Fri, 3rd Aug, 2018 Gunshot to Nolans Brook, Old Telegraph Track, Qld (exploring)

Overcast morning. The washing I had hung out yesterday is still damp.

Packed up. Said good luck to our cyclist friend. He still has a lot of pedalling to do yet.

Headed back up the telegraph track. Stopped to check out a grave I saw yesterday. William Brown was a linesman for the OTL and used a brush hook to clear the scrub. He died here from a heart attack in 1945.

Back through the Heathlands Reserve to the Bypass Road again. Stopped for a cuppa at the intersection. The Bypass Road is now narrower with more tree vegetation.

Through a section of rainforest as we passed the turn off to Captain Billy’s Landing on the east coast.

Still up on a ridge/plateau of 155m elevation. Glimpses through the trees of endless tree tops to the west.

Wider sandier section – still corrugated but now as bad as when we did it previously.

Certainly better driving in the table drain.

New stretch of bitumen.

Arrived at the intersection of the top of the southern section of the Old Telegraph Track.

We continue on the telegraph but of course it has been widened as it is part of the Bypass Road.

More dirt which is quite corrugated so we spent most of the time in the table drain. Lots of vehicles still heading south. A few towing vans too.

Turned off the Bypass and went down a narrow track to Fruit Bat Falls. There parking areas but not enough as it was full. We found a spot in front of an access gate and parked up. Unfortunately they don’t provide any seating near the car park for picnics. You have to carry everything down the track to the picnic area which is nowhere near the water either or the toilets!! Really smart. Changed into our togs then read the info before heading down to the falls.

Down the track where there is evidence of pigs digging up the ground.

Onto the boardwalk – lovely view of falls. Even though it is cloudy I am looking forward to a swim.

Turned left and down to the rocky area to go in for a swim. Bit cool but I had expected it to be colder. Probably because the water flows over the shallow rocky section upstream so it gets warmer. Steve took a video.

  

The spa from the water coming over the falls was wonderful.

Steve got in so I took a few photos and a video. The others got in and enjoyed a lovely swim and spa. Other people were using a hole in the rock above the falls.

A few little fish swimming around us.

Everyone cool and fresh. As we headed back up Steve pointed out the Pitcher Plants growing well where water was seeping out of the rocks.

Up the boardwalk – we walked to the other end where the other people had been in the hole in the rock.

Zoomed in upstream.

As we headed back up we saw our cyclist friend. He had come off over some rocks but luckily some other nice travellers helped him out.

Back to our vehicles and back out to the telegraph track and we turned north to check out Eliot and Twin Falls. Track eroded on the sides.

Arrived at Scrubby Creek which is quite a long water crossing but they have put in a bypass which we checked out.

A chap towing a van was checking it out so Kerry & I walked down to video him.

The guys then came down and up the other side. Bob didn’t give it enough gas and had to have a second go to get up – still having that flat spot issue. After they went through another 4WD came through the longer deeper section – no worries.

Looking upstream where the longer run is from where we crossed. Then a shot of the longer section approach and exit.

Continued along the old Telegraph Track – lots of old bent telegraph poles. Very corrugated in parts and nowhere to get away from them.

Past the turn off into the camping area – a long way from the falls. Parked in the Day Use area and had our lunch by the vehicles as again the picnic area is nowhere near the car park.

Headed down to the falls. Stopped to read the info. Our mate isn’t the first one to cycle up the Cape.

Followed the boardwalk to an intersection – no signs so we headed left first. A pool in Canal Creek above Twin Falls.

As we went down the stairs Twin Falls a shower of rain came down.

Will do the rest of the walk and see if we want a swim after that. 

The water then flows into Eliot Creek. Took a video of the view. 

Continued around the dirt track following Canal Creek downstream through the rocks to Eliot Creek. 

The others were further along heading to Eliot Falls.

Zoomed in on the falls.

Further along – view down and upstream.

Steve and Mal were checking out the falls.

I walked up to them over the flat rocks. Not slippery but you still had to walk carefully.

Mal thought he saw gold so Steve dug out some dirt – no gold.

Eliot Falls.

Walked around to the other side with Steve to hang on to while I took photos and a video.

  

Walked back up the boardwalk. Found some more info.

We walked back to Twin Falls and had a dip. Others were enjoying sitting in a pool above the falls.

The picnic area!!

Back to Scrubby Creek – took photos of Bob doing the crossing.

Back out to the Bypass Road and headed up the west side of the Old Telegraph Track. Corrugated for a bit then onto a nice smooth road then onto bitumen.

Road to Vrilya Point is fenced off so we won’t be going in there. Wikicamps says it has been closed by the Community. I won’t miss the old log crossing, I must admit.

Back onto the dirt which is still smooth (160m elevation) then we turned onto a track to head back east to the Old Telegraph Track again. Nice and green along this track with bright red ant hills.

Turned onto the Telegraph Track and headed 1.6km south to Bridge Creek and camp spot called Nolans Brook Crossing. The track was eroded but there was a bypass track around the rough bit. The track was all downhill as we got to Nolans Brook the elevation was down to 58 metres.

The sky is clearing.

A few people were in the best camp spot – right above the creek so we parked on the other side downstream of the crossing.

Walked down the track to the crossing. Water flowing out of the ground.

The boys walked around the other side (over a log bridge!) Another one with lots of choices for the 4WD enthusiasts. We did this one too back in our younger days and Steve said we did the 2^nd one from the left in just our vehicles with Steve and Suzanne and the kids.

Don’t jump up and down as there is nothing underneath you Steve.

I walked around to check out the log bridge – I’m not going to walk over that.

View to left and right of it. This was another crossing point at one stage.

Two vehicles arrived on the other side so we watched them cross. I videoed the first one then took photos of the next one. They made it look easy.

Steve and Mal got in our ‘pool’ for a dip. It is a bit hard to get in and out so Steve put in a rope. The current is quite strong too as the wide creek narrows and heads towards the Jardine River.

Bob, Margaret and I got in too – very refreshing.

Showed the others how to play Dice while we had drinks.

Our route for today.

Lovely dinner. Nice warm evening. Only drawback here is the mossies. Put our mossie net up over the bed tonight. I might hear them but at least I know they aren’t going to bite me.