For many years I have been encouraging (pestering!) my elder son to come and join us for a week or so whilst we have been in residence at Kurrimine Beach. Cameron is a survivor of childhood cancer....I'll not go into details other than to say he still faces significant challenges in his life including being legally blind.
This year he finally took up the offer, probably to get me off his back! We were keen to show him as much as possible of this part of Far North Queensland, beyond what he saw on the 100 km drive south from Cairns back to KB.
For some reason or other Queenslanders have felt the need to give many sections of their very long coastline various titles. So we have the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, the Fraser Coast, the Capricorn Coast and so on.
The section from Cardwell to Cairns bears the name of the Cassowary Coast, for a very good reason.....these large, flightless birds live in the rain forests of this area in significant numbers. It is also a quite mountainous region.
The section from Cardwell to Cairns bears the name of the Cassowary Coast, for a very good reason.....these large, flightless birds live in the rain forests of this area in significant numbers. It is also a quite mountainous region.
I have long been a real fan of what I consider to be the very clever way in which many local authrorites badge their areas, and the regional council in this patch of Queensland has lived up to all expectations. Given that the tourist highlights promoted in this area include the cassowary, the slogan 'where the rain forest meets the sea' and the many pristine beaches, this graphic really does the trick. And even the mountains are represented in the shape of the cassowary casque (the bony lump on the top of the head). Top marks!
We were keen to show Cam an example of these most odd birds. The roads to and from Mission Beach and its surrounds are dotted with signs of 'recent sightings', but in all the years we have been using these roads we have only spotted a cassowary once. We knew there was a far better chance in the area around Etty Bay to the north.
Off we went, and lo and behold, as we drove down the steep hill into Etty Bay, success!.....a large adult bird was wandering along the roadside verge at the edge of the forest.
Liz was actually photographing through the Cruiser window with her phone, so these images are not the best, but they will have to do. Unfortunately this specimen did not yet display the large, red wattles which hang from the necks of mature adults, so we can only assume it was a youngster.
Whilst they cannot fly, these large, odd looking birds are remarkably well equipped for their habitat. They can race through dense rain forest at staggering speeds (up to 50 kph), can jump up to 1.5 metres and are more than competent swimmers.
Normally quite solitary (except during mating season) and shy of humans, the cassowary population around Etty Bay are the exceptions. They wander through the small beachside caravan park and the yards of local homes.
This, however, does create a real problem. Cassowaries and dogs are not a match made in heaven, particularly if chicks are part of the mix. As you would expect with a flightless bird, cassowaries have very powerful legs and one of their three toes is equipped with a dagger like claw up to 12.5 cm long. An adult bird can slice open a threatening dog with one kick.
As a quick aside, when we inquired about staying at Etty Bay some years ago, we were told it was not dog friendly (they were a bit nonplussed about a cat!). I initially assumed it was to protect the cassowaries, but it was just the opposite.
There is a common misconception that humans coming in contact with these birds do so at their own real peril. It is wise to give them space, again particularly if they are shielding chicks, but despite scuttlebutt to the contrary, there has only been one recorded human death in Australia at the hands, sorry, feet, of a cassowary, and that was yonks ago.
On this particular occasion we did not get out of the Cruiser, and whilst leaving the beach area we found ourselves caught up in a line of traffic which had come to a sudden stop.
There was a very good reason!
Cassowaries have about as much road sense as a toddler (and they don't seem to learn as they get older) and wander hither and yon across expanses of bitumen with complete disregard for all those metal machines using them......which will kill them.
Off we went, and lo and behold, as we drove down the steep hill into Etty Bay, success!.....a large adult bird was wandering along the roadside verge at the edge of the forest.
Liz was actually photographing through the Cruiser window with her phone, so these images are not the best, but they will have to do. Unfortunately this specimen did not yet display the large, red wattles which hang from the necks of mature adults, so we can only assume it was a youngster.
Whilst they cannot fly, these large, odd looking birds are remarkably well equipped for their habitat. They can race through dense rain forest at staggering speeds (up to 50 kph), can jump up to 1.5 metres and are more than competent swimmers.
Normally quite solitary (except during mating season) and shy of humans, the cassowary population around Etty Bay are the exceptions. They wander through the small beachside caravan park and the yards of local homes.
This, however, does create a real problem. Cassowaries and dogs are not a match made in heaven, particularly if chicks are part of the mix. As you would expect with a flightless bird, cassowaries have very powerful legs and one of their three toes is equipped with a dagger like claw up to 12.5 cm long. An adult bird can slice open a threatening dog with one kick.
As a quick aside, when we inquired about staying at Etty Bay some years ago, we were told it was not dog friendly (they were a bit nonplussed about a cat!). I initially assumed it was to protect the cassowaries, but it was just the opposite.
There is a common misconception that humans coming in contact with these birds do so at their own real peril. It is wise to give them space, again particularly if they are shielding chicks, but despite scuttlebutt to the contrary, there has only been one recorded human death in Australia at the hands, sorry, feet, of a cassowary, and that was yonks ago.
On this particular occasion we did not get out of the Cruiser, and whilst leaving the beach area we found ourselves caught up in a line of traffic which had come to a sudden stop.
There was a very good reason!
Cassowaries have about as much road sense as a toddler (and they don't seem to learn as they get older) and wander hither and yon across expanses of bitumen with complete disregard for all those metal machines using them......which will kill them.
Signs like this abound along all the roads which traverse cassowary habitat.
In this instance all was well....every driver was alert to the potential and this quite advanced chick was soon meandering off into the dense roadside forest seemingly completely oblivious to the traffic.
I must say Liz and I both felt pretty pleased with ourselves. Cam had seen cassowaries in the wild (so to speak) ...I love it when a plan works!
Coming out of Etty Bay we popped into nearby Mourilyan Harbour in the hope that a sugar ship would be alongside loading either raw sugar or molasses. Again we were in luck (no more photos here....I did this beautiful harbour to death a couple of years ago).
Our second day trip on the sightseeing agenda was south of Kurrimine Beach, along the Bruce Highway to a lookout which sits high on the ridge of the range just north of Ingham. We have passed this spot innumerable times over the years, and never turned off the highway. Now we had just the excuse (or incentive) to take a look.
Sadly, in the days preceding this trip a number of fuel reduction fires in the surrounding mountains (and one which was not planned) had filled the atmosphere with smoke, but we pushed on regardless. Cam was here for a limited time only and we had lots to see and do.
This particular lookout affords grand views across the valley below the ridge line to the Hinchenbrook Channel and the island itself. I was also hoping that we would be able to see the huge sugar loading jetty at Lucinda.....all 5 kilometres of it.
Resorting to 'Google Earth' yet again, the arrow points to the lookout site whilst I've circled the jetty.
As you can see, the Hinchenbrook Channel is reasonably wide at its northern end, but as it heads south to join the sea again near Lucinda, it spreads out into a series of smaller channels edged by mudflats and sandbars.
As we drove south towards Tully, the mill which had been lying idle on the day of our arrival, was again in full swing, and we could see that the surrounding mountains were looking somewhat hazy already.
But we pushed on, becoming ever more concerned about the thickening blue, smokey blanket shrouding the slopes, until we finally reached the lookout car park and climbed the pathway
and a short flight of steps which would bring us to the summit.
What a view awaited us. Unfortunately the scene was as we had predicted it might be, shrouded in smoke haze, but at least we were able to get some impression of just how spectacular this outlook really is as we gazed across the lowlands and the channels and creeks of the Hinchenbrook Channel to the high ridge of the large island itself.
A bit of lens tweaking brought a closer view of some of the sandbanks which line many of the narrow twisting creeks which form this fascinating waterway, one in which many highly sought after fish team and the mud crabs grow to impossible sizes.
As for the ambition to be able to show Cam the massive structure which is the Lucinda sugar loading wharf........sadly, completely obscured in the overlying shroud of smoke. Ah, well, nothing ventured nothing gained!
We did stopover in Cardwell on our return run, but I've brought this town to you on several occasions, and you know my rule...once presented, that's it!
Our last 'typical tourists' trip during the stay of No 1 son was to what is undoubtedly the most recognized and renowned attraction of this area. In fact, many who know that we spent so much time in this are are staggered to learn that, to date, we have never visited Paronella Park. This was about to change.
Located about 20 kms or so from Kurrimine Beach, on the backroad west of the Bruce Highway which runs through the small cane towns of Silkwood, Mena Creek, South Johnson and Wagan to Innisfail (known as 'The Canecutters Way'), Paronella Park really is quite extraordinary in its concept and construction, but sadly as you will shortly see, its glory days are well and truly in the past.
Firstly, some background, and true to recent form, I've taken this edited text directly from the Park's excellent website with the comment that it is impossible to really bring this to you any more briefly. What I have done, however, to break up a big block of text, is to insert some of the photos Liz took (I was having a 'camera day off') where appropriate. Fingers crossed this will work!
"José Paronella arrived in Australia from Catalonia in Spain, in 1913. For the next 11 years he worked, cutting sugar cane initially, then purchasing, improving, and reselling cane farms. In 1924 he returned to Spain and married Margarita in 1925. The trip back to Australia was their honeymoon.
José first saw this 13 acres of virgin scrub along Mena Creek in 1914. He eventually purchased it in 1929 for £120 and started to build his pleasure gardens and reception centre for the enjoyment of the public.
The earliest structure, the Grand Staircase, was built to facilitate the carrying of the river sand to make the concrete [I've added a circle and an arrow to show the levels of the various floods which inundated the area from time to time.....the highest was disastrous as you will soon read].
First they built a house to live in,
then they started on the Castle itself.
Apart from the house, which is made of stone, all of the structures were constructed of poured, reinforced concrete, the reinforcing being old railway track.
The concrete was covered with a plaster made from clay and cement, which they put on by hand, leaving behind the prints of their fingers as a reminder of the work they had done.
They laboured with unswerving determination, until, in 1935, the Park was officially opened to the public. The Theatre showed movies every Saturday night. In addition, with canvas chairs removed, the Hall was a favourite venue for dances and parties.
A unique feature was the myriad reflector, a great ball covered with 1270 tiny mirrors, suspended from the ceiling. With spotlights of pink and blue shining on the reflector from the corners of the hall, it was rotated slowly, producing a coloured snowflake effect around the walls, floor and ceiling. During the mid-sixties the Theatre ceased to be, and the Hall became devoted to functions, particularly Weddings.
Above the Refreshment Rooms was the projection room, and up another flight of stairs was the Paronella Museum. This housed collections of coins, pistols, dolls, samples of North Queensland timbers and other items of interest. Originally, food service was from the lower Refreshment Rooms downstairs. The concrete slab tables forming the lower Tea Gardens and the swimming pool both proved extremely popular, as they still do today.
The avenues and paths were well laid out with the familiar shaped planters which are still to be seen wherever you go in the Park. Two tennis courts were behind the Refreshment Rooms, with a children's playground, The Meadow, situated near the creek.
Upwards of 7000 trees were planted by José. These included the magnificent Kauris lining Kauri Avenue [not to be confused with the Western Australian Karri].
A Tunnel [the Tunnel of Love!...seriously!] was excavated through a small hill.
Above its entrances are the delightful stonework balconies [photo courtesy of the park website].
Walking through here brings you to spring fed Teresa Falls, named for his daughter.
The creek is lined with rocks and traversed by small bridges. Some parts have cascades built out of rocks, so the sound of water is always there.
The Hydro Electric generating plant, commissioned in 1933, was the earliest in North Queensland, and supplied power to the entire Park [this in itself is an engineering marvel....I've not included the story here, but it is well worth looking up!]
In 1946, disaster struck. Upstream from the Park a patch of scrub had been cleared and the logs and branches pushed into the creek. When the first rains of the Wet Season came, the whole mass began to move downstream until it piled up against a railway bridge a few hundred metres from the Castle.
Water backed up until the weight broke the bridge, and the entire mass descended on the Park. The downstairs Refreshment Rooms were all but destroyed, the Hydro was extensively damaged, as was the Theatre and Foyer.
Undaunted, the family began the task of rebuilding. The Refreshment Rooms downstairs were beyond repair, so this service was moved upstairs, and only the structure of the building recreated. In addition, José built the fountain. The Castle was repaired, the gardens replanted, and the Park was alive again.
In 1948, José died of cancer, leaving Margarita, daughter Teresa, and son Joe, to carry on. In time, Teresa married and eventually moved to Brisbane with her husband. Joe married Val in 1952, and they had two sons, Joe (José) and Kerry. Renovations and maintenance meant there was always plenty of work, and the floods of 1967, '72 and '74 further added to the load. In 1967 Margarita died, and in 1972, Joe died, leaving Val and the two boys to continue the hard working tradition and keep the dreams alive.
The Park was sold out of the family in 1977 and sadly, in 1979, a fire swept through the Castle. For a time, the Park was closed to the public. Cyclone Winifred in 1986, a flood in January 1994, Cyclone Larry in March 2006, and Cyclone Yasi in January 2011 were all further setbacks and challenges for Paronella Park."So that's the story. But of course, there is a postscript:
"Mark and Judy Evans, the current owner/operators, purchased the Park in 1993 and formulated a plan to put the Park back on the map. They see the Park as a work of art, and work on maintaining and preserving, rather than rebuilding. Small restoration projects have been undertaken, pathways uncovered and improved, and the Museum, an ongoing project, is continuously being enhanced.
In November 2009, the ambitious project to restore Paronella Park's original (1930s era) hydro electric system was completed. At a cost of $450,000, the system once again provides all of the Park's electricity requirements. This work, and other environmentally focused initiatives culminated in Paronella Park being awarded Eco Australia's GECKO award for Ecotourism in 2011. Paronella Park's life as a pleasure gardens continues as José intended, for visitors, and with social gatherings, particularly weddings, continuing to make use of this unique location."Wow! What a challenge and what dedication to the task. On the day of our visit we were actually greeted at the front entrance by Mark himself, a most avuncular and charming bloke, one who obviously understands the value of personal contact with visitors and a man who is not 'too busy' to make himself available.
Before taking the guided tour with our excellent Scottish host Stephen (the vast majority of the staff here are, as we soon discovered, backpacking tourists)
we had taken the time to view the complex from above the Mena Creek falls
where a suspension bridge provides one form of access to the park entrance
and very good views down to the pond at the base of the falls.
Needless to say the park infrastructure includes a snack shop
and a quite large cafe dining area under shade cloth supported by massive tree trunk poles (now it is obvious that yours truly was not behind the camera shutter!).
This dining area led down to the guided tour assembly point and the pathway from which we began our ramble for the day.
We could have opted for a self-guided walk, but decided to shell out the reasonable fee ($47 for Liz, $42 for Cam and me as concession holders) to obtain the benefit of (as it turned out) a very good and informative commentary and to avoid the need to navigate around what is a quite complex series of pathways with every chance that we would have made a mess of properly interpreting the rather challenging park map.
Apart from the photos I've included with the website text, Liz did snap away much more freely. One section of Jose's construction which does not rate a mention on the website are the change rooms, a series of cubicles provided for those who arrived with the intention of taking a dip. I should add that when operational, doors were included!
The streams which meander through the park, and the pond at the bottom of the falls, are home to a large number of tortoises and fish. Packets of fish pellets are included in the price of the tour ticket to enable those for whom this is a fun thing to do to feed the thrashing throng of fish which congregate in the pond and other waterways.
And speaking of the pond, who could possibly visit Paronella Park without an obligatory 'been there, done that' shot......
....or two, with the falls and the suspension bridge as the backdrop.
And would you believe, just as we were again milling about below the dining area preparing to leave the park, I heard a familiar call....sure enough, one of the colourful locals was giving us a full throated serenade. The figbird, quite common in this part of the country, is a delight to look at and listen to, and strangely enough, the tree in which he (only the males have the red eye patch) was perched was indeed a native fig!
Well so much for our adventures at Paronella Park, a truly flourishing enterprise. Apart from all which is on show, there is a large camping and caravan park behind the Mena Creek pub opposite, and this place does not close down with the setting sun. As darkness falls, the various structures of the park are lit with the power generated by the hydro plant to provide a completely different experience (again, thanks to the park website for this shot).
And finally, to provide a real impression of just how grand this place really was in its heyday, I've again relied on the excellent park website to include this shot of the theatre as it was in the 1940's
and the ballroom set for a wedding feast.
This is without a doubt a venture which, from its inception through to its construction and now its preservation (as far as is possible), is unique in Australia. I guess for that reason alone it warrants a visit, but I have to say, although I was left staggered by the scale of the imagination, enterprise and dogged determination which saw these structures take form, I found it quite depressing to see the extent to which flood, fire and cyclone had ravaged these once proud and remarkable buildings and their surrounds.
Well, there you go.......Paronella Park finally visited and shared.
Now for a few final Kurrimine Beach snippets for our stay of 2019, beginning with a most excellent fish night which was put on by the park. Glenda had been gifted some fresh trevally.....the galley fired up and the invitation went out to the regulars,
and a lucky 'ring-in'!
Apart from the fish, Cam's visit was the perfect excuse for yours truly to make a quick visit to the first class butcher at nearby El Arish to spoil ourselves with a couple of their massive 'tomahawks', rib-eye steaks on the bone (you may recall Liz does not eat red meat, so this was just the time to indulge!)
They only just fitted in the Baby Q. Outcome? Sensational!
Aside from the highlight of Cam's visit, 2019 brought with it another unexpected occasion....the wedding of Brad, the park manager (Glenda's son) to the utterly delightful Emma.
What on earth does this have to do with Liz and me I hear you ask. Well, it's a bit of story.
For some years now when we have been in residence, Liz and I have walked Brad's lovely black Labrador dog Sasha when he has been working, both on the beach and along the seafront walking trail and around the town.
Now it had been decided that Sash had to be included in the wedding........as 'the ring dog'. This involved attaching a 'ring pocket' to her right front leg (not the real thing I might add....the ring not her leg!) which she would duly walk down the aisle to present to Brad at the relevant moment by raising her paw.
There was only one real snag to this grand plan.......who would look after her until the moment of release came? Who else but her favorite person aside from Brad....Liz was the obvious choice.
Would we mind being involved? Silly question! "Oh, and would it be too much to ask if you could serve pre-reception drinks to the assembled guests on the beachfront at Mission Beach after the ceremony?" Another silly question.
Now this labour of love had a most unexpected spin off. The myriad of relatives who descended on Kurrimine and Mission Beaches from far and wide (Emma is English.....many of her family made the flight out here) gathered under the park verandah on the prenuptial eve for the most magnificent spread produced by the highly skilled and indefatigable Glenda.
The tables were groaning under the weight of prawns, mudcrabs
oysters, Morton bay bugs, salads and crusty bread.....what an absolute feast.
And I'll bet you've guessed by now that Liz the 'dog wrangler' and her delighted spouse were among the invited guests. Talk about 'Mr Smug', sitting at the end of the table making new friends!
But as we all know there is no such thing as a free lunch, and on the morrow it was time to sing for our previous night's supper. We frocked up and headed off to Mission Beach with Sasha, her fancy collar and the ring pocket in the back of the Cruiser.
Before the ceremony, there was work to be done at the temporary beachside bar.....tables to be set and plastic champagne glasses to be assembled was just the beginning.
The ceremony venue right on the sands of Mission Beach could not have been picturesque, the weather gods smiled on all below
and as the big moment drew near, Liz and her charge posed for the photographer
before she took her place on the runway waiting for the big moment (if you look closely you can see the ring pocket low on Sash's right fore leg).
But would it all come off as planned? How many times do we hear the warning from those in show business....never work live with children or animals. Brad remained supremely confident that one call from him would have the big black labbie bounding through the assembled crowd directly to the 'alter'.
As it happened, all went exactly to plan, although I have to say there was a collective hush in the crowd as, just before the big moment, a group of horses went galloping past on the beach behind the wedding party. Liz and I remained supremely confident. We knew from our encounters on the Kurrimine Beach, where horses are often exercised, that Sasha certainly does not regard them as playmates. If pressed we would venture she is just a little afraid of them, well, perhaps if not afraid, decidedly shy.
It all went off like clockwork. Sadly I cannot bring you the moment of truth.....we were all asked to refrain from taking photos during the ceremony.
After the 'ring' was retrieved, Liz reclaimed her charge who responded without hesitation to her call to join her at the side of the group........what a triumph! I'm not sure about children, but this animal behaved perfectly. The praise for Liz's skill as a dog handler knew no bounds....she is now a legend in the park.
Then it was back to work for us. Yet again the outdoor tables were laden. With all these pre-dinner nibbles to be had, it was sure to be thirsty work for the guests. It was....we were flat out behind the makeshift bar for two hours before they all wandered off to the formal reception whilst Liz and I packed up. What a marvellous ceremony this had been. We were delighted to have been able to help make things run smoothly.
This big event took place just before we were due to leave Kurrimine Beach for 2019. By way of thanks for our help, Glenda and Doc sprang a real treat on us. "Don't make any plans for dinner", was the advice. "Why?" "Just wait and see."
What a treat was in store, a picnic in the early evening under the trees on the beach front. Our wonderful park hosts had teed it up with a beachfront resident to 'borrow' their outdoor bar area (it is public land really), and we all piled into the park golf buggy and set off for what was a marvellous seaside meal.
What an advantage it is to be the proprietor of a good cafe. Glenda had the buggy laden with golden fish and chips, prawn cones, calamari and pizza. Even the slightly chill sea breeze did nothing to deter from the enjoyment of our last personal night with our park hosts who are also now good friends.
What a delightful way this was to end our 2019 winter season at Kurrimine Beach. We were to catch up with Glenda and Doc at the little town of Howard just before Xmas....but that's another story.
We know we shall miss all the fun and games later this year when we are in the West, but site 12 is already booked for July, August and September 2021!
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