In Scenic Public Toilet world, where I humbly claim to be an Australian expert (I HAVE written a book – Aussie Loos with Views after all), I thought I’d seen it all!

From the vast, sweeping plains of the Queensland Outback; the spectacular ‘Bali Hai’ backdrop of Lord Howe Island; the magnificent Southern Yorke Peninsula coastline; the RED rocky ranges of the Northern Territory; the high country of Victoria; and the drama of plunging cliffs and blowholes in Western Australia, I’ve been privileged to discover – and use for their intended purpose – some of the most amazingly scenic amenities on earth!

But I never thought it’d be my pleasure to do my business in a coffin!

We extended our July 2011 stay in the excellent Millaa Millaa Tourist Park on the outskirts of this tiny Atherton Tablelands town in the shadow of Mt Bartle Frere (Queensland’s highest mountain) and Mt Bellenden Ker (Queensland’s 2nd highest mountain) several times.

That’s because it’s an excellent and superbly scenic base from which to explore the whole tablelands region. Most of which can be seen from the Millaa Millaa Lookout, starting with Mt Bartle Frere’s bulk and sweeping around over the superb green panorama that makes up this cool – both literally AND figuratively – tropical paradise.

Just down the road are the archetypal Millaa Millaa Falls – so named (by me) because the word ‘waterfall’ probably conjures up an image something like the falls in the photo below, right??

Further afield past magnificent rainforest and one of the more picturesque landscapes in OZ is the excellent Train to Tumoulin; the plunging Crater at Mt Hypipamee, and the marvellous Mungalli Creek Dairy and Organic Cafe!

And that’s just what’s REALLY close!!

Somehow, in the midst of all this traveller’s fantasy world, I missed the unique coffin-shaped public toilet in the Millaa Millaa cemetery.

Don’t ask me how I missed the Millaa Millaa Coffin Loo. Although I’d like to think it’s because it hadn’t been built back then …

But now, however, after a disturbing report from readers Cheryl and Franciscus, it looks like I’ll NEVER have the chance to do my business in a coffin!

Because according to an article from on Cairns.com.au*, the Millaa Millaa Coffin Loo was recently condemned!

Awhile back, the local chamber of commerce asked the shire council for an amenities block in the cemetery to make it easier for residents to attend funerals.

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but my experience tells me that: 1) a higher number of older than younger people die; and 2) a higher number of older than younger people experience body malfunctions requiring a quick trip to the conveniences.

Ergo: the profile of a funeral attendee is an older person requiring the conveniences to be … well … convenient!

The factors making Millaa Millaa a tropical anomaly – single digit winter temperatures and high incidence of mist and fog – already make standing in the cemetery for any length of time an uncomfortable experience for a funeral goer (as profiled above). But factor in the effects of the cold and distance of the cemetery from the town, and it’d hardly be a surprise if funeral attendance dropped off!

While I don’t have the benefit of council research and statistics, the Cairns Post article indicates that the council refused the request for cemetery conveniences on the grounds that it didn’t have the $80,000+ required for such a building.

So what’s a chamber of commerce with initiative, drive and the support of the majority of the community to do?

Build their own, of course!!

And while it’s bizarre, but possible that the chamber of commerce has never heard of the Red Nomad OZ penchant for public potties, their Millaa Millaa Coffin Loo – using volunteers and donated materials – immediately captured my attention!

At a cost of only $1200 – more than 66 times cheaper than the council’s own cost estimate!  Perhaps they should become consultants and on-sell their innovative budget approach around the country, or even the world!

But I digress …

While this solidly constructed septic system loo on council land doesn’t a) have council planning approval, or b) meet all council planning requirements, it’s difficult for me to understand how it would cost another $75,000+ to ensure that it does.

But … I’m not a tradie, so maybe I just don’t get it.

Weirdly, letting the Millaa Millaa community keep its toilet apparently means others could – would – do the same thing according to the council, a strangely embarrassing indictment in my opinion. For if the council truly believes that other communities would build their own amenities once they’d tacitly green-lighted the Millaa Millaa Coffin Loo, surely this is an acknowledgement that there aren’t enough?!

While keeping the toilet operational until such time as the Council has funds for a ‘proper’ one might seem a logical compromise to laypeople such as I, apparently the dangers of a well-built septic toilet (albeit one not complying with council specifications) are too great.

So, last rites have been held and the loo removed to protect the Millaa Millaa residents from its dastardly dangers.  AND any errant tourists who might find it amazingly, awesomely Australian.

Today.

So the ABC News website tells me.

Naturally, there are more than two sides to this tragic tale. I’m sure the council really DIDN’T have the money to spend on a cemetery toilet, given there’s already a public toilet in the fine picnic and barbecue area in main street.

Graced, incidentally, by the fine artwork in the previous photo.

And unlike me, there are those who find a coffin-shaped toilet in a cemetery offensive – SO offensive that they spray it with graffiti, even though according to my sources, over 300 (around 90%) of the townspeople have signed a petition in support of maintaining their gloriously gothic loo.

The final tragedy is that even though the Millaa Millaa Coffin Loo has just been moved down the road, it’s lost the location that made it unique so I’ll never be able to give it the full benefits of the Red Nomad OZ treatment.

I’ve never actually seen the conveniences for myself, and photos are via Cheryl and Franciscus (blessings to you both); Pat Reynolds (Chamber of Commerce president) and the Cairns Post.

And although the devastating irony of such un-Australian treatment of something so quintessentially Australian on the eve of Australia Day means I’ll never see it in its rightful place, I’m not letting Australia’s Scenic Public Toilet #30 get away!

Visit the Millaa Millaa Cemetery Loo Facebook Page HERE and show your support!!

The post The Cemetery, the Council and the Coffin-shaped Conveniences! Australia’s Scenic Public Toilet #30 appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

‘I would NOT like to fall down there,’ the backpacker remarked to his mates with that peculiarly British mixture of overconfident understatement and blinding obvious as he stared down into the depths of the crater.

They nodded wisely, unsure whether or not they’d heard something profound, but deciding to play it safe.

Banal though his utterance was, however, he was right. 58 metres (193 feet) WAS a long way down to the green water-weed infested pool at the bottom of the crater. And I didn’t want to fall down there either.

Acrophobics* like me clung to the heavy duty railing to peer over the edge. Mt Hypipamee’s famous crater was giving me the heebie-jeebies. I wondered how long it would take a falling object – say, a human sacrifice – to hit the green depths far below the crater rim.

I didn’t have to wonder for too long.

The backpacker’s girlfriend picked up a stick and casually twirled it like a baton as she glanced at me sideways. Come to think of it, they were ALL glancing at me sideways as they hogged the railing, showing none of the usual tourist hot-spot etiquette whereby each gets an equal turn at the best photo vantage point.

It was pretty obvious I was the only one not of their kind with my tan, thongs and 20+ year head start.  What were they looking at? My hair-dye job wasn’t THAT bad, was it?

After shooting around them without using my elbows for their god-given purpose as they continued to take up most of the viewing space at the railing, I’d taken as many photos as I could. Their glances were really starting to creep me out.

What were they waiting for? A human sacrifice??

Approximately 5.918 seconds later the stick hit the water, trailing greenly through the native waterweed on its surface.

Judging by the number of similar trails in the water, I guessed she wasn’t alone in ‘testing’ the depth of the water.

What we couldn’t see, however, was the depth of the pool beneath the protective waterweed layer. Estimated at around 82 metres (273 feet) deep, the pool lay still and silent, or would have but for the stick-and-stone-throwing tourists.

Managers of the stunning Millaa Millaa caravan park where we’d based ourselves in July 2011 on the Tablelands above Cairns in Far North Queensland had given us a list of local attractions. One of several was Mt Hypipamee National Park on the southern Evelyn Tableland and within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Although due to a little flirtation with the facts its technically incorrect colloquial name – ‘The Crater’ – is pure Aussie overstatement. More accurately known as a diatreme or volcanic pipe, it’s thought to have been formed by gas from an underground explosion that expanded to form this deep, cylindrical hole.**

The fact sheet suggested the we look out for platypi*** in the pool and I’d assumed them to be the cause of the waterweed trails. But now I knew the REAL explanation, I wondered if it were possible for platypi – or indeed any creature that couldn’t escape the pool’s closed ecosystem – to survive.

Where was a Platypus Whisperer when you needed one?

On a previous trip to the area, we’d discovered Pilchard’s remarkable talent for spotting platypi, as like the Pied Piper of Yungaburra, he’d seen them at every turn along a river walk. After a while, I and the delighted Swiss family trailing in his wake gave up looking for them ourselves, and just waited for him to point them out.

But Pilchard, the only Platypus Whisperer I know, was busy at the forest edge (aka ‘carpark’) with a couple of other twitchers**** spotting North Queensland endemic Golden Bowerbird (Prionodura newtoniana) high in the trees above.

Later we would go to a TOP SECRET location through leech-dripping rainforest to see the Bowerbird’s bower – with only one use, the avian equivalent of a teenage boy’s chick-magnet hot-rod (I’ve included a mediocre picture of it to satisfy your prurient curiousity) (oh, and you’re now one of not very many people in the world who’ve seen a Golden Bowerbird’s bower)(albeit virtually).

But a more than passing knowledge of the mating habits of bowerbirds wasn’t going to help me with the platypi question. And neither were the backpackers who, having confirmed the depth of the diatreme wasn’t an illusion with their scientific stick, left in a gaggle, speaking loudly of their impending pub-crawl.

And now, gazing into the green waterweed down the green, green vegetation clinging to the granite wall 70 metres (233 feet) away on the other side was making my eyes go funny. If there WERE platypi, they hadn’t made an appearance yet.

I peered more closely into the depths. Was there a movement?

Forget the platypi.  Could there be a Ness-like monster lurking in the depths, trapped by time and a prehistoric explosion?

I wondered whether the Mt Hypipamee Crater had ever claimed a victim. A little introspection goes a long way in a place like this Or maybe I just needed to get back to normality.

That is, if a group of twitchers intent on hunting down a (feathered) bird’s love nest was normal. But it says a lot for the Mt Hypipamee Heebie-Jeebies that as I emerged from the rainforest into the relative sanity of the car park, it was!!

* Acrophobia = fear of heights

** According to the Tablelands Parks and Forests brochure produced by Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service

*** Platypi = more than one platypus

**** twitcher = birdwatcher

Want MORE?

• Mt Hypipamee National Park (The Crater)
• Millaa Millaa Tourist Park
• Atherton Tablelands, Far North QueenslandC

The post The Hypipamee Heebie-jeebies … appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Crocodiles are a weird combination of Aussie ‘Big Thing’ and perilous prehistoric predator. Maybe our fascination with crocodiles in Australia is what makes this my most viewed post of all time*.

Or maybe it’s because of the awesome photos and superlative writing … read on, and decide for yourself

But before you do, PLEASE NOTE this WARNING:

Crocodiles are VERY dangerous and can be found almost anywhere in the Top End – not just in the places I mention below, and certainly NOT just where there are warning sgns.  Large crocodiles have been found a LONG way from the sea, and in many smaller rivers and streams. SO … you MUST be crocodile aware WHEREVER you go – don’t assume it’s safe just because there’s no sign, or no one has warned you.  Assume they are EVERYWHERE in the Top End – even if you can’t see them.

Of course, the World’s Biggest Crocodile replica in Normanton, Queensland isn’t a ‘Big Thing’ ie several times larger than the real deal. It’s actually a life-size replica of the biggest crocodile ever ‘taken’ (read:  ‘shot’) by croc hunter turned croc supporter Krystina Pawloski in 1957.Now known as ‘Krys’, the 8.63 metre long (28′ 4″) monster croc is bigger than JAWS, and it’s the biggest known specimen in the world.

The golden age blood sport of hunting crocodiles in Australia ended when crocodiles became protected in the early 1970’s. But crocodile hunting still takes place downunder – as long as your weapon of choice is a camera!

Although that won’t make any difference to the cunning saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus – or ‘Saltie’) who can wait for days to ensnare its prey, and once its victim is in the ‘death roll’, there’s little chance of escape.

And just to make things more confusing, it doesn’t always hang out in salt water, either!

While less aggressive, Australia’s only other crocodile species, the Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus johnsoni – or ‘Freshie’) has been known to attack, although not fatally.

But hey! Who wants to be the first?!

So where’s the best places to hunt for those elusive ‘live’ Crocodiles in Australia photos? Try my 7 Aussie Top End Crocodile Hot Spots for ALMOST guaranteed sightings!!

1. Marlgu Billabong, via Wyndham,Western Australia:

But what’s that lurking beneath its benign surface?

The video at the top of the post shows why it’s not a good idea to stray from the boardwalk.

But it’s an even worse idea to venture onto the banks of this worrisome wetland when this little beauty is sunning himself!!

Croc Hunter Tip:

Check the billabong banks on the far side regularly – crocs can appear without warning!

2. Daintree River, Daintree, Far North Queensland

A known crocodile hotspot, crocodile hunter wannabees can choose an assisted croc sighting via any number of river cruises. Daintree River Wild Watch was our choice for its birdwatching credentials, but we also got to see a saltwater crocodile close up whilst on the cruise.

Our first unassisted sighting came after the cruise as we drove up the road and spotted a large saltie sunning himself on a sandbank. He wasn’t there when we passed that same sandbank on our cruise about 30 minutes before!

The Daintree River doesn’t discriminate between salties and freshies – they’re both here in abundance!

Croc Hunter Tip:

So many Daintree River crocodile cruises can’t be wrong! Sightings are virtually guaranteed on a river cruise, and are not uncommon elsewhere.

3. Adelaide River via Darwin, Northern Territory:

The jury’s out on whether a sighting of a Performing Crocodile (ie a croc jumping for its supper) actually counts as crocodile hunting.

It’s the saurian equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel BUT if you can’t see them any other way, then knock yourself out!!

Choose one of the many available ‘Jumping Croc’ cruises – and hope like hell the boat doesn’t tip over as all the tourists rush to the same side whenever a crocodile appears …

Croc Hunter Tip:

This doesn’t really count as ‘hunting’ – but you WILL see crocodiles!!

4. Lake Argyle, via Kununurra, Western Australia:

The spectacular and otherworldly landscape of Australia’s largest lake will keep budding photographers busy for hours. One of the most magnificent spots in the country, the watery landscape is so panoramic, the wildlife takes second place.

Below the dam wall, these cold-blooded (in more ways than one) freshwater crocodiles recover from the cool night temperatures by taking in some sun. And while the morning cruise isn’t specifically about crocodile hunting, there are plenty around the banks and in the water.

Which could make the annual 10- and 20 km swimming races in the lake rather interesting …

Croc Hunter Tip:

Check the far bank below the dam wall. And take that 2 hour cruise – even if you don’t see a crocodile, it’s worth it just for the scenery!!

For more entertainment than is good for you, observe the anglers trying to land a big barramundi at this crocodile infested tidal river crossing into Arnhem Land. It’s also fun watching vehicles crossing the causeway as the tide comes in.

And it’s not called the East Alligator River for nothing!

Watching someone actually being taken by a crocodile would give me nightmares for a long, long time.

So watching a tinnie** full of drunken fisherman, one precariously perched on the nose of the craft as it drifted ever closer to a large crocodile they hadn’t seen, completely oblivious to the warning shouts from observers on the river bank, was a mesmerizing moment I hope never to experience again.

Luckily for them, the croc slid into the water and disappeared – they never even saw it.

As the tide came in, more crocodiles appeared downstream – not that the anglers knee-deep in water seemed to care …

But if you want your croc viewings with a bit less drama, try a Kakadu Yellow Water Cruise!!

Croc Hunter Tip:

Crocodiles abound in Kakadu National Park. See them at Cahill’s Crossing or on a cruise – but don’t make out like crocodile bait!

6. Windjana Gorge, via Gibb River Road, Western Australia:

 

No, those aren’t logs in the water … Windjana Gorge, WA

Frustrated crocodile hunters who’ve dipped out*** on crocs at other hot spots will not be disappointed here, unless they’re on a lifelong losing streak. If that’s the case (and even if it isn’t), think twice about heading for Windjana unless you’re keen on experiencing clouds of red dust, brain-hammering corrugated roads, tyre-shredding rocks and other generally adverse driving conditions en route to this remote spot.

Once there, if you can tear your eyes away from the gob-smackingly awesome scenery, you’ll be reaching for the crocodile repellent – yes, there really are that many!

All freshies, of course!! But happily, that makes getting a tad closer for those souvenir photos just that little bit easier!

Back down the road in Derby, crocs are regularly seen around the mangroves, although I have no photographic evidence of the large crocodile we spotted swimming in King Sound near the jetty …

Croc Hunter Tip:

Take the track into the gorge and keep your eyes on the water and sandbanks. Some would go so far as to dub this a ‘sure thing’ sighting spot!

7. Timber Creek, Northern Territory:

In the creek behind the Circle F Caravan Park campground, there’s a daily feeding session attracting any or all of the 12 freshwater crocodiles living in the creek.

They’re not always interested, but the enticement of a free snack costing virtually no energy is generally too much of a temptation to resist!

Careful observers may notice crocodiles resting on the banks of the creek – while they’re *only* freshies, my tip for the day is to let sleeping crocs lie.

But the nearby Victoria River’s self-nomination as Australia’s last great wild river may well be true, if the number of crocodile sightings is anything to go by.

The best way to see them is in a croc-proof purpose built river cruiser with a context-setting tour of Timber Creek at one end and sunset drinks and snacks on a float in the middle of the river at the other!

A Victoria River Cruise delivers on multiple crocodile sightings as well, with local Neville Fogarty identifying the ‘local’ crocs by name and reputation!

As we passed the white croc, old ‘Broken-jaw’ and the 5+ metre long Lord Lizard who disappeared without a trace into the water beneath the cruiser, Neville told us the cattle station we were passing lost 200+ cattle to crocodiles each year.

Somehow, I don’t think they’d mind a change in diet if anyone was foolish enough to stray  too close to the water …

Croc Hunter Tip:

So many sightings of both Saltwater and Freshwater crocodiles, you won’t know where to look first. But be warned – these ones are BIG!!

Disclaimer: Wild crocodiles are unpredictable, so of course I can’t guarantee you’ll see crocodiles in Australia where I have! But stay ‘croc-alert’ and you may see them where you’re least expecting it.

Like the time we watched in horrified disbelief as two crocodiles fought over a dead cow floating downstream past our campsite on the Northern Territory’s Mary River – but that’s another story!!

Want MORE?

 

• World’s Biggest Crocodile
• Australian Saltwater Crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus)
• Australian Freshwater Crocodiles (Crocodylus johnsoni)
• Cruising with Crocodiles on Australia’s WILDEST River!

* OK, since you asked nicely, the 2nd most viewed post of all time is 7 Days between Adelaide and Darwin

** tinnie = small aluminium fishing boat  There’s no accounting for taste!

***  ‘Dipped Out’ = Aussie expression meaning failed, or not done, or didn’t happen

The post 7 Crocodile Hot Spots in Australia’s Top End appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Cairns is one of the best Australian travel destinations – and I’ve got the photos to prove it! This laid back city 2000 km north of Brisbane between World Heritage Listed Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, has come a long way from its sugar-cane farming roots to become Far North Queensland’s tourist hub.

Cairns has just as much to offer travellers seeking cheap holidays as it does to those looking for luxury! In fact, the only problem will be limiting your visit to a week!!

Luckily, I’ve been travelling to Cairns for 20+ years – the time period over which these photos were taken – and Pilchard even longer!  So use our 7 Day Cairns sampler itinerary guide to get you started …

Day 1: Cairns Botanic Gardens

The pint-sized bag-snatcher at the Cairns Botanic Gardens Cafe was probably a one-off. No, really!! The toddler who picked up my handbag didn’t take kindly to Pilchard’s attempts to remove it from her grubby grasp.

Attracted by the shrieks, her rampaging mother berated Pilchard for making her darling cry, gave the child my bag to play with and turned back to her glass of wine table. With a) child clutching b) the handbag.

Now you tell me. Was it so unreasonable for Pilchard to insist on its return?

Sadly, this whole stultifying display of disturbed parenting could have been avoided if only I’d taken my handbag with me to the ladies room …

Happily, in addition to the Scenic Public Toilet, the large Cairns Botanic Gardens complex is full of distractions, with wonderful displays of tropical plants; several interpretive trails, magnificent butterflies and brightly coloured birds!

Although ‘wild boar’ sounds so much more exotic than ‘feral pig’, they’re both equally destructive when crashing through the undergrowth on the mangrove boardwalk through to the Centenary Lakes picnic area. Although I’d rather meet a wild pig than an unsupervised homo-sapiens (juv) allowed to run amok by overindulgent parents …

Spending the whole day in the gardens is easy – the 6.6 km Mt Whitfield trail loop gives splendid views over the busy international airport and Cairns itself. But I’m not sure if the group of school kids led by two young and ever so perky teachers we dodged on the track were a fair replacement for the cassowaries once common in the area.

Day 2: North to Port Douglas

The block of land for sale a few metres below the Port Douglas Lookout platform has the same staggering view. But would that be enough to counteract the 24/7 comings and goings above? Maybe the local residents were on to something when they tried to get the lookout closed …

The Lady Douglas probably isn’t the ritziest craft to cruise Dixon Inlet – but I’ll bet she’s the classiest! And if you want to take a look behind the scenes of what once was a small fishing village but is now amongst Australia’s most expensive real estate, the inlet is awash with wildlife – including crocodiles!

Time it right and attend – or miss, depending on your point of view – the Port Douglas markets, but whatever you do, DON’T miss Mocka’s Pies! This FAAAAABULOUS Bakery (come back for the cheese pasty, potato & pea pie, apple, lemon meringue – hell, come back for ANYTHING) has the well-deserved distinction of being our ALL TIME favourite!!!!

Day 3: Northern Beaches

Although the artificial lagoon, sandy beach and infinity pool are a good substitute for lack of foreshore beach, nothing beats the real thing! And heading north, the real thing is abundant starting about 20 km from the CBD.

Spend a day exploring all the beaches; or stay on one beach all day; or take an extra day and do both!! From the unspoiled excellence of Wangetti Beach (below the hang glider launch spot I’ll always be too gutless to try) to the ritz of Palm Cove; Ellis Beach between the highway and sea to the fabulous curve of Trinity Beach; Yorkeys Knob cliff and marina to the vast sand flats and rock wall at Machans – eateries, picnic and BBQ areas, walks, birdlife … there’s something for everyone!

Take your pick – and if you got it wrong, try again tomorrow!!

Day 4: Esplanade … and Cairns itself

Want a perfect day on the Cairns Esplanade?

WELL … my guest post on 52 Perfect Days will tell all!!

But because I’m a tease nice person, here’s a glimpse!!

Of course Cairns is much more than its foreshore! There’s shopping and eating precincts – yes, a bakery or two – the Visitor Information Centre, galleries, restaurants, museums … do I need to spell it out??

Day 5: Outdoors in the Rainforest …

Snakes, goannas, birds, butterflies, hungover backpackers – I’ve yet to visit Crystal Cascades without finding something interesting to watch!

This popular series of swimming holes on – you guessed it – Crystal Creek buried deep in the rainforest is a water supply access point but walkers can take the track for 1.2 km to the barrier for a taste of REAL rainforest and wildlife. Near the start of the trail, a track – classified as ‘strenuous’ and ‘rough’ – heads almost vertically upwards to Copperlode Dam in the ranges far above …

… and as if to prove it’s not all sunshine and serenity in the tropics, the temperature dropped 8ºC in the 25 km drive from Cairns CBD up the ranges to Copperlode Dam aka Lake Morris, 365 metres above sea level. And the hot soup that sounded so ridiculous in the balmy, high 20’s temperature on the coast was more than welcome in our efforts to counteract the chill wind!

It’s best to be sober when attempting this steep, twisting track with several one-way sections, and breathtaking (aka ‘hyperventilating’) dropaways, often being repaired after heavy rain at which time they become ‘washaways’ … But the stupendous views on each side of the range show just how much unexplored rainforest remains.

Ambitious walkers undaunted by the steep gradient can attempt further exploration on the 3km track dropping straight down from the dam to Crystal Cascades below …

Day 6: Islands

‘Tropical paradise’ is such a cliché – there’s only so much blue sky/clear water/white sand/palm trees you can take, right?

Perhaps. But a trip to the Frankland Islands or Green Island will leave you begging for more, cliché or no!

Trust me.

Day 7: Skyrail and Kuranda Scenic Railway

Despite the jaw-dropping views above the unspoiled World Heritage listed rainforest canopy to the spectacular Cairns coastline, acrophobics* may find the 7.5 km Skyrail cable-car journey from Cairns to Kuranda (or vice versa) ‘challenging’.

But luckily, a couple of stops for the rainforest interpretive centre and Barron Falls lookout break the journey and allow equilibrium to be regained before another 6 person gondola – and the next leg!

But is going up the Kuranda Range by Skyrail any worse for acrophobics than dropping nearly 300 metres through 15 tunnels and across 40 rickety bridges crossing drop-away chasms down the super-steep Barron Gorge if returning via the 34 km Kuranda Scenic Railway?

As a recovering acrophobic I unreservedly recommend both trips – just breathe normally into that paper bag while taking photos all the way. And don’t look down …

Well, how quickly 7 Days can pass!

And I haven’t even started on heading south to the other side of Trinity Inlet, the Goldsborough Valley, and Gordonvale’s Cane Toad World!

Or west to the Atherton Tablelands …

That’s another 7 Days all by itself!!

I developed this 7 day guide based on visits to Cairns totalling MANY weeks over 20+ years!  Photos all taken 2009-2011, except the Kuranda train (1998) as that pic was better than the ones I have from later trips.

*Acrophobia= fear of heights

Want MORE?

• Not quite enough photos here, right? There’s plenty more on Flickr !!
• Cairns and Tropical North Queensland
• Cairns and Tropical North Visitor Information Centre
• What I’ve done in and around Cairns
• My other 7 Days in … Guides

The post 7 Days in … Cairns! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

‘Now you’ve ‘done’ Australia, are you going overseas?’ If Pilchard and I had a dollar for every time we’ve been asked that question, it’d pay for a round-the-world ticket! BUT … the answer would still be the same …

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve got nothing against the concept of ‘overseas’ – after all, I was born, and have travelled, lived and worked out of Australia.

Remote western Queensland outback town, Bedourie had been cut off by floods for some months prior to our visit.  Isolated, and one of the few towns we encountered with no mobile phone network coverage, it hosts the Bedourie Camel races – a fascinating experience and well worth the trip.  Life in the outback isn’t all dust and dehydration – the township is in a beautiful setting!

I didn’t include any photos of our visits to Central Australia’s more well known attractions – Uluru and Kings Canyon – because all you need to do is google …  Mt Sonder makes one of the Northern Territory’s most scenic landscapes in this mid-2000’s photo!  One day we’ll return to climb it!

Lake Tinaroo, on the Atherton Tablelands behind Cairns has been a favourite spot for many years!  This view from our campsite in one of the Lake’s several campgrounds was taken just before Pilchard caught a massive sleepy cod from the jetty below.  He threw it back – after the photographic evidence had been recorded, of course!

South Australia’s Kangaroo Island is the 3rd largest Island in Australia.  Trust me – the Remarkable Rocks really ARE!  And the island boasts some of the most beautiful scenery EVER!

Cairns is better known for almost anything other than this magnificent dam high up in the mountains behind.  The drive through some of the most beautiful rainforest offers breathtaking views over the city!

Taken from the car window, this python at Lake Eacham had just crossed the road – and luckily, was headed away from us.  It’s several metres long and while I KNEW it wasn’t going to attack, I couldn’t suppress a shudder …

Our 2008 trip to Darwin was memorable in many ways.  The relaxed tropical lifestyle is unparalleled, with almost the entire population gathering to watch the sunset at the famous Mindil Beach markets.  Many bring picnic tables & chairs to dine in what must be the best outdoor setting in the land!

Siding Springs Observatory in its magnificently scenic mountain setting looks up onto some of the clearest skies in the world!  Our visit to the observatory, many years ago, was followed by a trip to the fine Coonabarabran Bakery!!

Remote Silverton, near the more well known mining town of Outback New South Wales’ Broken Hill, is an artists retreat.  A visit to the Silverton Hotel is a foray into movie trivia, displaying photographs and memorabilia from the several well known movies shot in and around the area.

The view over the nearby Mundi Mundi Plains is an incredible insight into the Outback’s simultaneous desolation and beauty.

It’s hard to believe that north of beautiful Currumbin Creek (the photo faces south) is the most extensively developed area of Australia – the Gold Coast!  As you can see from this early 2000’s photo, the Gold Coast isn’t all highrises and tourists!

Say ‘waterfall’ and what do you picture?  I bet it’s something like Millaa Millaa falls – one of the most scenic waterfalls in Australia.  If not the world!!

The outback opal mining town of White Cliffs is full of surprises – including this amazing early morning scene en route to huge inland Lake Peery!

Of all our holidays in Australia, we’ve most frequently been to the Grampians, Victoria.  A diverse wonderland, this region is WAY too big to capture with just one photo … so I chose a macro!

Griffith’s Lake Wyangan at dusk was a marvellous moment in this hidden gem of a region!

A day trip around Shute Harbour, gateway to the Whitsundays gave us our first boom netting experience.

But when we got to Daydream Island, we could have stayed forever!!

It’s hard to believe I’ve climbed Mt Warning twice when I see it from this angle.  But I’m not telling how long ago the last time was …  Mt Warning, while not Australia’s easternmost spot, is the first point the sun’s rays reach in the morning!

Lord Howe Island is the ultimate holiday destination.  Our first aftenoon on the island – and this is where we ended up!!

Below, pyromaniac Pilchard lights up a morning fire at Poddy Creek Free Camp, west of Queensland’s Winton.  This scenic spot epitomises the beauty of the western Queensland Outback.

OK, was I right? Are you jealous as hell?? Get onto those cheapest flights right now! You won’t regret it …

For TRIPLE the fun, I’ve linked this post to:

• Best Posts of the Week;
• Scenic Sunday; and
• Saturday Sareenity

Check them out for blog posts on these themes from all around the world!!  Enjoy!!

The post Aussie ABC – H is for Holiday appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

‘What goes up must come down,’ she twanged, immediately identifying a) her astonishing originality and b) her country of origin.

Suitably dressed for a dusty, rocky climb through clinging vines, a charred mountainside and tropical humidity in a white ‘resort’ dress and gold sandals, this gem fell from her pinkly glossed lips and dropped like pearls of wisdom before swine. The artfully abstracted way her be-ringed hand floated through the air, its great stone winking and flashing in the hot midday sun, immediately telegraphed a recent wedding.

How much longer they’d be together was less evident. His well worn hiker kit – ‘real’ hiking boots with thick socks, water backpack, old T-shirt, hat and pink zinc clearly spelled out more than one significant difference between them.

Several thousand kilometres into a winter road trip – and bailed up in Townsville with car trouble – we’d escaped to nearby Magnetic Island for a day of tropical R&R. But that’s the benefit of an Australian road trip – heading off the tourist trail for new experiences is so often the most rewarding part of the journey! As it proved for us on this fabulously perfect July day – winter, Tropical North Queensland style!!

On the steepest part of the Nelly Bay to Arcadia Walk track, Pilchard and I were now feeling the effects of setting out on a 6 km hike without food or water, our towel-laden backpacks weighing us down in the tropical humidity. It was all just a simple misunderstanding! Arriving on Magnetic Island, 8 km and 20 minutes by ferry from Townsville, we planned an action-packed schedule over morning tea at the terrific Nelly Bay bakery. As you do.

The first leg of the Nelly Bay to Arcadia walk reached a lookout from which great views were promised. A 45 minute return trip, according to the brochure – and we’d see a new (to us) part of the island before returning for lunch then still have ample time for several other Magnetic Island activities before the evening ferry.

BUT … wandering along the road from the bakery to the trail head, then winding up more steeply through the rainforest to the vantage point took longer than anticipated. Every few steps was a new bird, flower or vista to admire and/or photograph. By the time we reached the overgrown lookout, we’d already been going the best part of an hour, so it was a cinch to continue up the track in quest of a better view.

We could always turn back, couldn’t we??

Winding ever upwards, the track grade quickly moved from ‘easy’ to – well, that depends on your point of view! And whether or not you’re a masochistic young fit person. Cue the flash of gold sandals as the honeymooners gained on us – nothing for it but to stop and admire the view move over and let them pass. Pausing only to ask how far to the nearest latte the bride trilled her words of ‘wisdom’ before disappearing behind her hiker husband with a swirl of white skirts.

Well, they WERE 20 years younger than us. At least. Probably.

But the honeymoon couple’s passing heralded a wildlife bonanza as a passing flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (above) distracted me from uncharitable thoughts on maintaining white frock cleanliness. And as I neatly captured them – the ‘black dots’ cleverly shown in this rare ‘wildlife action’ shot – we reached the point of no return. The food and drink of Arcadia beckoned and we reluctantly abandoned fantasies of lunching at the Nelly Bay bakery.

A little further and the panorama over Magnetic Island’s magnificent Horseshoe Bay (first picture above) stretched out in front of us through the heat haze.

Staggering.

The track headed downhill from here, but several kilometres of walking remained and I started to fantasize about bottles of cold water. Actually, make that flagons. And plunging into the sea to sluice off the dirt and sweat after flinging off my non-white (but still grubby) clothing …

That’s the only explanation I have for missing the droppings on the ground. Because if, like Pilchard, I’d seen them, I would have looked above to identify who or what was responsible. Naturally. BUT happily, wanting to gloat over share his find with me, Pilchard pointed out the culprit.

Much easier to capture that elusive ‘wildlife action’ shot on this little critter.  I take no responsibility for the angle of this photo – take comfort that not many have looked up a wild koala’s bum at THIS close range!!

Apart from a further wildlife sighting – this time ‘overseas-tourist-hunting-for-the-hiking-track’ – the southern descent into the suburbs of Arcadia was uneventful. Except to say if this is suburbia, bring it on!!

Oh! And also the staggering views across the strait to the mainland – and Townsville!

I didn’t notice my audience until I’d come up for air – after lining up two drinks and inhaling one of the best fishburgers I’ve had the pleasure of from Arcadia’s Butler’s Pantry.

Once common as pets, Bush Stone-curlew is better known to Pilchard and I as ‘Shrieking (insert expletive here)’ for the astonishing cry it lets loose at unexpected moments. Usually in the middle of the night in what has become its 21^st century natural habitat, the caravan park. Right under our bed end. But I digress … this one was just foraging for snacks. Tough luck, matey. Nothing heading your way today!

And that swim was on the cards after all with a bus ride down to Horseshoe Bay – the perfect finale to our Nelly Bay to Arcadia walk!

I got to do this while on an Aussie Road Trip.  But if you’re pressed for time, why not visit Townsville and Magnetic Island the FAST way with the best flights you can get?

Go on! You KNOW you want to!

Want MORE?

• Magnetic Island
• Townsville
• Tropical North Queensland
• MORE Magnetic Island Photos on Flickr!

The post Walk Nelly Bay to Arcadia! Magnetic Island via Townsville, Queensland appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Those nostalgic for the ‘good old days’ would do well to consider the enduring legacy of Townsville’s ‘The Saint’, a 1962 student prank that continues to generate controversy.

A tragic reminder (!) of the lawlessness and anarchy characterising 1960’s society degeneration (!) from the wholesome family values of the 1950’s, the James Cook University students responsible have left North Queensland’s largest city with an unlikely icon!

And what better place to make your mark with graffiti than Castle Hill – the pink granite monolith (at 286m just short of ‘mountain’ height) that dominates Townsville’s skyline?

Castle Hill, no stranger to the plunder and pillage that characterised European settlement, was a well known firewood and timber-rustling spot before its 1888 gazettal as a recreation reserve – an early and uncharacteristic attempt to save it from complete denudation! And while reserve size continues to diminish, Castle Hill’s distinctive skyscape, 360° views, challenging climbs, scenic public toilet and historical features are enough to grant it ‘icon’ status in its own right.

But it’s the 1962 addition of ‘The Saint’ to Castle Hill’s northern face that cements its place in Townsville’s cultural landscape.

However, The Saint Castle Hill Townsville AND its spectacular backdrop have more in common than shared space.

Castle Hill is a World War 2 survivor – after the US troops stationed in Townsville who famously offered to blow it up and build a causeway to nearby Magnetic Island with the rock were knocked back. And ‘The Saint’ was reprieved after the local council reversed its 2002 decision to remove it. But only after a poll indicated 54% of the population considered it an icon!

Leaving 46% who don’t …

So the controversy continues – graffiti vs art; eyesore vs landmark; student prank vs sacred site desecration; vandalism vs Aussie larrikinism (is that a word?!) – but ‘The Saint’ is now (arguably) photographed just as much as its scenic backdrop!!

Maybe tourists are the deciding factor??

During a visit to Townsville in the 1990’s, the debate raged on talkback radio. Should ‘The Saint’ be removed? Did it defile the natural beauty of Castle Hill?? Had it transcended its dubious origin to become a local landmark???

Then a caller rang through. ‘Mate, after more than 30 years up there in all sorts of weather there’s only one question to be asked,’ the caller stated.

‘What’s that?’ the announcer asked.

‘What kind of paint did they use?’

And that, my friends, puts it all into perspective!!

In July 2011, Castle Hill still sports ‘The Saint’, and it’s still the subject of discussion, photographs and debate.

But in early 2012, its 50th anniversary MAY mean historical respectability – AND lay any controversy to rest!  We shall see …

Want MORE?

• The Saint
• Castle Hill
• Townsville, Far North Queensland

The post Aussie Icons #4 – ‘The Saint’, Castle Hill, Townsville QLD appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

We Arrive on Green Island

Although it was 20 LOOOONG years since our last Green Island National Park visit, Pilchard’s first action on our return just MAY have been a little bit extreme.

I mean, propelling a perfectly good hat into the sea wasn’t some kind of superstitious ritual, was it? Did he perhaps think it meant we wouldn’t have to wait another 20 years before our next visit??

But the capricious gust of wind that had plucked the hat from Pilchard’s head and flung it into the depths where it sank like a stone was pure accident.

AND embarrassing.

From the frenzied clicking and suppressed giggles behind us, I strongly suspected the whole episode had been captured on film …

Our return to Green Island wasn’t going well …

Green Island – the Facts!

The 12 hectare rainforest-covered coral cay – known as the Green Island Recreation Area – is one of the most popular and accessible tourist destinations in the Great Barrier Reef, a short 27 km (~17 miles) boat trip from Far North Queensland’s Cairns.

Green Island’s Fascinating Past

Estimated to be several thousand years old, post-colonial plunder and exploitation have threatened the island’s continued existence since its charting and naming by Captain James Cook in 1770. But luckily, the multi-layered protection that several regulatory authorities jointly brings will prevent further structural, environmental and biological damage, given the accountability and harmony so often seen in competing bureaucracies. Right???

But changes to the island landscape since 1770 are far greater than those observed by Pilchard and I after our 20-year hiatus! Green Island’s new (to us!) interpretive boardwalk charts the effects of human interaction – and the changing demands for its resources.

From Guru-Gulu Gungandji Indigenous people’s hunting and initiation ceremony site to present day recreation area of reef, resort and National Park has been a long and bumpy road for this beautiful spot.

‘Plunder’ and ‘pillage’ the 1800’s themes, the island was exploited trashed cleared by bêche de mer fishermen who had no use for pristine rainforest and reef while involved in this labour-intensive industry. But in the 100+ years since the processing plant, living quarters and gardens replaced the forest, it’s grown back completely – with 134 charted plant species today.

During this time drunken ‘picnic’ parties, like those described in this postcard facsimile above, decimated island resources with activities including, but not exclusive to dynamiting fish, shooting birds and souveniring coral!

In what the unkind may describe as ‘poetic justice’, one local character’s arm was amputated after a nasty accident with the dynamite while ‘fishing’! Could this have been the rise of the notorious Aussie ‘yobbo’**??

In an almost complete turnaround, the island’s potential for tourism was exploited developed in the 1900’s complete with world firsts – including glass bottomed boats for underwater viewing, films of life on the Barrier Reef and Cassius, the largest crocodile (5.5m or 18′) in captivity in the only crocodile farm – Marineland Melanesia – on a coral cay. If that’s important.

Green Island – Now What?

now, around 300,000 tourists visit Green Island each year, continuing to exploit its resources, albeit more sustainably. In theory, anyway – imagine the impact of so many on the beaches, coral reefs, walks and wildlife.

But the multi-layered management model would have changed all this for the better, right? Well … look at what’s changed in the last 20 years – do the changes contribute to island sustainability? Or are they just cosmetic? You decide!!

20 years ago, you got a Green Island cruise or day-trip – now it’s a Green Island ‘Eco-Adventure’, although weirdly, most activities haven’t changed … and neither has the snorkelling equipment!!! How jealous would my friends have been in the early 90’s to hear about my Eco-Adventure!!

20 years ago, visitors could cross the island on a dirt track through the centre, and the only restricted areas were the resort grounds, and crocodile farm (as if you needed to be told that!!). Now, a boardwalk follows the beach, leaving the centre free from human activity. Oddly, the ‘walk’ from one side to the other is now marketed as a ‘self-guided tour’!

20 years ago, Emerald doves wandered the forest floor – but now, after a successful rat eradication program, large numbers of Buff-banded Rail aggressively hunt and gather from the main food court – and appear to be the only ground-based fauna. Like house-guests from hell, they bathe (and defecate) in the pool, snatch food from unwitting tourists, and hog the best sunbathing spots. In a strange zoological reversal, tourists unable to fend them off are invited to eat in a wire mesh enclosure (aka ‘cage’) the birds can’t enter …  The attractively marked Buff-banded Rail normally shuns human contact, so getting a close look at one isn’t that easy. But now? I don’t care if I never see another one …

20 years ago you were left to your own devices upon arrival on the island – now, there are warnings for the aged. Apparently a high risk group, tourists aged 50+ (aka ‘old’) are encouraged to alert the lifeguard when entering the water in case the exertion is too much. Although the only danger I faced was from Pilchard himself when I offered to tell the lifeguard that he was about to go snorkelling.

Green Island’s Natural Attractions

But these are minor points in the context of the magnificent beauty of the natural attractions. Broad white beaches. Water so clear and blue you could spot a hat through it. Superb corals, giant clams and fish. Lush, green rainforest. Ample birdwatching opportunities. Turtle spotting. And the ultimate? Whale watching!!

Sitting on a shady beach after the trauma of keeping our reef fish wraps and chips** from the hovering anxiety of a brace of Buff-banded Rail, we watched a pod of whates frolicking for a good 30 minutes before they moved out of sight. Then, another pod was spotted from the return ferry. Happily not required for scientific testing that day, the whales were free to cavort for the Aussie, American, French and Japanese photographers lucky enough – and thrilled – to capture them on film.

A stunning end to a fabulous day, our return to Green Island had certainly picked up from its inauspicious beginning.

SO … will we return? Hell, yes! After all, we’ve got Pilchard’s hat to look for …

* Yobbo = Aussie term of endearment for people (usually blokes) who indulge in ‘exuberant’ behaviour, usually taking the format of alcohol-fuelled best mate bonding sessions involving various combinations of camping, fishing, barbecues, hunting and cruising.

** Chips = fries

The post Return to Green Island – via Cairns, Far North Queensland appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Well, the government was never going to do it – and it probably didn’t occur to anyone else. So when casting about for something other than its 100 year sugar milling history to put it on the map, Gordonvale, deep in the wet tropics of Queensland’s far north, didn’t have to fight too hard for the right to immortalize what is arguably Australia’s worst environmental disaster.

As one of the original 1935 Bufo Marinus (aka ‘Cane Toad’) release sites, Gordonvale’s sugar industry was under threat from pests including the cane beetle. So it was well placed to observe the effects of Cane Toad introduction and their subsequent, and somewhat successful takeover bid for Australian environmental supremacy.

While there’s no doubt the government ‘experts’ meant well, the simple hypothesis that sounded so viable on paper (ie Bufo Marinus = cane beetle predator, SO introduction to OZ = cane beetle eradication = healthy sugar industry) just didn’t work in reality.

Why not?

Well … place a toxic toad – with no local natural predators and so spoilt for dietary choices it almost completely ignores the cane beetle – into Australian conditions, near ideal for adaptation and invasion?

HHHMMMmmm… what could go wrong??

Then add in a significant reduction in native species that feed on toads and tadpoles.

Oh, and bufotenin, a chemical secreted by the toad? It’s a Class 1 drug – although toad licking as a form of ingestion may be a bit extreme …

From the original 1935 release of 102 Hawaiian toads, numbers in Australia are now thought to exceed 200 million! So apart from a weird line of novelty gift products, controversial use in informal sports, and a cult-status documentary about the cane toad invasion, what does a nation like OZ do with a predator like Bufo Marinus?

Give it its very own Cane Toad World, of course!

But suppress those visions of being photographed with a cane toad, the Big Cane Toad, cane toad rides and cane toads in song!

Cane Toad World currently consists of the cane toad story in mosaic mural and a cane toad themed playground.  Just a little bit anticlimactic … unless, of course, it’s still in development!

But on another level, the mosaic unashamedly exposes the ongoing problems caused by the Bufo Marinus invasion and is therefore a caustic comment on government ‘expertise’ and ‘accountability’, implementing untested environmental solutions and the ongoing effects of such decisions on ordinary people.

So its really just as well we’ve introduced effective risk analysis methodologies, implementation guidelines, effective monitoring mechanisms and accountability frameworks so we’re not destined to repeat past mistakes, isn’t it?

Or we might be left with another infamous Aussie icon like the Cane Toad …

Want MORE?

• Cane Toads: An Unnatural History (the movie!)
• Cane Toad World
• Gordonvale, Far North Queensland
• MORE RedzAustralia Weird Stuff

The post Only in OZ #16 – Cane Toad World, Gordonvale, Far North Queensland appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Hervey’s Range Heritage Tea Rooms

I never thought I’d be grateful for my unsophisticated palate until it saved me $50 and a mouthful of cat-poo …

That publicity favours Townsville’s Paluma Range National Park over the much closer Herveys Range may be due to the unfortunate council boundary line placing Herveys Range on the wrong side of the Townsville regional border.

Then again, although the occasions are rare, I HAVE been known to be wrong – so there may be another reason altogether, as despite the lack of information about it, visitors have no trouble making the ~30 minute drive up the range to the Herveys Range Heritage Tea Rooms, housed in Queensland’s oldest known building. 

Herveys Range from Mt Stuart, Townsville


Beautifully renovated, the building has passed through several incarnations since its 1865 construction – including Eureka Hotel, Cobb & Co stop, travellers accommodation – before its current status as Tea Room and gift shop with outlying wedding chapel and function centre.

And home to the worlds most expensive cup of coffee.

At $50 (AUD) a cup, Kopi Luwak gives one’s quest for ‘great coffee’ a whole new meaning. The subject of deliberation by Customs before its import was allowed, this Sumatran delicacy is not for the faintheated – either of wallet or palate.

Herveys Range Heritage Tea Rooms Entrance



The civet digestive process is thought to alter the proteins in the whole coffee beans harvested from the civet droppings on the jungle floor. This gives the Kopi Luwak its distinctive smooth, aromatic flavour – and in a nod to its humble origins, the Tea Room website whimsically refers to it as ‘Cat-Poo Coffee’!


Outdoor Wedding Chapel, Herveys Range



But the magnificent scones (7 flavours!), jam and cream for which the Tea Rooms are also justly famous, viewing artefacts unearthed by an archaeological dig that established the presence of a Chinese garden nearby and a walk around the grounds (taken at my peril) more than made our trip worthwhile – even if the resident ghosts didn’t make an appearance!

The post Random Adventure #2 – Herveys Range, Townsville, Queensland appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.