June 9th 21st Prairie to Ravenshoe

      Tuesday 9th
    Leaving Prairie today we went to Pentland again to the van park to catch up with washing and household chores.
     Next day to Charters Towers where we are meeting with a family member from Jerviose Station up around Greenvale area, 256km from the Towers, with the intention of spending some time on the station helping out where ever needed.
     Leaving Pentland reasonably early about 30 minutes out we heard a loud bang, Yip nearly jumped over the table in fright along with myself and Dot. Upon inspection we found the rear tyre had lost the entire centre of the tread, still fully inflated though. Decided to continue very steady trying to make it all the way to Carters Towers. Not to be, 10 minutes up the road and the rest of tread came adrift, (much to our fright again).
     So - after changing the wheel we made Charters Towers by late am, had the tyre replaced and settled into the roadhouse for the night.
     Met with the Jervoise Station member and will stock up tomorrow and make our way to Greenvale first up.
         
          Thursday 11th
    Stocked up at last and away by 11am. Blue Waters Roadhouse made lunch for us, nothing here at all, just the roadhouse.
Arrived in Greenvale 3pm, pretty tired and looking forward to a rest, parked outside the Three Rivers Hotel.


Sausage Tree in Greenvale

    This picture of the Sausage Tree is in the grounds of the hotel. Strange thing, I must say! The sausages (fruit I think)are somewhere between 4-6 inches round and maybe up to a foot long.

Me and the sausages on the
sausage tree at Greenvale

It is a native of South Africa. no known uses at all. There are only 3 other trees recorded in Australia, 2 in Townsville Botanical gardens and 1 in the Adelaide botanical gardens.
     We camped where we where for the night.

            Friday 12th
     Jerviose Station
         The gravel road  to the cattle station left much to be desired (grader maybe good), nearly shook us to bits. Still, got there safely with a warm welcome and a cuppa. After setting up we had a look around and some discussion about what was required.

           Saturday 13th
     Decided that staying at Jerviose was not for us and left midday, making our way to firstly Mt Garnet for a small rest then on to Archer Creek for the night.

           Monday 15th
     The weather is a bit unkind, mizzly misty rain, so have gone into Ravenshoe to the Tall Timbers Caravan park. Booked in for week at $100.00.


Little Millstream falls with Yip

Little Millstream falls

     Have thrown our name in to the hat to volunteer ourselves to help in any way needed after the horror explosion at one of the cafes last week where 8 persons where badly injured.

     In the mean time  taking photo's galore while visiting the Little millstream, one of the many waterfalls around the area.
  Friday 19th
  

Millaa Millaa and country from the look-out

     Took the pup's for drive to Millaa Millaa today, via the scenic route , not good for caravans! I know why, but a pretty drive. The town is small but is renowned for the many waterfalls around the area. The scenery is beautiful all over, this one from the lookout over the surrounding country and the town in the distance.

Kauri pine log at Millaa Millaa

In a park in town is this huge Kauri log. It is estimated to be 870 years old. Apparently planted somewhere around 1137!!
    It fell over in 2003, the root system no longer able to sustain the tree.
At that time it was 26 metres to the first branch. (What do you reckon? big eh!) The trunk of it was trucked to its present resting place in 2003 in 3 x 4 metre and 1 x 2 metre lengths making a total of 14 metres of log. 1 metre of the trunk is equal to 4 tonnes of timber.


Millaa Millaa falls

    

Drove to the Millaa Millaa falls while there but gave the others a miss as they are in National park and the dogs are not allowed to visit. These are great though, very picturesque.




   

The Reluctant Cow
a statue at Millaa Millaa

     This unusual statue I found at the end of the road in the town, sort of hiding in the corner. Thought it rated a photo.






Wind Farm at Ravenshoe

     On the way back to Ravenshoe I stopped to look at the Wind Turbines at the Wind Farm. Absolutely Huge, making a kind of slow swishing noise as they moved slowly with the wind, a little weird kind of noise.

          Saturday 20th
     There is a wild life hospital at Millstream we visited today called Eagle Nest owned by a chap named Harry. He has all kinds of animal but the most impressive for us is the 13 Dingo, along with 3 (that I saw) wedge tailed eagles.


Alpine Dingo at Ravenshoe

Black+Tan dingo at Ravenshoe

    



Jim + 4 of the dingo at Ravenshoe

A Tawny Frogmouth Owl at
Ravenshoe

Many wallaby, other birds, emu and all sorts of injured and rescue animals.
     This little owl was a among the many birds I saw.


     Back at camp the day has been fantastic, clouded over in the late afternoon but no rain as yet.




           Sunday 21st
     The weather has turned misty and showery. Nothing for it but - to relax.

                   Stand by for the next episode when I blog again.