“Mummy’s” House

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DAY 322


We truly are on a countdown now before we leave Bayview Heights in Cairns, this time in 7 days we will be waking up on another campsite and at the start of a new leg of our journey, up to Cape York.

We have both enjoyed being here, but are now feeling that it is time to move on and at some point finish what we started.

This morning we head out to Barron Gorge, this time we want to take the road up to they Hydro Electric Power Station and see the Gorge from a different angle. After all, we have seen it from the top of the walking tracks and the train so we think we should meet it at its own level.

We take the Western Arterial and turn off just over the bridge for the Barron River. We arrive at the end of the road within the gorge and find a car park, there is a couple there on a rented scooter, we stop for a chat with them, they are on holiday from Sydney and only have a few days left in Cairns before flying back so they are on a whistle stop tour of everything with the scooter.

We walk over the bridge toward the Power Station only to find that there is a visitor centre there. We had not realised, so we went in and had a look around. It is only a small visitor centre, but there is information in there relating to how it all works, the flora and fauna and of course environmental information. We sit down and watch a couple of videos, one being how the Hydro Electric dam generates its electricity, where the turbines are situated and how many homes it services, and the fact that it came on line in 1963 the year Andy was born, I know he looks that much younger, but its all smoke and mirrors.

The second video taken by an amateur in the aftermath of Cyclone Steve, and its amazing, we see how the water has completely covered all the rocks in the Barron Gorge and the water level was just below the bridge that we have just walked across. It makes you appreciate how much water there was.

We walked around and had a look at all the exhibits, then we walked back across the bridge and jumped in the truck and on to Lake Placid, just down the river from Barron Gorge. Lake Placid is where the water gets trapped on its way down the Barron River, it is a popular area for the locals and tourists alike to come and swim, canoe and generally just enjoy the atmosphere here.

We hung around for a while, admired the views back up the Gorge and towards Red Bluff and Glacier Rock where we have hiked. We can also pick out sections of the track for the scenic railway. We both agree that we should walk up Red Bluff again, but in the hope that we can coincide with the time that the train arrives at the bridge. We may do that on Sunday.

From here we drive to Yorkeys Knob, a lot of cruise ships moor up off Yorkeys Knob and the tenders bring the passengers to shore for their relevant day tours to see the area. There are quite a few people having a picnic today, it looks like everyone is on holiday, but I expect a lot of people have had time off to spend with the kids as it is school holidays here.

We can see the surf rescue set up on the beach, there are a few people swimming, the water does not look cold, although I have heard people comment that it is still too cold for them to swim.

We drive round to the old Boat Club building which has been in the news recently because of the 3 Scrub Pythons that have set up home there. Two males have been captured but “Mummy” at this time still remains “at home” in the old building.
Andy goes up and peers in the window of the old boat club in the hope he may see mummy as it is quite around the area, the lights are on but the doors are locked and all he see’s is the hole in the ceiling they the fella’s made when the were trying to Capture “Mummy” before they frightened her and she bolted.
We drive just down the road and see the new Boat Club and have a wander around the shore, but there is a sign saying not to loiter on the edge of the water as there is a danger of crocodiles being present. We see a man standing on the rocks fishing, not sure that I would want to be standing there!

We head back into Cairns and passing BCF we pop in to get our Gas bottle refilled, it is almost empty, the last time we had it filled was at Lawn Hill, we have used it quite a lot since then and we need to make sure we have enough for the Cape York part of our journey.

From there we stop for a bit of lunch, we read today’s papers over a Latte and then head back to Bayview for the rest of the day.

I take up position in the hammock and do some brain training, the good news is that it seems to be paying off, my brain age is in its 20’s (I wish the rest of my body was too!), I read and enjoy the shade from the now fading sun.

We have a visitor this afternoon, you can tell its on its way with the slow Crunch, crunch of the leaves in the rain forest garden,it was the big Goanna, but the smaller one of the pair that come and visit us. it wandered along tasting the air with its poinred touge, then as usual when I got my hands on the camera, it deceided it did not wantto have its photo taken and clkimbed the tree, which it seems to do with ease, well if you look at the size of its claws I am not suprised.

Whilst we are in the garden we see a stream of green ants running up and down a tree and see a Green Tree Ant nest, that they have constructed by bending a large leaf over and "Gluing it together, with whatever, to make their amazing nest.

We did not feel like walking this evening so we chose not to, we had an easy tea of cheese on crumpets, we both still felt full from lunch.

Andy watched a documentary so while he did that I was doing some more research on Cape York, I looked up the route on Google Earth and followed the track all the way to the tip of the Cape, the road is bitumen for part of it and then it gives way to dirt, you cannot tell what condition the track is from Google Earth bearing in mind that the pictures have been taken a couple of years ago or more, but it is good to see the route.

With that done we watched the rest of the film about Johnny Cash “Walk the Line”, but all too soon it was bedtime again.

We fell into bed exhausted, as usual, so until tomorrow bloggers.

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Photos

Yorky Knob
The Old Boat Club Buliding where the 3 Huge Pythons were found, but only 2 were caught, Mummy is still on the run, after being scared and bolting.

Mmmm Nice
At Yorky's Knob

Stanwell Hydro
We did not know there ws a visitors centre

Working Model
Of the Hydro Turbine and Generators

The Barron River
In the Wet Seanson these rocks are all submerged

Water Source
From Suprise Creek

Sin Board at Lake Placid
Nani

Yorky's Knob
Beach

Green Ant Nest
These Green Ants have folded a leaf over to make a nest, what brilliant little creature.
They do give a nasty bite

The Garden Goanna
We see him once a week wandering around the Garden his mate is Bigger but we have only seen the bigger one about twice

If I don't move
You can't see me

Comments

[Jane]

Been trying to find out how you can access Shelburne Bay sand dunes in Cape York. If you figure it out lets us know! Nice garden goanna by the way :)

[kangaroojack]

Shelburne Bay
Hi Jane, we have had a look at Goole Earth and also at the map we have and Shelburne bay looks very Isolated, I thought there may be a way through from Cape Billy's Landing then Down as there are no other roads in. Its just abouve the oliver river so may be accesible by boat, but as there was someone trying to sand mine it, I guess it mat have been accesible by land to get equipment in. If we find out more we will let you know. My regards Andy

[Jane]

Shelburne Bay
Did a bit of googling and think once the National Parks took control they have closed the road that previously ran through the pastoral lease. Probably do not have funds to maintain a non gazetted road. I read of one trip by the geographic society that described their trip as going along a disuded road then completing the journey on quad bikes. Oh well, maybe one day. A few places like that in the Far North, just cannot get to some places without a chopper! Not sure if you have found exploreoz webiste but can be good resource for your type of travelling. Cheers and happy travels. Jane - ps if stuck for a little outing the Goldsborough Valley and the road to the very end is nice, Ross and Locke (though imagine covered in dust atm)