Back To Biloela

After that complete buzz of our first helicopter flight, Team Turtle gradually came back to earth and headed back to Biloela and Lake Callide.  Team Turtle had spent a week at Lake Callide about three months ago and as our supply of Red Claw had dissipated, felt that it wouldn't hurt to go back there for a little while.

Fortunately, there was no other campers anywhere near the area where we had planned to camp and so we got to pick the best position - on a flat spot and reasonably close to the water.  It wasn't until two days later that two other rigs arrived and set up far enough away that we didn't bother each other, but close enough to get together for some social interaction, particularly of an early evening!

The Neighbours In The Distance

Once more, the hunting and gathering of Red Claw was very productive.  Most of the Red Claw were nearly the size of small lobsters so it was a lot easier to prepare them for eating or freezing.

A Good Sized Red Claw

It was an easy week at Lake Callide - there was still a lot of flood debris within walking distance to keep the campfire burning..

Cooking and Heating Facilities

In fact, even the locals were impressed with The Captain's efforts and called in, most days, for morning tea.

Morning Tea

It was a bit of a shame though that The Girls were a little naughty and ostracised one of their own just because she didn't look the same and who was left to have morning tea with Tuf Tinnie.

The Other Morning Tea Group

Our other little visitor for the week was a homing pigeon!  A very nice looking pigeon, it would spend most of the day at the neighbour's place and then would come over and spend some time with Team Turtle of an afternoon.

The Homing Pigeon

Within a week, we had managed to restock our freezer with Red Claw as well as having a few meals of it - how nice is deep-fried, battered Red Claw (and very naughty).  To enable other people to enjoy the delights of Red Clawing, we packed our traps, and ourselves, and moved on.  

After a little bit of shopping, we turned left and headed south.  The only other spot where we had had a really good day fishing was Lake Cania - in Cania Gorge - and so that was our next stop.

Throughout the days, the weather had been quite brilliant and warm - the mornings had been very crisp - and so it was a latish start the next day for fishing.  It was a very nice day on the water, but the fishing wasn't all that good.  The Captain tried several spots and a couple of different ways of fishing - casting lures and trolling - all to no avail.  It wasn't until The Captain decided to call it a day and to roll our lines in that The Deckie got a brilliant strike.  After several minutes of deciding who was boss, the fish - an Australian Bass - gave up!  Woo Hoo - The Deckie had won the struggle with a 45cm fish!!

The Deckie and The Bass

With that sort of success, we thought that there may have been another hungry fish, but no, it wasn't to be.  Never mind, at least we caught one.

Team Turtle tried again the next morning - but it was obviously too cold for the fish and then when the wind came up and blew its icy tendrils across the lake, it was definitely time to go back to camp!

The weather settled down after lunch and so The Captain and The Deckie took a walk up a nearby escarpment to 'The Giant's Chair Lookout".  An invigorating walk but we were both disappointed when we finally got there and there was only a lookout - no chair and no giant!

The Captain Not The Giant

The Valley Floor

And now?  Team Turtle is, very slowly, heading south.  The plan (at the moment) is to see what the Clarence River at Copmanhurst is like.  If it has recovered from the pummeling that it received in the January floods Team Turtle will probably spend quite a few days there again.  If not?  Well, that remains to be seen!

The Grand Finale For Carnarvon

Before Team Turtle set sail on their current adventures, The Captain and The Deckie celebrated their birthdays.  Not just any birthdays, but reasonably special ones - we both had a zero on the end of the numbers.  As birthday presents from The Deckie's eldest daughter, Kylie and her family - Gavin, Jacob and Ebony - we received "gift vouchers" to do something special on our trip.

The Falconer Family

So many choices, but we wanted to do something that neither of us had done before and so...

Our Ride For The Morning

We took a helicopter ride over Carnarvon Gorge!!

Once more, the day was absolutely brilliant without any breeze at all and the pilot and ground crew were cute as well.

Pilot and Ground Crew

The Deckie got to ride shotgun and after a few safety instructions we were off.  We didn't fly over Carnarvon Gorge itself but another Gorge that nobody else goes into unless they walk for a week or abseil.

The pilot, Shane, gave a great commentary but The Deckie was too busy trying to admire the view and take photos.  The escarpment of these gorges from ground level is something to be admired but when you see them from above it leaves a person speechless.

The Escarpment

The Twins

Looking Down The Valley

The River's Course Through The Plateau

The Three Sisters

A Farmhouse In The Valley

In a matter of moments, we were back on Terra Firma much to the chagrin of both The Captain and The Deckie.  Wow, could we have done that again - in a heartbeat!!

The Rest Of Team Turtle Awaiting Our Safe Return

Back Safe and Sound

After that complete buzz, we then had to head back towards some sort of civilisation.  Thank you Falconer Family for our wonderful birthday presents.

Charismatic Carnarvon

Slightly to the west of the Great Divide in Central Queensland lies Carnarvon Gorge - a very interesting geological formation.  Team Turtle had heard many good things about this place and had already tried to get there just over two years ago on our last major jaunt.  Unfortunately, at that time, the road between Roma and Emerald was still flooded as well as the actual Gorge so we had then turned to Plan B and headed off in another direction.  This time all was dry and there was nothing to stop us!

The Gorge is about 60klms off the main Carnarvon Highway - the last 20 klms were gravel - so it was a welcome relief that we were able to set up camp and relax.   We knew that we were going to be having a couple longish days out there in the bush.

Reasonably early the next morning we were packed and ready to go.  It was only a short drive from the Caravan Park to Visitors Centre where we collected the walking trail maps and then we were off.  There were warnings that there were several creek crossings and some ladders to climb but as The Captain and The Deckie are both fit and well, it wasn't going to be much of a problem!

We chose to do a longish walk with a couple of short walks into different little gorges.  All up it was about 12klms return - thank goodness it was a pleasant walking day with the sun shining and the birds singing!

The Walking Trails

From the Visitors' Centre we crossed the creek then, full of enthusiasm we headed into the main Gorge crossing the creek another couple of times.  The National Parks people had placed some convenient stepping stones into the creek at each crossing but we did notice that as you travelled further into the Gorge, the stepping stones became a little smaller and a little further apart!  Perhaps they were trying to discourage all but the fittest and strongest from going to far!!

First little offshoot was to the Moss Garden.  A lovely little area where the water had seeped thru the sandstone layers and then when it hit the basalt and then oozed out.  This then created a large area of rockface covered in mosses and ferns.

The Mossy Rockface

The Captain Admiring The Rockpool and Rockface

After crossing back after the main creek (again) we stopped for lunch beside the creek and as well as nourishing our bodies we were able to admire parts of the beautiful escarpments that the Gorge is renown for.

Carnarvon Creek - Downstream

Carnarvon Creek - Upstream

Still with a lot of enthusiasm, we headed off down and across the creek and into a little gorge that would lead us to The Amphitheatre.

Leading To The Amphitheatre

The tiny crack in the escarpment was where we had to go - hmmmm, very interesting!  The way to go was up the steel ladders..

Heading Into The Unknown

We then had to negotiate a very narrow crevice..

The Narrow Crevice

Which then opened out into this marvellous, naturally formed cavern.

The View From The Crevice

The Way Out

Looking Up

Still Looking Up

Another Rock Wall

The size and the magnitude of this particular cavern was awe inspiring and when a person is inside something like this, it tends to make you feel very insignificant.

We were starting to feel a little bit weary by this stage but felt that we had to go to one more little gorge - after all, it was only another kilometre!  Off we trudged, crossing the creek again before we would reach our final destination.

Rock Hopping Across The Creek

Ward's Canyon was not as magnificent as what we thought it would be (probably need more water in the waterfall) but it was still something to be in awe of.

Ward's Waterfall (Without the water)

Looking down Ward's Creek

That was enough walking for one day.  Well not really as we had to head back to the car and that was 6klms away.  The worst part was the last 2klms when the legs started feeling like lead and it became a matter of putting one foot in front of the of the other.  Not really as bad as that as we did make it back under our own steam.

Final Creek Crossing

And to make us feel better, we were greeted back at the Visitors' Centre by the welcoming committee!

Welcoming Committee

We finally dragged ourselves into The Rav and made our way back to camp.  There was certainly one thing - you could tell who had been out walking all day as they could barely move that night!

No, we did not get up early the next day.  We had a sleep in to ensure our bodies would be able to move.  It must have worked as by the time the sun was up and sparkling, so were The Captain and The Deckie.

There were three little short walks that we were going to do that day - Mickey's Creek Gorge, The Rockpool and Baloon Cave.  The longest walk was Mickey's Creek - about 2klms - and the others were only about 1klm round trip each.

Mickey's Creek Gorge

The Deckie With Some More Cool Rocks

On our way back out of Mickey's Creek Gorge we came across another welcoming local who was only too happy to have his photo taken.

Carnarvon Echidna

Then on to The Rockpool.  We had packed a light lunch so thought that this could be a perfect spot to consume it.  And it was!  A nice bend in the creek had formed a reasonably deep set of waterholes - too cold for us to have a swim - and National Parks had built a nice little picnic area for the visitors.

The Rockpool

Last walk for the day was to Baloon Cave - a small sandstone overhang that has aboriginal art decorating it.  Not terribly exciting but at least we went and saw it.

Rock Art

Once more, it was back to camp and a very much deserved rest as one never knows what might happen the next day!

Road to Recovery and Charters Towers

It took Team Turtle two days to recover from their massive walk through Undara Volcanic National Park, but that was OK as it was so very much worth it.  Would we punish our bodies like that again, well, at that point in time no, but.....

So, off we went again - this time in a south easterly direction towards Charters Towers, a very old gold mining town 100 klms west of Townsville.  Took our time getting there with an overnight stay at Greenvale the home of the Three Rivers Hotel. Slim Dusty had a big hit with a song of the same name and I had been under the impression that it was imaginary (as most song titles are) but there is an actual hotel and a very nice one at that.

Next stop, Charters Towers.  Not quite in town itself but at a very nice camp spot about 20klms east of town on the might Burdekin River.  A reasonably busy place but Team Turtle managed to find another good spot overlooking the river - not on the edge of the river (the grass was too high and the banks too steep) but it was still a nice outlook. 

Burdekin River Road Bridge

Fortunately for us, it hadn't rained for a while as the area where we were camped as been under water on numerous occasions over the years.  It as been that often that the local council has even installed a height indicator on the opposite bank - now that is an awful lot of water!

The Flood Height Indicator

As no members of Team Turtle had ever been to the area before, we set off the next morning for the usual sightseeing, touristy thing as well as some much needed shopping.

There is an actual hill (or Tor) at Charters Towers and it was where gold was first discovered.  The hill is littered with old gold mineshafts as well as munition bunkers from the Second World War.

Charters Towers

Looking East From The Hill

 There are some lovely old buildings in the township itself - reminders from the heydays of the gold rush period when the population was rather excessive.

The next day we went in the opposite direction to a little town called Ravenswood - another old gold mining town.  All of the information that we had collected had good things to say about this place - well, this was a very good example of the truth being stretched just a little bit.  There were some nice buildings but they were so dusty, two hotels which are still in the same condition as when the gold rush was on, a non-existent information centre and a very large open cut gold mine just on the edge of town.

The Open Cut Gold Mine

Within A Stone's Throw Of Town

After a nice lunch in one of the pubs, we drove a couple of klms out of town to a geological formation called The White Blow.  Quite interesting as it looked just like a heap of rubble, not the solid piece of quartz that it is!

The Sign Says It All

The White Blow

From The Top

That was enough of old towns but it was a pleasant day for a drive!  The next few days were just for relaxing and for a little bit of maintenance on the vehicles.

The Old and The New Railway Bridges Over The Burdekin

The Captain Relaxing!

Before long it was time to move on - still working our way south and about to tick off another item on the "Bucket List".