Cape York Trip - Day 13

In the morning Darryl first went on the Nandroya Waterfall walk then we drove to Crawford's Lookout, and walked down to the North Johnson Lookout

Nandroya Falls

Top of Nandroya Falls

Buttress Fig

View from Crawford's Lookout

View of North Johnson River from the lookout

Watch out for the Stinging Tree with it's heart-shaped soft-looking leaves!

Our stop for a couple of nights was Etty Bay Van Park. Steve and family had a cabin near our spot. We had a beach BBQ after a nice afternoon.

Our first view, on this trip, of Mt Bartle Frere

Darryl, Steve & Justin playing frisbee on the beach

Justin ready for fishing

Looking back towards the van park

Steve & Justin fishing

Blue Kingfisher

 Every afternoon a Cassowary makes it way through the park much to everyone’s excitement.

Kookaburra checking out what food might be available

Right after this he swooped down to dig up a huge witchety-grub, (which we couldn't see) from the base of the coconut tree

Cape York Trip - Day 12

Darryl went for a walk on the beach in the morning and found a bouy, (which he gave to Laurie) and a few coconuts.

Lucinda Wharf

Some of the many coconuts at Lucinda

Laurie gave us some sweetlip for dinner, which was very nice, so much appreciated.
We arrived at Tully library to see my cousin Helen, and had lunch in a park before going to visit more cousins, John and Heather.

John gave us tomatoes, cucumber and pawpaw.

Our night camp was at Henrietta Creek Camping area on the Palmerston Highway.

We chatted to neighbours, Keith and Merle, who had a camper-trailer. Then had happy hour with them, before cooking up the sweetlip to have with a salad for dinner. Went for a bit of spotlighting before talking to other neighbours, Tony and Janice. They are also going to Cape York, so we exchanged details. There was no mobile signal so all the late-comers to the campground had to go back down the Highway to the Skywalk before they could get a phone signal to book in.

Cape York Trip - Day 11

On Wednesday morning we had to pick up Darryl’s forgotten sandals from the Melchert’s house, got a few groceries and headed north. We had morning tea at a Bluewater rest area, which also seemed to be a nice free-camp and arrived at Lucinda, at Laurie’s, in time for lunch.

Chatted all afternoon, then went to the local pub for dinner where we ran into our ex-local state pollie who was doing a "Pub Review Tour" (we call that a pub-crawl!).

Cape York Trip - Day 10

Steve came with us out to Belgian Gardens Cemetery, where we cleaned up the family plot, took some photos and Steve visited Wes’ grave.

Smith family plot

Darryl & I then went to West End Cemetery, and found the Melchert grave with help from a volunteer, John, who also told me about the Weinheimer graves, which we found on the other side of the creek.

Grave of Elizabeth & William Melchert

Violet, and her parents Alice & Frank Weinheimer

Our friends Marie-France & Trevor live close-by.

After that we met cousin Ken and his dad Barry. I have been in contact with Ken about our family history for many years, but this is the first time we have met.

Cape York Trip - Day 9

Darryl drove me to work on Monday, and just after had a bingle with another vehicle, no-one was hurt and our car was not damaged. We still haven’t heard anything from the guy. Darryl visited Stanley, a classmate from High School in Innisfail.

Cape York Trip - Day 8

Early Sunday morning went to Phill and Jan’s, did a little shopping then decided to try to catch Denise. 

Met her and her maternal cousin, Donna, at Maccas. Donna had always wanted to be Darryl’s cousin too, and I have found a link as her grandmother was a Jurss, so she 'is' a cousin!

In the afternoon met Ken on the Strand and ended up in the Seaview Hotel while Darryl and Steve and Heather went up Castle Hill.

View of Townsville from Castle Hill

View of Townsville from Castle Hill

Cape York Trip - Day 7

I drove to the Family History Association of North Queensland to meet with Lyall, then had lunch with Gill before catching up with John (from the Bray side) at the Uni library. A lovely productive genealogy day.

Cape York Trip - Day 6

I went to work at Townsville Hospital, and had lunch with my cousin Jill.

That night we went to Cutheringa Bowls Club for dinner with Iain, his wife Sheila and her brother Barry.

Cape York Trip - Day 5

In the morning we visited my cousin Jean.

We stopped at Guthalungra for morning tea and then pulled into Mt Elliot National Park, (where we had been married nearly 39 years ago), for lunch, and arrived at Steve’s in Townsville in the afternoon. 

Cape York Trip - Day 4

Wednesday we caught up with Darryl's cousin John & his wife Sharon.

We had planned to free camp, but heard it was going to be cold so decided to go to Bowen and stayed at Wangaratta Van Park on Queen’s Beach. It was a reasonably nice park, but no wireless as he was having issues with NBN.

Cape York Trip - Day 3

On Tuesday Darryl walked me to work again, but then took his bike on the Bluewater Trail. Then he went back to Town Beach again with his camera. He was quite impressed with the Trail.

The 'Pioneer Promenade'

Sculptures on the way

The 'History Wall'

More 'History Wall'

and even more 'History Wall'

We had a quiet night...at last!

Cape York Trip - Day 1

The first Sunday was an easy drive from Rocky to Mackay. Our van park was just down the road from the hospital, and after we set up, Glen arrived, having just flown in from Townsville, picked us up and took us out to dinner at the Sports Club. It was lovely catching up with him again. I was not impressed with a neighbour watching a football match in the middle of the night.