Well I started writing about last weekend's trip the other day and left you with pretty misty pics as we headed south. We kept heading south. Through Babinda, where the sugar mill no longer exists, then further again.
We stopped for breakfast/ morning tea in a nice park in Tully, along with some friends.
There also happened to be a pretty big statue in this park.
Now that is a big boot, and I should know with my huge size 11/ 12 feet. I wonder who it fits?
Across the road was the sugar mill.
We then headed a little higher for a better view of the mill. What a great place for a bit of a lookout.
Inside the boot are some photos from throughout history of the Tully area.
Also when the sun came out it was really a golden boot.
We then headed further south. A quick trip through Cardwell and checking out a new shop.
Then it was further south again, with a stop to look at the lookout on top of the Cardwell Range where we used to drive along the highway.
Then the land got drier.
We had entered the dry tropics, the tropics without the rain.
We then turned inland and watched the landscape change. The lack of grass and cattle was pretty obvious.
Then I saw one of my favourite bridges and one very familiar to me.
It is the railway bridge over the Burdekin River, just outside Charters Towers.
For those who don't know this used to be my old haunt ... well about 3.5hours from my old haunt. I miss the area, the landscape, dry or not.
We stopped down on the sand of the Burdekin and decided to head down to the water. Maybe not the smartest think in the middle of the day.
It was run across the sand, burn you feet hot. Ouch! What wasn't so far became a huge distance to cover. Ouch! Ouch!
See isn't that railway bridge just perfect.
Then here is the highway opposite it.
Reaching the shade was a relief, for my too pale skin and for my feet (I did head back to the car for my thongs but then gave up on them and ran with them in hand). It was so nice down by the water.
It was strange and amazing to be walking among trees bent by the water's pull when the river is in flood, to walk along stony paths which are often under water in a great season.
Even though I came past here so many times I never stopped and went down to the river. I am so glad I have now. What a great place to hang out, all the signs say others like to spend time down there too.
We walked back the smart way, in the shade of the highway, leaving only a short run on the burning sand to the car.
I do love that bridge, such a classic piece of the past.
I also love the record kept of the river's floods. That highway often goes under the river during wet season in a good flood.
We then found a great place to relax (and put my fried feet up), a tourist park which we had used before.
It was so nice sitting on the veranda in the cool breeze, listening to the birds and no traffic. Bliss!
There is much more to come, as I said in the last weekend jaunt post, I am going to drag this out as much as I can. Hope you enjoy it!
Have you been on any good get aways recently? Have you headed back to an old haunt?
