The Wild Geese

Northern Ride Report
Day one (Friday 23/6) started with a coffee at Coolum and then an escort up to the highway. I headed up to Gympie and then on to Kilkivan, Gayndah and then a shopping stop at Monto. Opposite Woolworths was a great little coffee shop with a wall devoted to the writings of multitudes of clients. The caramel pecan pie was very tempting but a little expensive, but with a little bit of sweet talk the price was halved and the pie proved heavenly. I pressed on to Cania Gorge where i paid $22 for an unpowered site at the Big (rip-off)4. A very nice camping ground, but next time I will stay at the caravan park 10 klm back that not only looked quite inviting, but apparently would have charged about $12-$14. I felt no guilt in taking an extra long hot shower. I cooked up my t-bone, tomato, onion and broccoli, pretty much my staple on the trip, in the camp kitchen, and shared my meal with a surgeon from Rockhampton who was camping with his two boys (8 @ 10) in a small hiking tent. I then settled down with three couples of retirees who were travelling together with caravans. They had a large fire blazing and I had a wonderful night of banter over a few beers.

Day two took me up the Burnett Highway and along the Capricorn Highway through Emerald and to a welcome rest at Alpha. A pleasant little caravan park was located next to the highway, but had only basic facilities, and no camp kitchen. After a visit to the local pub. I found the best spot in town for a quiet ale was at the golf club.

Day three saw me off to Longreach. Don't get to Longreach after midday on a Sunday if you want to stock up on provisions. I bought some more beer at the local grog shop and found out that they had a really cheap steak, sausages and salad night on Sundays. There were two caravan parks, one that was a tiny, dusty, grassless backlot in an industrial looking location with vans stacked on top of each other, and the other requiring a payment of $28. I went to the Stockman's Hall of Fame and bought a ticket, at student price of course, and spent an engrossing afternoon at this fantastic exhibition. I then drove just out of town and found the free camping area down by the river, which had a toilet block and fire wood provided by the council. Here I spent a delightful evening with a wonderful crowd of van people.

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Day four saw me back at the hall of fame for a few hours, and then off to Winton. Australia's best butcher cryopacked several choice T-bones, $9.99/kg, and then to Waltzing Matilda's for another few hours. Then it was on to Hughenden, a bit late in the day, and going on dusk after a very quick passage. This was a great little caravan park. There was no camp kitchen, but there was an open fire BBQ, and enough timber for an enjoyable cook-up and a few beers with the local gypsies before heading off the next morning for Porcupine Gorge. The Kennedy Development Road now turned into a mixture of gravel and single lane sealed. My slicks, combined with top heavy overload were a little treacherous, especially on the freshly watered black mud surrounding new road works. But Porcupine Gorge was stunning, and the camping area was only $4.50 a night.

I spent an enjoyable 5 hours hiking through the canyon, and then relaxed, with a few beers, with a group of about twenty members of a family who were staging a reunion in the area that was once a station owned by their Grandfather.

imgs-r:Wg6 As it suddenly turned cold and windy I headed off on day six to see the Lava tubes at Undara. Arriving in the evening I booked a day tour for the following day, established camp, and headed off for a three hour hike. In the twilight I had an interesting encounter with a large black sow and 6 or 8 little suckers. Luckily mum, who was only about ten metres away, decided to keep on going, and my rapid visual search for a non-existant climbable tree meant that I missed the opportunity to shoot the critter with the only device I had, my camera. Back at camp I spent a great evening with the couple in the adjacent site, Tom and Margaret, and Margaret's sister and mother who they had bumped into at the camping ground, unaware the they were all going to be there. Next day was fabulous with a full day tour of the Lava Tubes with a brilliant guide. The camping ground was first rate and I had an excellent meal and bottle of wine in the restaurant, seated in an old railway carriage. I then proceeded to the Camp campfire to be entertained by one of the rangers telling some great yarns, while I enjoyed a little more of the red nectar.

The day eight ride into Cairns was unbelievable. I came down the Gilies Highway from Atherton, down a very steep winding road of about 150 turns with the most surreal views through the mist and sun of the winding green valleys below. Quite a contrast to the long straight roads through the cattle country coming in from the lava tubes at Undara. My first priority in Cairns was to replace the slicks with the new tyres that Rob had kindly organised. I stayed with my cousin's son for a few nights and did day trips. S did a day trip out to Cape Tribulation today. What a blast, and then had a crocodile cruise on the way back.

Lone Goose does it again. Reading this makes one want to take off too! (as is Steve) Maybe soon I get to do more than just organise some tyres>:( Rob

Category Rides ~ Category Camping ~ Category Long Distance