We are currently in Barcaldine in the outback. We had some interesting drives to get here. We left the far north, Cape Tribulation, on sunday to beat the weather. They were calling for more rain and lots of it. This is the wet season, but this amount of rain is incredible. A few places got 14 inches of rain in 24 hrs and that was after receiving alot of rain previously. And it's still coming! There is flooding in the north again, areas hit by Yasi like Tully and Cardwell and getting flooded again with all this rain.
We left at a good time as it started to rain when we hit the Tully area and we were watching the water rise in some of the creeks and at the side of the road. North of Townsville, you could see the water lapping at the edge of the highway and the fields beside the highway ( I use the term loosely) were flooded and about to overflow. The highways in Oz are like our secondary highways or roads. Bitumen (tar and gravel) and look like patchwork quilts, they are been patched so many times. I wonder when the last time one was totally resurfaced. The Bruce highway is the main highway around Australia is like highway 33, but not as good. It floods often and has been underwater or closed over 700 times in the last two years. Its closed again in many spots due to the flooding, we got out just in time!
We then headed inland where to forecast was a bit better, showers instead of rain. It is amazing how many ways the aussies can think of to say rain-showers, rain, storms, etc
It has been hot and sunny and we have hit a few of the hot spots for Queensland, 33-34 deg C. Again, traveling along the roads is an adventure. One road started as a two lane bitumen road, pink, from the granite that they use, to a one lane track to a two lane red dirt road. Road trains travel this road and we had the pleasure of meeting 3 of them along this dusty track, its was a "red out". Had to sit still for a few minutes until the dust settled. It then became a two lane bitumen road again, then dirt, then single lane, etc. I am not sure why they don't seal the road all the way. Many of the dirt roads are impassable this time of year (the wet) and the tire ruts are quite impressive.
We have been traveling on long straight stretches of road which go for as far as the eye can see. the road and hydro poles fade off into the horizon. It is nice to see this area green as it is usually brown and dry. Lots of grass plains with some trees and lots of red dirt.
You see these signs at all the rivers in the north
Paronella park lit up at night. It was built in 1930's by a Jose Paronella as a leisure centre.
Grasshopper in Cape tribulation
A beach side campground north of Cairns in the tropical rainforest. You can see that the rainforest comes down to meet the sea.
Cheers
Kim and Dan
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