Our Time At Tinaroo

Well, two weeks ago we made it to Lake Tinaroo, near Atherton Nth Queensland.  Absolutely beautiful lake and some wonderful little camp spots in the National Park/State Forest that line the banks of the lake with about ten klms of the Dam wall.  Team Turtle were lucky enough to find a reasonably level spot right on the edge of the water.

Right On The Water's Edge

Most Of The Camp Site

The first couple of days we spent trying to fish, trying to catch redclaw and gathering firewood.  The gathering of firewood was the only successful venture.  At least it gave us a nice warm fire to warm us and to boil the shower water.

So, on Friday we went for a little drive to the other side of the lake and found another nice little lake.  This was not a fishing lake but the result of some more volcanic action.

Lake Euramoo

The weekend had brought with it the beginning of the Queensland school holidays and the place was inundated with camper trailers, tents, speed boats and children so we decided to have an easy day of it and stay off the water with all of the speeding boats and screaming children.

All was good until lunchtime when three helicopters were doing flyovers!  These helicopters were the flypast for the Avenue of Honour that was being dedicated at Yungaburra (the other side of the lake).

Our Private Fly Past

In the meantime, The Deckie hadn't been her usual bubbly self.  Some severe abdominal pains were created some havoc so by Sunday, it was thought best the she goes to the hospital in Atherton to see what the problem was.  A short few hours later, The Deckie had been dosed up with some good drugs for pain relief and admitted to the hospital with a suspected gall stone attack.

Blood was taken for testing and an ultrasound was organised but this was not going to happen until Tuesday.  That's OK as The Deckie was in too much pain!  Blood tests were normal and the ultrasound was clear and the doctors were perplexed.  Well, The Deckie is a special sort of person!!

By Thursday, the doctors had thought that perhaps The Deckie had shingles but could not prove that that was the case as the blisters had not yet appeared.  Apparently when that happens the pain is excruciating - wow! something to look forward to.  Some different drugs were administered on Thursday afternoon and night and the pain finally subsided enough for The Deckie to be allowed out of hospital with information for a doctor to write a script for when the blisters appear.  The Captain was extremely pleased to have The Deckie home.

Although The Captain still maintained his attempts to trap some redclaw, even to the extent of checking his traps very early one morning.  The Captain does not normally get out of bed before sunrise so he was able to see what really happens!

The Neighbour Heading Off Into The Mist

The Rising Sun and the Duck

Team Turtle has therefore been taking it easy as we will be packing up over the next few days for our next leg of our journey.

Paronella Park

For a change of pace, Team Turtle decided to visit Paronella Park just to the south west of Innisfail and about 40 klms from Cowley Beach.  The Deckie had heard, and read, a fair bit about it and thought that it would be an interesting spot.

As an added bonus, there was a free night's stay at the Park's Caravan Park included in the ticket price.  This was definitely needed as there was a night time tour of the park as well.

So, we were on the road again at a reasonable time and heading inland.  The Deckie/Navigator found the place without any difficulties, we booked in and started another type of adventure.

If you have already checked out the website you would have noticed that the park was basically built on the side of a mountain and using the creek and waterfall as a backdrop and using Jose Paronella's dream of old Spanish castles as inspiration.  To The Deckie, most of the buildings look like something out of the jungles of south-east Asia that have only just been rediscovered!

There were guided tours leaving every 30 minutes so we didn't have to wait long.  To get down to the bottom level (and the better views) we made our way down the Grand Staircase - it was the very first structure built and it was to bring the sand from the waterhole to the top level for it to be used as building material.  One's leg muscles would have been like rock with all of the climbing that had to be done and the workers would have been as fit as fiddles.

Looking Down The Grand Staircase

The bottom section was something else.  Jose Paronella built what were Refreshment Rooms just up from the waterfall and creek and the fountain that was at the front was gravity fed 24/7.

The Refreshment Rooms

The Fountain

The Captain At The Water's Edge

Jose also planted an avenue of Kauri Pine trees leading away from the Refreshment Rooms.  Apparently these trees can live for a thousand years and measure about 3 metres in diameter.  The ones in the park have a lot of growing to do!

The Avenue of Kauri Pines

An unsubstantiated rumour is that  the pattern on the trunks of the Kauri Pines were used as a template for the camouflage on Defence Forces Uniforms!


The nigh tour was just as interesting as the day time one except all of the floodlights were on - some were across the waterfall while others were in the fountain and Refreshment Rooms.

There were many wonderful features of Paronella Park and to think that Jose Paronella had all of these marvellous dreams to build these things and yet didn't draw any plans at all.

After a very good sleep - mainly due to the fact that we were worn out - and another quick walk around the area we left the Park to journey towards Atherton.  And the weather turned very cold, bleak and miserable.  Team Turtle is just not used to that!!

We stopped briefly at Millaa Millaa Falls and then (as it was morning tea time) we took advantage of a lovely little cafe nearby.  Best scones we have tasted in ages - beats Maccas any day!

Millaa Millaa Falls

We had another stop before we reached Atherton at a place called The Crater in the Mount Hypipamee National Park.  One of us was imagining a meteorite type crater but that was not to be.  The particular crater was the aftermath of some volcanic activity tens of thousands of years ago which left a very large hole in the ground and a submerged passage that has filled with water.

Looking Down Into The Crater

The return walk took us back along the edge of the headwaters of the Barron River.  The best sight along here was the large group of backpackers after they had been for a swim in the river - they couldn't talk as their teeth were chattering that much from the cold.  No sense, no feeling!

The Start Of The Barron River

We finally made it into Atherton where there were the necessary retail outlets still open to cater to our needs and then it was a little bit further out of town for our overnight stop.  Monday, and we finally made it to Lake Tinaroo the furtherest north we are planning to go.

Quiet Time At Cowley Beach

It has finally happened, the laid back Queensland thing has finally kicked in for The Deckie and her brain has stopped working at its best capacity.  In our last post, it was mentioned that Team Turtle was heading north to Conway Beach.  Well Conway Beach is down near Airlie Beach (which would have had us heading south) but Team Turtle was heading to Cowley Beach!  Didn't mean to confuse people!

Cowley Beach is definitely a beautiful spot and we managed to get a lovely big camp spot right next to the reserve that leads to the beach - about a 10 metre walk.  We had reasonable weather the first couple of days so we were able to get Tuf Tinnie into the creek and try the fishing and mud-crabbing caper.  Fishing not so good, mud-crabbing reasonable considering we only put the traps in over two nights and that we only have two traps left.

Being Careful!

And because it was the Long Weekend, the weather became inclement - as it normally does.  It blew a gale and it rained off and on for about three days but it wasn't cold.  The temperature must have remained in the mid 20's for the entire weekend.  Consequently, the boating had to remain on hold.

To liven things up a little bit we awoke one morning to find that we had been invaded.

Warships Off The Beach

War Games had begun at the nearby Defence Department Training Area.  There have been helicopters buzzing around, huge trucks up and down the road, convoys rattling in and landing craft backwards and forwards to the ships in the bay.  Good stuff !

Apart from that it has been very, very quiet.  Not to worry as we don't need too much excitement but a few more fish would be nice.

Hopping To Hull Heads

After a reasonably nice week in Cardwell and the weather not looking like it was going to improve too much Team Turtle decided to, once again, head further north.  And yes, there is still a lot of coastline to go!

Our first option was a river about 20klms north of Cardwell.  Unfortunately, the boat ramp that we would have had to use was just a little bit steep - even for The Rav - so we kept going to another river - The Hull - just south of Tully.  To make things even better, there was a lovely little camping area right at one of two boat ramps.  No power but there were flushing toilets and hot showers and the very reasonable fee was split between council and the local Coast Guard.  Win, win for everyone!  Even so, there were a few people that did call in (its a 50klm round trip from the highway and back) and felt that the fee was far too exorbitant so they left.  If nothing else, this trip has certainly opened our eyes a bit more to some very strange attitudes of fellow travellers.  The only drawback to this lovely spot was that there was a limit of four nights stay and the boat ramp at the campground was covered in sand and only suitable for light vehicles.

The Sandy Boat Ramp and Breakfast View

Never mind, the other boat ramp was an all weather double ramp with pontoons.  Much more civilised and one doesn't have to worry too much about being attacked by crocodiles when you are knee deep in water.

The Civilised Boat Ramp

We were exhausted after our long trip but we managed to revive ourselves enough to go for a walk along the beachfront and chat to the neighbours who were fishing near the boat ramp.  The neighbours were having a little success so we pulled out the fishing rods, stuck some prawns on the hooks and waited.  Well, The Deckie didn't have to wait for long before she managed to catch the first fish from Hull Heads.

The Deckie and The Little Grunter

Poor little Grunter had managed to swallow the hook totally so instead of tossing him back to be shark food he was going to be bait for the crab traps the next day!

The next day was one of the best days weather wise that we have had for quite some weeks and we were up and at it reasonably early.  There is always a little bit of trepidation when you are on a new river for the first time - not really knowing where the deep holes are (although the electronic sounder is a help) or how finicky the fish are.  Always a bit if trail and error.  We started off with bait - just a few little nibbles - and then went back to our favourite lures.

The Captain got lucky - again - had a little bit of a tussle with a very nice Sooty Grunter and won!

Another Sooty Grunter

Unfortunately, The Deckie was unable to catch anything - except sandfly bites - but it was still nice to be out in the sunshine and on the water.

The Captain did hook a reasonable sized Barramundi, but there is now a Barramundi swimming in the Hull River with a very nice lure still in its mouth.

Saw our first saltwater crocodile.  It was only about 45cms long and was having a swim in the river until Tuf Tinnie frightened it.  On our way back home, we did see another couple of Salties having a rest on the mudbanks but these one were a little bit bigger.  The second one had to be at least five metres long - thank goodness they were having a lazy afternoon!

The Smaller, Cranky Salty

The Very Big Salty

Closer to the boat ramp, we found a small side creek that we felt was suitable to set our crab traps in.  Once that was done it was time to go home.

Off bright and early again the next morning to take advantage of the weather before the predicated change came through.  First job was to check the crab traps.

Number one trap - one very nice male, but angry, mudcrab.  Although, once the crab spat off his big claws, he didn't look quite as menacing!

Clawless Crab

The next trap came out empty but the third trap, well, that was an effort.  Because it was filled with crabs?  No, it had become entangled in the mangroves.  Which is very unusual as The Captain is very careful where he places these traps and we didn't think that the tidal movement had been that rough.  Without too much more thought, The Captain then reaches over the side of Tuf Tinnie, nearly up to his shoulders in the water in an attempt to retrieve the trap.  This eventually happened and then The Captain realised why the trap and its attached rope had become entwined in mangrove roots.  Crocodile attack!!!!!

Mangled Crab Trap

What had transpired was that the fish had managed to get into the trap to eat the bait and had become trapped (because it was a trap).  The crocodile had been alerted to the thrashings of the drowning fish and felt it was going to be an easy dinner.  Not to be!!  That crocodile must have had a wonderful time pushing and pulling that trap thru the mangroves and creating havoc for The Captain as well.

Nobody won in that battle - the crocodile went away worn out, hungry and very annoyed, the fish drowned and the crab trap went to crab trap heaven.  It was only much later when The Captain was thinking about things that he realised that the annoyed and hungry crocodile could have been lying just under Tuf Tinnie when he had his arms in the water and that he The Captain) could have been breakfast for him!  Makes one shudder just thinking about it.

The rest of the day wasn't much better as the fishing was non existent but the day itself was very nice - well, almost most of the day.

After we returned back to our campground, the predicted bad weather arrived - very windy and overcast - so it was pack up time.  Not a huge task as we were only planning to drive a short distance and therefore we would be driving both vehicles.

Hull Heads and Islands of The Great Barrier Reef

Tuesday was "move on" day - first to Tully for supplies and then a little bit further north to Conway Beach.  The caravan park at Conway Beach is right on the beach, the boatramp for Liverpool Creek is less than two klms away and the boatramp for a quick trip to the Great Barrier Reef is right at the front gate - not too bad at all!! 

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!