National Parks Archives

Walking in White Mountains

Every time I have visited White Mountains National Park I have wanted to explore beyond the identified visitor areas. Camping at Cann Creek was lovely – but what lay on the other side of the ridge? Looking out over Sawpit Gorge wasn’t enough – I wanted to hike down into it.

But I was always suitably intimidated by the warnings saying things like, “Only suitable for strong, well-prepared groups of experienced bushwalkers,” and citing heat, lack of water, rough country, etc, which I always interpreted as, “Don’t try this on your own!” So when the Townsville Bushwalking Club offered an Anzac weekend walk in remoter areas, I made time for it.

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Cape Tourville, Sleepy Bay and Moulting Lagoon

Freycinet National Park is gorgeous and we try to visit it every time we go to Tasmania. Last year’s trip included Wineglass Bay (of course), Mount Amos, Friendly Beaches and the lower reaches of Moulting Lagoon.

This year we stayed at the Richardson’s Beach camping area in the National Park and drove down to Cape Tourville and Sleepy Bay nearby. We also noticed a small day-use area on the inland (northern) end of Moulting Lagoon and called in to see the swans.

Freycinet Peninsula from Richardson's Beach — Freycinet Peninsula from Richardson’s Beach

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Back to Tasmania

We were lucky enough to spend two weeks in Tasmania in December 2021, as we did a year earlier. We won’t add our recent trip to the introduction and index to our December 2020 bushwalking destinations but begin a new collection:

Top photo: Southport Beach (Lune River estuary)

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Cape Tribulation

“The Daintree” is semi-mythical to most Australians, signifying tropical wilderness, rainforest, relentless heat and humidity, crocodiles, torrential rain, swamps, leeches and feral hippies.

In reality, the Daintree is a river but “The Daintree” refers to a stretch of coast between the ferry and Cape Tribulation, a distance of some 35 km, somewhere north of Cairns. It’s a narrow strip of scattered settlements between the mountains and the sea, and it is an essential destination for overseas and southern visitors looking for the real Wet Tropics experience.

The Daintree River ferry, gateway to the World Heritage area

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A Tablelands miscellany

The Atherton Tablelands are a small area of North Queensland which is so rich that every visit can be different. In July we stopped at Ravenshoe, Yungaburra, Malanda and Mt Hypipamee; in October we visited Henrietta Creek, Mungalli Creek, MAMU skywalk, Halloran’s Hill in Atherton, and Abattoir Swamp.

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