Day 35 September 2 Tuesday
Decided to take a tour with a aborigine to some art sites and to learn more about the aboriginal thinking. Left the park at 7:45 and got back at 1:45. Very interesting. The art works were mainly done with ochre. The art shows the aboriginal thoughts on life and death and the good and bad in between
. Willie Gordon was his name, his father aborigine and his mom Irish but raised with the aborigines. Some of the art was new, put there by his grandfather in the 1920-30. Some he does not know the age of some of it. He said aborigines believe we all come from “The Light” and when we die we go back to “The Light.” The rock art works shows all this. He also said all this “dreamtime” stuff was make up for the tourists. Drove back to Mount Molloy for the night at the free car park
Decided to take a tour with a aborigine to some art sites and to learn more about the aboriginal thinking. Left the park at 7:45 and got back at 1:45. Very interesting. The art works were mainly done with ochre. The art shows the aboriginal thoughts on life and death and the good and bad in between
. Willie Gordon was his name, his father aborigine and his mom Irish but raised with the aborigines. Some of the art was new, put there by his grandfather in the 1920-30. Some he does not know the age of some of it. He said aborigines believe we all come from “The Light” and when we die we go back to “The Light.” The rock art works shows all this. He also said all this “dreamtime” stuff was make up for the tourists. Drove back to Mount Molloy for the night at the free car parkDay 36 September 3 Wednesday
After leaving Mt. Molloy, headed north to Mossman Gorge section of Daintree NP. Very
different looking rainforest than what I saw before. Saw a forest wallaby too, cool. Pictures of a rainforest do not do it justice since walking in one is a multi-sensory experience. You need your smell and hearing. 
Had to cross the Daintree River to get to Cape Tribulation. Section of Daintree NP. Walked a 2.5 km boardwalk through the mangroves, put my feet in the sand at Thorton and Myall beaches. 
No crocs were to be seen.
After leaving Mt. Molloy, headed north to Mossman Gorge section of Daintree NP. Very
different looking rainforest than what I saw before. Saw a forest wallaby too, cool. Pictures of a rainforest do not do it justice since walking in one is a multi-sensory experience. You need your smell and hearing. 
Had to cross the Daintree River to get to Cape Tribulation. Section of Daintree NP. Walked a 2.5 km boardwalk through the mangroves, put my feet in the sand at Thorton and Myall beaches. 
No crocs were to be seen. Myall beach and cape Tribulation
Good rainstorm for a bit. Headed to Port Douglass to go to the bank to get enough cash to head west. Very very upscale place. Stopped for the night at Palm Cove RV park, sponsored by the city. Right on the beach. Ahhhh. Nice cool breeze and low humidity.
Day 37 September 4 Thursday
Left Palm Cove and headed towards Cairns only 30 km away. The Cook highway was jammed with commuters so decided to skip the city and head over the dividing range to Kuranda and then Meereba where I took hwy 1 south. Stayed on hwy 1 south and were A7 took off and
Left Palm Cove and headed towards Cairns only 30 km away. The Cook highway was jammed with commuters so decided to skip the city and head over the dividing range to Kuranda and then Meereba where I took hwy 1 south. Stayed on hwy 1 south and were A7 took off and
headed south is Undara Volcanic NP. It is famous for big lava tubes. Took a two hour tour and the tubes were large but not very long but interesting. Spent the night there in the resort. While sitting here writing a big chunk of a tree fell not more than 100 meters away scaring a grey Bottle tree (bilboa)
kangaroo. In August after getting the car, I have averaged 150 miles per day and spent $A88 per day for everything. This should go down a bit as do not have to stay in pay campgrounds to stay warm.
kangaroo. In August after getting the car, I have averaged 150 miles per day and spent $A88 per day for everything. This should go down a bit as do not have to stay in pay campgrounds to stay warm.Day 38 September 5 Friday
Headed out on highway 1, called the Savannah highway at this point, and drove to a small town called Mt. Surprise. Went 35 km one way on a dirt road to go to a topaz field. A person I talked to said there were lots of topaz up to 1 to 2 inches across. So off I went about a quarter of a mile and wham, a stream about 50 feet across and looked deep. As I was debating a bit, a Toyota land cruiser went through up over its axles and bounced it’s way across. Rats, no topaz for me, maybe another time. Drove the 35 km back and headed west again on hwy 1. I decided to reluctantly bypass Agate creek where spectacular agates come from since the road said 4 wheel drive. Drove onto Normanton, close to the gulf of Carpentaria, a distance of about 400 km. Real outback, went through 3 very small towns, got passed by three vehicles and saw about 30 from the other direction. Only grass and small trees and dead ‘roos. Stayed in a park with a nice pool, ahhhh after a hot day.
Headed out on highway 1, called the Savannah highway at this point, and drove to a small town called Mt. Surprise. Went 35 km one way on a dirt road to go to a topaz field. A person I talked to said there were lots of topaz up to 1 to 2 inches across. So off I went about a quarter of a mile and wham, a stream about 50 feet across and looked deep. As I was debating a bit, a Toyota land cruiser went through up over its axles and bounced it’s way across. Rats, no topaz for me, maybe another time. Drove the 35 km back and headed west again on hwy 1. I decided to reluctantly bypass Agate creek where spectacular agates come from since the road said 4 wheel drive. Drove onto Normanton, close to the gulf of Carpentaria, a distance of about 400 km. Real outback, went through 3 very small towns, got passed by three vehicles and saw about 30 from the other direction. Only grass and small trees and dead ‘roos. Stayed in a park with a nice pool, ahhhh after a hot day.
This is a typical outback road. Even the main road is dirt with one paved lane down the center. Scarry when a road train comes, that is a truck with three trailers. Sometimes there is more small shrubs around too. There can be stretches of 50 km between paved sections. The paved sections seem ramdom.
Day 39 September 6 Saturday
Headed south from Normanton on hwy 83 to Cloncurry which is on A6 highway. The distance was 370 km with only a roadhouse half way. Lots of nothing, not even a house to be seen. Whew. Real outback. At Cloncurry headed west and the road is now A2. Spent the night at a wayside park about 60 km west from Cloncurry.
Headed south from Normanton on hwy 83 to Cloncurry which is on A6 highway. The distance was 370 km with only a roadhouse half way. Lots of nothing, not even a house to be seen. Whew. Real outback. At Cloncurry headed west and the road is now A2. Spent the night at a wayside park about 60 km west from Cloncurry.
These are termite mounds. The outside is dirt so they have colors of the local dirt. Some are grey, others red and some tan. Inside is hollow where the nest is. They have tunnels to out at night to get food. The largest here is about 4 feet tall. The aborigines cut a hole in the big ones and build a fire inside and it stays hot for two days. These mounds are all over Australia, sometimes only a few and others by the thousands.
Day 40 September 7 Sunday (Australia Father’s Day)
Left the wayside park and headed west on A2 leaving Queensland and heading into the Northern Territory. Wanted to stop at Mt. Isa for food but everything is closed on Sunday. Spent the night a wayside park. Met a very nice couple who told me about some things to see on my journey. The flies were terrible tonight. I used the bug net Helen had gotten for me. Bug spray is useless. Hope it is not this bad all the rest of the way.
Left the wayside park and headed west on A2 leaving Queensland and heading into the Northern Territory. Wanted to stop at Mt. Isa for food but everything is closed on Sunday. Spent the night a wayside park. Met a very nice couple who told me about some things to see on my journey. The flies were terrible tonight. I used the bug net Helen had gotten for me. Bug spray is useless. Hope it is not this bad all the rest of the way.
Day 41 September 8 Monday
Continued west on A2 to Three Way, where A2 meets the road to Alice Springs south and
Darwin to the north. Stopped in Tennant Creek for some food and internet at the library. Somehow the cable would not work in my computer. Drove south as far as the Devil’s Marbles Conservation Area. Lots of big roundish granite boulders. Very pretty at sunset. 
Ranger talk with aboriginal “caretaker” about the area and the aboriginal culture. More later.
Continued west on A2 to Three Way, where A2 meets the road to Alice Springs south and
Darwin to the north. Stopped in Tennant Creek for some food and internet at the library. Somehow the cable would not work in my computer. Drove south as far as the Devil’s Marbles Conservation Area. Lots of big roundish granite boulders. Very pretty at sunset. 
Ranger talk with aboriginal “caretaker” about the area and the aboriginal culture. More later.I call this one sitting dog.
Day 42 September 9 Tuesday
Headed south to Alice Springs and got there about 2. Went to the grocery store for a few items and the information center. Library internet down for guests. Spent the night at G’day Mate Caravan park space 135. Warm.
Headed south to Alice Springs and got there about 2. Went to the grocery store for a few items and the information center. Library internet down for guests. Spent the night at G’day Mate Caravan park space 135. Warm.
No comments:
Post a Comment