The journey from Townsville to Undara is (to put it politely) hellish. You think Rockhampton to Sarina was bad? This route is not only completely bare, but for the most part it’s only one lane wide! Queensland is doing a lot of road work and this section is a huge project. If you ever drive here, make sure you’re well rested because you don’t want to hit something coming at you straight on at 100 km/hr, especially if it’s a giant truck or road train. In case you don’t know what a road train is (I didn’t until I saw one), it’s a big truck with a few connecting sections like a train and it rides on the road swerving every which way. Passing a road train on a two-lane highway is scary and trying to pass it on a one-lane road with gravel sides is just suicidal.
Tag Archives: #wickedroadtrip
A Wicked Day with Sam
On the night before the Wicked Campers — Townsville Enterprise Launch, I stuck my head out of the side of the van to watch the stars. You can see so many more when you stay at a caravan park off the highway because there are hardly any lights around. To get to and from the camp kitchen and washroom I would have to bring my little hand-crank light with me to see where I was going. I thought about spending the night with the van door open so I could fall asleep under the stars, but I’m glad I didn’t because it was the first night on this road trip where it rained!
Cooktown and Inland Bound
The drive up Bloomfield Track up to the aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal was one scary but exciting ride. Though I didn’t need to use the 4WD on my Wicked Camper, it was nice to know that it was there. The track is labelled ‘4WD only’ and is closed whenever it has just rained, and during the wet season.
The Hideaway that is Cape Trib
It was on this drive from the start of the ferry crossing to my stop at Cape Tribulation Camping that I really wished I had someone to share this experience with. At one point, I saw a cassowary along the side of the road and I wanted so badly to tell someone but there was no one around me to share in the excitement.
Being a Tourist in Kuranda
Queensland Armchair Guide had contacted Kuranda Scenic Rail (KSR) to ask them if they would be interested in sponsoring a trip for me to ride the famous railway line. They wrote back saying they’d be happy to offer me the industry rate. I made a reservation for Monday morning but didn’t know anything about it, other than the fact that lots of tourists go on it. Heck, I didn’t even know how much it would cost until after I had already made the reservation!
One Lucky Duck
It was my first time snorkelling and I really wish I had an underwater camera with me because I got to swim with a green turtle that was about a foot and a half long!! That was definitely the highlight of the day for me! I had been snorkelling for about an hour trying to find a turtle, and although I saw a ton of really cool fish and weird coral reef formations, it just didn’t compare to actually being right beside a turtle in the water. Our co-pilot for the day, Shane, knew that it would make my day if I got to swim with one so when he found one, he came over to tell me and I made an b-line straight for it. So cool!