Well we are into our second half of our Mission Beach holiday and we decided we would stay here for an extra week. This will make a total of 5 weeks when we finally leave. The weather at the moment has been pretty special and staying here a bit longer was an easy decision to make. Not that we have anything different planned for the extra week. Some of the grey nomads from Vic and NSW are slowly heading back south so the caravan park is slowly emptying out which is nice.

There was a Red Bull Defiance Race leg held at Mission Beach on our next weekend. This involved competitors in teams of two riding from Mission Beach to South Mission Beach through the hills , kayaking over to Dunk Island, running around Dunk then kayaking back to South Mission Beach then running along the beach to the finish line at Mission Beach. While we were watching on the beach the skydivers landed on the beach before the race finished which added a bit of spectacle to the event. Filled in a couple of hours and was good to see some people doing something strenuous.

While here at Mission Beach we also ran into Dave and Pam who we were camped next to three years ago when we were here. They come up here every year for around 4 months. We met them when we stayed at the previous caravan park. We ended up catching up a few times for a meal at the local Mission Beach Resort that does a great fish and chips for $15 on Friday night. It was good to see that they hadn’t changed to much and were both enjoying life and holidays.

Just outside of Tully is a place called Alligators Nest which is a very nice picnic and swimming area. One thing that we still are always amazed at is how crystal clear the water is in the rivers here. With the lush greenness of the flora and the contrasting clearness of the water it really is  a great part of the country. They are very lucky to have these type of natural amenities right at their back door.

We also did a weekly trip into Tully for some shopping provisions that we couldn’t get in Mission Beach. This was also a good reason to get out and about a bit and look around a bit more while we were out.

We both have never been to the Great Barrier Reef so we booked a day cruise for one day out to the reef that left from Dunk Island. We caught the water taxi from Mission Beach over to Dunk Island then boarded our boat there for the cruise. You could either snorkel or scuba on the cruise and we were only snorkelling. It was a good sized boat that was only about half full so that made the day even nicer. We also had a great day weather wise with light seas and winds. They took us to two spots for viewing the reef and both were OK. It wasn’t the best snorkelling we have seen but we both enjoyed the day out . They provided a good lunch and the on board facilities were quite good as well.

We did a great walk one day from South Mission Beach along the Kennedy Walking Track that took you along the coast around to Tam O’Shanter Point and to the mouth of the Hull River. We didn’t go all the way to the Hull River, didn’t really see much point in doing so as that part of the walk was just along a beach and we had been seeing lots of those while here. The walk up to the point was very interesting and with some sections on a boardwalk it made for some nice scenery. We ended up doing this walk a couple of times as it is interesting and relatively easy going.

We were keen to try and see some more Cassowary’s and were told that you could almost be guaranteed to see them at Etty Beach. Apparently they feed them at Etty Beach which very much frowned upon. We took the 50 km drive to Etty Beach and were fortunate enough to see two Cassowary’s. One was an adult and the other was a very mature chick that was now out on its own. The chick was just starting to get some blue colour around its head and its feathers were also just starting to go dark.

We were told of a place that was described to us by some locals as a hidden gem and worth the drive out to. We decided to give it a try and so it was Nyleta here we come. We packed a picnic lunch and set off. We weren’t sure how to get there and we were really hoping that Google Maps would lead us in the right direction. We ended up nearly getting there. The local shire had closed the area off due to vandalism as we found out when we got to the gate. So we had a quick look at the river near the gate then decided to back to El Arish and have a counter lunch at the old pub there. Made for a different day out.

The Dreaming Track walk was a short walk just a few kilometres out of Mission Beach. Like all walks around this area it takes you through some lush green rain forest, over a couple of creek crossings and crystal clear rock pools. This was a nice easy walk on flat ground along a very well defined path. We were also very lucky to see a Cassowary come out of the forest in front of us. When it came out we stopped and it slowly started walking towards us. When it got within about 5 metres we stepped off the track to let it pass. It kept walking right up to us and turned off when about a metre from us and disappeared into the forest. Quite an experience really. After it had gone a few steps into the forest it was really hard to see and camouflaged itself very well into the greenery.

While at Wongaling Beach CP there was Harvest Full Moon which had attracted a big gathering down at the beach to watch it rise. The Harvest Moon is when the moon rises as the sun is setting and this creates a brighter full moon. In the early days before modern machinery this used to enable farmers to work later into the evening with the extra natural light they got. From this it got its name as the Harvest Moon. Also this particular Harvest Moon was a special one as it also coincided with the moon being at its furthermost point from the earth. It will be over 40 years apparently until this particular event lines up again. Something else to try and hang around for I suppose.

A day trip to the Gambil Yalgav Misty Mountains was a day trip that we planned. The drive to the mountains took us through some very nice diary country with rolling green hills and very contented looking cows. We decided to walk the Gorrell Trailhead and walk part of the way to McNamee Creek. This was around a 7 km walk but along a pretty easy track. Luckily for us we had a nice clear day for the walk with no rain or mist in the air. As with all walks around this area, they take you through very lush and spectacular country side. When we got to McNamee Creek the water was flowing very well and it was a great place to dip your feet in and cool down. On our way back after the walk we stopped at Paronella Park for a look. We didn’t bother going all the way in and just looked at it from the outside. As we had stayed here previously, a quick walk around from the outside was enough for us.

We had heard at our caravan park that there were some Cassowary’s hanging around at Garners Beach which was a very short drive north of Mission Beach. We decided to go and see if we could see any and as we hadn’t been to this beach before thought the drive would be good anyway. As is was we didn’t manage to see any Cassowary’s but the beach was very nice, as are all the beaches it this area.

Our last day at Mission Beach also coincided with the Cassowary Festival. This is held each year and is centred around the Cassowary with lots of stalls giving out information about the Cassowary and other fauna in the area. There were a few market stalls as well to help keep you amused. Nice way to compete our stay in the Mission Beach area.

Well after a great five weeks in this fantastic part of Queensland and Australia we sadly have to pack up and head off. We have really enjoyed our little break from travelling and will definitely be back again sometime. We just hope that it doesn’t get to overdeveloped and spoil the relaxed atmosphere they have created here. Fingers crossed.

From Mission Beach we are heading inland to the table lands and towards Atherton to catch up with some friends. Hopefully the weather stays as good for us.