Railway and Mountains

Thursday last week, after work, I took the long way home, the scenic route.

Basically it was nowhere near being on the way home, the wrong direction for a start. It was nice though, to have an evening drive and just relax.

Other than work, nothing much has been happening around here. Completely uninteresting blog wise to be honest. That is unless you wish me to yabber on about the lack of housework getting done and the washing I have to do every evening so I have a uniform and the fact that cooking dinner seems just too hard.

I told you, completely uninteresting.

But hey, work has to be done and money is always good. They do say it makes the world go round. Well I don't know about that but it certainly pays the bills and feeds us.

It reminds me of how hard it was when we first moved here. Mr Sparky was an apprentice and I had to take what I could get job wise. A few years later all the job applying has pretty much paid off, finally, and Mr Sparky is qualified and looking at going out on his own. So much has happened in the last few years.

It i amazing how fast things go and how much they change and yet don't.

And here I am, still taking photos of the region. Although admittedly not so enthusiastically at the moment.

At the moment this blog feels like it has hit a standstill. I wonder about what to do with it. 

What do you like about it or think I could do to improve?

But then maybe it is just me and that end of year worn-out-ness or feeling the need to mix it up a bit.

Meanwhile I am going to keep heading out and taking photos and working. 

Well taking photos when I'm not worn out from working and am sleeping instead.

I hope have a great week!

Bringing the Mountains Alive

We've been having some gorgeous, clear, rather too summer like weather over the last few days but last weekend was a different matter. Last weekend it rained, and rained and rained. It was record breaking rain that in just a couple of days left us with the wettest May since 1920. It was a bit of treat considering what a flop the wet season was this year. Rain like this is what brings the mountains and waterways alive.

Walsh's Pyramid turned on the water works with multiple waterfalls clearly seen running down the mountain. A couple of days later these were no longer there.

Sis G had come up for the weekend so she got to see first hand mountains shrouded by cloud and water running everywhere. Her reaction was like what my first one was. Come to think of it, I still get excited. We didn't exactly grow up in an area that turned on misty mountains and waterfalls.

On Sunday, she had to head back south and I decided to come part of the way with her so we could look around a little together.

It didn't take long for something to catch my eye, the Pyramid for one and the swollen Mulgrave River for another.

We aimed for Babinda Boulders and were planning on a late lunch at the Bakery. Well that was closed that Sunday and so was pretty much everything else except for the Kool Spot Cafe. Oh, their fish and chips was delicious. Just thinking about it makes me want to head back again.

After our extremely enjoyable lunch we headed to the Boulders. Now, this is when I realise I haven't actually shared my last visit with you so there is nothing to compare it with. Well let me tell you, this time it looked the polar opposite of my last visit. Rushing and raging, Babinda Creek was putting on a show.

We walked along the Devil's Pool track to the lookouts over the creek. 

The best view of all was through a break in the trees looking back up stream at a waterfall. I believe last time I could hardly see any water going over the rocks.

The final lookout over the gorge left us with a view of foaming water raging off into the distant trees.

 We, meaning I, dawdled along watching the mist on the mountains and the flowing water. Well I wasn't the only one, Sis G was aiming for the perfect selfie and was enjoying the natural beauty just as much as me.

There is a legend or dreamtime story about the Babinda Boulders that you can find here. It is an interesting read telling of how the boulders came to be and also possibly giving a bit of a water safety message. 

Last time I was at the Boulders I went swimming here. Knowing how fast the creek was flowing there is no way I would have gotten in this time. Not only that but that water is cold there, and the rain was cooling us off enough.

Unfortunately, then it was time for us to part ways. Sis G needed to seriously head south so she wasn't home too late.  It was so nice to spend the time with her even though, as per usual, it was too short.

On the way home I stopped to take photos of the heavy clouds and smoking mountains. A bit of a joke from the weekend, sometimes that wispy, misty cloud looks like smoke coming off the mountains. I might have started it by blurting out something about 'look, the mountains are smoking!' I am all class.

On the way back I passed Walsh's Pyramid again, this time stopping to check out more of the falls on different sides.

I love seeing how different paces look in different weather and how the beauty of them changes to a different beauty.

Here is a bit more of an idea for you on the differences between my last visit, in March, and this more recent one.

Looking a little like Autumn

We've had some Autumn like looking days here this week, the fog has arrived. Monday morning the fog was thick enough to ask the sunrise but by the time I made up my mind to go and take some photos, most of it had cleared south of the city.

All links are to previous related posts.

Walsh's Pyramid

Can you spot the chimney from the sugar mill?

Sugar cane fields around Walsh's Pyramid

After having fun with dew drops and fog I headed into Gordonvale, to get a photo or two of the mill before they start work. Well they were working, working getting the mill ready for the beginning of the sugar cane harvest. Once the cane starts to flower, things will be full steam ahead.

Mulgrave Sugar Mill operating since 1896, services around 300 farms.

When I arrived there were passengers waiting to catch a train off the single platform at the station, next to the mill. The Spirit of Queensland was due in at any time, on its way south.

The train was way too long for the platform so they stopped to let the guard off and then moved forward to let the passengers on.

Once the train was gone the station went back to being quiet and deserted, well except for me. We don't have many trains through in the Far North, just this one and ones with all our food and other goods, that I know of.

I then headed to find some pretty flowers which I used for a belated Mother's Day.

What has it been like where you are?

Tuesday's Treasures