Queensland interior

From Cairns, we make plans to head for the Queensland interior. We drive north to Port Douglas.

Queensland interior
James Cook Highway, between Cairns and Port Douglas

Port Douglas is too crowded for us. This must be peak season for visitors.  We decide to travel a bit further north to Mossman.

Before we leave PD, we sample some meat pies for lunch. One is crocodile pie and one is kangaroo pie. The crust is stamped accordingly.

Queensland interior
Neither taste like chicken

Mossman is much less frenzied. We visit the Mossman Gorge.

Queensland interior
Bridge over the Mossman River
Queensland interior
Roots, rock, reggae

Back at the interpretation centre, we spot this enormous spider. I ask Maria to put her hand near it for comparison. She obliges.

Queensland interior
Big-ass spider

On the other side of a mountain range, the land changes from rain forest to fertile farmland. We pass though patches of forest with signs to look out for Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroos. We don’t see any, though.

Queensland interior
Hill and dale

It doesn’t take long for the terrain to become Outback-y. This is the track we take to the Kalkani Crater.

Queensland interior
Queensland interior

We climb to the crater’s rim

Queensland interior
View of Matilda far below in the parking lot.

There are wallabies around the trail.

Queensland interior
The aptly-named Pretty-faced wallaby

We camp in Undara Lodge. We awake to two galahs squawking overhead.

Queensland interior
A galah event

The hawk flying by at the same moment was a happy accident.

Undara is known for its lava tubes.

Queensland interior
Lava tube
Queensland interior
At the mouth of a lava tube
Queensland interior
The guide points out bats

We carry on to the remote hamlet of Einasleigh. Lots of red dirt, like Prince Edward Island.

Queensland interior
…or like  Prince Edward Island with eucalyptus trees

We have lunch and a beer at Einasleigh’s sole hotel.

Queensland interior
The only place in town

Surprisingly, the young woman behind the bar is from Boston. The many people in Australia with work visas are encouraged to work at least three months in remote locations.

The draw here is the Copperfield Gorge.

Queensland interior
Maria and the Copperfield Gorge
Queensland interior
Rock formation
Queensland interior
Copperfield Gorge

Sight or Insight of the Day – Queensland interior

A guide tells us that the thousands of pensioners – ‘grey nomads’ – traveling around Australia these days are improving the economy of the outback. They actually pay money for things like guided tours and stay in nicer resorts. This in turn creates jobs for locals so everybody doesn’t pack their tents and move to Sydney or Melbourne. Nice to know that the boomer generation is good for something.