Jungletop

Wednesday 29th May 2002. 'Jungletop' on the Great Divide Tolga. Features: Spectacular views, unique rainforest. Fitness a must. Leave 8.00 am Post Office Tolga. Standard requirements - 3 litres water. Grade is moderate/hard. Length is medium, 8-10 km. Duration: all day. Track type: cross country, extended ascent/descent. Contact Kathy Kilpatrick on 4095 4536

We climbed up the dip on the southern end of Mt Emerald then south along the top which had been burnt. We came to a patch of rainforest up on top which had been logged for a short time but found to be too inaccessible. It was heavily disturbed by pigs. We had lunch near some foxholes dating from WW2 training then descended a steep hill to farmland at the end of the Bones Knob road where Bluey met us with a billy of tea and biscuits.

Emerald Creek Falls

Emerald Creek Falls One & Two  Wednesday 1^st May 2002

Led by Noel Brooks, we left Mareeba at 7.30 am. We climbed up above the falls, initially in the creek then up on the western side, until we came to the next falls, where we had a swim and smoko.

the falls – there is a narrow gorge

Noel Brooks, above the falls, soon after lunch, when things started getting difficult, on the way down.

Was this the one where we got light showers coming across to make it slippery?

Easter 2002 at Cobbold Gorge

This was our first camping trip with the club and we set up our camper next to Colin and Jean Wilson, the leaders. It was nice to find that their style of camping was similar to ours.
On Saturday we walked up the river which had only a few weeks earlier been 12 feet up in flood, then into Agate creek, collecting odd red rocks on the way.
We then headed a bit north to some cliffs for smoko and into some gullies. We were accompanied by a ranger from the park who was interested to see if he could make some walks for tourists.
I particularly liked a blind gully with some posts and rails at the end for mustering livestock.
We then climbed up and walked along a rocky ridge above Cobbold Gorge.
Next day we went up the gorge on a boat.

Jean Muriel Falls

This was a 12km Sunday jungle walk with Colin and Jean Wilson, after whom Colin named the falls. Also Norms Falls. This may have been our first walk in our new Blundstone boots from TGT in Mareeba.
We started on the Maalan Road east of Ravenshoe, crossed a paddock and into rainforest, marked by Colin with his distinctive black and white tape.

I remember Buckinghamia celsissima flowering above the rainforest canopy in this area south of Ravenshoe.

Fishery Falls

Wednesday 22 August , 2001. This walk was led by Bluey. We climbed up the rocks in the creek above the water intake. It all got a bit dangerous. Bob Lewis and Marie pulled out. Others on this walk included, Sue, Noel and I, Noel's niece Linda from Gordonvale, the weather man and his daughter, Trish Vievers, Pat Gillespie, Karen?, Sue's friends from New Zealand, Kevin Hayes, the pilot guy.

 

The photos below were taken by Kevin Hayes with his digital camera and downloaded from his website.

Bluey

unknown, Sally, Linda

Pat Gillespie, Sally, Bluey

The water intake

Zig Zag track from Topaz

Wednesday 11th July 2001. Towalla Pocket and Zig Zag Track, TOPAZ. Features: views, goldmining, historic rainforest track. Leave: 7.00 am. Standard requiremens, high gaiters, leech repellent. Grade is moderate. Length is long, 15 km. Duration: all day. Track type: foot track and cross country. Contact Ian HALLS on 40937490.

Despite the early start, 6.30 at Sue's, I was keen to do this one. I wore panty hose to protect from leeches. We started at the end of the Topaz Road and walked out toward Broken Nose.

About 12 of us Ian, Noel, Sue, Steve from NZ, Brian, Steve Kilpatrick, Keith Halfpapp [57^th birthday], Jo, Marie [?], Trish Veivers, Pat Gillespie and another plump girl. We started walking at 8.20 and got back to the cars at 4.50. A long day. I ran low on blood sugar before lunch and struggled home, helped with barley sugar and glucose donations, but no leeches got me. It was a good walk. In future I must take high energy food and have a high energy breakfast instead of light healthy food.

no photos

McKenzie Falls

Wednesday 27th June 2001. MCKENZIE FALLS, Ravenshoe area, Features: cliffs, waterfalls, swimming holes. Leave: 8.30 am. Standard requirements. Grade is moderate. Length medium. Contact Sue SODA on 40922283.
It was wet and cool on the Tableland for this one but I was keen to get back after missing the previous one to Stannary Hills, while we were in Melbourne. I forgot to take leech repellent and tried to ignore them but after great self control for nearly the first week I started scratching and ended up with some nasty sores on the back of my legs. Pat Gillespie wore panty hose and did not get any. It was a good walk but a bit slippery. We had smoko above the falls then climbed around above them, descending to the Millstream which bent around the spur and returning up the other side of it. A nice variation of vegetation as we went. The views were limited by the weather.

Smoko - We climbed up to our left and followed the river down that side across the top of the photo. The third photo on this page shows the view looking back at the falls below here.

smoko and slippery rocks

looking back towards our smoko spot

I surprised myself by following the boys and leading the way for the girls across this log. Bob Lewis, 

Kellie Lewis [unrelated], Noel Brooks.

View back up the creek on our way back