Our next stop was Malanda and we found our favourite caravan park so far… ever…not just this trip! What made it so good? For the kids, it was the animal farm they had, complete with chickens, ducks, goats and baby goats, pigs, a lama and a pony! They both enjoyed going down to visit the animals and they even got to feed them! For the parents, it was the hot shower! After 6 days showering with the 12volt shower and only getting 2 liters of water these were the best hot showers! We also spent some time exploring the area. The visitors centre had a great display that taught us about the local history. We went for a short bush walk and visited the Malanda Falls. We also went to the Curtain Fig Tree. We learnt that this occurred because a fig seed was deposited onto another tree, a host tree. The roots of the fig tree then made their way down to the ground and strangled the host tree which then fell onto another tree. Over the years the host tree rotted away, and the fig tree continued to spread it roots which formed the curtain formation! On our way back we then found the best strawberry sorbet at Shaylee Strawberry Farm. The ice cream was amazing and so was the large punnet of strawberries we bought to take home.
When we left Malanda,
we thought we would stop and have a look at the Windy Hill Wind Farm. Well the name didn’t disappoint! It was blowing a gale and freezing cold so we
think that stop took us less than 2 minutes!
We then stopped at Millstream Falls which is reputedly the widest
single-drop water fall in Australia. This waterfall is also site to a WWII
training and rehabilitation camp. We all
learnt a lot walking through the ruins and finding out about life at this site
in the 1940’s. The next stop was Innot
Hot Springs, a natural mineral spring that flows into a creek. The water in some places is up to 75 ̊. The
kids got in and enjoyed a relaxing ‘hot bath’ in the creek. They were a little red when they got out and
Glen and Laura had some very red feet! The final stop for the day was the Georgetown
Visitors centre where we looked at the Ted Elliot Mineral Collection which is
home to over 4500 minerals, gems, crystals and fossils that are from local,
national and international locations. We
also looked through the display of local information for this area as well.
The next day it was on
to Cobbold Gorge. Most of us were excited about doing the Stand-Up Paddle Board
Tour through the Gorge. Laura was not so
convinced though! But before that
afternoon activity we spent the day kayaking on the dam and briefly dipping in
the infinity pool – that was freezing! But the afternoon was spent gently
paddling through the Gorge as the sunset.
The colours in the gorge were breathtaking and the rock formations were
amazing. Laura managed to conquer more
fears and made it all the way down the gorge and back! We all enjoyed the afternoon and were even
happier to return to camp dry and not have the full immersion experience in the
gorge! The next morning, we got up and
did the walk to Russel Lookout and we were able to see that the land stretched
for miles in all directions! We were
surprised at how much there was to do at Cobbold Gorge and we all had a very
memorable experience there.
We then started to
head up to Normanton. On the way we
stopped at the town of Croydon and looked at the historic buildings that they
have restored. The kids enjoyed listening to an actual court case that was
heard in the late 1800’s and found it very funny that a lady got a 2 month goal
sentence for swearing in public and another man also got a 2 month goal sentence
for dealing drugs! Boy, how times have
changed! We are now settled at a camp
on the Norman River and will continue our adventures in the Gulf!
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