Left Adels Grove and over the next week stopped at various places overnight and many stops for bird surveying. Our first night stop was at Gregory, down by the river. Lovely spot and had a dip in the river – aaahh lovely and cool but not cold. Next day we travelled onto the Leichardt falls. Found the only spot in the camp area that had a tree to provide some shade. The caravan backed up to near the edge of the ground above the river. No falls running as yet but a picturesque spot. Saw a small johnstoni fresh water croc as he slipped off a rock into the river. Later saw it basking in the sun on another rock and sometimes in the river with just half its head above the water or the top half of its body showing. Probably about 5 foot long. Euan saw a second one later on.
From here travelled along and camped at Walker creek near Karumba. Another nice little camping spot that seems to not be used much these days as the pit toilets are falling to pieces. On the drive to Karumba there were Brolgas along the roadside again (we saw them last year on our Cape York trip) and on our way back from Karumba there was a spot where there must have been about 20 Brolgas and also some Saurus Cranes. Next stop Cumberland Mine Historic Site. This camping spot has a wetland and a nice deck area with a scope to see the birds better. Lovely spot with well kept toilets.
Next stop was Archer Creek Rest Area. Nice little spot by the creek, popular, as there were a few others camping here. As we walked to check out the creek saw cherry tomatoes growing in a few places. Someone, a few years ago must have thrown out some tomatoes and the birds are spreading the seeds. Got a handful of cherry tomatoes for lunch. In one spot there are some water lilies with a beautiful small white flower, which I have since found out is called the snowflake lily and if you pull the stem down into the water the flower closes up and once back in the air it reopens. The flower’s petals are a bit feathery looking.
Next day we headed for Mareeba Wetlands, approximately 14 klms past Mareeba, to enquire about the possibility of work for next year, but decided to leave the caravan at Archer Creek as we would be coming back this way to head for Gladstone. I wanted to go to Cairns to catch up with one of my sister in laws who happened to be there with her father, so we thought it easier to go without the caravan in tow. On the way we stopped at Hasties Swamp and there were thousands of Plumed Whistling Ducks there. Never seen so many in one place. The picture below shows about 1/4 of the swamp. They were all around it.
At the wetlands there is a visitor centre/large dining area open on two sides which overlooks the wetlands, beautiful. They also have a Gouldian Finch breeding program happening in which the finches are released into the wild (over an area of approximately 20-30 klms) and have tags on their legs for follow up sightings. Gouldian’s used to be in this area many years ago and they are hoping they will re-establish themselves. Made enquiries about work for next year and they advised that if we were interested in some casual work this year then we could stay and work. The managers, Margaret and Greg have a farm 1 1/2klm away so we were able to base ourselves there. The next day we went back to Archer creek and collected the caravan and set it up on the farm.
They have a small boat for tours around the wetland which is powered by an electric motor. Euan will learn how to operate it and take a tour. It will give the managers a break sometimes. They advertise three, one hour, trips in a day and also have a vehicle to drive around the wetland and to another small wetland further over. I will help out wherever needed. At first I will be looking after the vege patch at the farm and assist with the laundry of the tablecloths and bed linen for the lodge. The next day, after having a chat about getting some repair work on the camper and caravan done, we went to Cairns. My sister in law’s father was celebrating his 98th birthday that night so we joined them with others at the RSL club. Got back to the Wetlands around 11pm and found the gate locked that we needed to get through to get to the farm. It was supposed to be only closed but one of the other staff must not have realised we were coming back and locked it on their way out. Euan rang the managers, unfortunately waking them up and they told him how we could get through. Got to sleep soon after but at 3am, Euan wakes me up saying he needed to go to the hospital as he was in severe pain. Quickly got dressed, pulled down the top on the camper and drove to Mareeba hospital. Unfortunately had to go through the gate again, so had to get the key, unlock it and relock it. Meanwhile Euan is sitting in the car feeling very cold, nauseous and in a lot of pain. Eventually found the hospital and spent the rest of the day there until I left around 6.30pm that night. The doctor organised some morphine to ease the pain and had an ultrasound done but nothing conclusive, so they organised a ct scan the next day. Meanwhile Euan was not able to eat much as he kept feeling nauseous or actually being sick, but the pain eased. Left him in the hospital and after the ct scan, the next day, it showed that there was a kidney stone, only 3mm but was lodged in a tube and not passing. It also showed some other blockage behind it, which could be what was making him nauseous when he tried to eat. Nil by mouth in case they have to do surgery. That night they sent him to Cairns hospital for further probing. Got a message from him the next day advising that trip to Cairns seems to have dislodged the stone. They are doing another ct scan and now waiting on the result. The stone had moved and now they hope it would pass out naturally. So after three days he can finally have a decent meal. He will go back in three weeks for a check up to see if all is ok.
So back to the farm and the wetlands. Euan will do some of the boat cruises around the wetland lagoon and also the safari trip in an open vehicle around the reserve which gets people back in time to watch the sunset while having drinks & nibbles. This will allow Greg time to get some work done at the farm that is needed. I am mainly looking after the vege garden at the farm and doing the laundry for the wetlands, so a few hours work each day. They are also showing me how the kitchen ‘runs’ at the wetlands so that I can fill in there when needed.
So now I have some time but not the internet connection to get my blogs off for you to read. We have to have some repairs done to the repairs done on the camper late last year, so waiting on that so I can go and sort out a dongle or whatever is suitable for me to have internet connection and get some food shopping done. Supplies are getting very low. Thankfully we have had a couple of nights eating at the wetlands, so do not have to have canned salmon three nights in a row. We were able to have leftovers from dinner. Teriyaki chicken with salad and lasagne, one night and then pan fried chicken with a creamy mustard sauce, salad and beef & noodles stirfry with veges the next – mmmm delicious. All made on the premises, sauces included.
My days now consist of doing the laundry and working in the vege garden in the mornings, starting around 6.30am so that the washing is dry usually around 10am, ready to be folded and go back to the lodge to be used. As it gets quite hot during the day I water the vege patch early in the morning, so this is why I start early. Once I have done this, I have breakfast around 8.30am. After 11am most of the day is free but sometimes I get called to go to the lodge and help with the cleaning of tents or assist with the dinner at night.
One day my sister-in-law, Judy brought her father to visit the wetlands and had some lunch. After I finished cleaning and remaking of beds in some of the tents I then joined them and Euan for lunch. Margaret suggested that Euan could take them for a ride in the boat around the lagoon if they would like to go. Mr Secomb walked down to the boat with the aid of his sticks and got on board. It was a lovely half hour trip around the lagoon. Was great to be able to catch up with Judy and her father again.
Greg trucked in a load of calves from their other farm which are old enough to be separated from their mothers. Not happy calves. They were put in the pen just behind us and we did not get much sleep as they moaned most of the night. Thankfully they quietened down quite a bit the next night. Calving time has commenced at the farm again. There have been at least 20 or more in the last couple of weeks with more to come.
Twice now one calf which was in one of the larger paddocks with its mum, curled up to sleep in the long grass during the day and mum walked off feeding around but no calf in sight. I went walking around one of the paddocks where its mum was last feeding in, but did not see it and Greg rode around on his horse but we could not find it. Next day it turned up. Mum had gone back to where it was and they were reunited. It must have been in amongst the long grass in which you would not see it until you nearly stepped on it. It did this again a few days later but this time I saw it when out looking around. The next morning they brought it back to the pens with the mum to keep it safe. Thankfully both times it was not found by dingoes. There are horses and a foal. Also five working dogs, (Buster, Hobo (still a bit of a pup), Banda, Charlie and Sam (an older dog). And of course chickens which provide a good supply of eggs. I also provide the chickens with some greens from the vege patch and any of the tomatoes that are a bit damaged, which they go crazy over and food scraps. They get let out in the afternoon and put themselves to bed once the sun goes down, so just have to close the door to their pen. They are also good at breaking up the cow dung while looking for insects.
The bird life here is great. Some of the birdlife on and around the wetlands are: Jacana, Green Pygmy Goose, Egret, Darter, Black Swan, Emu, Black-throated Mannikin sometimes Jabiru (Black-necked Stork) and Brolga. Don’t see them much but hear them a lot at night – Bush-stone Curlew. Have also heard Boobook Owl. There are many more bush birds also at the farm. Sunbird, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Dollarbird, Yellow Honeyeater, Figbird, Willy Wagtail, Magpie, Magpie Lark, Apostle bird, Double-barred Finch, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin, Little Friarbird, Common Koel, Spangled Drongo, Squatter Pigeons, Great Bowerbird (I see where some of the pegs have gone – decorating the Bower – pink & purple ones), Channel-billed Cuckoo, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove….. plus a variety of raptors – Hobby Falcon, Black Kite, Whistling Kite, Kestrel …
Dollarbird
We had a weekend away at Yourka Reserve, near Innot Hot Springs. It is owned by Bush Heritage and we were part of a group doing bird counts for the weekend. It is 43,500 hectares and 150 klms south of Cairns. There were seven of us in total and it was a great weekend. There is a small gorge in one part of it and it has a very inviting water hole for swimming. One of our group went for a quick dip. She was prepared and had her bathers on underneath her clothes.
We took our camper to a place in Cairns to get a quote for repairs, three weeks later Euan rang as we had not heard anything and he still had not sent off the quote to our insurance company. A few days later received a call from the assessors and while the car was in Cairns on another day for a service at VW the assessor came from Townsville and had a look at the camper. Unfortunately when it was repaired last year, a couple of places had not been sealed properly and water got in between the panels, damaging them. Also two extra crossbars were put on the sides to assist in putting up the pop top – one of them buckled which means the roof will not close properly, so we have to put a strap over it to hold in place when driving. Cannot remove the crossbar as the repairers glued them onto the camper. Consequently only using car when we have to. Now we are waiting to hear what the insurance company decides – whether to repair again or write-off the camper. Problem with repairing it is that we will probably have issues again as it was not built properly in the first place, so the insurance company has to decide whether they will want to have this ongoing problem. Euan was wanting to leave the caravan here over the wet season and just use the camper for travelling around in until we come back here.
Another foal has been born and one of the working dogs, Charlie, has had a litter of puppies.
It is now mid-November and it is quietening down visitor wise. Some days only day visitors around at the lodge.
The insurance people have decided that the camper will be written off but have given us the option of keeping the camper so we have something to use and deducting the price off settlement that they think is what it would get selling it. That suits us as it will be awhile before we save up enough to buy another one.
So with the camper sorted out and as there are not many people booked in to stay at the lodge, the decision is that we will leave, which means we have time to drive back to Melbourne and join my family for Christmas. Woohoo!! Have put a cover over the caravan to protect it from the wet season storms while it sits at the farm. The plan is that we come back here ready for Easter. Farewell Mareeba until April.