The Cassowary Coast

Last April, when our house was undergoing a 'make safe' post Cyclone Debbie, we thought it best to escape in Delvy. So we left the demolition guys to it, not even wanting to contemplate what state our house would be in when we returned in a week.

Heading north, we stopped off in Ingham for a few days and explored the surroundings. Turn to page 56 on the link below to read my published article in this month's Campervan and Motorhome Club magazine.

Delvy cruises the Cassowary Coast

Delvy parked opposite the old post office in Trebonne, inland from Ingham.

Whitsunday Twilight Sailing

Apart from the sheer joy of being on the water, one of the best things about Whitsunday Twilight Sailing in Airlie Beach is it breaks up the working week. There's no better way to spend a Wednesday afternoon than pulling some lines onboard the Lady Katherine around the triangular course laid on Pioneer Bay.

A fun Wednesday Twilight Sail, Airlie Beach

Downwind leg onboard Lady Katherine

Under the expert tuition of skipper and boat owner, Gary Hughes, the crew enjoyed a fabulous sail under light north easterly conditions.

Skipper Gary provides expert sail training onboard Lady Katherine

The 43ft Petersen design held her own as she reached 7.5 knots of hull speed going up the breeze, with an average of 6 knots around the course. The sail was so awesome we don't even know where we placed at the finish, nor did we really care, as it's all about getting out there.

Crossing the finish line

Beautiful sunset sailing on Pioneer Bay, Airlie Beach

Every Wednesday afternoon, Bluewater Maritime offers introductory learn to sail from 1.30pm, followed by participation in the twilight race. If you're looking for something different to do while in Airlie Beach, or you've always wanted to try sailing, or you just want to understand why the locals live here, then come onboard Lady Katherine and join in the adventure.

Sail training vessel, Lady Katherine is a 43ft Petersen design

Cyclone Debbie update

Five months on from Cyclone Debbie and I’ve been wondering if the furniture sculpture in the dining room will become a permanent feature. After many weeks of the scope of work (yes, one learns all the lingo of insurance claims after a natural disaster) going backwards and forwards from the builder to the insurer, an agreement on house repairs has arrived. As for the fate of our battered shed, well that’s another story.

2-3 months to strip out and rebuild

Goodbye flooring

There were suggestions of work commencing on the house this week, so we phoned a friend with a truck and in one afternoon moved all our furniture into the middle of the shed. Now that the race car has gone to a new owner, we have created a cosy nook in one corner with a laptop set up on the workbench, another on a plastic table, and the kettle, microwave, fridge and freezer spread around the perimeter. Lizards, frogs, rats and I dare say snakes are our new found flat mates, but hey the view out the side door is rather lovely and we have power and access to water (great for doing a load of washing). The sleeping arrangements in Delvy, our fully self-contained motorhome parked alongside out of everyone’s way, remain sans reptiles and the bed is as comfortable as ever. Why we ever left her in the first place…

View from the shed's office nook

New camp area

Come afternoon the shed, and Delvy, get a bit warm so I am now ensconced in a camp chair in the roller door entrance catching the breeze. I’m facing the “No Unauthorised Entry” builder’s sign which has been leaning up against the garden wall for the last few days. Perhaps it will eventually make its way outside the driveway entrance – after all, they have 60 to 90 days to get the job done so why hurry? 

Rebuild begins

A new addition to my garden art collection arrived this morning – a gigantic skip bin - but the delivery driver had to wait his turn out on the street as another large truck was unloading roof sheeting. It’s all systems go! I am relaxing into the dulcet tones of hammering, sawing, loud music and general cussing as the demolition guys today began to tear out the whole flooring of our once beautiful home.

Construction zone

For the first time in a few years we are having a true dry season. The weather has been sensational for weeks - dry, sunny with a light south easterly breeze. Unfortunately the grounds and garden are parched and it will be a matter of survival of the fittest due to lowering tank levels. There is now also the threat of bushfires, one breaking out at the bottom of our street last week.

Pineapples at last!

On a more positive note for the town, the swimming lagoon finally reopened last week with much celebration – the heart of Airlie Beach is back – and the regular influx of cruise ship passengers bring a welcome boost. Although there are still many broken buildings and closed businesses, the town is making progress.

Airlie Beach lagoon

And so this is our life over the next few weeks. A housesitting offer for a month next month will be a welcome change from the construction site, so too will a brief holiday to New Zealand and the odd night in a caravan park – if there is ever a vacancy. Accommodation is in high demand as Airlie Beach locals and tourists alike compete with the tradies. However, we are also happy to have a Delvy adventure in between work commitments, so if you have a flat piece of land then you may just find a big white bus parked on it one night.

Outdoor dining area 

Debbie lives on

It’s over two months now since Tropical Cyclone Debbie ploughed through the Whitsundays. The reduced humidity and clear skies give the Dryander Range an outline of such clarity on these bright winter days - it’s so far removed from the oppressiveness and murkiness of the wet, cyclone season.

Dryander Range

A silver lining - spectacular sunrise

The distant forest viewed from our balcony is transforming from brown to a blanket of army green. Peering closely one can see new leaves sprouting from broken tree branches and seedlings emerging from the forest floor: the thinned out forest has begun to fatten up, covering the windborne scars.

While nature does it’s best to make a comeback the damage is still apparent in our man made world.

New beginnings

Broken but not out

I’ve exhausted myself in our garden; replanting, up righting, pruning, weeding. I am overjoyed when a plant continues to thrive; disappointed when it does not. I’m now an expert with the pickaxe, and have become well acquainted with my Thai masseuse. I’m teaching myself how to rebuild dry stone garden beds, learning the art of repairing wire fences to keep the Brush turkeys out, and reassembling the labyrinth of PVC piping to capture all rain and condensation that flows from the roof to our tanks. With a freshly mowed lawn complete with whipper snipped edges, things are starting to look good. On the outside at least. 

Balcony still needs painting and fencing fixed, but front yard looking a lot better

Tank garden

Patio garden

New look pergola

We are becoming accustomed to the industrial internal look of our modern house which was ‘stripped down’ over a month ago as part of ‘make safe’: black mould creeping through plaster board is a health hazard. Silver foiled insulation shimmers through the ceiling joists, and where plaster board has been removed from ceiling and walls, a regular light dusting drifts onto the remaining floorboards, and everywhere else. The master bedroom is completely out of action but we are fortunate to have the spare bedrooms intact. Furniture is piled up in the dining area, and the marital Persian rug covered with a foam mattress is the new TV viewing area. Both bathrooms are still usable (albeit without ceilings) and we have a fully functioning kitchen. For now.

Living area

Master bedroom

While we wait for the building quote to be approved by the insurance assessor (it’s over $100 000), I take the opportunity to declutter and organise things for when we will need to move ourselves into Delvy and all our possessions into the shed for a few months. The building company assures me the rebuild will be completed by Christmas – I forgot to ask which one.

The incessant sound of neighbouring circular saws, hammering, and now only the odd chainsaw, take the serenity away from our rural retreat. Even one of our chickens has gone out in protest of the upheaval - she hasn’t laid in over a month. One day our property will join the chorus and our driveway entrance will also adorn signage displaying the home owner’s builder of choice details and site safety information.

The flow on effect from a natural disaster is often overlooked by those on the outside. How can one know if they are not privy to the disaster? My local pool, library, doctor’s surgery and tennis club are still closed, along with numerous restaurants, tours, accommodation houses and other small businesses that communities either depend on or just simply like having around. The Queensland Transport and Main Roads customer service centre is operating out of a van in front of the Proserpine railway station, major banks have supplied pop up dongas around the district, tenants have been moved on to make way for higher paying building crews, residents move away due to lack of housing and/or work, and tourists struggle to find a bed after taking advantage of the cheap Jetstar and Tiger fares from Brisbane and Sydney.  Not to mention the effect on the natural environment, the reef in particular, and the main reason why most people have chosen to live here. The greatest living organism of World Heritage status has prevailed over nature many times, but it faces it greatest challenge yet in this current political arena.

I feel for the whole community that is still trying to pick up the pieces, deciding whether to rise like a phoenix (or whatever the cyclone equivalent is) or fold and walk away. Unfortunately, some are left with no choice.  At times it takes enormous effort to find motivation to move forward as emotions roller coaster. Yes, I know we are lucky compared to others. Yes, I know it could have been a lot worse. And I know we have each other and at the end of the day that’s all that matters and I am truly thankful for that. And I realise this is an opportunity to reflect and revise life choices and reevaluate future options. However, it would be nice if everything was back to how it was. 

Stunning  Whitsunday sunsets at this time of year

Cyclone Debbie meets Delvy

The butane stove is packed away, the shower items by the gravity fed water tank are transferred to the bathroom and the buckets of water beside the toilet and kitchen sink are emptied into what remains of the garden. Two weeks since the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Debbie and the power is restored. I flick the taps and the light switches on and off with much satisfaction: day to day living is now a little easier.

Two weeks on and the weather couldn’t be more different here in the Whitsundays - blue skies, a gentle south easterly breeze and reduced humidity.  It makes us wonder if we really did sustain storm force winds for 24 hours, with gusts up to 267 km per hour (the highest ever recorded in Queensland), plus 600mls of rain. But one look at the surrounding trees, or lack thereof, you can see a trail of destruction. It looks like a bushfire has torn through, minus the charcoal, as whatever trees are still standing have been completely stripped of leaves. What was once a tropical vine forest is now a smattering of brown sticks, interspersed with far flung man made materials like tin and hard plastic. With its sepia tones the landscape is strangely reminiscent of photos taken after the Battle of the Somme.

Chainsaw battle

Thankfully two of our significant trees remain at our Hill Fort, without falling on the house or Delvy, albeit minus a few limbs: the 70+ year old Mackay Cedar and a Milk Pine provide some contrast amongst the flattened forest. Some of my lovely garden surrounding the house will resurrect, after removing countless branches and up righting still intact plants.

Patio garden before TC Debbie

Patio garden after TC Debbie

Our once private hill top retreat is now completely open to the sky, with full 180 degree views of the squashed sugarcane valley below, and many neighbours whose existence we were unaware. Stargazing in the south east and north east sky is sensational, and was made even more so with no lights to mar the viewing.

Balcony view prior

Balcony view after

Reconnecting the power was no simple task. The riser, where the power connects from the Ergon pole to the shed, fell down when the carport covering Delvy blew away. 

Delvy managed to escape relatively unscathed

A team of people had to remove the carport remains, an electrician installed a replacement riser, and Ergon pulled the fuse to make preparations for when the power was ready to restore.

Ergon man

Damage to our buildings is not substantial compared to others, but there are quite a few jobs. The north facing lounge room ceiling has a striking black mouldy strip from water ingress under the roof. The south east bedroom wall also has water damage, and floorboards are buckling. The patio shade cloth ripped to shreds, the chicken coop wire collapsed, paint was stripped from the southeastern sections of the metal balcony, fences broken, and every single downpipe has ceased to be a downpipe. The pergola has been removed after being squashed into the ground. We now have a helicopter landing pad, which would make a great spot for a landscape painter with easel.

My chill out space before Debbie

...after Debbie

What to do with it now?

For days after the cyclone our ridge line echoed with the drone of chainsaws and generators, and the smell of smoke was choking. Our next door neighbour kindly lent us a 1kW generator so we could cool the fridge in the morning and evening. Our food stayed reasonably fresh, and we ate quite well from all the defrosting frozen food. The BBQ did wear a little thin after a while, but we would eat anything after a big day cleaning up.

After spending many hours on the chainsaw, firstly to get out of the driveway and then to clear around the house, there is still so much more timber to remove. Our insurance covers for $5000 of green waste removal, but that will be gobbled up with the removal of the enormous palms, Poincianas and native trees that have uprooted and fallen on the next door neighbour’s fence, our fences or in our yard. The council is currently doing a green waste collection from the street and I have a token pile at the end of our driveway – one thousandth of what is on our property.

Driveway to house prior...

..and after.

One of many uprooted palms and trees

The recovery is slow as man power is needed to get things tidy. It can seem overwhelming to say the least, but sticking to the old adage, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time and it will get done.

The wildlife has been slow to show itself but we finally saw a Proserpine Rock Wallaby last night, looking very healthy. Birds not normally seen up here on the hill have been flitting about, and an enormous flock of raucous white cockatoos are now our dawn alarm clock – I hope that is temporary. Numerous Green frogs huddle under the eaves in silent protest - missing our down pipes probably.

Our road before....

...and after.

The chickens are still laying and my eggplant tree has survived and already has new shoots (damn, I was hoping for a change in the veggie patch!); we both still have our beautiful home, and employment, and of course each other. Debbie’s wrath has been felt far and wide down through Queensland and northern NSW, and she even said hello to New Zealand. Two weeks on and although much clean-up has been done there’s still a long way to go.

Whitsunday accommodation

Now I might be a little biased, but I do believe we have one of the best accommodation sites in the Whitsundays. So close to Airlie Beach and just off the Bruce Highway from Proserpine our ever changing rural view is rather spectacular.

Sunrise

Afternoon light

In the clouds

We have enjoyed hosting many couples, and are pleased they also love our private sanctuary on the hill. We appreciate the 5 star accommodation reviews!

Katherine and Gary are amazing hosts, they make you feel welcomed and at home. The room is spacious and we particularly enjoyed the spa bath and the stunning views from the balcony. It's very close to Airlie Beach but secluded to enjoy the beautiful nature and wildlife. Breakfast consists of eggs on toast from Katherine and Gary's chickens. Best eggs ever! Warmly recommend!

Laure, December 2016

Having lived in the Whitsundays for some years, and working in the tourism and hospitality industries, we can help you with your sightseeing and holiday plans. There isn't a tour, event or place we don't know about in Airlie Beach!

Come and enjoy our Whitsunday rural retreat and all that the beautiful Whitsundays region has to offer, including the award winning Whitehaven Beach and World Heritage Great Barrier Reef.

Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet

The Great Inland Way - Whitsundays to Bathurst

It was time for a change of scenery from the Whitsundays so on New Years day we set off in Delvy for a trip down south. The Great Inland Way extends from Cooktown in Far North Queensland to Sydney, the capital of New South Wales. We joined the tourist trail from west of Mackay through coal mining country at Clermont, home of the world's largest seam of steaming coal. It was a hot day with the bluest sky and whitest clouds I have ever seen, creating a magnificent backdrop to the vast, brown land. Every so often stark rocky outcrops broke the monotony of the flat landscape, adding interest as we burnt the kilometres.

On the road to Clermont

Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn it was onwards to Emerald, the heart of the Central Highlands; named after the surrounding green fields and not the famous Sapphire gems found in the area.

Rest stop outback Queensland

The small outback towns of Springsure and Rolleston were next, and after getting lucky with finding a fuel store open on a public holiday, we decided to look at Carnarvon Gorge within the spectacular wilderness of Carnarvon National Park. Now summer is definitely not the time to visit due to the extreme heat, but as we were passing by the turnoff we thought why not. It's about 720 kilometres north west of Brisbane, so we are hardly going to come by this way again in a hurry. The 41 kilometre stretch from the main road is in the process of being completely sealed but still goes through a few creek crossings, and when the summer rains come they may be impassable. The white sandstone cliffs are visible in the distance as we wind our way to the visitor area: funnily enough we were the only ones there when we pulled up on dusk. Surrounded by countless eastern grey kangaroos and towering eucalyptus trees and native palms, we settle in for a long, hot, insect ravaged night. The eerie orange glow from the emergency Telstra public pay phone seems out of place in this completely natural setting.

Eastern Grey kangaroo with joey

We set off for a dawn stroll along the main walking track, crossing Carnarvon Creek and climbing up through blackened woodland and grass trees, catching glimpses of the infamous steep sided gorge. Already it was hotting up (forecast was for 38 degrees), so we backtracked to Delvy to prepare for another big driving day.

Carnarvon Gorge National Park

Carnarvon Creek crossing

On the main walking track, Carnarvon Gorge National Park

The stretch from the main road turnoff to Injune was the most scenic so far in outback Queensland, with a variety of wildlife to keep us entertained: emus, wedgetail eagles and very large goannas. This is cattle and timber country. We stopped for a Driver Reviver cuppa at the cypress pine log cabin Visitor Information Centre at Injune, then headed for the large service town of Roma. The accidental discovery of Australia's first oil and gas reserves catapulted Roma onto the world stage and subsequently the town boasts quite a number of heritage listed buildings. We stocked up on air conditioning belts whilst here - at least the relative humidity was down a few percent from the Whitsundays but it was still hot!

Sandstone cutting between Rolleston and Injune

We follow the Balonne River from Surat to St George, the fishing capital of inland Queensland, then onto cotton town Dirranbandi, home to nearby Cubbie Station, the largest privately operated irrigated cotton farm in the world. It's big country out here with lots of room to move.

Dusk was descending a little later the farther we moved south, so we took advantage of the extra light and kept driving. Kangaroos hovered in the scrub alongside the road but strangely seemed to have good road sense.  No roadkill littered the tarmac; instead scores of bird flocks darted out of roadside grasses as we approached. With recent rains there was plenty of grass seed to feed on.

We crossed the border into New South Wales, just south of Hebel, a typical Queensland outback village and where the Kelly Gang quenched their thirst at the local pub. I felt like I was coming home. Pink and orange coloured the sky as we pulled off the highway to the entrance of Lightning Ridge, our camp for the night.

Queensland/New South Wales border on the Great Inland Way

Entrance to Lightning Ridge

An early start as we were keen to get to our destination in Bathurst. The towns became a blur: Walgett, Coonamble, Gulargambone, Gilgandra, all hugging the Castlereagh River; and then through the more familiar towns of Dubbo, Wellington, Orange, to finally arrive in Bathurst, my former home town. 

Stretching the horses by the Castlereagh River, Gilgandra

Driving shift

Central West NSW between Orange and Bathurst

Total kilometres in three days: 2000. Total fuel cost: $370. 

Now to relax and enjoy the company of old friends and family.