Author: Mr A
Location: Golden Hole, Wooroonooran National Park
Monday: Wooroonooran…thats a lot of o’s right? We had been looking at somewhere to stop for a couple of nights on the way up to Cairns, and really wanted a break from caravan parks. Nice as the one had been at Mission Beach, it’s just lovely to get “out there”.
We spotted this place on WikiCamps that was a bit light on reviews but was described as variously “Open” then “closed” and a “gravel car park”. It actually turned out to be one of the nicer bush camps we’ve had. Yes its a gravel car park and the gates to the beautifully mown grassy areas that surround it are locked, after hoon damage from car tyres and rubbish left lying around.
So we pulled up and went off for an explore.The first thing we notice is the big yellow crocodile warning signs, so perhaps we won’t be going for a swim here. It turns out to be a lovely turquoise waterhole to wander around, with creeks tumbling in from a couple of directions.
Then there are big grassy paddocks around the car park are surrounded by towering, forested hills. The light is just so vivid, and we love it.
We went for a short walk at the end of the afternoon, amazed at the richness of the scenery which looks more like Hawaii than the Australia we have known and loved in NSW for so long.
We felt so at peace here, we decided to stop another night before heading into Cairns.
Tuesday morning we cycled a couple of kilometres up the road to Josephine Falls – waterfalls that cascade down from what is…apparently…the highest “mountain” in Queensland – Mount Bartle Frere at 1,611 metres. Never heard of it you say…likewise.
We are really enjoying this part of the coastal wet tropics in the their sunny season of winter. Very comfortable temperatures in the day of late 20’s yet cool at night; good access to wild, uncrowded places; but never too far from a civilised feed. What’s not to like?
A chilled out afternoon ensued, a lot of drinking tea and reading books in the shade, plus a little bit more exploring up to the higher reaches of the nearby creeks.
Tassie loves it here too. She did a long walk around the area, exploring the pool, digging in the sand and climbing on the boulders – for a 75 year old she isn’t going too bad – she takes it all in her stride, sniffing new smells and creating new memories…we definitely recommend a short stop here if you want a restful break in fantastic scenery.
