Despite the awful weather, we liked Mission Beach a lot. Having friends there does make a difference – we get to see things normal tourists don’t – but we would happily return and spend some more time here.

Kerry’s snippets in fuchsia

Getting there

Mutarnee  > Ingham > Cardwell > Tully > South Mission Beach (169km)

It is a pretty straightforward drive to Mission Beach – up the Bruce Highway through Ingham – where we stop for some prawns to take with us, and for prawn sandwiches (yum!) – Cardwell, and Tully, where we turn right. 

It is interesting country, and the rain is only sporadic. 

We arrive at Jenny & Dave’s place in South Mission Beach to another heavy shower. We are staying with them for a few days.  Jenny and I worked together and we have always been good friends. 

After looking at the options for where to park Mobi, the only real option is to reverse her into the driveway. Which we achieve very successfully. Phew!  

The place

Mission Beach is a small town locality in the Cassowary Coast Region. In the early days, the only white people to enter this area were the timber-getters who sometimes camped on the beach. They employed local Aborigines, paying them with tobacco and tools. The Aborigines were generally friendly. 

However, in 1872 there are reports of violent conflicts between white workers and Aboriginal people including accusations of cannibalism. There were violent reprisals on the Aborigines. 

The first white settlers came to Mission Beach area in 1882 and settled at Bingil Bay, where they farmed mangoes, bananas, pineapples, coffee, citrus fruit and coconuts. They also made their own coffee. Produce was shipped south by boat.

In the early 20th century Chinese banana farmers used Aborigines as labourers in the Tully River region. Opium addiction and conflict with European settlers resulted in the Queensland government creating an Aboriginal internment centre at the present Mission Beach. This started in 1914, and was not a religious mission, more of a penal settlement.

On the 10 March 1918, Innisfail was hit by a vicious cyclone, regarded as the worst in Queensland’s history.At around 4.40pm a tidal wave surged into  the Bay taking the bridge over the creek 400 m inland. Mission Beach was covered by 3.6 m of water for hundreds of metres inland, the debris reached a height of 7m in the trees. All buildings and structures were destroyed by the storm surge and many lives were lost, especially Aboriginal lives. Aboriginal communities still regard this area as a bad one. 

Today Mission Beach is a popular tourist destination, and what were once separate villages have now grown such that they are considered one town, Mission Beach. In the 2011 census Mission Beach and surrounding villages had a population of 3,181 (most in Wongaling Beach).

Dunk Island lies 4 kilometres offshore and once provided a thriving tourist focus, with regular ferry trips and support activities. But the resort on the Island was destroyed in a cyclone initially in 2006, but then again in 2012. The resort no longer operates which has impacted the town. 

Day 0 (arrival day)

We spent most of the afternoon talking and having a welcoming glass of bubbles. Later we went down to the beach where Dave gave us a fishing lesson – neither of us are fishers.  

I used to fish many years ago, but freshwater trolling mainly.  It was surprising how quickly casting came back to me though.  

But its a windy and miserable day so we get only a nibble or two. We give up after an hour or so and leave Dave to it – it’s a short walk home.  When Dave got home he told us he had caught a small Shovel Nosed shark which he tossed back.

Day 1

Jenny & Dave drove us around to see the area. Mission Beach, Wongaling Beach and South Mission Beach make up 3 suburbs between Clump Point to the north and Tam O’Shanter Point, spanning about 15km of beach. 

South Mission Beach has a caravan park with a shop and a Thai restaurant (very good). Wongaling has a couple of shops through the village but than a shopping centre and a massive Woolworths to its north. There is also  a hardware shop and a fish/tackle shop. It also has a couple of van parks.

Mission beach is a really nice little village with a PO, bars, shops, etc. There is a van park just along from the shops – but this has small sites and not much space – and the Council park which looks a bit rough.

All 3 villages are right on the beach, with views across to Dunk Island, although in the bad weather we were experiencing nothing can look attractive and at times the Island disappeared into the clouds and rain.

At Clump Point there is a small harbour and boat ramp.

North of here is Narragon Beach, then Bingil Bay, Brookes Beach and Garners Beach. These beaches are being progressively developed as residential areas. We can see that these would be really lovely areas in good weather.

 

From here we went to the little town of El Arish, such an interesting place just next to the Bruce Highway, and well worth a stop. There is an old Railway Station that now displays the history of the town.

The settlement was established  after World War I, initially called the Maria Creek Soldier Settlement at El Arish.  It was established in 1920 and It was named after the town in Egypt  where many Australian soldiers were stationed. The street names in the town are nearly all named after military leaders in the war. Many of the people still living in the area have ancestors from the original settlement. 

Settlement ballots were granted from 1922. The entitlement was one block of around 50 acres (~20ha) and an amount of $625 to build a home, purchase supplies and equipment, including a water tank and a stove.

After initially trying various crops, Tully Mill was opened in 1925 and sugar quickly became the dominant crop. This was the last mill built in Queensland.

We first went to the El Arish butchers, know locally as the best around. We got some lovely looking steaks (which were great). We visited the railway station to soak up the history, and then adjourned to the El Arish tavern to soak up a quick beer. A good traditional pub. All the time dodging the rain. 

Next on the list was Tully, which, being Saturday afternoon, was pretty deserted. The wellington boot is pretty impressive – that shows is how much rain Tully gets a year – 7.9m which the locals claim is the national record, but this is disputed. Either way is an impressive total and were are experiencing a fair share of it.

After visiting Hull Head and Tully Head we headed home for an afternoon of scrabble and cards. We played May-I which we love, one of the few card games where the number of players can vary. We played with 3 – Dave is not a fan of cards.

Day 2

We went to Innisfail, to the “Feast of the Senses” – which is the tropical food event! There is a six day program but we were there for Market Day which is held in the centre of Innisfail’s Central Business District.  Cost $5 to get in.  

We saw and tasted an amazing variety of exotic tropical fruits, produce, seafoods and meats! Being in a caravan we could not buy much but we found some home made Worcestershire sauce so Kerry bought a couple of small bottles.  

Des had to run back to the car to get our umbrellas as the skies were opening.  I then heard an announcement that Bob Katter was going to do a “cook off” on the main stage, so we grabbed some lunch, then headed off to see the man in person.  Gees – he looked so cranky. Not a glimmer of a smile. As the rain really set in, off we went.

From here we went to Flying Fish Point on the coast just north of Innisfail, which in better weather would indeed have been a pretty place.

Following that we drove south to Mourilyan Harbour, a large deep water port for sugar exports, but with a very narrow entrance. The size of the sugar works and storage facilities is incredible. Enough to top up quite a few million Cokes.

Then it was on to Ella bay but there is not much there. And finally to Etty Bay which is a delightful little place even in the pouring rain. We had a coffee at the cafe right across from the beach. There is a caravan park and nothing else there, although Dave told us that Council had approved a large private tourist resort in the rainforest looking over the beach. But well worth a visit.

Day 3

The rain has now set in with a vengeance – very heavy rain all night – we had left a bucket out and it was full by morning. We hear reports of road closures. It’s now Monday and we have to leave for Cardwell on Wednesday, and Dave and Jenny need to be away early Thursday morning to start the drive back to Sydney. But road closures could put a stop to all of that.

Kerry and I went up to Mission Beach town to have a stroll around and also to check out a few of the caravan parks in case we can’t get out. But no town looks good in the rain and we had left our umbrellas at the house.  So it’s a day reading and playing May-I.

That evening Jan and Dave has some friends around for a BBQ – the El Arish steaks and sausages were excellent.

Day 4

More road closures and we can no longer get to Cardwell. Reading and May-I fill the day. 

Late in the afternoon the skies clear and we are seduced into thinking that the rain was easing. So Dave and I went to walk south to Lugger Bay and Tam O’Shanter Point.

Halfway there, we saw heavy clouds scurrying over from Dunk Island, which had disappeared again. Needless to say we got absolutely drenched. I just managed to keep my camera dry.

Day 5

It did not rain much today but there were some storms and heavy rain overnight. Roads still closed south of Tully.

Dave and us went up to the South Mission Beach Tourist Park to enquire about options for tomorrow if the roads are not open. We want a powered van site, and he has only 1 available for Thursday night only, unless there are some cancellations – and his phone is running hot. So we book that and also join up with Big 4. Jen & Dave can get a cabin for 2 nights at most, but again cancellations may change that.

I was reading that the Qld Main Roads Department have been criticised for being so slow in updating the current situation. At mid afternoon the last update had been done at 8:35 that morning.  I phoned the Cardwell caravan park where we are staying and the lady said the trucks had started heading north again, so assumed the road was opened.  Not according to Qld Roads though.  

After that we drove around to see where the roads were blocked in the Mission Beach area – there were a couple of landslides. Then, lo and behold, we saw our first cassowary. There are signs all over this area to watch out for Cassowary, but we had not seen any and were beginning to think this was a tourist plot by the Council. 

But strolling across the road was an adult bird and a chick – Dave thought a the adult a male as they generally look after the young. Dave stopped the car and held up traffic as took a few pics.

Again reading and May-I fill the day. 

Day 6

The rain appears to have eased and we see that the Highway at Tully is now open. So we are ok to go.  But the Highway is still cut off south of Ingham so Jenny & Dave are still stuck. 

Dave & I go back to the Beachcomber Coconut tourist park – me to cancel our site for that night, and Dave to secure a cabin. The man there (Greg I think) was great and had been so helpful in trying to sort out something for us.   

So we hitched up Mobi, said our goodbyes to Jenny & Dave and went to …. learn all about chocolate. From the initial tree seed to a delicious tasting. 

On the road out of Mission Beach to El Arish there is Charlies Chocolate Factory, which does 2 tours a week. This was so good. 

We started with a history of the farm and then of chocolate (3,500 years ago chocolate was being drunk). We saw the tree seeds and the young trees being gradually introduced to direct sunlight – they normally grow as an understory plant.  Tropical Queensland is the only place that can grow really well in Australia. 

The people who own this chocolate plantation give us a really good feel for how the chocolate is grown and processed – lots of manual work involved. 

We also see the different way they are growing the trees – trellising them rather than a standard tree…. we didn’t realise cocoa is grown all year round, but they limit the picking to 2 picks per year.  I think the lady said that 1 pod = 1 block of chocolate….  

At the end of the tour, we all had a taste of chocolates from different origins, with most beans local to this plantation, but some from Tully, some PNG. The flavours were quite different, but all tasted superb. They also source some beans from the Pacific Islands, but we didn’t taste any of that chocolate.  

Inevitably, there was a sales pitch at the end, but not too strong and only to be expected I guess.   A hamburger was provided for a donation to the local Lions Club.  We ended up buying some ginger chocolate bars, a native plum one (Des’ favourite) and some plain ones – 6 in total for around $60.

Have a look at the photo …. and eat your heart out!

Was a really fascinating way to spend a few hours.

 

To see some photos related to this blog, click here