After leaving Ingham we searched for the sugar loading pier that we had heard about. Out to Halifax and Lucinda (just north of Ingham)
and there it was – 5.76 kilometres of it. Presently not operating as the sugar harvesting season has not yet started, delayed because of rain. Also recently repaired at a cost of 50 million after cyclone damage of a couple of years ago (Yazi I think 2009). Sort of next door is the fishing hamlet of Dungeness. Well its sort of a hamlet – there are units for sale in a new development so I suppose if they sell them people might actually live there and it can really qualify as a hamlet. At present it really is a boat launching ramp and a lot of boat trailers. It provides access to Hinchinbrook Island…
Back to the highway towards Cardwell, stopping at a new lookout showcasing Hinchinbrook..
an absolutely fabulous outlook. The coastline all through this region is spectacularly dotted with islands – Magnetic, Rattlesnake, Palm Island group, Hinchinbrook and Dunk just a few. Lush and tropical, a very dramatic contrast to the hinterland but also very different to the southern and south western Australian coast. Also noticeable is the change from dry heat to high humidity. Through most of the trip so far the temperature has hovered around 30 during the days but has often been around 10 – 12 overnight. Generally quite comfortable, but I suppose that’s why so many grey nomads head this way at this time of year.
Without any plan we found ourselves overnighting at Mission Beach. That extended to two nights so we could look around. Mission Beach is a well known popular tourist location, mostly populated by Victorians in vans. I guess the climate is the major factor because the beach is pretty ordinary. The surprise was that the beaches were littered with pumice stone, making walking barefoot in the sand a painful experience.
We later learnt that the pumice is from underwater volcanic activity off in the Pacific Ocean somewhere.
Strange sandballs, not very sandy beaches elsewhere, Dunk Island, stranger animals in the front yard, South Mission Beach, the reason for Mission Beach, more strange animals in the backyard (well at least a notice of what to expect) and then these strange growths which I don’t have the words to describe nicely. A beach you can’t walk on or swim in, animals cropping your garden (and there were mobs of wallabies in other gardens), lots of ordinary suburbia and bitey critters in the water where’s the attraction…
although there are some nice views and the caravan park was very good (although so far the most expensive).South Mission Beach was the nicer of the two beaches though, although there are not many times of the year that you can swim because of the jellyfish in the summer and the temperature in the winter. At least there’s always plenty of vinegar on hand to put on your fish and chips…..
(most of these signs also carry a bottle of vinegar to treat ‘stings’ and they are at every beach so far up the coast).
I have to leave my avid readers in suspenders for the night cos we’ve had “the ultimate outback experience” today and I’m tired. I might add that we’re nearly a week on from the above still with no plan.
4 Responses
I am disappointed to learn about the actual ‘sand’ etc on Mission Beach. I had expected it to be quite a ‘magical’ place, but you have dashed my image of it now, so now I have no desire to be lured there by all the hype we hear about down here.
However I am most impressed with the Sugar Loading Pier – great engineering, & not to mention the exercise you would get in getting to the end!
PS I should mention that it has been wet (read very), windy (read very), and cold (read very) over the last week down here! This is in sharp contract to the very mild – warm even – weather we had here in early June. Enjoy the warmth up there while you can!
Hi Jude and Barry, Must reiterate John’s comments re the lousy freezing weather down Victoria way. Consider yourselves lucky. We’re still trying to recover from just one of the storms we had in January where we had a huge gum tree crash through 2 carports and smash through the roof of a single caravan. It was a right-off! Oh well one less caravan to have to repair! and one less source of income.Plus further damage to another adjoining annexe, also lost an awning over our biggest van and annexe and a massive number of trees and branches down all over the place. But it is now July and the damned insurance company has barely done a bloody thing. Bloody hard whilst still suffering after the unsuccessful spinal surgery, and storms hitting on a regular basis.Rain won’t even stop long enough to mow the lawns or WEED!LOVE to you both. Enjoy the good weather! From Jen & Pete.
Northern Queensland really looks inviting with all the lovely photos, but as soon as I read the comments my desire to go there waned somewhat.
But enough about your trip and more about me! The cold weather is great as the ski season is going to be EPIC! Was really good to lay in bed all snug and warm and listen to the rain. Going to Hotham to ski with some friends and in a rush to get fit, lots of squats. The knee hurts from last year still, but who cares! Might have to have arthroscopy done on it, but mindful of spontaneous breaks now… how’s yours holding up Pa?
Regards,
g@z.