Day 11: Airlie Beach - Paluma Range NP

July 2, 2018

This morning is more relaxed than the last few days. Although we can't sleep in, we don't have to get up at 5 o'clock today either. We wake up around 7:30 am to the squawking of the flock of cockatoos. It's incredible how much noise they can make. I feel like I'm sleeping in a huge bird aviary :-)
While I go outside for my morning routine and try to close the campervan door (by the way, it's not raining anymore), it happens:
the horrific encounter with the first big creepy crawly!!!
There's a huge black spider sitting on the campervan door, and as I close the door, it tries to get inside the van at lightning speed. But I'm quicker! Yes!

Quickly, I slam the door shut, take a step back, and scream. I have a total fear of spiders.... Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Helplessly, I watch as the creature tries to squeeze itself between the insect screen and the door rubber.

I yell to my husband to open the door forcefully so that the creature flies away (in theory). The obedient husband reacts and skillfully pushes the spider outside. It lands on the concrete slab (huge - at least in my opinion), from where my husband catapults it about 3 meters away with a broom onto the other side of the road.
Phew - now I'm awake!
I'm very careful where I step as I walk to the washroom after breakfast. I thoroughly inspect everything there before I sit down at the sink or use the toilet. It seems that the critters are drawn to wetness. But luckily, there's no spider in sight. Uff....
I also inspect the door carefully on the way back to the campervan before I touch it. We don't want to risk another encounter.

After breakfast, we continue heading north. The weather has improved a bit, it's no longer raining, but the coast is cloudy and the sun is not visible. So even today, the Whitsundays trip wouldn't have been a summer adventure... oh well, let's keep going!

We're heading to Townsville. Magnetic Island is also off the itinerary, so we're only stopping in Townsville for lunch.
We reach the city around noon without any complications and find a parking spot near the beach.

The weather is still heavily cloudy, and it's even darker over the sea. So Magnetic Island wouldn't have been the best choice today either...

We have lunch at the "FishChips" restaurant on the beach (by the way, salad and pizza ;-)) and then continue towards Paluma Range National Park.

Our destination for today is Jourama Falls and its campground. Our only overnight stay in a government national park campground.

In the USA & Canada, it's obvious for us to spend the night at a national park campground, but in Australia, we often fail to do so because we don't have a 4x4 off-road vehicle or because our campervan is simply too big. However, the internet told me that an overnight stay and access with the campervan would be possible, so we hope for the best and let ourselves be surprised.

We reach the falls via an unpaved side road, to be precise, a construction road because they are currently working here. Fortunately, it's not too wet anymore, or else our blue exterior would also be a rich orange-red color, as the road is a "clay-sand track."

After a few kilometers, we reach the forest and there we see the first sign indicating that we have to cross a "river" to reach the campground.....!?

What!? That wasn't mentioned on the internet!!!!
On top of that, there's no turning possibility - especially not for our little 'ship'.... Oh no...

I get out of the vehicle and read the information board.
The road to the campground is an "unsealed road" (we already noticed that), which crosses the "creek" twice (!) before reaching the campground... Hm.
There's nothing on the board that says motorhomes can't or shouldn't drive the route. So let's go!

We reach the first creek crossing. The water is only a few centimeters high. With a leap, my husband drives the campervan through the water to the other side. Well, that was easy.

We continue on the red clay ground to the next creek crossing. We also master this one without any problems. Shortly after, we reach the campground. I could only reserve a spot in advance on the internet, but not a numbered pitch. It seems that here, we can choose where we want to park.

We drive around the loop once and decide on site number 1.

Spacious and close to the toilet/washroom.

We're all alone! Completely alone at the campground (that feels kind of strange....).
But the site and the campground are great!

Finally, the feeling of being in the "wilderness." Very nice!
We're warned about mosquitoes, and we spray ourselves just to be safe, but we don't see any mosquitoes. Luckily!

After exploring the (really clean) washroom with a very clean outhouse - no joke! - we pack our swimwear and walk towards Jourama Falls.

While it's heavily cloudy at the coast, it's sunny and incredibly humid inland. The thermometer in the campervan shows "only" 25 degrees, but I'm sweating as if it were 30 degrees. According to the travel guide, there are swimming pools here. Great, I have to go there!!
But before that, I take a quick look at the campground board.

I printed out my reservation, and as requested, placed it prominently behind the windshield.
When reading the campground information, I stumble upon the following sentence:

For your safety:
The creek may rise suddenly after rain and crossings will become impassable. For your safety, ensure you have several days of extra food.

Ahhhhh..... What was the weather forecast for tomorrow again? Wasn't it supposed to rain tonight???? Panic! We don't lack food and drinks, but we simply don't have the time to spend "a few days" here at the campground. My husband reassures me. Currently, there's no sign of rain, and we'll first hike to the falls and then check the weather forecast on our phone.

Okay, let's go towards Rockpools for swimming!
But first, it's time to "sweat" and climb the Jourama Falls Lookout.

Once that's done (by now, I have the pulse rate of a budgerigar), we climb down the path and the stairs back to the sign for "Rockpools," then continue down the riverbed and climb the many rocks until we find a really big waterhole for swimming.

The water is clear, but the ground seems very dark and deep. So it takes some courage to step into the (icy-cold) black water (since the sun is already very low) and start swimming. But once you're in = delightful!

We splash around in the water until it becomes too chilly. Oh, it's so wonderful! Refreshed, we head back to the campervan.

By the way, the promised campground shower is just a rickety shower cabin with a showerhead.... Good thing we went swimming ;-)

My husband unsuccessfully tries to check the weather forecast for tomorrow, but we're really far away from any telephone network here - we both have no signal. We agree that if it starts raining, we'll leave immediately.
Okay, I can live with that.
It's slowly getting dark, and we're still alone at the campground. That feels really eerie. I want to look at the starry sky, but the trees are too dense. Instead, I stop by the campground info sign again (maybe there's a weather forecast?), and while rereading it, I stumble upon the sentence:

"Stinging fish called bullrouts live in some rivers and creeks. If you are stung and symptoms are severe, seek medical advice."

Well great - luckily I read that just now!!! I would never have put a foot in the black water otherwise!

After the last day tourist passes the road next to the campground, it becomes eerily quiet and, above all, dark. The trees surrounding us hardly let any moonlight through, and the sparse lighting of the washroom is barely visible.
Normally, we'd only use the tight little campervan toilet in emergencies, but today it's clear that no one walks alone to the toilet in the evening or at night, but instead, uses the toilet in the campervan.

While outside, the bats fly their rounds and the turkeys, or whatever those black-yellow-red creatures are, engage in wild fights, we fall asleep. However, I wake up several times during the night and listen, just in case it starts raining.

Fortunately, it doesn't rain tonight.
Phew - lucky us!


For the statistics:
Campground: Jourama Falls Campground
Cost: €16 / Unpowered grass site
Distance driven: 370 km
Wildlife sightings: turkey, birds, bats, spider
Weather: initially cloudy, then sunny up to 25 degrees
Conclusion: Wilderness - here we come!