Day 59 – Sunday 26 July - Mission Beach
The day started overcast and light rain came and went.
The 'monster' Sunday market was on - 100 metres away. So we grabbed umbrellas and off we went. We did not need the umbrellas while under the rainforest canopy as the rain had not yet penetrated.
Our purchases included a loaf of sourdough, one Pomelo (the largest member of the citrus family), a punnet of blue-berries and 6 bratwursts for $20.
Above left: A cut Pomelo (looking like a big grapefruit)
Above right: Pomelo (left) and (for comparison) a Paw Paw and a Pink Lady Apple
Above right: Pomelo (left) and (for comparison) a Paw Paw and a Pink Lady Apple
We tried the Pomelo for lunch and it was excellent. Maybe like a grapefruit sweetened with honey.
At the time of writing these words we have twelve different types of fruit in and around our fruit bowl.
We decided on a beach walk - despite the wind - which was strong and chilly. The rain had stopped.
Two Sacred Kingfishers kept abreast of us for maybe 500 metres stopping every 50 metres for a photo opportunity.
We just happened to head home via an ice-cream shop, a mango ice-cream being the choice for both of us.
Above: Mission Beach at 1:24 pm
Day 60 – Monday 27 July - Mission Beach
After some heavy rain over night the weather cleared long enough for a pre-lunch beach walk.
The afternoon was a non-event except for the usual relaxation stuff.
Dinner was chicken, chorizo and pumpkin curry and rice. Yum.
The rain re-started seriously as we watched the Aussies 'go for gold' in Glasgow.
Day 61 – Tuesday 28 July - Mission Beach
The BOM indicated that we have had around 20 mm of rain overnight so it was a slow and cautious start. Not much was planned.
For virtually all morning it alternated raining then 'dripping off the trees'. We did a few jobs inside the caravan such as cleaning the A/C filters.
After lunch the weather changed. It now alternated 'dripping off the trees' then raining.
Knitting needles appeared. I decided on something different, and made a 'banana & date' cake. The rain got heavier.
Then the rain stopped, so we went for a walk. We ran into some husbands of line-dancers who were enjoying a beer at the pub. They were a happy mob.
We had a dinner of roast bacon-wrapped-chicken (from our raffle win last week). It included the usual baked
spuds, pumpkin, carrots and a new addition of baked banana. The chicken was superb but we will not bother with baked banana again.
Day 62 – Wednesday 29 July - Mission Beach
The rain had cleared enough for an early morning stroll. The cloud delayed our sunrise by 10 minutes to 6:53 am, but it was worth the walk and the wait.
We gradually got our act together and celebrated with two excellent walks. The pre-lunch 3.8 km walk was along the superb beach that is adjacent to the caravan. People again jumped out of an aeroplane and used wind to power a wind power cart.
The post-lunch walk was 3.2 km (return) to 'Lugger Bay' at the southern end of South Mission Beach.
Above: Mission Beach before lunch
Below: Lugger Bay after lunch
The spider would have been the size of the palm of my hand. The wasp was much smaller.
We watched the wasp drag the spider maybe two metres, including up a vertical rock face. It was an amazing experience.
We had BBQ steak and veggies for dinner. It had been our best weather day for some time.
Day 63 – Thursday 30 July - Tully Gorge
We left camp around 9:30 and stopped at the Tully Visitor Centre (that is to permanently close tomorrow) and received some valuable information on visiting Tully Gorge. Without that information our day would have been less successful.
Our first stop was Bridge No 15 which was not far beyond bridge No 14. We took a photo of the rapids and then watched the 'white water' rafting and kayaking people arrive - on an organised trip. [The world rafting championships were held in Tully Gorge in 2019].
Above: Our first photo of Tully River rapids
Below: One of the participants in the white-water escapade
Next stop was Bridge No 17 where we viewed more rapids.
We stopped at the Tully Gorge NP Day Use Area and walked the butterfly walk. No butterflies. 😔However we had another lovely rainforest walk and viewed more fan palms and some rapids.
Above: Tully River rapids at the Day Use area
Next stop was #9 Koolmoon Creek Falls. We missed it. 😔
Then #10 Cardsone Weir Lookout. More rapids.
#11 Ponytail falls and Champagne Falls were next. By now we had worked out that a huge "11" was painted on the road. Ponytail Falls were very impressive. Champagne Falls was more like rapids.
Above: Ponytail Falls
Unmarked. We found a walk down to the river that was not on our map. It was so steep it had a rope to keep you safe. Shirley said "no" at the top. I said "no" half way down.
#12 Rope Pulley. A mechanism they use to lower 'white-water' boats into the water. It looked a bit scary. We kept going.
#16 Kareena Hydro Power Station was the end of the road. We had a look and turned around.
Above: Kareena Hydro Power Station & a water wheel used within the power station
#9 Koolmoon Creek Falls (second time around). As we were coming in the other direction the "9" on the road was now a "6". The falls were also impressive.
Both Ponytail falls and Koolmoon Creek Falls were falls created by another waterway entering the Tully river - not falls in the Tully river itself.
Above: Koolmoon Falls
The road we travelled followed the Tully River for around 14 km - with rapids regularly along that route. In the flatlands below the hills we passed a huge area of bananas, not to mention the ever-present sugar cane.
At 9:20 pm Shirley and I went for a romantic walk on the beach. In reality it was to get a photo of the full moon over the water. It looked better in reality.
Above: Full moon rising over the Mission Beach waves
Day 64 – Friday 31 July - Mission Beach
For the first time this holiday the sunrise over the waves was on time - at 6:43 am. At the same time the full moon was setting over the palm trees behind me.
Above: Moon setting at 6:43 am
Below: Sun rising at 6:44 am
The first load of washing was on the line by 8 am. The second load was on the line by 9am (slow washing machine) and we were ready for the day.
We were soon on the beach for a 3 km walk as the wind got stronger.
Coffee and banana cake beckoned so back to camp we went. Another Blue Tiger butterfly sat on the bush near us.
Above: Blue Tiger butterfly
Lunch was a bratwurst sausage in a roll with banana chips.
The afternoon was mainly R&R - not much else.
Some of our winning chicken meat tray went into a stir fry for dinner. It was a joint effort.
Day 65 – Saturday 1 August - Mission Beach
The day started sunny but not for long. By 10 am the sun had been replaced by cloud. Exercises were completed. We did not see the sun again.
Not much happened all morning. At 12:15 we wandered down to the Mission Beach Tavern for a very pleasant lunch with good friends Max & Cheryl.
Red wine with lunch ensured that little was achieved for the afternoon apart from "ZZZZZZzzzzzzz.
The rain started at 7:20 pm.
Our stats after 65 days: 5357 km, 82 km/day, diesel $21 per day, accommodation $36 per day, time in car 1.7 hrs/day, Av fuel cost $2 per litre.
*** This chapter is complete - apart from a few minor edits ***
Last updated at 10:30 am on Saturday 1 August 2026
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Loved the pic of the cassowary! What a ripper & how lucky! Well done.
ReplyDeleteYes. We were definitely in the right place at the right time, and it was not in any hurry.
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