17 April
We leave Mareeba and head to Riffle



Creek just past Mt Molloy. We have stayed here before and it was
packed then and its not quite so busy this time . A $2 donation is
all they ask for the cleaning and up keep of this area flushing
toilet and cold showers and a walking track into town of Mt. Molloy.
Leaving the van here we drive to Mt. Lewis this is off the road to
Port Douglas and Mosman and coast road. Stopping at Alligator swamp
and find they still have not finished replacing the boardwalk into
the bird hide. 



 
 


 The road up to Mt Lewis is a dirt road and up here
there is a place for the endangered Blue head parrot finch. They are
here until late April but we did not find but found a few other birds
like the Spotted Cat bird. I did see a Ulyses butterfly which is big
and blue but it did not stay still long enough for me to get a photo.
One day I will. This is Australia's second largest butterfly the
largest is the Cairns Bird-wing-- -black and green and 150mm. I have
seen only from a distance.

You can really tell we are in the
tropical part of Australia , beautiful rainforest and the smell of
sugar cane growing.

Before we leave Mt. Molloy we walk into
town its a good walk in the rainforest , one of the other campers saw
a couple of monitor lizards but we heard movement but could not find
anything, just birds and butterflies.


 

Mt Carbine caravan park is still as
beautiful as I remember , peaceful, clean, heaps of birds and
Friendly owners Robert and Jennifer.
They will look after our caravan while
we are in Cape York.




 We will be camping in the roof top tent
for 7-8 weeks as the roads up there are not for caravans , dirt roads
, plenty creek crossings with crocodiles.

Just thought I would post this if I can
as here and further on has very little wifi or phone reception. Hope
you all like your getting colder weather we will be still in shorts
and swimming when there is no crocodiles of course.
Oh and I nearly forgot this time when
we get to the tip of Australia I will try not to fall over and break
a camera, scarring everybody thinking I was going off the end into
the sea.
Mt Carbine has permanent caravan
residence and the park is up for sale. There is a little village
attached , Brooklyn village with houses very cheap but old, and only
1-2 hours away from Cairns and only 1 hour to Mareeba or coast and
Port Douglas or Mosman.
 
  Did I say I like this place.
leave 22 April

Oh and last night 1 of the men in the
village who does wildlife rescue found a little black striped snake
under some wood as we walked past so we got to hold. 

 When I checked
in my book later I found there only a few snakes in Australia with
the stripe lengthways down their bodies. This one grows only to 40cm
eats little skinks and I found out he has venom.