In truth I found Mackay to be yet another overgrown regional town with not a lot to commend it. I have also made my thoughts known about transplanted lighthouses although it has to be said that Pine Island is something of an exception in that it is fully functional not just an ornamental shell like a lot of the others. In fact it’s the only original kerosine fueled lantern in operating condition and all the original clockwork mechanism is also in working condition which is a great a credit to the local volunteers who painstakingly restored and maintain this lighthouse. Bravo!

Unfortunately when I got there at about 2.00pm on Friday afternoon the lighthouse was closed and there was no indication of when or even if it would be open again? When I enquired at the adjacent restaurant called appropriately enough…”the Lighthouse” the staff barely seems to be aware there was a lighthouse right next door and had no idea of it’s opening hours.

The other thing that was somewhat disconcerting was that in stark contrast to the elegance and grace of the lighthouse the nearby public toilet is without doubt the ugliest building I have ever set eyes on and appropriately enough, given the state it’s in, it’s painted maroon. Not a good look!

It was Friday afternoon and I couldn’t see much reason to stay in town. But where to, that was the question?

After perusing the options there didn’t seem to be much of interest further south and as much as I hate backtracking the best option seemed to be a place called Cape Hillsborough about 40km to the north east. Heading back up the Bruce Highway (surely Monty Python has something to do with naming it), was a bit of a bore but things improved dramatically when I turned off to head east. Almost immediately the ubiquitous cane fields gave way to a spectacularly rugged landscape, ever since Cooktown I’d been surprised at how mountainous coastal north Queensland is, which I guess is why there are so many islands which form the backbone of the barrier reef.

Arriving at Cape Hillsborough just on dark I was pleasantly surprised to find the campground was in a national park with frontage onto a deserted beach nestled between imposing mountains which created a number of nearby bays and islands. Very natural, very spectacular and not a public dunny to be seen!

Another pleasant surprise was when I checked in they mentioned that a few of the local wallabies head down to the beach for breakfast in the morning, usually around sunrise. Evidently this is one of only two places in Australia where kangaroos choose to be beachcombers!

I must admit I usually prefer to avoid caravan parks wherever possible as I tend to find little in common with the everpresent “grey nomads” with their gigantic caravans fitted out with all the mod cons, or family’s with young kids travelling before being bound by school holidays.

As luck would have it my campsite was next to a lovely young couple from Melbourne, Leeam and Rhi, who were on the home stretch of a “lap” they’d started at the beginning of the year. After swapping a few travel suggestions they mentioned they were heading inland the following day to visit somewhere called Finch Haddon gorge in the Eungella NP which according to Dr. Google looked spectacular.

I woke before sunrise the next morning and decided to walk up to the Andrews Point lookout on the headland above the beach. This turned out to be a great way to start the day and strangely for the first time on my trip I really felt alone and able to slow down and take it all in. It felt amazing to be walking through the forest with only the trees and occasional wallaby as company, looking out over a sea dotted with island as the sun silently rose chasing away the shadows on the surrounding mountains. This was a moment of solitude and reflection I had expected to feel before now. But so far hadn’t.

On my return Leeam and Rhi were about to head off and suggested I join them. I was undecided on my next port of call when I reminded myself of my journey’s mantra – follow your instinct and don’t rush! With this in mind I figured when will I ever get a chance to explore the Mackay hinterland again – probably never, so that was it, I was heading west.

I decided to head to Eungella National Park first to a place called Broken River. Travelling down a funnel shaped valley passing through a number of small towns with their wide streets and classic Queensland pubs I couldn’t help noticing a number of hand painted signs protesting the fact that there was a plan to build a 65m high dam wall and flood the upper reaches of the valley so they can install a pumped hydro power station. Not surprisingly the local are up in arms as this would totally destroy the character of this beautiful valley and it’s to be hoped this never goes beyond a thought bubble*! It does seem more than ironic that Hay Point, just down the road is a major coal export hub and while we are more than happy to export coal to power China we are willing to destroy our environment in the name of the environment?

Anyway, moving on, at the end of the valley was the longest, steepest windiest road I have ever driven on. After countless hairpin curves we reached the top and were greeted with a spectacular view of the valley all the way to the sea 30 or 40kms away.

Broken River was a further 10kms down the road and despite it being Platypus Central they were all hiding when I visited. Heading further west I was disappointed to note the rainforest had given way to flat scrub and there didn’t seem to be much of interest so I decided to turn back and head for the Finch Haddon gorge.

After descending the giant slalom and crossing a half dozen fords I arrived in the car park which was overflowing but as it turned out I managed to find a park next to Leeam and Rhi’s van. Following a path festooned with a spectacular array of ferns and palms I bumped into Leeam and Rhi coming back from having a swim. I mentioned I was parked next to their van and confessed to having a bit of a senior moment because I couldn’t remember locking Max when I left and asked if they could check and if necessary lock him using the spare key I’d hidden to avoid potential crises like this. They agreed and mentioned they were going to look at Platypus Bush Camp which I’d noticed on the way into the gorge but dismissed as an option based on the street view. In a more relaxed state of mind I continued on to the gorge which was pretty spectacular despite the number of people draped over rocks like lizards sunning themselves or jumping off the waterfall, despite numerous warning signs!

As I was about 40 years older than anyone else there I decide I didn’t need to do either and headed back to the car park. On my way out I noticed Leeam and Rhi’s van was parked in the Platypus Bush Camp and decided to stop by and say hello, enquiring if Max was indeed locked (he was). On seeing how they were set up with their van parked next to a small private deck cantilevered out over a beautiful gurgiling creek I was impressed, and there was another similar site next to theirs. The more I explored the better it got, it was amazing, very natural and funky with open air showers, tree houses and a fantastic private swimming hole. What a find, thank you Leeam and Rhi, if you hadn’t stopped there I would have driven straight past which would have been my loss. I ended up staying two nights and thoroughly recommend it as an all round fantastic bush camping experience. What a find!

(*) Update: I just read where the recently elected LNP state government have cancelled this crazy pumped hydro project. That’s a real win for the locals and the environment!