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Published: September 20th 2011
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The impressive Wallaman Falls
in the Girringun National Park. At 304 metres the falls have the longest single drop and is the highest permanent waterfall in Australia Ingham is just 130 kilometers from Mission Beach so, as is often the case lately, we arrived in the town by mid-morning on Tuesday 13th September. We remembered that we had stopped there for a cuppa on the way up country and found the same picnic area this morning for our tea break. We still hadn’t decided which caravan park we would head for. We knew of one on the coast at Lucinda but we thought we would probably prefer to stay in town and to visit Lucinda as a little excursion. So we headed for Palm Tree Tourist Park and checked in for two nights - what a contrast to Mission Beach! True we were some way from the beach but, at just $29 dollars per night, with excellent sites and facilities, we realised that our money would go a lot further in Ingham. The only minor drawback was that we were close to the Bruce Highway where night-time traffic could be a bit disturbing. We chose a site with a huge concrete block and with a large area of open grassland behind it. We were greeted by a couple of Willie Wagtails which were building a nest in a
small tree right next to where the car was parked. They seemed oblivious to our presence but we presumed they were used to people coming and going regularly.
After having our sandwiches for lunch we drove the 12 kilometers out through Halifax to Lucinda, passing a lot of sugar cane cutting activity on the way. At one point we had to give way to a large train carrying processed cane to the jetty at Lucinda. This jetty is six kilometres long and was constructed purely to get processed cane out to large cargo ships moored in deep water. We couldn’t walk on the jetty as it held conveyor belts for transporting the cane. Before visiting this huge jetty, we went the short distance to a smaller jetty just out of town which was a hive of activity. Located just inside the Hinchinbrook Channel which runs between the mainland and Hinchinbrook Island, it was a gloriously calm spot where private boats were moored just off-shore but also where many anglers were trying their luck with fishing lines and nets. We’ve never seen a more successful fishing location than here with fish and especially prawns being caught by the bucket-load. After
Huge fifth-wheeler
Must be an American import with that design on (great though) spending a short time here we drove into the centre of Lucinda and found the “other” caravan park. It was nice but we feel we made the right choice staying in Ingham. We were able to get an excellent view of the six kilometre jetty and to read all the information boards detailing the reasons for its construction and the benefits it has brought to Lucinda. A nearby shop provided some refreshment in the form of ice-creams but a freshening wind meant we had to find a bit of shelter to eat them comfortably. On we drove to Taylors Beach which was fascinating but not spectacular. We had seen signs earlier warning of stingers and crocodiles so whilst the beach looked pleasant enough it probably wasn’t a “holiday” beach. On our way back through town we called in at the Information Centre and picked up some leaflets on other places to visit in the Ingham area.
Back at the caravan we set up our chairs on the back end of our huge block (Graham called it the veranda!!) and enjoyed the view across the grasslands where kingfishers, wagtails, kestrels, even larger birds like kites were all searching for food
– it was delightful, and we had a grandstand seat. Unfortunately, the good-looking pool was undergoing some refurbishment so we weren’t able to take our customary dip but our wildlife entertainment kept us going well into the late evening. This included a tiny frog that Graham spotted in the Gent’s loo – it was so small that he couldn’t get a decent photo with the compact Fuji camera. When the loos were empty I popped in with the Canon with the big lense but I couldn’t get that to focus either so we thought our chances of getting a photo were gone.
Whilst visiting the Information Centre yesterday we spotted a sign for the well-known Tyto Wetlands which happened to be virtually next door so it was our intention today, Wednesday 14th September, to give them a visit. The IC staff had also given us a leaflet on Wallaman Falls – at 305 meters, the highest single-drop falls in Australia. So with the Wetlands and the Falls on our itinerary for today, we set off on the short journey to Tyto Wetlands. This area was absolutely fascinating and a beautiful area to walk in even if you had no
interest in birds. The bird “expert” in the IC warned us that recent weather conditions (Cyclone Yasi) and the time of year means that the quantities and varieties of birds are not as great as expected but things were slowly returning to normal. The smaller birds were still there in their numbers but the larger migratory birds were conspicuous by their absence. The area which stretched around a large lagoon was really well cared for and the hides and viewing platforms made for some splendid observation locations. The area boasted an osprey nesting site and an owl viewing platform but we were to see neither of these birds today. We did see large numbers of crimson finches, a couple of kingfishers, magpie geese, a magnificent sea eagle and the usual egrets. Graham spotted a wild dog prowling through the bush - at first he thought it might be a dingo but it’s colour was too dark for it to be a dingo. But it was a healthy looking animal and with no-one else in sight in the park we knew it wasn’t a tame animal. Back at the centre the staff confirmed that they have had trouble with wild dogs
which feed off the water-fowl. Often they send in patrols to hunt them down and she was thankful that we had reported our sighting today.
Having spent an enjoyable two hours in the wetlands, we drove off in search of Wallaman Falls. The journey there was not a good one. It started well enough but then began to climb steeply along poorly maintained roads. The total distance was in excess of 50 kilometers of which probably 40 kilometers were on a terribly rough surface – bitumen, but far worse than many gravel roads we’ve been on. The climb was steep and difficult with sharp, narrow turns making progress slow. Of course, with the elevation came some glorious views and we stopped occasionally to take a photo or two. Eventually we reached the top of the climb where the road levelled out, became gravel and was actually very good. The challenging journey was well worth it - from a well-maintained parking area which boasted toilets and many picnic tables, it was just a short walk to the beautiful Wallaman Falls. It wasn’t possible to get very close to them or to the beautiful looking water hole at the base, but
Tiny Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog (we think)
this dear little chap was hardly as long as my thumb nail and was less than 30mm the excellent observation platforms gave a wonderful view of the 305 meters of cascading water. It was here that we had our belated picnic lunch, with just a few other picnickers for company, before beginning the difficult mountain descent back to Ingham.
Back at the caravan park the wagtails continued to entertain although they got a bit stroppy with another pair which ventured too close to their nest. Surprisingly, the tiny frog was still in the Gents’ loos and hadn’t moved very far so, when the coast was clear, I went in with a smaller lense on the Canon camera and at last got a decent photo. What anyone watching our to-ing and fro-ing to the Gents’ loos with a camera would have thought, goodness knows!! Once again the birds on the grassland at the back of the caravan were very active and, with a pleasantly calm, clear evening, it was easy to sit out until well after dark. The late night road noise had been a bit disturbing but, in terms of value for money and enjoyment, Ingham had proved to be yet another little gem in our adventures in Northern Queensland. We will be sorry to be
moving on tomorrow to a destination yet to be decided.
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