At last! Two weeks in the one spot. Whilst the adventure of a daily dose of new scenery has much to recommend it, there comes a time when it is really good, not to mention necessary, to just drop anchor and settle in for a while. Just as it is with life anywhere, domestic reality does not take a holiday in a life on the road. Clothes do not stay miraculously clean and the fridge and freezer seem to empty at a rate of knots...not to mention the bar!
We arrived at the Lake Tinaroo Discovery Park before our travelling companions and so to us fell the task of choosing our sites from several options presented to us by the most helpful staff on duty. We had already been allocated two as a result of pre-booking, but the park was not busy and others were available.
Liz and I duly trotted off on our tour of discovery (just for all of you who were beginning to think punning was off limits on this trip). I have long since learnt to evaluate sites on the basis of the projected weather (amongst other things) and so it was that we decided to keep those already assigned to us. They were near the office and cafe, the toilet and laundry facilities, and, most importantly, with strong south-easterly winds predicted over the coming week, nestled in the lee of a row of park cabins.
Liz and I duly trotted off on our tour of discovery (just for all of you who were beginning to think punning was off limits on this trip). I have long since learnt to evaluate sites on the basis of the projected weather (amongst other things) and so it was that we decided to keep those already assigned to us. They were near the office and cafe, the toilet and laundry facilities, and, most importantly, with strong south-easterly winds predicted over the coming week, nestled in the lee of a row of park cabins.
Good call Marshie! Our sunny Saturday arrival deteriorated in short order to a week of strong winds and almost constant showers, heavy at times. We were soon very grateful for the shelter offered by the cabins as we sat snugly, or should that read 'smugly', listening to the roar of the wind through the surrounding tree tops.
Another incidental advantage for us at least, was that we only had a neighbour on one side. With elbow room constantly at a premium in all but the most expansive of parks, this is always a bonus.
And, of course, another advantage of a week or more of static existence is that it makes the effort of setting up all the requirements for comfortable outdoor cooking, dining and socialising worthwhile. By the end of the afternoon we were all set. The shade cloth was in place, the Baby Q had emerged for the first time from under the bed, the Waco was happily gurgling away on its stand at the far end of the slab, tables and chairs were organised and the small gas cooker (thanks again Hens) was readied for action.
Another lesson we have learnt is that no matter how much the van is opened and aired, indoor cooking always leaves its mark, especially when onions are involved (when aren't they?). The outdoor kitchen is a much preferred option, one of which we took full advantage during a morning of frenetic culinary activity.
By lunch time our evening meals for the next four days were seen to. There is always something to be gained from rotten weather!
But enough of this domestic self-congratulation....what of Lake Tinaroo? We did manage to complete a circumnavigation of this very large body of water before the weather closed in, and it is large indeed, with a total shore line of some 200 kms.
The dam wall, which was built between 1953 and 1958, holds back the waters of the Barron River to create a lake capacity some 3/4 of the size of Sydney Harbour (what would we do in Australia when describing bodies of water without Sydney Harbour...or, for that matter, Olympic swimming pools?) Those working on the dam were accommodated in a purpose built village, the site of which is now occupied by the caravan park, in which some of the cement slabs on which the original huts stood, are challenging to say the least.
The waters of Lake Tinaroo, otherwise known as the Tinaroo Falls Dam, are used for widespread crop irrigation, the production of limited hydro electricity, the domestic water supply to eight local towns, and for recreation. The original push for the dam's construction came from local tobacco growers who formed an obviously successful lobby group. It is somewhat ironic that this is now a banned crop in Australia.
Whilst the road around the lake does not follow the shoreline in its entirety, it does allow access to many of the delightful inlets which are a feature of this body of water. The track meanders through quite thick natural rain forest, and for some considerable distance
through a large pine plantation which is currently being logged. Numerous roadside signs warned of the presence of logging trucks on the road. I am pleased to say we did not encounter any....nature presented enough challenges as it was.
A number of established lakeside camping grounds can be accessed from this track, including Downfall Creek
and Kauri Creek, to show but two.
We noted with some interest that signage at the beginning of the track cautions 'unsuitable for caravans'. This is no deterrent to many who have made the grassy banks of the lake their temporary home.
Camping fees do apply at these sites. These are used to provide and maintain the excellent toilet, BBQ and other facilities at each. It was with some regret we accepted the fact that our rig was just too big to take advantage of the marvellous surroundings these camps presented.
enormous tree is believed to have stood for the past 500 years. And it is huge. This was another occasion on which it was impossible to take in the whole scene in one photo, so I have attempted to provide some perspective with a series of shots.
The 44 metre girth of this giant
supports a canopy nearly 50 metres above the ground, the height of a five storey building,
the branches of which provide a home for all manner of epiphytes (which is just a smartie's name for a plant which grows non-parasitically on another) such as this bird's nest fern.
With a crown which covers an estimated total of over 2,000 square metres, or, in good old Olympic pool terms, the surface area of two pools, this is indeed a most extraordinary tree.
With the grandeur of the Cathedral Fig fresh in our minds, we then re-joined the hardtop and made our way to the town of Yungaburra at the southern end of Lake Tinaroo. To quote the tourist information on Yungaburra, this is a town which "has long been established as the food and accommodation centre of the Tablelands area. Established as a timber, dairying and farming centre, Yungaburra has maintained its rich history with a number of heritage-listed buildings [which have] existed largely unchanged since 1910....."
We discovered that Yungaburra is indeed a charming little township. The muddle of approach roads to the main street, we assume, reflects the transport systems of the times in which it was established. (This was difficult to capture accurately...there are four roads joining at this point)
The quite short main street is dominated by a huge hotel. In the grand Yungaburra Hotel visitors are able to slake their thirst whilst enjoying a hotel interior which still "displays its original magnificence, a showpiece of Federation architecture, using locally felled and milled timbers like cedar and silky oak." In addition to its inherent charm, the pub's interior also houses a significant display of historic photographs of the timber felling and saw milling activities of the district. We are planning a return visit.
Award winning B&B's are another feature of this town. In fact, as we were wandering, trusty camera in hand, I noted that a lovely local house was proudly sporting a sign on which it was stated that the 'Lonely Planet', that apparent bible for international travellers, had highly recommended what was on offer for those who chose to lay their heads within.
If the exterior appearance is anything to go by, it did indeed show promise.
Speaking of signs, we have been constantly amazed and amused by many we have seen in good old FNQ. Yungaburra provided us with two, the first a clearly unashamed testament to the lack of spelling ability of the local purveyors of what we can only hope is better wine,
and another over a restaurant in the main street.
Now here's a proprietor who knows how to hedge his bets! And, of course, we could not leave Yungaburra without another in the episode of 'who has the grandest church?'
Whilst both are on a relatively modest scale in terms of grandeur,
our friends of the Catholic faith have again emerged victorious, both in location and size.
Our trip to this delightful town also produced another surprise. It sports a caravan park, unlisted in all our books, which is located on the shores of Lake Tinaroo, and from our initial somewhat cursory examination, showed great promise....but do they take pets? Further investigation is warranted (before we go to the pub).
And so we drove out of Yungaburra's main street and on back to our park. Our trip took us past Lake Barrine. This, together with Lake Eacham is one of the two volcanic crater lakes on the Tableland. It is a place so popular on a weekend, both for its picnic area and renowned tea rooms and restaurant, that we couldn't find a parking spot. It joins the 'return visit list' for next week.
Let me close this offering with an apology. As has happened occasionally in the past, the system is not allowing me to edit and co-position the text and photos as I would like. I have learnt to go with the flow. I hope you can too.
Coming up....Herberton and its amazing historic village (how I am going to edit the 105 photos I took there is anyone's guess) and more on Atherton and its surrounds. As I mentioned earlier in this missive, apart from the day on which this blog is centred, the weather has been woeful since our arrival. I have decided to wait for an improvement before happy snapping my way around the district.
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