Cairns

I planned to visit Cairns to catch up with a cousin from England, her husband, their son and his wife. I had last seen the cousins in 2008 while I was in England, but hadn’t seen the son since 1980. Naturally I had never seen his wife. I wanted to combine a few visits together, hoping they would all meld successfully. There’s no guarantee of this, so I just had to see how things worked out.
I left home on Friday 12 November, leaving Werribee about 1010. I had some Lions appointments to attend to, plus I didn’t want to spend a lot of time in peak-hour traffic. After doing these, I left by going out along the Princes Highway. I passed the last traffic light for a long time and joined the Western Ring Road, which runs directly into the Hume Freeway. After nearly 350 kilometres I turned off onto the Olympic Highway and at West Wyalong onto the Newell Highway. After arriving in Dubbo about 1830 I had some tea and met my first traffic light, Not too long after I arrived at Gilgandra and booked into a motel – pleasantly priced and comfortable.

Next morning, on Saturday 13 I left Gilgandra about 0700. In pleasant countryside, now green, I travelled on through Coonamble and Walgett. Here I topped up with fuel. Soon I was over the border into Queensland at Hebel and passed through Dirranbandi, St George, Surat and Roma. Here I filled up with fuel. [The roads showed damage from the recent floods, both directly by parts being washed away and indirectly by heavy vehicles abrading the surface while it was still plastic. To explain this it’s necessary to understand the construction of a lot of country roads in Australia. The local soil is formed into a roadway and topped by soil and/or gravel to provide a stable base. This surface is sprayed with tar and has blue metal (basaltic gravel) dropped on it. This seals the surface and allows heavy loads to travel over them. If the subsurface remains dry, the surface remains stable. If moisture is allowed to penetrate under the sealed surface, then the surface can be moved easily. If a heavy vehicle moves sideways, such as around a bend or when overtaking, sliding rear tyres move the surface and pile up the sealing material. So even on a sealed road, there can be a “bump” of up to 15 centimetres (six inches). When a car like DOUG only has a similar clearance, I have to be very careful. Even though traffic may be light, I have to watch the road very carefully.]
After that, I continued on to Injune. This little town has an excellent Tourist Information Centre and there are many interesting sights nearby. As the sun went down, I passed Rollestone, Springsure, Emerald and Clermont. I looked for somewhere to stay in Clermont, but as the police officer who randomly breathalysed me said, mining towns don’t have inexpensive accommodation. I left Clermont about 2200 and stopped by the roadside at a rest area. I settled down to get some sleep – only to have a refrigerated B-triple truck stop opposite and have three units running continuously. Despite this, I got quite a good rest.
At dawn on Sunday 14 I went on and arrived in Mackay about 0830. After a quick breakfast I went to visit a family friend, only to realise when I got no answer at 0900 and found her not at home that she would be out walking. I went to visit her son and his family, to find them at home but ready to leave for church. I was surprised that their oldest son remembered me. With no-one to see, I pressed on after refuelling, driving along the Bruce Highway along the coast through Bowen and Townsville. I arrived in Cairns about 1800 and was led by the SatNav to the Cairns Central YHA. Here I confirmed the booking I had already made and extended it by this evening, as well as booking DOUG in to a secure parking space.
I went to my room – a four-bed ensuite – and settled in, then went out to explore the hostel. Later I went to bed earlier than normal, and as I was dropping off, I met my roommate – Jordi, from Spain, here on a cycling trip, while his family remained home in Spain. He is flying between cities and hiring a good bicycle to explore each city’s surrounds. Listening to an iPod, I dropped off to sleep.
Next morning, Monday 15, I was up at 0900 (must have needed the sleep) and explored Cairns Central shopping centre (just opposite) and then lazed the rest of the day away. I did speak to quite a few people at the hostel – quite a variety of ages, and not too many from Australia. During the day I rang my cousins and tried again in the evening but no answer. That evening there was another in the room, but he had left by the time I got up.
On Tuesday 16, I got up at 0800 and went for a drive to explore the local area. Back at the hostel I rang the cousins again to find them at the house. I drove out to visit, arriving about 1100. We had a good chat, catching up on things. The family were out at work, pursuing their occupations of commercial photography. We had lunch and during the afternoon I went back into Cairns. All the family came into Cairns and we met at 1830 and then had tea on the Esplanade. After, I went back to hostel after being able to have a few drinks with the meal. This evening I had two roommates from LA, one a fireman and one a financial analyst – both finishing a ten-day holiday in Australia (too short!). They had to leave early for a 0600 flight – I didn’t hear them leave!
On Wednesday 17 I was up at 0800 – on my own - and was picked up at 1100 by Terry and Pat. We drove up to Port Douglas in Mike’s little car, had a little walk in the town, had coffee and then lunch at a hotel with a Welsh waitress! We met up with Mike and Marylyn for lunch, as they were already in Port Douglas, working. We went back to Cairns via Palm Cove, where we had a great ice cream. Back at the hostel I chatted with more people. So far I have met an older couple from Canada, many younger people from Holland and Denmark, two groups of older ladies from France and two girls from Israel. Only one Australian, Ben from Brisbane, in all I met there.
Thursday 18 I was up at 0800 and did a short drive around exploring Cairns. As Queensland is about Australia’s most decentralised state, Cairns has many more facilities and services than I expected. I went back to the hostel and arranged my things for tonight and so I could be quickly ready in the morning. I waited at the front and was picked up about 1400. After the quick and now familiar drive to Holloway Beach we had some drinks until the workers arrived home. Not long after we all settled in for a great barbecue tea about 1900. Mike remembered that I liked my steak really well done – and it was – delicious! Unfortunately both the evening and the visit was drawing to a close, so I said goodbye and was soon back at hostel about 2100. After a brief chat to some residents I had got to know, I was off to bed and to sleep. Tonight I had an older Norwegian roommate and two Danes – one, very tall, who was visiting for a few weeks and his mate who had emigrated to Australia five years ago and was a teacher in Victoria!
On my last day, Friday 19, I was up at 0615 and packed after a quick shower. I had left the hostel by about 0645. I left Cairns and went down the coast to Townsville. Here the SatNav directions told me to go inland but the road it suggested had been cut by rain. I continued down the coast to Bowen. Here I called in at the Catalina Museum (very small) at the airport and then the tourism centre on the Bruce Highway. Getting some information from them about the Catalina base from WWII, I went to the Museum and then visited a lookout, the foreshore and the site of filming “Australia”. I walked around the Catalina “hard stands” and then left about 1700. If anyone is calling in with small children, there is an excellent children’s playground on the foreshore – soft surface and plenty of activity devices! Then I went down to Rockhampton. By now it was getting dark and I headed inland. Later in the evening I overnighted in a roadside stop and was off after dawn.
Travelling on Saturday 20 was going well – empty road, clear weather until – a kangaroo hopped onto the road just north of Miles about 0630 and decided to stop directly in front of me. The inevitable happened and the bar bent to the body of the bumper bar and across the reinforcing frame, but little else obvious. The kangaroo? RIP. I stopped to have a snack in Moonie, which was the site of Australia’s first oil well. I see all the exports we’re sending overseas now and remember that I learned, at school, that Australia had few natural resources. No ores, no petroleum no gas. Ah well, times and knowledge change. After all the grazing and cropping land I had driven through, it was different to be in national park areas just north of Gilgandra. I decided to stay overnight in Gilgandra (same motel, same room), so booked in and looked around the town. The memorial of a “Man on the Thunderbox” intrigued me (“Thunderbox” = outside toilet or privy). I had some tea and afterwards rang some friends in Blue Mountains to check they would be home and found that after 1300 was the best time to call in..
On Sunday 21 I left Gilgandra about 0730 and then called into Lawson to visit a family friend. Not only did I get to see his “new” house, but I was able to catch up with his older brother (who I had last seen in 1965) too. We had both changed considerably in the intervening time. I left after a most enjoyable visit and arrived at the friends’ place around 1320. I chatted with all three (their son had an extensive vocabulary and was not at all shy) and left about 1600. I headed off towards Canberra and arrived at Goulburn about 1830 and rang to confirm my visit with cousins at Braidwood. There was no difficulty about staying, but they were going to be busy and out all week. It just goes to show if I want to visit, the only ones I know will be around are those in paid employment – the rest are too busy to be pinned down! I continued on towards home and had some tea at Gundagai (but not at the “Dog on the Tuckerbox” site (Tuckerbox = food container)). Later I pulled over in a roadside stop.
Next morning, Monday 22 I continued down the Hume and managed to get to the Ring Road before the morning traffic. I finally arrived home about 0400. After I parked DOUG, I went in and went to my own bed.

After 80 hours driving and just over 7000 kilometres I had finished my little trip to Cairns.