Old Mate Todd come to visit from Brisbane

Todd and me.

selfie at Josephine Falls

Todd my Mate coming to stay.
-late notice I got a message from Todd, my old mate I lived with in Brisbane, he said when is your week off I'm coming to visit, I said its just started and he was on the very next flight.  Picked him up the next day, we went straight from the airport to Stony Creek Falls,  great little known local spot for a tropical north Queensland introduction, via the bottle-o lol.

Got him to help with my food preparations to take back to work so we would have time to get out.

Went into the city, checking out a few backpacker bars, Gilligan's was the best, has a hostel attached and its right above Rusty's Farmers Market, another one called - ":Wool shed" where they actually have a special load rated dancing table, the old wool table, with hand rails on the roof. Was packed like sheep in a wool shed too.

After we recovered from that we checked out a few nice swimming spots with some nice views too.  

Babinda Boulders, and Josephine Falls with its natural water slide, during a warm tropical downpour
Didn't get a chance to go fishing but we both got a good break and Todd got a good introduction to the tropical weather and scenery of North Queensland.

I was thinking, need a new sunvisor, must have thought harder than I intended because one materialised on the side of the road, brand new, sunset and palm trees.

Babinda Boulders

perfect swimming weather

emerald glowing water at Babinda Boulders

top waterfall at Josephine Falls

middle waterfall at Josephine Falls

bottom, lol, waterfall at Josephine Falls , has the best views and a  built in water slide

checking out the view befoer I dive in

Flight back to work was delayed four hours, 1.5hr flight into the sunset, these little planes fly very low, amongst the glowing clouds, I've got hundreds of these photos, was hard to pick one.

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Camping trip around Cairns.

Cairns exploring-fishing trip with no fish.

Deserted Camp spot-right on the beach.

Another week off, campimg ,exploring around Cairns-
North towards Port Douglas, off the main road, past an abandoned house, through 10foot guinea grass found a swamp under neath it, found the track I could see on satellite image, i new it was there somewhere.
 I  followed the track that no one had used for years, awesome isolated secluded camping spot, set up camp, and took kayak out for a fish while James built a fire.
No fish, paddled out along way before the water got over waist deep, then a nice reef started, that just got me snagged in the seaweed, paddled ages past the reef and it still didn't drop off, was only about 3m deep and crystal clear, nice kayaking trip but no fish, paddled back in the pouring rain.
Had a nice fire that night, the next day James went walking way out with the hand spear to confirm there was no water out there, and no fish. oh well, nice spot to camp and chill out before I had to go back to work.

good trade, axe swap, weight reduction.

stoped for lunch and a swim at ross& locke park, mulgrave river, and the tide came up around me, that will be the tropical down pour I just drove through.

Burnt my faithful pan, so found another at op-shop.

there was no track through the swamp so made my own track-lucky didnt to stuck

made it across swamp to an Old track I spotted on satellite maps.

assessing the area for a good spot, right here I think, in case tide comes up.

deserted camp spot, tents up, chairs out -awesome.

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Video: Bowen to Cooktown

4WD Trip around Queensland Australia: Bowen to Cooktown (beginning of the trip). Vid 1

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Christmas break month 2. West to east Perth to Cairns, now What, fishing

Perth to Cairns

chillin out waiting for my dinner to cook. Elis Beach just north of Cairns.

Cairns-5am land,  was a nice cool morning and I had no where to be so had a nice walk to car 6kms.
Markets,  butcher,  Woolworth's? Naah.

nice new graphite abu-gracie fishing rod,and a roll of 40lb dental floss.

Went to BCF with my Xmas gift cards,  got a nice new graphite abu-gracie fishing rod,  fishing off Elis Beach the first un-inhabited beach north of Cairns, took the kayak out and paddled across to Double Island, got a nice 5kg trevy-mack fish (aka bludger) & 2.5kg coral trout too much fish?  Can't be, just eat more fish, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fish and coconuts, I love north Queensland.

every body is up early walking their dogs along the beach and I've just beached my canoe with 7.5kg of fresh fish.

Raw fish 2 different ways, ate my fill as I was filleting the big Travelly -mackerel, rich dark meat,  sea-mutton I call it.
Fish head soup for dinner, a lot of meat and goodness in those bones. I'll have enough fish for weeks,  suppose I could share. Hmm. No one else here. Oh well more for me. Mmm fish.
Dropped into the shops to get some butter to go with fish and saw $60pkg coral trout at fish markets. And he sure tasted like a $60 fish,  pure white,  soft juicy meat. Yum. Spit out the bones.

Good fishing day

Up to see work mates pad at Koah,  says I can camp there just chip in for power. That's all I want anyway washing machine is easier than the creek and a bucket. 

Checked out some places near by the Clohesy River camp and track, while exploring found a little side track down to a nice deep bend in the river against a rock cliff, i call it Platypus Camp.  while i was relaxing by the water a platypus swam up and around going about his business, so nice to see him, must be is the right spot to relax.

exploring Davies Creek, swim, climb, no tracks required.

Just down the road is Davies Creek Falls and track, there is a lot of nice camping spots and walking tracks, found a nice camp next to the crystal clear river.
Didn't get far the next day, still on Davies Creek, drop off the main road next to Snow Bakers Bridge, its a bit steep to drop off  the road down to the creek, then drive down the middle of the creek until you find a suitable space to pitch a tent, better light a fire rain has stopped for more than a day since I got back in December so found some dry wood.
Friends keep asking are you camping in the rain, yeah why. don't you get wet,  no not really. Unless I go swimming. its kinda funny they must imagine me laying in a pool of water in a rain soaked tent, couldn't be further from the truth, I am a seasoned bushman and its  fairly easy to stay dry.

view from the fishing shack at Trinity Beach north head, looking out to Double Island.

I found a nice camp on the northern beaches of Cairns, Trinity Beach north head, top notch area for free, stroll down the beach for a swim and a shower every morning and occasionally a coffee.
Visited Palm Cove beach too ,very nice view

scoping out some fishing spots. Palm Cove jetty, looking over to Double Island, that's where i'll go.

 looking across to Palm Cove.

Catch up with old friends from when first getting to Cairns- Teagan, where I used to park my truck for work and on a separate day, Daniel where I used to camp, good to catch up.

5am, early morning walk from airport to my truck, nice and cool.


Uhhohh didn't get far away from work again, got Call in. Hopefully only 2days. Can you tell I really don't want to work. Rather be at the beach or river living off fish and coconuts

And now back to work at the new Weipa mine site. 3weeks straight after 2months off is going to be tough. Wouldn't be so bad if they were paying proper mine rates,  but it's good being a nomad,  no rent,  no electricity bill, power comes for free from the sun,  no need to pay for it, so can save more

still walking.

just a little road side stop, the road carry's on like this quite a few km.

quick snap before I head out to Double Island in the distance.

dodgy proof foto

made it to Double Island, time for lunch, fresh raw fish, yum. looking back to Palm Cove on the mainland.

nice coral trout, one of the tastiest fish in the ocean.

coral trout.

brag mat for  proof measurement, I wasn't Bludging.
 {bludger/turrum travelly/mackrel Fish}

Fish for Breakfast, lunch and tea.

and more, that's a 9inch fillet knife for comparison.

All vacuum packed to keep fresh in the fridge/freezer.

best looking Fish head soup I've ever seen.

found an antique fishing reel at low tide.

fallen tree from all the rain on Chlosey River track.

Platypus camp, was hard to get a good photo but its an awesome spot with nice little tent clearings.

I think I'm a leaf, I think I'm a leaf, hope he thinks I'm a leaf, uhoh he spotted me.

Davies creek falls

managed to get the whole falls in photo, but the perspective is a bit off.

my own infinity pool.

Relaxing by the river

view from the campsite at Davies Creek, right on the river.

a parasitic native mistletoe plant embedded into a paperbark branch.

another fallen tree on Davies Creek track, looks like ill have to walk from here.

Camp site, snow backers bridge, Davies Creek.

nice campsite, just had lunch here, hills were too steep and washed out to get up to it.

fishing shack, made of coconut palms and re purposed material.

seaside camping spot, Trinity Beach north head, start of Kewara Beach, looking across to the first shard of light hitting Palm Cove, love early mornings.

my living room has a particularly nice view today.

got a new wheelie backpack to lighten my load to and from work, and a powerful kiwi made stove, can cook two stews at once without collecting any firewood.

collected some herbs for my cooking and jerky, I swear they are just rosemary, thyme and marjoram.

freshly made, 1 month supply of caveman snacks. dried meat, jerky/biltong.

my drinking water ran out with all my work prep cooking so filled it up at the creek, very nice water.

vegetable juice,  extra nutrition for at work and don't have to chew through kilos of  carrot, kale, beetroot.

I call them cow splats, dried mince-jerky

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