For the next leg of our roadtrip, we went with the flow.
Literally!
Seeking out rivers, waterfalls and rock pools in the rain forrest, and doing our best to immerse ourselves in all of them.
Starting with Millaa Millaa falls.
We arrived in pouring rain, which didn’t matter much!
We were going to get good ‘n’ wet anyway.
After Millaa Millaa we drove a short way to Zillie Falls.
It’s a treacherous climb down, especially in the rain as the ground just slips away beneath your feet.
But it’s well worth the trip.
At the bottom of the falls you’ll find rock pools, practically made for wallowing in!
The air is thick with the spray of spring water, the sound of crashing water, crickets singing and birds chattering.
Rainbows shimmer through the trees as the sun breaks through. As corny as it may sound, the connection you feel with nature is deeply grounding.
The experience is every bit as magical as you could possibly hope for.
We stretched out on the rocks and rested for a while.
Until a new sound added to the mix.
A gentle but menacing growl…
That turned out to be our bellies! So we hopped up to Mungalli Creek Dairy for lunch.
We went for the epic cheese plate and worked our way through it, watching the rain dribble its way along the windows.
Warm & toasty, we ordered round after round of cheese and hot bread.
The trouble with these sort of lunches is that you just can’t stop!
And when you’re visiting a dairy, it would just be rude not to try the cheesecakes… right?
Eventually, completely stuffed, we waddled back to the truck.
Setting course for Babinda Boulders. Somewhere I’ve wanted to go for some time, and a place to park up and camp for the night.
If water-carved rocks, rushing rapids and lush jungle are your idea of beauty (join the club!) then you will love The Boulders.
There are walking tracks that go on for miles and miles, along with plenty of places to swim.
In the rain we had the place to ourselves.
We soaked until we turned to prunes.
Night fell around us and we headed to camp to get warm.
I cooked up a little supper and we huddled under canvas as the rain beat down around us.
We fell asleep to the sound of the rain.
Warm, still fairly damp, but unbelievably content.
The next morning we fired up the kettle, and set off again! No rest for the wicked.
We raced down through the hills, all the way to Tully.
We’d heard of a river tour, run by Aboriginal people, who would take you along the creek and tell you a little of the history, their stories and the myths surrounding the waterway.
Run by Ingan Tours, it was the best thing we experienced in Australia. I honestly cannot recommend them enough.
You float along and listen to the guide, race through little baby rapids, and soak up the sunshine as you go.
Half way down you pull up on a beach. Your guide lights a fire, and makes a pot of tea as you swim and enjoy the pools.
Truly the most spectacular couple of days.
As damp and cramped as camping may be, it is worth every second to be able to explore as freely as we did!
This could be a whole new chapter… The Londoner falls in love with camping?! Whaddya think?
I think we might feel a little differently after tomorrow’s post.
Just you wait and see.
