 10 mins at the Western Peak, 15 minutes at the summit and 20 mins looking at Bobbin Bobbin Falls.  Soooo, setting off at 10:45 and arriving back at 5:30pm, (less the above) the climb took us 6 hours to complete.

My closing thoughts, certainly not the toughest or steepest climb…that belongs to Mt Bogong (Victoria’s highest peak), so where would I rate the challenge…probably the same as Cradle Mountain.  The downsides, the leaches and the condition of the track, the upsides the amazing (although) limited view from the summit.  Make sure you pick the right day and you will enjoy QLD’s highest peak.

What else can I say…I’am at the top…and you’re not…get out and give it a go!!!!!!!!!!

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

We have been camped on the foreshore of Lake Tinnaroo for the past three days enjoying the brilliant sunny weather and placid calm picturesque waters of the lake.  Got to say this is one of the special places we have visited where time stands still while you get to enjoy the beauty and fun activities you can have here.

We are camped at Kuari Campground which can be reached easily via Kuari and a short trip down an unsealed road…just look out for log trucks and other motorists who seem to think they are the only ones on the road.

Kuari Camp is just awesome.  We are camped in an elevated position, 30m from the Lake on a beautiful grassy bank.  Pine trees and rainforest are off in the distance and the Lake forms a beautiful sheltered bay which is fantastic for the kids to play and swim…sensational.

The sun has been out and we have been swimming and scurfing on Lake Tinaroo during the day.  Yesterday I went for a mountain bike ride on the many trails in the area too.  There is something here for everyone and with the right weather is paradise…life doesn’t get much better.

The blokes have been doing the hard yards too.  We have set the yabbie pots and are up at 5:30am each morning pulling the pots and so far getting a feed of red claw for lunch each day.  These marron looking shellfish are very tasty and are fun to catch.  Each morning after pulling the pots the kids have come down to the river bank waiting for our return and have enjoyed playing with the Red Claw…so far, so good, no one has been bitten by the rather strong claws on these suckers.  We have been using vegie scraps and have found loading up the pots with bait works best.

What has also been great about our stay here is the kids having a go at scurfing behind Hamish’s dinghy.  The kids have learnt to take off from shore standing up on the surf board and have been so enthusiastic and proud of themselves for achieving that.  Jessy and Amy have loved the experience because they have wanted to have a go at surfing for ages and finally got a go (or the closest thing to it, anyhow).  Hey, even Bushman Bud after 25 years in the surfing wilderness after a freak accident at Margaret River managed to find his feet and enjoy some scurfing too.  Hamish was the star with his graceful moves.

Of course there is always catching up with great friends which is another enjoyable part of the travelling experience.  We have enjoyed catching up with Alex and Hamish and have formed a great friendship with them…thanks guys for another great few days…we look forward to more in the future.

Whilst at Lake Tinnaroo we plan to use this as a base to climb Bartle Frere and take in some more of the sights and touristy spots around the Atherton Tablelands.  The Lake is very well located for this.

What can I say, what an awesome place to be…I am here and you should be.  Get out and experience this fantastic tranquil place, get a feed of Red Claw, perhaps a Barra and watch the kids playing in safe calm water.  Life is good here for sure.  If you don’t visit Lake Tinaroo when visiting the Atherton Tablelands you have missed one of the beautiful spots in the area.

I am sitting here now, looking over the Lake, blogging and bringing this great location to your doorstop…photos to come.  I am admiring the lake, waiting for the Red Claw to fill the pots and looking forward to an afternoon play on the Lake or perhaps mountain bike ride.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

Cape York Peninsula...Enjoying Australia

G’day all,

The day had finally arrived…our chance to enjoy being at the most Northern Tip of Australia, Cape York Penninsula, QLD…yeah!!!

Video: Cape York Peninsula_Northern Tip of Australia_QLD

The plan was to travel to Punsand Bay, drop the camper trailer off, take the 4WD track up the coast through to the main access road to the Cape. 

At the turnoff to Punsand Bay is the Croc Tent.  For me it was an overpriced junkyard of Cape memorabilia.  Don’t get me wrong I have no problem with people selling memorabilia for people to take home…but be reasonable…I reckon you could have bought gold cheaper, it was that ridiculous.  I also reckon that the items on offer were poor quality.  You can spend your dollars on many other different memorabilia places along the way so just look out for the right one…with the right price!

We left Sieisa mid morning and were soon bouncing around on the corrugations towards Punsand Bay.  These were the worst of the corrugations thus far and limited us to very slow speeds.  It took us about 45 mins to travel 17 klms to the turnoff.

Turning left we made better time and arrived at Punsand Bay around lunch time.  We secured a beach front camp ground which was sandy but not the same red dust dirt bowl we had experienced at Sieisa.  Quickly, the amenities here were pretty poor but at least there was a bar.  Hey if you could have transported the amnities from Siesa here it would have been near perfect…in fact, perfect if the fish were biting.

We were excited to get to the Cape and quickly set up the camper and were on our way.  Leaving the campsite we turned left along the scenic 4WD track towards the Cape.  This was a great alternative and keeps you away from the shocking corrugations.  The track meanders through bush scrub and rain forest on a sandy base for most part…some areas soft.

After about 14 klms you pop out about 10 klms from the Cape.  Turn left out of the track and mark your spot if you want to return this way. 

We finally arrived at the car park and set off on the Cape Track (which is not easy to find…mind you it doesn’t take Einstein to work out which general direction to head in.  The walk seemed to be about 1klm to the tip, with great views of the Cape throughout the walk.  We went up over the headland.  The last few hundred metres you drop down from a high point and the nostalga of the journey catches up with you as you descend on your final destination.  For me, my hair was standing up on my neck such was the excitement of being at this place.  The last few hundred metres is awesome with the scenery of the Cape and nearby islands,  the whole Cape region is a fascinating place.

Finally we were there and what a great place to take in the moment once more.  I am an emotional person and the feelings of being at the Cape were like scoring a ton in a closely fought out cricket match or the exhileration of shoooting a massive whitewater rapid in a raging river.  It was simply awesome to be at a place I had dreamed of for many years.  What made it better is the adventure we could all share as a family to get there.  

The camera ran hot with the number of pics we took.  The tripod was setup and we all enjoyed the various poses, some silly, some funny, some serious, strange and some just plain crazy.  It was just a great experience and beautiful memory for the family to recapture.  We all set some amazing goals for the future at this spot and recorded them all on video.

This is a place of breath taking beauty and one where you just have to sit and take in the moment.  How many people would love to be in the very spot you are right at that moment.  We had the place to ourselves for the rest of the afternoon which is unbelievable given the amount of traffic around the Cape.  We were certainly blessed to enjoy this special spot to ourselves with the sound of ocean wind and nature doing its thing.  We just soaked up the feelings, sounds and sights of being at this special, iconic, great Australian place – the Northern Tip of the Australian Mainland – you beauty!!

The Cape will linger forever in my memory (until next time I return) not only for the adventure and amazing scenery of the place but more so the family time we spent there that afternoon making plns for the future and deciding on our next great adventure.  Travel has brought the whole family together, it is such an amazing voyage of discovery and I know for us has built foundations for joyous times in the future.

Leaving the Cape was tough but we decided to take the beach track back to the car.  This can only be done at low tide and the mangroves look a little dodgy for crocs so always be on the lookout.  It is a great contrast to the headland walk so if you can…do it.

Back in the car and back to Punsand Bay for dinner and watch over the ocean as the sun sets in the West.  Perfect day in a perfect place.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia