The Coastline and Cardwell

Cardwell FNQ- halfway between Townsville and Cairns and where the highway meets the Coral Sea.  It was to this lovely place that we ventured north to at our normal turtle pace - took us two days to get from Proserpine with an overnight stay just south of Ayr. 

Not long after we had left Proserpine, a strange sound began emanating from beneath The Turtle.  A bit unusual so we stopped and The Captain checked the obvious things - there were no flat tyres or fluids streaming from anywhere so we continued on our way.  The Captain was perplexed and thought that he would have to jack The Turtle up to try and find out what was the problem was.  It was not until we reached Cardwell and settled in that The Captain realised that the hubs (on the front wheels and for 4 wheel driving) were still on lock.  Not a good thing when you are travelling on bitumen.  Although some of the bitumen roads nearly need to be driven with 4 wheel drive intact!

After fishing dams and impoundments for the last couple of months, we found it a bit strange to actually think about the tidal movements.  In particular when they change by nearly 3 metres at some times of the month.  On our first afternoon we did notice this when there was this massive mud/sand bank which stretched nearly all the way to Hinchinbrook Island.

Hinchinbrook Mudbank

The Captain spent the afternoon networking with the local fishing people and managed to return with a couple of maps and clues as to the best spots.  We had decided not to use the main boat ramp at Port Hinchinbrook but a smaller one a few k's further south.  All well and good but one of the fishing people strongly suggested that as the channels and mangroves all look the same it would be best to mark a few places with ribbons or rags.  Sort of like Hansel and Gretel but not to use breadcrumbs...

Hinchinbrook Mangroves

The little boat ramp that we used was down the creek that is on the far right hand side!  And once you get on the water, all of the channels definitely look the same.

Mangrove Channels

Sunday was our first foray into Hinchinbrook Channel.  A very pleasant day, except for the sandflies that attacked us at the boat ramp.  An extra spray of Aeroguard to drown them and we were off.

We found what we thought was "one of the spots" and anchored up.  After a very short time The Deckie struck gold and caught the first fish - a barred grunter.  Not very big but it was the first fish for Cardwell!!

The Deckie and Her Fish

Not to be outdone and a little while later, The Captain managed to land a bigger fish - not quite big enough to keep but at least there were some fish there!

The Captain and His Fish

There were a few more nibbles and then the tide changed.  Wow, and did it change - it was like someone had pulled the plug out of a bathtub.  The only thing to do was to weigh anchor and head for home which was a shame as the sun was beautiful and the wind wasn't blowing very much at all.  Back into the mangroves - The Deckie/Navigator found our first marker but before she could find the second one, The Captain turned left before he should have.  Well, we turned up this channel and then that one all to no avail until The Deckie/Navigator put her foot down (as best you can in a boat) and strongly suggested we just go back to the first marker and start again.  The suggestion was taken on board and before long we found the second marker and returned to the boat ramp!  Fortunately, our extra little side journeys had not taken all that long and there was still plenty of water at the boat ramp.

Our next two outing were not as successful - a few nibbles and a reef shark.  We didn't feel too bad about it as the couple of local fishing people (who spend six months every year up hear) were also devoid of any catch.

The next best thing to do was the touristy thing.  A few klms south of Cardwell was a lovely little picnic spot called The Five Mile Swimming Hole.  This is a natural deep, rocky hole in the creek and the National Parks people have spent some money and tarted the place up - even to putting in a deck and ladder.

The Captain At The Five Mile Swimming Hole

The next day we headed up to the Tully area to check out another couple of places on the Hull and Tully Rivers that looked like they could be nice and then into Tully itself.

Tully's biggest claim to fame is that it is "the wettest place in Australia" and to mark this, the local constructed a giant gumboot that is as high as what their wettest year was.

The Deckie At The Top Of The Gumboot

Tully is also a big sugar cane producing area with a very large sugar mill.

The Tully Sugar Mill

After a lovely lunch we headed back to Cardwell but called into Murray Falls National Park on the way - just a mere 40 klm round trip.  Lots of granite boulders and a beautiful little river carving its way through to the sea.  A quick 2klm stroll up the hill to the top of the waterfall and then back down again for a quick swim in one of the many waterholes near the picnic area.

At The Top Of The Waterfall

Granite Rock Waterhole

Exhausted, we managed to drag ourselves back to Cardwell for a well deserved rest.

Sometime over the weekend, Team Turtle will pack up and head up to the Hull River.  The wind is supposed to keep blowing for quite some time yet and it would be best (hopefully) to find a river that could give a bit of cover from them.  We can only try.

Pottering Around Proserpine

Just on two weeks ago we made the big trek from O'Connell's River (just south of Proserpine) to Camp Kanga - very close to Lake Proserpine and about 30klms west of Proserpine itself.  About 50 klms and we were exhausted by the time we got here!!

It had been an absolute brilliant morning weather wise but by the time we had set up camp and fortified ourselves, the clouds had started to roll in and the wind had picked up a bit.  By mid afternoon, the weather had settled down so we headed the 2klms up the road and put Tuf Tinnie in for a swim.

This lake was just so different to the other dams and lakes that we have been fishing on - it wasn't full of sediment and in places we could actually see the bottom!  We set the redclaw traps and had a bit of a troll on the way back to the boat ramp.  Unfortunately, the weather had worsened on the way back so we called it a day and headed for the warmth of The Turtle.

And that was what the weather was going to be like for the rest of the week - fine one minute and very wet and windy the next.  It didn't really matter as the park where we are staying is very nice (with green grass underneath) and we have been able to spread ourselves out as the aren't too many people yet.

We did manage to retrieve our traps in between squalls the next day hoping for a fresh feed of redclaw but that was not to be either.  In the meantime, we had been chatting to the managers and they offered us some reimbursement on our rent in exchange for doing a bit of cleaning up around the place.  What a good idea!  Something to do to fill our days in whilst we waited for some fine weather.

Down the bottom of the park is the Proserpine River - well just sort of creek really since the dam was built - but there had been some fish spotted in some of the deep holes.  So off we trekked one afternoon with fishing rods and refreshments in hand to try and capture at least one of those elusive fish.

Within a short time The Captain showed why he is The Captain and caught a very nice Sooty Grunter - about 35cm.  Normally, we would have tossed him back (the fish, not The Captain) but we decided that it would make a very nice meal.

The next day dawned clear and bright (for a change) so we headed back to the creek to try and see if the fish were still biting.  Instead of the fishing the same spot we head up above the nearby weir, well that was a bit of a mistake.  The Deckie fist cast started off well but then a slight breeze lifted he lure and flung it into the trees on the other side of the creek.  Not happy at all and neither was The Captain.  So, instead of catching fish, The Captain sent himself to retrieve the wayward lure.  He clambered over rocks, waded through knee deep water and climbed through scraggy bottlebrush trees, but he manged to find and retrieve that lure!

Clambering Through Scraggy Trees

That was the end of that little expedition.  All of that clambering and wading frightened the fish of completely so headed back for morning tea.

Boating on the lake the next day.  No fish, although we tried very hard indeed.  However, the eagle eyes of The Deckie did manage to spot a very nice lure stuck up in a tree - didn't help with the fishing once we had removed it from its prison but it was worth a try.

A couple of days later we headed back to the lake and finally we had some success - well The Captain did!  Another very nice Sooty Grunter and this time we did throw him back just so we would appease the fishing gods!

Another Nice Fish

Trying to appease the fishing gods didn't work either as after The Captain's great catch, there was nothing.  Oh well, a nice day on the water!

Next day, it was back to the river for another go.  There was a little bit of action but the fish were not really that interested.  Though this time it wasn't just The Deckie who threw her lure into the bushes - The Captain managed to do it as well.  The Deckie, just to be different, lost a brand new lure on a log in the water.  Oh, it was a sorry pair that traipsed home that day.

Over a soothing cup of coffee, The Captain decided that we should go back to the fishing hole, make it a swimming hole and retrieve those lures.  So, after lunch we dragged out the snorkelling gear and swimming noodles and went for a swim.

And a very successful swim it was.  Not only did the brave Captain risk life and limb he also found two extra lures that had been abandoned - well The Deckie did spot one of them, The Captain just brought them back!

Holding Them Carefully!

Except for The Deckie finding another lure stuck in a tree, we had another disappointing day on the water the next day.  The water temperature has dropped a couple of degrees in the last week or so and that makes the fish very lethargic.  Team Turtle wants to know what has happened to global warming because it certainly is not happening here in northern Queensland.

Time to take a break from fishing - so we did the touristy thing to Airlie Beach.  A very nice place and it was lovely to see the sparkling blue ocean.  The beach didn't look very nice as the tide was out and the mud and rock was uncovered but there is a beautiful "lagoon" that has been built to encourage the backpackers and tourists to stay at the place and looked nice than the beach.

The Lagoon at Airlie Beach

Back to the fishing - well trying anyway.  The Deckie was back to her usual form and managed to throw her lure into the trees on the other side of the creek - again.  At least this time it wasn't the first cast!

And The Deckie's knight in shining armour shook his head in disbelief and then risked being washed over the weir to retrieve it.

Yes, I do have to come back!

On the plus side, there was also another lure that someone else had lost in the bushes.  So, at this stage, The Captain has caught two fish, lost two lures (one is still stuck in the mouth of a fish that broke The Captain's line, the other one came loose and sank) and we have found five lures - better than nothing!!

At this stage, Team Turtle is considering our options.  The most favourable option being that we depart here later in the week and head further north and hope that the fish are biting up there.

Will let you know!

Elusive Fish and Internet

Ahh, the wonders of modern technology!  Team Turtle definitely has the knack of finding that very small percentage of the countryside that the major telecommunication companies do not service.  But, never fear, we eventually come back into civilisation.

During our stay at Lake Callide, one of the locals recommended that we visit Bedford Weir, on the Mackenzie River about 30 klms north of Blackwater.  Blackwater is the "coal capital of Queensland" and is on the Capricorn Highway, west of Rockhampton.  The major consensus was "why not" and when we packed up (again) that is where we headed to.  Team Turtle took the normal two days to do the trip (we don't need to tire ourselves out) and found a lovely camp spot.  Unfortunately, it wasn't right on the river bank and we couldn't leave Tuf Tinnie in the water but it was still a very pleasant spot.

Away From The Crowds

As far as the fishing went - non-existent!!  We may have to come back later in the year or even next year as the local fish stocking group had released 10,000 barramundi fingerlings the previous week and our lures were bigger than what they were!

It was a pleasant river - lots of trees that the fish should have been hiding in - but just not biting.  Even the redclaw were on holidays!

The River From The Camp Spot

The weir itself was quite interesting and, once more, the aftermath of the recent flooding was amazing.

Bedford Weir

Downstream Of The Weir

After a few days Team Turtle repacked itself and headed back to Blackwater - mainly because there wasn't any other way to go!

Morning Tea at Blackwater Maccas (we spoilt ourselves) and then we checked out the Blackwater International Coal Centre and strolled through the Botanical and Japanese Gardens that were attached to it.

The Bottle Tree

Part Of The Japanese Gardens

Over our morning tea, Team Turtle had discussed which direction we should go in.   Turning west to Emerald was the choice for the day.  We did stay the night in Emerald but as the bigger plans are to come back through that way we did not do too much of the touristy stuff.  Just restocked the pantry and fridge and caught up on the washing.  After Emerald, north was the way to go - as far as Clermont and then turning south-west to Theresa Creek Dam.

This Dam was on our list of "Dams To Do" so it was either now or later on.  A very nice place, another great camp spot - right on the water - but a lot of the water was covered with water lilies.  Quite pretty when the flowers come out but it hides all of the fish and if you do happen to catch one, the fish can get back in amongst the lilies and it is very difficult to get it out again.  Oh well, we gave the fishing a good try again.  We did get some redclaw this time but then we heard that the were some rotten ferals that were going around of a night time and cutting the traps from their floats and pinching them.  That was when we decided to move on again.

A New Style Of Boat Ramp

The wildlife at Theresa Creek Dam was rather diverse and interesting.  The local herd of cattle seemed to prefer the water lilies than grass -

Up To Their Tummies In Water and Lilies

The lorikeets had a fascination for The Captain as he fixed up the redclaw traps -

Like A Scene From "The Birds"

And the White Cranes and Ducks enjoyed the smorgasbord of the water lilies -

The Evening Meal And Dance

But still no fish......

Oh well, all Team Turtle can do is to move on and try another place.

This time we headed for Proserpine on the coast of Queensland - perhaps we might actually see some blue water.  Now that would be something very different!