We've had a brilliant day, taking in the sights of: Tully, Kurrimine Beach, Innisfail & Flying Fish Point  with our return journey via Mission Beach
Once again our plans have been altered & we are now going to stay at Flying Fish Point instead of Kurrimine Beach later this week
More than likely we'll spend a few days at Kurrimine Beach on our journey back South later this year.  Another definite stop when heading back home will be Mission Beach.  What a beautiful spot & thankfully it has not been commercialised.  The Mexicans come for 3 to 4 months but at $43 per day I can't imagine us staying there too long unless we raid the Super Fund.
Now for our photos of the day

nearing Tully - wettest place on Earth

Kurrimine Beach - Achtung "Crocodiles"

Council Van Park at Kurrimine Beach $20pn

Kurrimine Beach

Flying Fish Point

Banana Plantations near Innisfail - recovered from Yasi !!!

On our way to Mission Beach

nearly at Mission Beach

Mission Beach

Mission Beach - how good is this ???

Dunk Island - wrecked by Yasi

Mission Beach

Wrecked by Yasi - obviously no insurance

Waiting for the Markets to open tomorrow - some van

CARDWELL is situated at the southern extremity of the Cassowary Coast,  half way between Townsville & Cairns, it is the gateway to  Hinchinbrook Island  &  is the only Town where the Highway meets the Sea, North of Bowen

CARDWELL (recovering from Yasi)

Hinchinbrook Island

Port Hinchinbrook

Cardwell’s Port Hinchinbrook provides a state of the art Marina & public boat ramp 

Port Hinchinbrook Marina

The Bush Telegraph Museum

Inside Rainforest & Reef Centre

CARDWELL - Cyclone Yasi was a severe tropical cyclone that hit the mainland of Australia in tropical North Qld on Feb 2nd 2011.  Yasi originated from a tropical low near Fiji.  By Jan 31 it had intensified to a Cat 3 Cyclone, then by Feb 1st it intensified further to Cat 4 and finally reached a Cat 5 by Feb 2nd. Wind gusts, as the eye passed over are said to have reached about 285 km/h.
Significant wind damage was reported between Innisfail and Townsville where the destructive core of the cyclone crossed the coast. Tully and Cardwell suffered major damage to structures and vegetation with the eye of the cyclone passing over Dunk Island and Tully around midnight on 2nd February.
The effects were/are devastating and over 16months later locals are still trying to recover.  Today's 'Forest Drive' between  Cardwell  &  Kennedy show nature  fighting back.  The vegetation is quickly growing but the debri is still there as a reminder

FOREST DRIVE - CARDWELL

FOREST DRIVE - CARDWELL

 Just bypassing TOWNSVILLE..... very impressive.  They have a brilliant road system "The Ring Road" whereby you don't get caught up in the local traffic.  There are numerous exits which are all well signed for the suburbs within the town.  
Decided to stop at Townsville on the way back South, until then.....

On the Ring Road

Townsville Army Reserve Camp

FROSTY THE MANGO 30 kms north of Townsville 

a further 100+ kms North of Townsville & we are in INGHAM

Sugar Train crossing near Ingham

 is located in the heart of the tropics.

 It is the southern gateway to the Wet Tropics World Heritage-listed rainforests of Tropical North Queensland.

The township of Ingham, known for its large Italian community, celebrates the Australian-Italian Festival in July - a feast of Italian wine, cuisine, music and culture.

cannot believe we'll miss the Australian/Italian Festival 

It's our last day in the Towers and the rain has stopped.  We took the opportunity to walk the Heritage Walk around town.

Restoration inside this building is charming

One of the finest buildings in town

Just one of the historic buildings that has been spoilt

 Bats in Lissner Park.  There are 20,000 bats which the current Mayor claims he will cull.  Population of Charters Towers is only 13,000

THE CIVIC CLUB originally known as the Londoner's Club, (a gentlemen's club) You can still have a round of billiards on one of the two 100 year old tables which are still housed in this historic building

Bush Poet time at Charters Towers Caravan Park

Towers Van Park Reception

By 4pmeach day the Park is bursting with vans, not a space to spare

WE HAVE ARRIVED AT CHARTERS TOWERS!!!!!!
By rights that is all I should write about this town, however, it is approx 130 kms  south-west from Townsville on the Flinders Highway.
 The town was founded in the 1870s when Gold was discovered by chance at Towers Hill on Christmas Eve 1871 by a 12-year-old Aboriginal boy, Jupiter Mossman. Jupiter was with a small group of Prospectors including Hugh Mosman, James Fraser and George Clarke. Their horses had bolted after a flash of lightning & while Jupiter was searching for their horses he found both the horses and a nugget of gold in a creek at the base of Towers Hill   
The weather always makes or breaks a destination & unfortunately we are encountering some wet, cold miserable days.  

Gill Street

Miner's Cottage in Deane St

Stock Exchange Building - now used as an Arcade

Post Office Clock Tower  Building

Lissner Park (hundreds of Bats hang from the trees in this Park)

Jupiter Mossman - 12yr old Aboriginal Boy who discovered Gold 

one of the WWII Bunkers on Towers Hill

Balfes Creek

The Menagerie at Balfes Creek

The Melia's

Cheers - Balfes Creek Hotel/Motel

Very sad news was received yesterday.... BEV Pollock  (MELIA)  passed away on Friday morning (22nd June 2012).