Darwin to Cairns along the Barkley Highway
Hello all,I have now reached Cairns (pronounced Cans) and have been chillin for a few days. The trip across took 5 days and we had a ton of fun. Olivia, Lindsay and Juliana were all great and helped with tons of the camping duties and we seen everything there is to see (which is not much).
We left Darwin and started south because there is no road that goes straight east. On our first day all we did was drive because we had all seen the stuff we were passing already on our way to Darwin or on day tours. We started by getting some groceries and other camping supplies that were needed. We made great time with the 130kph speed limit and got to a lace called Highway Inn at Daley Waters. We set up camp at this roadside stop and expected to be eaten alive by mossies but none showed up. It cooled off a little in the evening which made it great for sleep. The next morning it was pack up and get back on the road, about mid morning we made it to 3 ways which is the turn to go east. Finally headed in the right direction!!! Again not much to see in this part of the drive so we just kept going and made it all the way to Mt. Isa which is a mining town but has some pretty famous sports stars that were born there in Greg Norman and Patrick Rafter. We got in pretty late so we got to the campervan park and set up. The evening was filled with playing cards and catching up on a few emails. In the morning we packed up and did a small tour around Mt. Isa including the lookout which gave a great view of the area. The only other thing to do in Mt. Isa is to take a 3 hour tour thru a mine build for tourists and never really mined for anything so we passed on the idea. We continued east and went thru Julia Creek and Richmond. This is the start of what they call dinosaur country. Each town along the way has museums with lots of different dinosaurs found in the area a long time ago. We did a tour thru the facilities at Richmond but I have to say that Drumheller, Alberta puts these exhibits to shame.
After that we went to Hughenden and Porcupine Gorge National Park. It was to late to see anything by the time got there so we set up and started cooking supper. While cooking a little animal came up to us for a visit, I was not sure what it was, to small for a kangaroo or wallaby but looked similar. After some research I discovered it was a Tree Kangaroo.
In the morning it was packing again and then we did a 2.8km hike to the bottom of the gorge and back, it was good to get out hiking again and see something besides roadways. After we stopped at the gorge lookout on the way out and then back to Hughenden.
We continued on to a town called Charters Towers which was big in the gold rush and still has lots of mining to this day. We stopped and the town lookout and tried to get to some other attractions but everything in this town closes at 3 and that was when we were there so we drove on and got to Townsville. Townsville is on the east coast and now all we need to do is go north to Cairns. The park we stayed at was the best I have seen while camping in Oz, the bathrooms we spic and span clean and the camping area was huge with power sites for the same price as unpowered. After supper everyone had there computer out and MP3 players and anything else that needed to get charged up. No internet though as they wanted $10 per hour. After another good night sleep we were on our way to Cairns, we all decided that we would not stop at any sights on the way because they had tours already booked and other plans. We had lunch just out side of Cairns and were into town at around 2pm. I dropped off the girls at the assorted hostels and then started to figure out my plans. I was thinking of camping but it rained most of the day and the clouds still looked threatening so I booked into a hostel (Travellers Oasis). It has $5 per day internet so it is working out great.
I have spent the last few days getting everything figured out for the next part of the adventure and doing some research on an investment project that I am interested in in New Zealand(more on that in due time but nothing for now). I am now booked on a flight to Brisbane from Cairns on June 9th and then from there I fly out to Vanuatu that afternoon. I have no plans for Vanuatu yet and will just figure it out once I get there, since this theory has worked great so far.. I do have to book a flight out of Vanuatu but have not figured out how long I actually want to stay (2, 3 weeks, a month???), it is nice to be this free but the airlines sure profit from my indecision. I will take a look at Cairns and maybe do some snorkeling along the Great Barrier Reef or maybe some fishing until then but I want to leave most of it until I get back from Vanuatu and do the whole east coast together in my next 3 month period here.
Today I had a great skype call with Abel and Jen, it was so nice to see them and hear their voices. I plan a few more calls over the next few days to some others to catch up with them.
I guess that is it for now as I am getting tired of writing and looking at this damn computer.
Take care everyone,
Steve
PS: yes more again this time, a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes out to my niece Kirstin and to my brother Shawn, both on the 3rd of June. By the way my brothers should be ashamed that I was the only one to contact Kirstin.
Tags: 1, Australia
sdietrich90
When you go to other countries you go with an open mind, and are open to new things, now I am seeing a pattern emerging in some of your blogs. If canada has better, bigger stuff then why do you travel at all.