Ellis Beach

Part 5 of our 2022 Adventure

Mena Creek to Ellis Beach (133Km) 
Hervey Bay to Ellis Beach 1603km

Accommodation:     EllisBeach Oceanfront Park

Our Rating:              10/10
Cost:                       $46 pn Power and Water                                           
Campfires:             No
Image Gallery:        Ellis Beach andCairns
Travelling with:        Fiona Ellis, Steve & Mel Conlan

Camp Description

This delightful park is located right on the beachfront and is surrounded by beautiful palm trees and tranquil waters, with the stunning coastal ranges as a backdrop. The park offers both powered and unpowered sites, and now you can book unpowered sites as well. Please note that the area for unpowered sites can be tight if the park is busy, especially for large caravans that are 20ft or larger.

We took a short drive from Paronella Park to the north side of Cairns to a place that has always been on Kat's bucket list to stay at. It has the same name as Fiona's last name, so we just had to stay there.

As we headed north, we tried to arrange a trip on the Kuranda Train and Skyrail, but the website was not working. We decided to visit the office of Skyrail to find out why we couldn't book. The train was fully booked, which was the issue, but we were offered the chance to take the cable car up and back if we wanted to go immediately. So, we booked our tickets and did the Kuranda Skyrail Rail.

We enjoyed a cable car ride up over the hills, across the Baron Falls, and arrived in the Rainforest Village of Kuranda. We spent the afternoon wandering around the village and visiting the Kuranda Bird Sanctuary.

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The next day, we went to Cairns for some shopping and then headed out to AJ Hackett's Bungy Jump and Minjin Swing. I wasn't up for the jump, but I was excited to do the swing again since I enjoyed it years ago. Fiona and Mel were the only others in the group who were willing to give it a try. It was a thrilling experience!

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Paronella Caravan Park - Mena Creek

Part 4 of our 2022 Adventure

Airlie Beach to Mena Creek (529Km) 
Hervey Bay to Mena Creek 1470km

Accommodation:     ParonellaCaravan Park
Our Rating:              10/10
Cost:                       $44 pn Power and Water                                           
Campfires:             
Image Gallery:        Paronella Park andSurrounds
Travelling with:        Fiona Ellis, Steve & Mel Conlan

Camp Description

Caravan and Camping
The Paronella Caravan and Camping grounds are available to guests who have their own caravan, camper or tent, and a site for a night is included in your entry fee to Paronella Park! Bookings are essential.

Airlie Beach to Paronella Park: 529 km, 7-hour drive with road works, towns, and a lunch break.

I have been to Paronella once before, but I have never done the night tour. This was the first time for everyone else on our adventure.

José Paronella’s dream was to build a castle. He chose a special part of Australia and created Paronella Park.

The History of Paronella Park 

José Paronella arrived in Australia from Catalonia, Spain in 1913, and spent the next 11 years working. Initially, he cut sugar cane, but later he began purchasing, improving, and reselling cane farms. In 1924, he returned to Spain and married Margarita, and the following year they traveled back to Australia for their honeymoon.

In 1914, José first laid eyes on a 13-acre plot of virgin scrubland along Mena Creek. In 1929, he purchased the land for £120 and began constructing his pleasure gardens and reception center for public enjoyment. The Grand Staircase was the earliest structure on the property, built for the purpose of carrying river sand to make concrete.

Initially, they constructed a house for their living, and subsequently, they started working on the Castle. All the structures, except for the house which was built using stones, were made of poured, reinforced concrete. The reinforcing was done using old railway track. They applied a plaster made from clay and cement by hand on the concrete surface, which left behind the imprint of their fingers as a memento of their hard work.

Airlie Beach

Part 3 of our 2022 Adventure

Finch Hatton - Airlie Beach (156Km) 
Hervey Bay to Airlie Beach 942km

Accommodation:     TasmanHoliday Park – Airle Beach
Our Rating:              10/10
Cost:                       $43 pn Power and Water                                          
Campfires:             
Image Gallery:        Wwhitsundays
Travelling with:        Fiona Ellis, Steve & Mel Conlan

Camp Description
Island Gateway offers a tropical atmosphere with a resort pool, sun loungers, and BBQ areas. The amenities and laundry facilities are well-maintained. You'll have everything you need for your Airlie Beach getaway, including free Wi-Fi. The kids will be spoilt for choice with the playground, mini-golf, half tennis court, pool, and buggy rides. Don't miss the daily bird feeding experience at 4 pm.

Day 4, 5 and 6 of our Nth Queensland Adventure

After leaving Bush Camp, we headed towards Airlie Beach. On the way, we stopped at Proserpine to enjoy some delicious fish and chips before continuing our journey. We camped at Airlie for the next three nights. 

We had already booked an Ocean Rafting tour to explore the Whitsunday Islands and planned to have a day of relaxation and another day to wander around Airlie Beach. During our stay, we also caught up with my father.

Tasman Holiday Parks Airlie Beach is a great park with clean amenities and easy access to the city for bike rides.

We had an amazing day exploring the beautiful Whitsunday Islands with Ocean Rafting. First, we headed to the northern end of Whitsunday Island for a short walk up to Hill Inlet. The view from there was spectacular, giving us a perfect view of Whitehaven Beach. Although it was a bit cloudy and wet that day, the sun eventually broke through and we were able to capture some great photos. After that, we went snorkeling on one of the reefs and then had lunch on the beach at Whitehaven. Finally, we made our way back to Airlie, stopping at Daydream Island to drop off some house guests.

Finch Hatton

Part 2 of our 2022 Adventure 

Rockhampton to Finch Hatton (371Km) 
Hervey Bay to Finch Hatton 785km

Accommodation:     PlatypusBush Camp
Our Rating:              10/10
Cost:                       $25 pn                                       
Campfires:              Yes
Image Gallery:        Fich Hatton
Travelling with:        Fiona Ellis, Steve & Mel Conlan

Camp Description

The Bushcamp is located in the stunning lowland palm-riven rainforest of Finch Hatton Gorge, in the Pioneer Valley outside Mackay, Queensland. It's only 2km away from Eungella National Park. The Bushcamp was established over 34 years ago as a campsite with a single hut, and it has now grown to offer three timber-slab huts, kitchen and dining huts. The camping area features clean flush toilets, beautiful hot rainforest showers, picnic and dining areas, and a fire pit. There is also a crystal-clear Platypus viewing pool and a huge rock swimming pool.

Day 3 of our Nth Queensland Adventure

We began our journey towards Finch Hatton. Fiona planned to spend some time with her niece's newborn baby and headed to Moranbah for the night. Meanwhile, Steve, Mel, Kat, and I went to Platypus Bush camp to meet Wazza. As it might be the last time we head north for a while, we wanted to catch up. Our first stop was Flaggy Rock Cafe, which we were told was a great lunch spot with excellent pies. The Chicken Schnitzel Burgers were also pretty good, and we enjoyed some delicious coffee there.

On our way to Platypus Bush Camp, we stopped at Saraina for a toilet dump.

Platypush Bush Camp 

The Bushcamp is situated in the lowland rainforest of Finch Hatton Gorge in Pioneer Valley, outside Mackay, QLD. It is only 2km away from Eungella National Park. The campsite originally had only one hut, but over time, it has expanded to include three timber-slab huts, a well-equipped kitchen/galley, a dining hut, a small bush bar (BYO), a firepit, and a nature library. The camp has been operational for 18 years and is an ideal place to relax and unwind in nature.

The camping area offers flush toilets, rainforest showers, picnic and dining areas, and two firepits. There is a crystal-clear Platypus viewing pool and a huge rock swimming pool. You can observe platypus playing, spot birds and other wildlife, or enjoy swimming in pristine waterholes from the comfort of your own bed in the huts.

Rockhampton

Part 1 off our 2022 Adventure

Hervey Bay to Rockhampton (414Km) 

Accommodation:     FardooleysBush Camp
Our Rating:              10/10
Cost:                       $10 pn                                       
Campfires:              Yes
Image Gallery:        Rockhampton
Travelling with:        Fiona Ellis, Steve & Mel Conlan

Camp Description

Peter and Robyn are offering their property as a camping site for motor homers, caravaners, and campers. The unpowered campsites provide a stunning view of Rockhampton. You can enjoy happy hour at Fardooleys Bar or chat with other campers at the communal fire pit. The facilities include flushing toilets and hot showers. It is requested to take all rubbish home with you as there is no dump point available. The owners are very friendly and welcoming.

On Saturday, August 6th, we gathered at home at 7:00 am to begin our journey towards our first destination, Rockhampton. As is our custom on all northbound trips, we made our first stop at the GIN GIN bakery, which is a couple of hours' drive away and a great place to take a break. We have never been disappointed with the food there. We had planned to stay at the Caves Show Grounds, but despite trying to call them repeatedly over the last few days, no one answered. Therefore, we started looking for an alternative place to stay. Katrina remembered seeing a private campground on Facebook, so we searched for it and called them from the Callope Rest Stop. Luckily, they had room for our three vans for two nights. We had an amazing bush camping experience at Fardooleys Bush Camp with friendly hosts, Robyn and Peter. Every night, we all gathered around the campfire to enjoy a few drinks. If you want to know about the area and its happenings, Robyn is the person to ask as she knows everything. On the first afternoon, we relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful sunsets from the top of the little plateau we were on. Sunday, August 7th was our day of exploring Rockhampton. We visited the Rockhampton Zoo, Koorana Crocodile Farm, and Capricorn Caves. The limestone caves are one of the largest privately owned cave systems in Australia. It was first discovered in 1881 by Norwegian migrant John Olsen. He went on to claim the land under a leasehold title and opened the attraction publicly in 1884. The property was later reclassified to freehold land and is today one of the largest privately owned cave systems in Australia. The attraction is open to the public and is one of the longest-running tourist attractions in Queensland. The tour was informative and well-organized, but the highlight for me was when they played Jeff Buckley's song "Hallelujah." The sound echoed beautifully through the cave system, and they claim that it surpasses any man-made sound system. It truly was an amazing experience. We also visited the Rockhampton Zoo, which was free to enter, but visitors were encouraged to leave a donation. We made the meerkats and chimpanzees our top priorities for viewing, as they were our favorites, but there were many other animals to observe. We also went to Koorana Crocodile Farm, which is a farm approved by the Australian Government and operates under their strategic conservation program. It was established in November 1981 as the first commercial crocodile farm in Queensland. John and Lillian Lever had the skills to capture crocodiles alive and saw it as a service to the community as rogue crocodiles were proving to be a danger to people. It was also the only way for them to get breeding stock. The alternative was to have them put down (shot), which did not sit well with them. During those early years, they removed over 100 crocodiles from areas of public recreation and residential areas. We also had the opportunity to hold a baby crocodile, and its skin was surprisingly soft! I can see why people use it for handbags.