Here We Go Again - Chapter 39 - Cairns to Undara

Locked down? No, not us. Cairns has been spared a Covid inspired lock down for the moment, but it has not been spared the rain. Its the dry season here in Far North Queensland and it has rained the entire time we have been here. Not continually but on and off as a frontal system has lodged itself over us. It certainly hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm.

Today though we are packing up in the rain. All the outside stuff is wet and transfer of things between the Cruiser and the Van means a drenching. Add to that we have 2 “lakes” surrounding the van for the moment which adds to the moment. 

Sleep was a little tough last night with the rain, and in the intermissions, the drops from the overhanging trees. With rain, comes mud and as I start to load up some of the wet camping equipment I not only become saturated but muddied as well. First the camp chairs then the  front mat, all wet but still packed. The hoses are covered in mud and wipe themselves off on my short as I roll them up and place them in their “cubby houses”, one of the many storage areas of the van. Last the power cord, ensuring there is no contact with the water, dont want any nasty surprises when next we plug it in.

Like I said I am saturated, wet and muddy. I need to change before we leave. Time to pull out a pair of the new shorts and a shirt otherwise it will be a very uncomfortable drive to Undara. Silver Leader is dragging the chain, still feeling a little of the effects of yesterday’s jab.

The rain is consistent, not heavy just as we cleave but enough for the wipers to be working on faster than intermittent. 

Forbsy has the lead today. He has investigated the route in detail as he has been here before and several of the options for our trip are very windy making the drive especially in the wet very challenging. The rain gets heavier, as an unmarked police car, a Toyota XV, pulls over a driver in front of us. The officer alights with breath testing equipment in hand. 

Already off the planned route and we aren’t even out of Cairns yet, Forbsy apologises for missing a turn which is named differently to his GPS, confusing the leader no end. This does not auger well for the remainder of the day’s journey does it Forbsy? Back on track we head out of Cairns to increasingly heavy rain.

The rain wa sintense last night and many of the creeks, having stored little eater on earlier expeditions, are now raging torrents of brown muddy water. The spray being sent up by the traffic means visibility is poor and we maintain a safe speed well under the limit.

More creeks, more flooding and the rain keeps falling. Off the divided road sections the trucks coming the other way bring with them a wall of water, just to make the driving a little more difficult. I make a mistake and allow both wheels into some water tracking along the road. The Cruiser starts to aquaplane a little, sending shivers up my spine. I move the track towards the middle of the road and vow not to let that happen again.

My GPS is suggesting we are about to turn and I look to  “confirm” with the leader who suggests rather than the 5 kilomtres my GPS heralds we are turning in about 50 kilomtres. The road the GPS wants to take – the Gilles Highway – much like the early parts of the Savannah Way to the north of Cairns, is a myriad of curves and switchbacks which on a dry day would be challenging, but in the rain, downright treacherous. Once we pass the turn off spot the GPS fights with us about making a legal U Turn until finally it succumbs to the trek planned  by our leader.

Trekking along in the rain, maintaining speed with the traffic. When we get to overtaking lanes we slow to allow faster traffic to pass. In this area these lanes are very short and if they are not ready to move, cars often miss the opportunity. At one point we notice two trucks lined up for the next passing lane. They are appreciative as is shown by the blinkered response as they get ahead of us.

Not so us, when we come up behind a motorhome  not long after. As if to try and annoy us, this driver would drive slowly in the normal road sections, then as we attempted to overtake in the passing lanes, would speed up. Forbsy and I ganged up on this driver, calculating the distance to the passing lane, allowing ourselves some distance to speed up and engage a passing manouevre at speed as the lane appeared. Even then the drivers attempts to thwart our efforts see the two vans only just ahead of the motorhome enough to avoid touching as the motorhome merged back to the main lane.

Silver Leader is not that lucky, and for several passing lanes after, complains across the UHF of the tactics of the motorhome driver. Remember this is all in the wet as well. Its almost a Dennis Weaver Duel (1971 Universal) experience. The motorhome driver even seeks to occupy the actual passing lane rather than get into the slow vehicle lane at times, then returning to much slower speed once the extra lane finishes. One wonders where some people get their licences from, let alone their manners.

Silver Leader finally overtakes the motorhome and I am told gave the driver the “bird” in response to the tactics employed and we were soon a trio again only to have to slow abruptly as another van, with a long line of other traffic behind it is crawling up a hill at 40kph. Forbsy comes over the UHF with his best impression of Ma & Pa Kettle “haven’t seen any traffic today Pa” in reference to the inability of anyone to get around them.

We have had enough for the moment and peel off in the next town looking for lunch. We park in back streets and go looking for a suitable eating establishment. Robyn and I go via the local post office as we have mail to deal with. The postal employee is very jovial, even though she is quite busy with customers, but you would think you were her only customer as she took time to ensure our needs were met. Old fashioned service, and even waiting in the line you appreciated her approach to the other customers, all equally as caring yet efficient.

There are pies straight out of the oven at the bakery the others have found. As we as the meat products there are a nice selection of other items. I ask for a vanilla slice to augment Robyn’s meal and I am served up a tray with 2 slices that could have been leftover from the local show that was in town yesterday such was the compactness of the desert under the plastic wrapping.’

Robyn suggests on trial of the slice, that they are not the best ones she has sunk her teeth into (Prossy Pies will take some beating), but it goes down nonetheless.

Enough of this lollygagging, time to be back on the road. Hopefully the annoyances of the morning are far ahead or have turned off. I get turned around against a street I cannot turn the direction I want and I have to do a “blockie” to right my direction. The others get a march on me and I am several vans behind them by the time I hit the main road. I am so far behind in fact that I am soon out of radio range as there is a van in front, although not doing incimfrtanly slow speeds is obviously going slower than the others.

We come into another small town and Robyn cries out – there they are. Sure enough on the other side of the road, Forbsy and Silver Leader have turned into a fuel stop for a top up. I make the turn in, just, and join the queue for fuel. This takes some time as we all have to line up together to the one pump that will fill our side inlets and Silver Leader is having issues with air pockets in his fuel. When I finally get to the pump another driver parks across my way out, gets out of their vehicle and proceeds to head inside the shop for food. I know this because I see them inside and then again outside as I am wanting to move away from the bowser.

Inside the shop is an experience in itself. A young attendant (its school holidays remember) is showing another young attendant the ropes. To say the trainee was “getting it” would be an iundersta,ent and the trainer’s skills also left a lot to be desired. The nong queue is finally dealt with and I am at least on my way back to the Cruiser. I wait until the other driver returns and drive back to the road where the others are waiting.

Just a little further, and now topped up, its time to head on into our destination. We are just about to start slowing down for the turnoff when we come up against some slow moving traffic. There are 2 vintage cars pulling caravans, but unlike the earlier encounters, these guys are talking to each other via the UHF, know we are coming and allow us past. Not that we really needed to. We get in front and trafficators on, turn off the highway for the last 13 kilometers into Undara.

What we expect is a potentially a small van park. What we find is a sprawling expanse of different types of camping. There are spaces for our vans, both powered and not. Rows of glamping tents, homestead accommodation, and then lots of areas for day trippers. The reception, bar and entertaining areas are train carriages, as are some of the accommodation. A tribute to the passion of the original owner.

We park, set up and by then its time for dinner so its out with the Silver Leader barbeque and throw on some meat and veggies. 

Reading the material provided in the booklet on arrival, it looks like tomorrow will be fascinating if the pictures are anything to go by. Only tomorrow will tell.