Road along the Creb Track - good nic. Changing plans
This is a bit of a delayed couple of blog entries. We stayed in Cairns and had a lovely time visiting with Kev and Anne who are exceptional is letting us use their place as a base to park the camper. We enjoy our dinners with them and a pool in December in Cairns is very welcome. We also got to visit James on the tablelands and had a great stay there for a few days and even got some Xmas shopping done at the markets. On our way up the Tablelands to head further out, the feds cancelled our trip for 09. Pity we had driven thousands of Ks, but you get that.
We had already made appointments and could not get in touch with the people we were to meet, so we kept going anyway as volunteers. You don't cancel stuff like we organized or not turn up, if you want to go back, so we had to go. We love the Daintree and south cape heaps anyway so just went on a purposeful holiday. And, we now get to go back next year after the wet.
This is a bit of a delayed couple of blog entries. We stayed in Cairns and had a lovely time visiting with Kev and Anne who are exceptional is letting us use their place as a base to park the camper. We enjoy our dinners with them and a pool in December in Cairns is very welcome. We also got to visit James on the tablelands and had a great stay there for a few days and even got some Xmas shopping done at the markets. On our way up the Tablelands to head further out, the feds cancelled our trip for 09. Pity we had driven thousands of Ks, but you get that.
We had already made appointments and could not get in touch with the people we were to meet, so we kept going anyway as volunteers. You don't cancel stuff like we organized or not turn up, if you want to go back, so we had to go. We love the Daintree and south cape heaps anyway so just went on a purposeful holiday. And, we now get to go back next year after the wet.
We met with several elders and traditional owners in Wujal as well as the Mayor. It had been a week with Mayors, after meeting the Mayor of Cairns on the tablelands the few days before. We really had a great guided tour along the Creb track with Eddie who took to his country along past Dawnvale and into China Camp. Lucky he did take us, cause in spite of all the map planning we had done, I don't think we would have found it.
Dawnvale like many of the stations in the cape,has been handed back to the traditional owners and now the properties are being used by the families. Dawnvale is used as a retreat and place to take young people. We only dropped in for a quick look and did not go down into the camp site. Hopefully on the next visit, Des will show us around his place. The road through here was sensational - different country from rainforest to open timber and cattle lands. The Ten Mile scrub definately deserves more time next trip.
China Camp is made up of lots of different properties and houses along the Creb track. We dropped into Aunty Elaines for a yarn and talked about whether she wanted a public phone and where it could be. The tourists travelling the track are quite an issue - not only creating dust and noise but they break down and want help. They also steal solar panels. There are no public phones for the whole ridge, so the communty will be talking about whether they want a phone for when we return after the wet. They got 2 inches just after we left and so the roads will be getting pretty greasy.
This is my favourite photo of the trip. Eddie and Paul are on the helicopter pad, discussing where a phone could go and looking over the amazing ranges of rainforests. I can really understand "Return to Country". Talking all day with Eddie and others makes you see the places very differently, than if you drive through.
Eddie took us up to the twin Roaring Meg falls. It was a very rough track going in and out. He knew where some of the old tin mining sleuths were and was keen to talk about using the same ideas to transport water down to some of the new camps, huts and houses that people are building. Having our house with us, we cooked lunch and cooled our feet in the river near Roaring Meg. There is a men's place and women's place. I walked down to the woman's place and it was spectacular. The Indigenous people ask you not to take photos there, so we can only share the river near where we had lunch. It felt very spiritual actually and it was an awesome walk and a spot to think about things. I want to go back for longer next time.
On returning to Wujal, we went to Walkers Creek. Another interesting track on the side of the amazing Bloomfield River.
Francis Walker really welcomed us and we had cups of tea on the varendar to learn how much business is discussed there. She is running a very successful Walkers Family Tours with her family and getting lots of folks involved. The country she has to avialable to take people, is pretty special. Check them out if you ever have a chance to go to Bloomfield.
The Murrie grapevine had started long before we got to Wujal and we had invitations to visit and people saying - don't forget to go to Shipton's... And finally, as we headed up past Ayton to drop in on Shipton's Flat, we visited the beach. I know beaches in oz are very popular this time of year but this is the kinda crowd on a beach I like.
Look North
China Camp is made up of lots of different properties and houses along the Creb track. We dropped into Aunty Elaines for a yarn and talked about whether she wanted a public phone and where it could be. The tourists travelling the track are quite an issue - not only creating dust and noise but they break down and want help. They also steal solar panels. There are no public phones for the whole ridge, so the communty will be talking about whether they want a phone for when we return after the wet. They got 2 inches just after we left and so the roads will be getting pretty greasy.
This is my favourite photo of the trip. Eddie and Paul are on the helicopter pad, discussing where a phone could go and looking over the amazing ranges of rainforests. I can really understand "Return to Country". Talking all day with Eddie and others makes you see the places very differently, than if you drive through.
Eddie took us up to the twin Roaring Meg falls. It was a very rough track going in and out. He knew where some of the old tin mining sleuths were and was keen to talk about using the same ideas to transport water down to some of the new camps, huts and houses that people are building. Having our house with us, we cooked lunch and cooled our feet in the river near Roaring Meg. There is a men's place and women's place. I walked down to the woman's place and it was spectacular. The Indigenous people ask you not to take photos there, so we can only share the river near where we had lunch. It felt very spiritual actually and it was an awesome walk and a spot to think about things. I want to go back for longer next time.
On returning to Wujal, we went to Walkers Creek. Another interesting track on the side of the amazing Bloomfield River.
Francis Walker really welcomed us and we had cups of tea on the varendar to learn how much business is discussed there. She is running a very successful Walkers Family Tours with her family and getting lots of folks involved. The country she has to avialable to take people, is pretty special. Check them out if you ever have a chance to go to Bloomfield.
The Murrie grapevine had started long before we got to Wujal and we had invitations to visit and people saying - don't forget to go to Shipton's... And finally, as we headed up past Ayton to drop in on Shipton's Flat, we visited the beach. I know beaches in oz are very popular this time of year but this is the kinda crowd on a beach I like.
Look North
Look south!
