Have people lost their sense of ADVENTURE

Have people lost their sense of adventure ?… 

well its been on my mind now for a few weeks. More and more I see online people asking where to go, can they do a certain trip in a stupid time frame and so much more. You know years ago it was all about getting out there and exploring. We either went down to the local 4wd shop and bought a map or two, used google maps and google earth and then went exploring. If it meant getting lost or going down a track-road that went no where, well so be it , it was all about the adventure. We never made stupid time limits ( like - trying to go from Sydney to Perth and back again in 14 days ), we made and had realist expectations. If you have holiday time limits, is it really worth all that push and shove to bust your guts ?…. 

 

Why do 10,000km in three weeks to look at something on the other side of the country when you come back absolutely trashed and then buggered for the next week, why not explore your own back yard. Except if you live in the city where you might get stabbed !!!…  have some bloody expectations people. We just did a 9 month stint in QLD, exploring midwest to the coast and I can tell you we def didn’t see it all, just now here on the south coast of NSW its taken 3 weeks to go 100 km !!. It's all about exploring. I know I know- we are all different, I could ask online where is somewhere to camp or what ever and get offered a shit hole of a place, but its your favourite and that’s fine. I could send you to Hell Hole Gorge in QLD and if you're not prepared it may turn to shit. 

With the amount of apps, detailed books and maps out there and even great blogs, it still makes me laugh at the stupid questions people ask. So why aren’t people getting out there to explore ?… is it they are too lazy, is it a security thing, or have we just lost our sense of adventure ?… I think it is all of the above. 

I would guarantee that if we all drew a 100 > 200 km circle around our home I bet most of us would not of discovered our own back yard. Yes I know that there are bigger and better things across the horizons but make realist plans. Know your limits. I personally have spent nearly 30 years exploring the Coffs Coast and can honestly say that I haven’t explored it all but I have given it a fair shakeup. When people ask me for advise ill help them a bit finding stuff ( remember this was before GPS ) and we only had paper tops maps, but I won’t say exactly where things are as you need to have a bit of adventure within you and if you don’t like it - tough shit. 

So why not grab a map and haver a look around closer to home what you’ve passing by time after time, you might be pleasantly surprised, if you see another track shoot down there and have a look, maybe a walking track, what about that NP or SF that you always see. It won’t hurt to have a look. 

Map reading is a dyeing art, teach your kids about it before all the paper maps are gone - its fun, its fun to get lost too. I know places like FB are great to get info but make it your own adventure and make some personal memories as I reckon people are too reliant on others expectations. Stop being so fridge lazy. Even with the horrific fires, road closures and now the floods, how many time do people ask about this and that week after week after week - do not people know or bloody see so many posts, articles, newspaper reports and on TV to down load the appropriate apps to actually follow what’s going on !!.. That’s our society these days I suppose. 

So people pull your friggen finger out, spend some $$ on a good road atlas, do your own homework and get back out there - you’ll probably be amazed just how smart you really are.

THE NEW WOOPI LOOP

I think we just found the new Woopi loop in the plethora of offroad trails in the hills behind Woolgoolga. Thanks to the host of great people who make this happen

ROCKY CREEK GLACIER....NSW

Ever travelled the road between Bingera and Narrabri over Killarney pass in NSW ?

Did you know there is a geological area that was ‘formed’ some 300 million years ago. Reports say that 1 or maybe 2 glaciers clashed here from nearby Mount Kaputer volcanic activity. There’s only a few small campsites here but if your into rocks it might interest you. There’s no ice or Polar bears but you can see the straight line cut boulders that have been sheared by ice movement. The conglomerate rocks that have been formed around here are from a few different rock types being eroded over time. Upstream from the camp is the real glacier area where more banding can be seen. Plenty of rock pools for those hot summer swims. 

Best part - free camping, pit toots and can have a fire. Although there is limited camping sites, it's all pretty flat with hard ground above the river, so at night you fall asleep listening to the water. One of those spots you can pop into on the way past and say - been there done that. There is a viewing point from the camping area looking down so there’s no need no rock hop all the way down to the waters edge. 

MOSSMAN...qld

Tourism in far north Queensland is alive and well in the bigger centres, but what about the smaller working towns nearby ?. Recently we discovered that Mossman is one such town that offers an array of activities, yet has a peaceful and played back lifestyle. Located just 15 mins north of Port Douglas, Mossman is a working mans town where sugar cane is the main industry. The cane farms run from the roads all the way towards the ocean and all the way to the base of the mountains to the west and often you’ll see the cane trains operating day and night carting cane to the local mill. If your lucky too you’ll see the trains pass right through the heart of town on their own little narrow gauge line, and they have right of way when the cane season is operating. 

Mossman dates back to the late 1870’s when explorer George Dalrymple discovered the area and within a few years a settlement had grown. Loggers found that red Cedar trees were growing in the hinterland and by 1874 several areas had already been logged extensively. It wasn’t long before the first super cane farms were planted and the town had its first mill before 1900. Over the next few years the town flourished with dozens of cane growers, a multiple of churches, schools and much more. The town has had its share of bad luck with cyclone destructions and even in WW11 a Japanese bomber dropped a bomb on the town.

These days Mossman is a flourishing town that has a world heritage listed rainforest right on its doorstep just 4km to the west. The world renown Daintree River Nation Park attracts thousands of visitors to its doors every year. The Mossman Gorge eco tourism centre is a mega for tourist so expect it to be busy but that’s what you get with world class rainforest that is some of the oldest continuously growing left on our planet. To explore the gorge you need to pay a small fee and a shuttle bus will transport you to the heart of the walking trails for your adventure. There are several trails that take you deep into the wild forest along designated tracks, others allow you to swim in the crystal clear water and then there’s the Indigenous walk and talk tour with some Kuku Yalanji locals. Experts say that there are nearly 30,000 species of plants and animals living in this amazing forest and they hope to preserve this bio-diverse system for years to come. 

It’s easy to forget that your in crocodile country up here when you see beautiful palm tree lined beaches, stunning coves along the coast and the ruggered terrain of the mountains that reach down to the ocean. But Mossman has some of the best croc river boat cruises that you will find in Nth Qld. Ten minutes further north at Daintree village are where the boat tours depart for a fantastic ride up and down the river spotting these mammoth prehistoric monsters. The tour guides are all switched on with local knowledge on where the crocs hide, tree life, local history and any other questions you have. On our tour we spotted 5 crocs, 1 Alpha male and 4 females, the tour guide said the crocs are in the river all year round. 

Around Mossman itself there are stunning beaches and coves where the beaches are covered in the purest of white sand, little villages with boutique coffee shops that overlook the flat ocean that Nth Qld is known for. Heritage buildings line the busy street that include Banks that resemble temples built back in the 1920’s, an array of churches that are heritage listed - some having a Spanish influence others a more traditional build. Of course every hard working town needs an iconic drinking hole and Mossman is not exception with the Exchange hotel sitting proudly in the heart of town. The original hotel was built in 1896 but destroyed in the 1934 cyclone it was soon  rebuilt the following year, grander then ever. With huge verandahs, elegant stairways, a ballroom, accommodation rooms with art deco styling it is now fully restored. 

Mossman hasn’t got the hustle and bustle of nearby Port Douglas where the rich and famous seem to gather but its got all the top notch facilities you’ll ever need. We found that there were plenty of beaches around Mossman that weren’t jammed with tourist such as Newell, Wonga and Cooya Beaches with long stretches of sand with stunning views of mountains up and down the coast. A quirky little fact is that the highway between Cairns and Mossman, named the Captain Cook Highway is the shortest highway in Australia with a length of just 75km where it winds its way along the Coral Sea there are many unpopulated beaches. Where else can such a special place claim World Heritage Mountains meet the Great Barrier Reef for everybody to enjoy.  

CUNNAMULLA......QLD

Cunnamulla is a good 800 km drive west of Brisbane and could be called the gateway to the real outback with several major highways intersecting the town. Back in 1846 Sir Thomas Mitchell explored the floodplains of the Warrego River, but being so far away from the goldfields and other favourable areas, growth was slow. But by 1860 there was an influx of settlers and graziers a courthouse was built and the Cobb & Co coach came to town. Soon Cunnamulla the was becoming the hub for several intersecting stock routes the population grew and with that the railway came to town, shops opened including a soap maker and a cordial factory, a school was built and new areas were being discovered.

Over time Cunnamulla has seen fortunes in wool and grazing with several large pastoral stations, now it’s a sleepy town but holds some hidden secrets within the area. Cunnamulla has had a chequered past and a daunting reminder still stands today. In 1880 Joseph Wells attempted to rob the local bank, but it all went wrong and he was wounded in a struggle. He fled the bank and hid up a tree where the local dogs soon found him. Wells was eventually found guilty and was sentenced to death. Known as the Robbers tree it now has a heritage listing and is less than 1km from town.

Basing yourself at Cunnamulla there are a few options to explore the town and the outer reaches of the shire. A great source of history and local knowledge can be found right in the heart of town beside Centenary Park at the tourist information centre. Here you can pick up maps and wander the displays that include the Paroo pioneer pathway, the Artesian Time Tunnel and visit the Cunnamulla Fella out front. This double life size statue was commissioned after Slim Dusty released a song by the same name and is the centre piece to the yearly festival. 

A history trail has been set up around town where you can spend a few hours driving around town and taking several walkways to points of interest. The heritage trail lets you discover the towns heritage buildings, the river walk has a superb sunset viewing platform above the river, checkout the magnificent old railway covered platform and for the kids don't forget to visit the sand dunes just out of town for a little fun in the sand.

5 km south of town is the Allan Tannock weir, a perfect place to sit by the water and watch the birds come and go on the water or if you bought your tinnie there is a boat ramp. Gas bbqs and picnic tables complete are here for all to use. Further afield take a drive 64km west to Eulo ( pronounced U low ). It’s only a small town but during the month of September believe it or not, they hold Lizard racing on a specially designed Lizard Racing track !!. 

Eulo is also known for having an Artesian mud springs, date farms and is home to ‘Kenny'. Discovered in 2011, Kenny is a Diprotodon, which is very similar to our current Wombat. The only difference is that Kenny is some 7 foot high, 15 foot long and weighs around 500kg. Roaming the earth up until 46 000 years ago, Kenny is regarded as one of the best preserved prehistoric skeletons every found. A short drive out of Eulo is the Paroo River. This is a great area for a picnic or camp with plenty of room for even the biggest of trailers. A must do here is the walking trail around the wetland that highlights significant areas on the river bank. 

If Opal fossicking is more your thing, just north of Eulo at Yowah there are several Opal fields where you can take a tour and try your luck scratching around and because there is no such thing as town water out here, the locals suck a bore nearly 1km deep to tap into the hot artesian water. One of the quirky highlights out here in this remote community is that you can soak in the water for hours at a time either in the community pool or some bath tubs just near the shop. For those wanting to experience life on a true working outback station there are several in the area where accommodation is available from camping to bunking down in shearers quarters. They also offer bush cooking, sheep shearing and day to day station life. Cunnamulla is a pretty town with majestic streets, historical buildings and proud residents. Stop and spend a little time here- you wont be disappointed.

CRANKY ROCK..... Wirialda. NSW

I’ve heard of Cranky Rock for a few years and always whizzed by it on the way west BUT this time we needed to stop in to look !!……. 

Cranky Rock is a few miles east of Warialda in northern NSW and then another 5 minute drive off the highway. There are two options when you pull up, either use the day area for the short walk to the rock, lookout and swimming hole - or like us we camped at here at the Council caravan park. It’s only small BUT the host’s are awesome, they crank the fire up every arvo at 430 and great facilities. You’ll have peacocks, chooks and other night wild life wandering around camp. 

Just minutes away is the walking track and the suspension bridge across in to the Cranky Rock area. Massive Granite boulders overshadow you as you wander along the pathway towards the lookout that gives you 360 views around the area AND down below into the deep and cool water holes. 

Legend ( or story ) has it that a cranky Chinese fella was blamed for the murder of a nearby white woman and took shelter here around the rocks, he subsequently took his own life - ‘apparently !!’ ….. No one really knows what happened back in 1875 but the name has stuck. 

Great spot for a night or two to enjoy the peace and quiet, go for a walk or fossick in the creeks or for a bit of bird watching. It said that the granite is around 240 million years old and has been slowly weathering away

CURRAWINYA NP...QLD with CTA

Heard of Currawinya NP in far western QLD ?...
In this months edition of Camper Trailer Australia magizine you can read all about the amazing features that this place holds. Ruins, waterholes, big sheds, remote camping, the twin lakes and it's home to the all Aussie marsupial- The Macrotis. Thanks to CTA for following my outback adventures, On sale now and at only $8.95 this months mag is a whopper.....
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THE GORGE STATION...nthrn nsw

Want a quick isolated camping getaway ?

The Gorge Station is located 75km north west from Grafton, northern NSW. This working cattle station lies on the banks of the upper reaches of the Clarence River with 10kms of river frontage. Hidden in various mountain range shadows, surrounded by National Parks and several State forests it is a hidden getaway that is unspoilt, yet is ever changing from yearly floods that demands respect from the huge catchment area above. This isolated camping destination provides home to a host of flora and fauna within its boundaries. This region has a large and secluded wilderness area with a rugged and scenic river system that provides a habitat for an extensive bird and animal population. It has limited facilities so you need to be well-equipped.

CAMPING & THINGS TO DO
With nearly 10kms of river frontage there are a host of camping spots, from secluded areas to large sections where small groups can hold up, there is also the option to hire ‘’The Cabin”, for those who desire a few small luxury’s. The campsites have either river access or river views, yet are set in a way where they are well enough away from your camping neighbours for privacy. There are several portable toilets at several camping locations, hot showers and flushing toilets are located at the Gorge Homestead. The owner provides a great service supplying a general waste bin at most camping locations as well as a ‘bucket’, where food scraps are placed for his pet pig- Freezer !!. A new addition to camping locations are the new and improved portable fire drums, as well as a daily supply of fire wood. The kids will love this place as there are plenty of opportunities to explore this unspoilt environment from camping, fishing, 4wding and bushwalking, photography and just getting back to nature. They can catch turtles, skim rocks across the river and the Gorge is dog friendly.

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