After the Cairns/Tablelands Conference some people prepared for a camp-out at a retired couple's property near McIvor River. The journey started in convoy from the conference schoolgrounds and ventured northwards towards Mossman, but turning to climb the Rex Highway before reaching Mossman.
A lookout, part way up the Rex Range, provided a bird's eye view of the "neat as a pin" canelands and the remnant rainforest hugging streams and the shoreline.
We proceeded to our morning tea stop not far past Mt. Molloy. Coincident with a much lower rainfall, the countryside had changed, but the creek we stopped at supported magnificent stands of Melaleuca leucadendra.
Our next stop was for lunch at Palmer River Roadhouse. Here the person who tends the gardens has done a quite surprising thing. Orchids, collected from the area, have been placed in a shade house. Not surprisingly, most were leaning towards the door and the life-giving sunshine! It was here that Betsy and Mick Jackes joined the convoy. I was pleased, as Betsy had published an article on the plants of Cape Flattery some time before and would be able to answer the (guaranteed) many questions.
Potentially interesting areas were passed all day, until we arrived at Cooktown and the whole convoy, almost 70 people, had a practice run at putting up tents and generally getting used to camping out. It was here that some discovered cold showers! The caravan park had a large complement of the usual tourists (read terrorists) and us, but of some interest also were the occupants of some 'permanent' caravans.
The next morning we did the Gallop Botanic Gardens plantings. Jensen's Crossing was our lunch stop, just out of Cooktown. Here a large Ficus with transparent flaky bark was the centre of interest. Rather than going in a straight line from Cooktown to Cape Flattery, the road goes west, north and north-east. On the way it crosses Isabella Creek. Here a rock outcrop that forms the creek bed makes an excellent crossing. Isabella Falls are immediately adjacent, but not visible from the road. The falls encompass a delightful fern grotto. The water is very sweet tasting as well.
Further along, we turned off the road that continues to Laura and some of North Queensland's relatively accessible good "barra country". The road was in good condition, wide and well graded, but with ample evidence near creek crossings that it quickly becomes inaccessible during the wetter months.
The camp site was a welcome sight near the end of daylight and, somewhat like ants, everyone set about their duties preparing for the next few days taking In the beauty of North Queensland. Small groups of 23 or so went on day trips to each of three destinations, viz. -
1. Battle Camp Road/Isabella Falls
2. Cape Flattery Wet Area
3. Cape Flattery Dry Area.
Battle Camp Road was interesting as it wended its way through sandstone escarpments. Along the way we saw Melaleuca viridiflora, Erythrophleum chlorostachys (Cooktown Ironwood), Persoonia falcata, Eucalyptus dichromophloia, E. phoenicea, E. setosa, and E. tetradonta. Acacias were well represented, with Acacia calyculata, A. crassicarpa, A. flavescens, A. humifusa and A. simsii. A tree I find very interesting is Alstonia actinophylla. It appears to be a hardy, tall tree, giving reasonable shade and having greyish foliage. The leaves are smaller than its coastal cousin, A. scholaris, and not glossy. A plant also suited to Townville, although its leaves are poisonous to stock, is Cooktown Ironwood. Seeds of it have been trialled.
The Battle Camp Road took in Isabella Falls again. The plants mentioned above were present, as well as some other interesting ones - Astrotricha pterocarpa (occurs on the Burra Range), Banksia dentata, Breynia oblongifolia, Caelospermum reticulatum Dillenia alata, Myrtella retusa and many, many more. A very attractive and distinctive fern, Schizaea dichotoma, was noted along road verges.
Cape Flattery excursions require 4WD due to the fine white sand tracks. The wet area is the inland side of the mostly NW-SE aligned dunes. Access from the camp was north towards 'Starke' Station, after crossing the McIvor (causeway) and Morgan Rivers (mud, rock and logs). At Starke Station a trial stand of oil palms is being tended. They have been there quite a few years. From there the 'road' heads east towards the coastal dunes.
At certain times the 'wildflower' effect must run very close second to Australia's famous areas of South and Western Australia. Here in North Queensland amongst the sand dunes all manner of 'finds' are found. Neofabricia myrtifolia, Leptospermum flavescens and delicate little carnivorous plants (where water seeps through the dunes), Acacia homoclada, Syzygium suborbiculare, Lomandra sp. and, of course, the 'piece de resistance' the prostrate form of Grevillea pteridifolia. Apparently, whilst it is generally known that this form's seeds retain their characteristics (hence a lot of seed collecting), so do the other ones that get taller the further inland, until you reach the normal 6 metre size behind the dunes.
Our return journey allowed time to examine that other stand of Banksia robur and a surprisingly large leaved form of Callistemon polandii.
But, like all good things, the camp had to break up and, after some fond farewells, visitors from far flung parts of Australia, like Brisbane and Mackay, headed home.
Dillenia alata and Grevillea pteridefolia
Top |Home | You & SGAP | Getting Involved with SGAP | SGAP Qld Region | SGAP Publications
Local Branches | Study Groups | Study Group List | Queensland Nurseries | Special Articles