Chris n Shirley's 2026 Queensland Trip: Chapter 8 - FNQ (Kurrimine Beach)

FNQ - Far North Queensland

Day 45 – Sunday 12 July - Murray Falls to Kurrimine Beach - 82 km

It was overcast with light drizzling rain as we packed up after three nights at Murray Falls. We were on the road by 8.30 am. We slowed down at the two farm-gate stalls in case they had something new - from yesterday. We were out of luck so we headed for Tully. By now the clouds had been replaced by bright sunshine.

We were in Tully (pop. 2368) by 9.30 am where we refreshed our bread supply and bought a coffee. We also bought gas as numerous unpowered nights had seen the fridge use a full bottle of gas over the last month.

It was a short drive to Kurrimine Beach (pop. 742) - a place that we have not visited before. We stopped at a Sunday market and only bought two raffle tickets in a meat tray.

We checked into King Reef Resort and had camp established by 11.30 am.

Before lunch we had a quick walk on Kurrimine beach - our first ever. It was about 26 degrees and humid.

Above: Kurrimine beach looking south

The afternoon was relaxing. We have a neighbour with a pet Rainbow Lorikeet who walks around with the bird on his shoulder. An Australasian Yellow Figbird rested in a tree near us, but it was in shadow and a good photo did not occur. 😒

We are camped in a caravan park that is a part of a 'resort' with a bar, a bistro and a cafe until 11am each morning. They are all in our plans for the next week.

Dinner was some left-overs. The TV was turned on for the first time since leaving home - day 45. We could not get the ABC so it was not on for long.

Day 46 – Monday 13 July - Kurrimine Beach

I was on the beach for my first sunrise photo in FNQ for this trip by 6:40 am. My phone advised that it was around 18 degrees.

Above: Kurrimine Beach at 6:51 am

Shirley was in the shower washing her hair soon after 7.30 am. Wow.

After our mid-morning coffee we walked along nearby 'Paddy Illick' rainforest track, then headed south along the beach - 3.5 km in total. A Brahminy Kite cruised over us as we walked along the beach.

Not long after good friends Phil & Sue arrived and camped on the site beside us.

Lots of chatting & planning ensued over the next few hours. Around 4:30 we wandered over to the Bar and joined in Happy Hour.

We dined separately and then joined up again for a post-dinner chat.

Day 47 – Tuesday 14 July - Kurrimine Beach

I was on the beach around 6:35 am and Phil joined me five minutes later. Our walk to the boat ramp and back was about 2.5 km.

Above: Kurrimine Beach at 6:58 am

I showered then updated this blog. Shirley slept on.

In due course Shirley was up and early morning commitments were behind us. We decided on a beach-side-path walk called "King Reef Walking Track". Unfortunately after one km the path was roped off - maybe because of nesting turtles.

On the positive side I scored a photo of a Sacred Kingfisher, who was happy to pose for me. However I clocked up 5.5 km of walks for the morning.

Above: Sacred Kingfisher

A lot of chatting with Sue & Phil completed the morning.

Just before 2pm we headed north up the beach to the boat ramp.

Call us crazy if you like.

We walked one km up the beach towards the recently seen crocodile. Then we walked TWO km out to sea to a reef mainly in knee deep water. "King Reef". It was low tide - the only time to do this walk. We walked around the reef for 20-30 minutes. Then we walked two km back to shore. Then one km home. On top of 5 km this morning. Our legs were very weary.

Above: A view south across some of 'Kings Reef'

Below & Bottom: Some of the flora and fauna that we saw

Happy hour was enjoyed with Phil & Sue. We had BBQ sausages for dinner then went next door to Sue and Phil's for a game of cards - that Shirley and I had never played. We had lots of laughs.

Day 48 – Wednesday 15 July - Kurrimine Beach

Contrary to popular opinion - thanks to the 'big' day yesterday - I made it to the beach for a sunrise photo. It was very similar to the last two days. However I did not start the day with a two km walk. I did not see Phil.

The car had not moved for nearly three days so around 10 am we headed off to Cowley Beach. The short route was a terrible road but we scored some bird photos and a roadside stall where we bought a watermelon.

Above left: Peaceful Dove

Above right: White-breasted Woodswallow

We chatted to the manager of the Cowley Beach Caravan Beach - a lovely lady - and had a walk around the park. Turtles nest nearby in season. It is a great spot to spend a few days.

We returned via the higher-quality main/longer route and scored some bananas (4 for $1). We detoured to see Silkwood and realised that we had been there some time ago.

However this time we found the local butcher/mixed business shop who sold us meat, sourdough bread and a superb sausage roll. The boss was raised in Melbourne and his story was: "Only three good things come out of Melbourne - VB, Carlton Footy Club and the Hume Highway". We had a laugh with him.

Later I looked at their website and got a smile out of the following image on their website >>

We also had a smile at two quirky buildings in Silkwood - the NAB and 'Silkwood Castle'.

Above left: The NAB building

Above right: Silkwood Castle

Below: Some of the fruit that we have purchased recently from road-side stalls (we have eaten the pineapple)

Above: Lime, Lemon, Tangelo, Mandarin, Paw Paw, Papaya, Passionfruit, Watermelon, Bananas

After a light lunch I converted three of the bananas into a loaf of 'Banana Bread'.

Around 3 pm Phil and I went to the 'Murdering Point' winery. They make their wines from tropical fruit - not grapes. They use lychee, mango, passionfruit, davidson plum, jaboticaba, pineapple, mulberry, black sapote, vanilla, coffee, banana and mint.

We tried a number of their wines and came away with a couple of bottles. We had to stop on the way out of the winery as a sugar cane train was crossing the drive-way.

Above: Sugar cane train at Murdering Point winery

[The name 'Murdering Point' came from an incident following a shipwreck near Innisfail in 1878. It is believed that the local Indigenous people cannibalised the remains of the two shipwreck survivors.]

The four of us headed to the resort bistro for dinner. Sue and Shirley had fish n chips and Phil and I had seafood pasta. Afterwards Sue produced another card game - numbers last night, letters tonight. Again - lots of laughs.

Above: Our bistro meals

Day 49 – Thursday 16 July - Kurrimine Beach

The last day of our seventh week started very windy but it soon dropped to a pleasant breeze with a temperature of 22 by 10 am.

Phil & Sue departed south around 8:30 and we did overdue chores - exercises, load of washing, dirt removal from caravan and car, car vacuum, etc.

The day was a "go slow" day once we had finished our chores. Around 3:30 I decided that some activity was needed and a walk was scheduled. It was a profitable walk as the following shows..........

Above: Australasian Figbird

Below: Helmeted Friarbird

Above: Spangled Drongo

Below: Pallid Cuckoo

Above: A scene from near our caravan

Below: A local Papaya that we had for dessert

For dinner we had the steak from the Silkwood butcher, bought yesterday. Probably the best steak we have eaten in a long time. It was excellent (maybe all in the cooking?). The steak was accompanied by the wine from Murdering Point winery. For dessert we had a local Papaya. For 'afters' we had Mission Beach 'rum n raisin' chocolate.

Day 50 – Friday 17 July - Touring

My phone indicated a sunrise into a clear sky. Reality was somewhat different so I turned an early morning into a 3.5 km beach stroll. I was rewarded with two birds worth a mention - a white faced heron and a pelican that was struggling against the wind - both before sunrise.

Above: White Faced Heron

Below: Pelican virtually hovering over me - pre sunrise

The following photo shows the cloud bank that thwarted my sunrise photo.

Around 9 am we headed north to Innisfail, detouring on our way to the Port of Mourilyan and Etty Bay.

Before we left, and enroute I scored a couple of bird photos.

Above: Rainbow Bee-eater

below: Black-necked Stork (or Jabiru)

The Port of Mourilyan is a naturally-sheltered port comprising a single jetty handling exports of sugar, molasses, wood-chips and livestock. It is situated at the mouth of the Moresby River and is approximately 20 km south-east of Innisfail. The port was established primarily for the export of raw sugar and molasses from the surrounding sugar mills and is serviced by a bulk sugar terminal which loads ships via a travelling rail mounted gantry at 1900 t/h. Occasionally live cattle, magnetite, and woodchips are also exported from the port.

Above: A cargo ship being loaded with sugar

Below: The stock yards used for loading live-stock

We moved on to the pretty coastal town of Etty Bay. There was nothing much there apart from a caravan park and a superb tropical beach. A woman in the car-park seemed to be attracted to a large butterfly.

Above: Beach at Etty Bay

Below: Butterfly at Etty Bay

Next stop was Innisfail and a search for a coffee shop. That was achieved as was a visit to KMart (new cheap watch to replace Shirley's watch with a flat battery), pharmacy (stuff that people our age need on a regular basis), Woolworths (ditto) and Brumby's (pie for lunch).

We admired the local architecture.

Above: Shire Hall & local Theatre

Below: Water Tower with a similar colour scheme

Above: Front view of the Innisfail Catholic church - Mother of Good Counsel

Below: Side view of same church

Our pies were eaten beside the wide Johnstone river. We headed home and stopped to buy bananas ($2 per kg), then meat at the Silkwood Butcher - last visited two days ago. It transpired that the butcher did his apprenticeship with the proprietor of our local butcher at home. Small world.

His Italian sausages became dinner and were excellent.

Day 51 – Saturday 18 July - Kurrimine Beach

Bed was preferred to the beach at sunrise time.

Around 10:30 we drove a short distance south of the caravan park and walked the beach until the mouth of the Maria Creek - a 4 km return trip. Maria Creek is not very long but it is huge body of water when it reaches the ocean.

Above: The view at the start of the walk

Above: The tropical view during the walk

Above: The mouth of the Maria Creek

During the walk I also scored two new birds (for this trip) - both small and both hard to catch.

Above: Welcome Swallow & Red Capped Plover

There was live music and raffles at the bistro so we headed there for dinner (table booked a few days ago). Jimmy James and his mate were the music and it was Ok. I bought a few raffle tickets and won the chicken meat tray.