Travels and Tours Australia – Day 9: Tully Falls Queensland

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Without any plans for the day ahead, I woke up slowly and contemplated what there was to do. A big question mark lay over my head about the potential of white water rafting at nearby Tully, but have not received confirmation I decided there was no rush. Resetting the alarm, I opted to snooze for a little longer before heading to Tully to restock and buy a breakfast-time treat. Upon eating the aforementioned pastry treat in the car park, I decided that there was little point waiting around for white water rafting as there had still been no news, so instead, I set out on my own personal Tully Falls trail. Without any real notion of what I was seeking, other than the obvious waterfalls, I took a turning I thought apt, ending up instead in a campsite with a nature trail. Upon spotting showers, I decided that given the lack of washing facilities at last night’s facilities, I would be a little bit naughty and sneak a shower. As if to serve me right, the water was beyond freezing but nevertheless suitably refreshing.

With post-shower buzz, I decided to quickly gander through the nature trail before getting back on track for the Tully Falls. With no real notion of how large the Tully Falls are, I stumbled across a small fall and decided that this must be the treasure I sought. After a quick photo stop to capture the less than impressive discovery, I returned to Tully to contemplate my next move.

With Cairns having fuelled my hunger for city living, I decided that I would head north to the big city lights of Innisfail. What met me was a strangely deserted centre, with scant a shop open despite it being just posted lunchtime on a Saturday afternoon. With some luck, I discovered an always-trust Gloria Jeans and indulged in a frozen drink, which helped recharge my batteries. Before long my interest in Innisfail had been quelled and I opted to hit the road once again.

On my brief jaunt back up north, I had noticed a sign for the intriguingly named Murdering Point and decided that any place with such a notable name warranted exploration. Almost immediately after turning off from the highway, I arrived at Murdering Point Winery, which has earned a reputation as Queensland’s finest for their distinct take on the tropical wine. After a couple of tiny tasters – I was after all driving – I bought a bottle of their Red Emperor and headed to the beach.

Having just sat down to have an afternoon snack (road trips are bad for the waistline!) on the secluded beach, which was named after a series of murders in 1878, my phone rang and I had to rush across to Mission Beach to meet Andy from Calypso Dive to discuss the morning’s Great Barrier Trip.

With the Barrier Reef at the top of my to-do list, I disposed of my rubbish and ran for the Manson Mobile. I could not wait to hear what was in store. Upon arrival at the Calypso Dive office, I was barely able to contain my excitement as Andy revealed the following day’s activities. I determined that I needed to purchase a waterproof camera to capture this monumental occasion but was disappointed to find Woolworth’s closed after the extensive discussion.

With the sun already setting, I wasted little time in making my way across to the extremely lovely Big 4 Coconut Caravan Village in South Mission Beach and set up camp for the night. With a swimming pool, games room and TV room at my disposal, there was a little rush to sleep and I indulged in more than a little RockWiz before attempting sleep – but the Reef was on my mind and it took me a while to settle into slumber.

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