Day 1
Wednesday 3rd July 2024
Cairns to Chilagoe
18-28 degrees
6.30am departure from Cairns Central Station on the Savannahlander.
We headed up the steep mountain range, enjoying the lush rainforest. There was notable damage along the rivers caused from Cyclone Jasper and the rain event that followed last December. We drove through Stony Creek Gorge and enjoyed the Stony Creek Falls, Barron Gorge and Barron Falls, a coffee stop at Kuranda, through Mareeba and Mutchilba, another coffee stop at Dimbulah, ending up at Almaden for a late lunch.
From Kuranda we passed through numerous mango farms, citrus orchards, coffee plantations, sugar cane farms, grass pastures (for animal feed) and vineyards – many years ago this farmland was used for tobacco. Dairy farms transitioned into large Brahman stations. Also saw some Texan Long Horn cattle – they very appropriately had long horns!
Lunch stop at Almaden Hotel, which is also where we disembarked the train for today. Basic lunch at the hotel – tomato soup and sandwiches.
From Almaden we drove 20 minutes on a mini bus to Chilagoe Eco Lodge, where we checked into our rooms. Basic accommodation in a bush setting.
Once we had settled in, it was onto the bus and a short drive to the Chilagoe Caves. Here we did a tour of the limestone caves which interestingly are above the ground – there are 600 caves in the area. This one, Royal Arch covers 3 kms. Many limestone formations inside the cave as well as the resident bat colonies. Nice and cool inside at 23 degrees, which is what it sits at all year round. The water level had risen to 1.5 metres inside with the heavy wet season after Cyclone Jasper.
More Chilagoe sights – the miner’s village, the old smelter works, and slag heap. Between 1901 and 1943, the Chillagoe Smelters treated 1,250,000 tons of ore producing copper, lead, silver and gold. Marble is mined here now- great blocks of marble are cut and brought up from under the ground.
Chilagoe once had a population of 10,000 – now 260 people live here.
We visited the weir which was like a little green oasis in the middle of nowhere. Our host said he swims there all year round – alongside the freshwater crocs!
Dinner was a bbq and salad, plus a chance to meet some of our fellow train travellers. Early to bed to catch up on some sleep after our early start.
Day 2
Thursday 4th July 2024
Chillagoe to Cobbold Gorge
18 – 29 degrees
Early breakfast, then the 20 minute bus back to Almaden. Back on the Savannahlander and a prompt departure at 8am.
The scenery today was predominantly Savannah lands – grasslands, trees and rocky outcrops, with a few creek and river crossings. It was still looking quite green after the long wet season. Apparently it is usually very dry looking by this time of the year. One crocodile was perched on a rock in one river, otherwise the only other wildlife we saw were wallabies and Brahman cattle – all looking in very good condition. The train often had to slow down so the cattle could get across – probably a good idea not to hit one of them. I think I know who would come off second best! Lots of termites mounds- our driver Will gave us a very informative talk about termites. There is nothing we don’t know about termites!
As there is no where to stop for coffee between Almaden and Mt Surprise, we had a stop on the tracks and Will and Joe (our train drivers) presented us with a hot cuppa and morning tea.
Another couple of hours and we arrived at Mt Surprise where we had lunch at Discovery Parks Caravan Park – ham and salad wraps and fruit.
Back on the train for another hour. We disembarked at Einasleigh. From here it was a two hour bus trip to Cobbold where we were staying at the Cobbold Village Resort – it had proved to be quite a long travelling day.
Now they had told us the resort was spectacular, and so it was! A resort in the middle of an oasis on the banks of the Robertson River. There was an infinity pool and swim up bar. Beautiful shady trees graced the perimeter of the restaurant dining deck area. A fire pit with seating sat below the deck on the river’s edge. Everything was lovely and green
But we were off for a tour – of Cobbold Gorge. A four wheel drive truck took us to the gorge (just a few kms from the resort), where we got onto small electric boats and travelled the 800 metres of the Gorge. It truly was a breathtaking natural wonder. A hidden oasis tucked away within the rugged sandstone formations of North Queensland.
The boats are quietly motored so as not to disturb the gentle serenity of the natural ecosystems it passes.They glide across the surface mirroring the eerie silence of the Cobbold Gorge itself. A special and serene wonder.
In parts the gorge was only 2 metres wide. The height was up to 30 metres in parts. In the wet, the waters rise 6-10 metres in a few hours and goes down just as quickly. There was a glass walking bridge across the top at the narrow point.
Back to the resort to enjoy a stunning sunset before dinner. A very nice two course al la carte meal at the restaurant, sitting on the deck overlooking the water.
Day 3
Friday 5th July 2024
Cobbold Gorge to Mt Surprise
17- 27 degrees
Yummy buffet breakfast today, enjoying the sunrise. We were joined by a flock of Apostle birds who were very keen to find any scraps.
From here it was a bus ride back to Forsayth, and then onto Einasleigh. Time to walk down and look at Copperfield Gorge – no where near as spectacular as Cobbold Gorge, but still worth seeing. It had been formed on basaltic rocks and much more open.
Lunch at The Pub at Einasleigh – some nice fresh ham and salad wraps. Then back to the train for a 1 1/2 ride to Mt Surprise. We did stop for a photo opportunity of the Savanahlander going over Lighthouse Creek.
Mt Surprise is another small pioneer town with a population of approximately 60 in the off season. Checked into the Discovery Parks cabins,then straight out for our afternoon tour of the Undarra Lava Tubes. Mar, our guide, had plenty of jokes for us on our 40 minute trip to the National Park.
The lava tubes were really interesting – this complex and awe-inspiring lava tube system in the Undara basalt flow formed after a volcanic eruption around 190,000 years ago. It’s one of Australia’s greatest – yet lesser known – geological wonders.
‘Undara’, an Aboriginal word meaning ‘long way’, perfectly describes this unique geographical feature which Sir David Attenborough described as one of the most “unexplored geological features of the earth”. He declared that Undara should be the eighth Wonder of the World.
Many of the tubes (or ‘caves’) now act as storm drains, collecting rain water and as a result, ribbons of green dense shrubbery, or ‘thicket’, have grown inside them, adding to the naturally photogenic appeal of the Undara Lava tubes.
We found the lava tubes really interesting. Stopped at the resort for a little look – it looked amazing! Accommodation was a series of rail carriages that had been brought on, and the restaurant/bar area was made to look like a station set in a lovely green setting. We wished we were staying there!
Back to Mt Surprise, enjoying the fiery sunset on the drive back. Dinner was at the Discovery Park – alternate drop of barramundi and lasagne. We enjoyed a few wines chatting to our fellow travellers before heading to bed.
Day 4
Saturday 6th July 2024
Mt Surprise to Cairns
18-23 degrees, showers in Cairns, humid
Big travel day to day. After breakfast, we boarded the Savannahlander which departed promptly at 8am. We drove straight through to Almaden where we had an early lunch, back at the Railway Hotel. It was a very nice spread- bbq and salads, as well as cold meats, also meatballs and pasta. They really turned it on.
Back on the train at midday, next stop Dimbulah for afternoon tea, then another short stop at Barron Falls, before getting into Cairns at 6.30pm. It had been a long travel day, but plenty of nice scenery along the way. Wil and Joe had kept us entertained with their stories for most of the day.
Totally recommend the trip.
Glammy Goes Global 