I never imagined that COVID would still be rife in the world this year resulting in another holiday at home. This time I take a trip to far North Queensland traveling via the Savannah Way. From Cairns, with its reef and rainforest, the Savannah Way is a vast untouched region stretching from the coast right across to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Gulf Savannah winds its way up through the Atherton Tablelands before opening out to the endless horizons of savannah grasslands and is dotted with geological wonders, historic mining towns, and legendary fishing spots. Traveling in style in a purpose-built air-conditioned four-wheel-drive tour vehicle our group of 24 accompanied by our guide Brett spend 9 days exploring this amazing region. So what did we see......

Leaving Cairns we traveled via the Kuranda Range to the Atherton Tableland and on to Herberton.

Herberton
A visit to the Historic Village Herberton is like stepping back in time. Set on 16 acres this village showcases Australia's rich and diverse history and this outdoor pioneer museum is a testament to an era that is long gone. Open year-round to visitors, the Village collects preserves and displays fascinating historical exhibits from across Australia. The history of this museum is also closely tied with the township of Herberton and features many priceless antiques as well as buildings that have come from the town's ancestors. The Village currently has over 60 original buildings that date from Herberton's foundation years. Walking through the village, visitors are given a sense of being in a real township giving insight into life from the 1880s onwards complete with chemist, bottle collection, school, bank, garage, coach house, grocer's store, frock salon, toy shop, mechanic, jail and much more. Live demonstrations occur at various times each day including the Ruston Hornsby Engine, 1933 Continental Flyer, Dennis fire truck, and a Rail Ambulance. A highlight for us was the Blacksmith where we observed the use of olden techniques to make a fire poker with the blacksmith providing a great commentary.

Curtain Fig Tree
The Curtain Fig Tree is from the strangler fig species Fichus virens. The curtain effect results from one tree leaning against another tree at a 45-degree angle. The strangler vine then grew along the oblique angle of the leaning tree, dangling 15 metres to the ground to create the curtain effect. Standing strong in the forest at just over 50m tall and with a trunk circumference of 39m, the Curtain Fig Tree is estimated to be over 500 years old.

Mount Surprise
Mount Surprise is a railway town on the Cairns to Forsayth Railway. The town was named when a loud pioneer party surprised a group of Aboriginal people who were resting at the base of the mountain in 1864. It is a centre for gem fossicking with quantities of topaz, quartz, spinel, garnet, cairngorm, and aquamarine to be found. It is here that I came face to face with the one thing that truly terrifies me - snakes. My facial expressions say it all (see the photos!!)

Savannahlander Train
The Savannahlander train - a classic 1960s "silver bullet" rail motor - travels the original 90-year-old rail line that serviced the pioneering mining towns of Forsayth, Einasleigh, and Mount Surprise. This grand-old lady travels at a sedate 50 kph, and stops at suitable locations for the driver to make a billy of tea, or to point out interesting landscape features to the passengers. This train departs from Mount Surprise twice weekly (every Monday and Thursday at 12.30) and will take you the 120 km south-west through Einasleigh to Forsayth, two very small old mining towns. The trip is interesting but slow (five hours!) crossing a diverse landscape.

Einasleigh (train stop)
This old copper town on the Savannah Way was formerly called Copperfield. The Einasleigh Hotel situated only walking distance from the brilliant Copperfield George is home to a truly magnificent miniature furniture collection. Call in for a quick beer and chat to the locals.

Copperfield Gorge
Copperfield Gorge is the remnants of an ancient lava flow that spewed from a now extinct volcano thousands of years ago. Once a lava tube much like the ones in Undara that still exist to this day, the Copperfield Gorge formed when the 'roof' of the tube collapsed creating a deep chasm. Today it is a stunning natural beauty cut out of the ground.

Forsayth
This town was originally known as Finnigan's Camp after the prospector who discovered gold nearby in 1871. Forsayth is a tiny town (population 75) located in the central base of Cape York and is a part of the Savannah Way. Surrounded by mountainous terrain, consisting of granite and mineralised sedimentary rocks, this is pioneering country. Relics from the rich gold days can be seen in Caschafor Park and be sure to check out the tree carvings while you are there.

Georgetown
Georgetown is a pleasant, sleepy little town on the Etheridge River which is surrounded by rich beef cattle country and some of the best gemstone areas in Queensland. Wander the town to see its historic buildings. Georgetown is one of the real locations mentioned several times in the novel "A Town Like Alice" by Nevil Shute.

Visit the remains of the Cumberland Mine about 20 kms out of town. The massive chimney stands as a lone relic from the gold crushing plant that was built by Cornish miners. Next to the chimney is Cumberland Dam which is a popular bird-watching spot. Bird signage has been installed to aid visitors in identifying the numerous bird species.

Croydon
Considered the Heritage Capital of the Gulf, Croydon, situated in the heart of the Gulf Savannah country (Savannah Way), is a small town with a big history that started with the discovery of gold in 1885. 23,675 kilograms of gold came from these fields in a 35-year period. Croydon was a bustling diverse town with one of the largest settlements of Chinese migrants in Australia.
Visit the True Blue (named after a local mine) information centre for an introduction to the town. This centre shows a short but entertaining film to learn about the town. In the garden surrounding the centre you can see replica miner cottages, old mining equipment, vintage cars, and A10 locomotives. While at the centre grab a map of the Croydon Walking Trail so you can take a walk around and appreciate the wonderfully preserved heritage. The Datum Post tree is a Cooktown ironwood tree, alive until the 1980s, that was used as a reference point for the original survey of the town.
Visit Croydon's Heritage Precinct with the police station, jail, Sergeant's residence, town hall, and courthouse. These are the oldest buildings in Croydon (circa 1887) and are open and free for visitors to wander through. The Mining Museum has an operable 'stamper' on the original Iguana Consul Mine.
Visit the Chinese Temple Archaeological site. There is a walking circuit with information plaques that offer an insight into this community.
Visit the Club Hotel build in 1887 which is the last of the 36 hotels in Croydon. Check out the murals on the veranda depicting outback life.

Normanton
Normanton is a genuinely delightful town with an excess of old-world charm. It only has a population of around 1,200 people with over half being indigenous Australians. Established in 1867 it is the second oldest town in the Gulf. See a mixture of old, heritage constructions, along with brightly coloured, revamped places. Built in 1890, the Carpentaria Shire Council Building was constructed of locally made bricks and cost £1000. Although this unusual style building looks more like an old hotel, it has ironically spent some time as a pub! The heritage-listed Burns Philip Building was built in 1884 and served as a general mercantile store. The Bank of New South Wales (now the Westpac) is a listed National Trust Building built in 1896. It is an unusual building that looks more like a house than a bank.

Officially known as the National Hotel, and a typical country pub, the one claim to fame (which shows you don't need much to make you famous) is that in the past a publican painted it purple. Now the 'Purple Pub', as it is known, attracts tourists simply because it is purple and stands out in the town's main street.

Visit the iconic 'Krys' the Crocodile statue. It's a monument to the 8.6m saltwater crocodile that was shot in 1957 by a local Croc Hunter.

Just out of town is the Mutton Hole Wetlands Conservation Park where you can see a wide array of birdlife and maybe spot a crocodile. The wetlands cover 7860 hectares and are the largest continuous wetland area in Northern Queensland. Brolgas and Sarus Cranes are a common sight.

The grand old Normanton Railway Station was constructed in 1889 and is still in mint condition and is an interesting example of late nineteenth-century railway architecture in Queensland. Enjoy a self-guided walk around this pretty station precinct with its quirky character and visit the little museum.

Gulflander RM93 train
RM93 affectionately known as the "Tin Hare", the Gulflander is a fully operational 1950 railmotor that is said to travel from 'nowhere to nowhere'. Opened in 1891 to connect Normanton to the rich Croydon goldfields, the heritage-listed line has never been linked to the main Queensland Rail network. Enjoy a nostalgic journey through some of Queensland's most remote, inaccessible, and diverse countryside — from wetlands and grasslands to arid savannah country and the wide-open spaces of the Outback. An in-the-know Savannah guide accompanies each journey and they share the history of the railway and the area as you travel along. Learn about the 16-mile turning angle built in 1891, learn how Critters Camp got its name, and learn about the ingenious construction of the line. This engineering feat retains most of the original rail and sleepers.

Karumba - outback by the sea
Karumba is a coastal town in the Gulf of Carpentaria, at the mouth of the Norman River downstream from Normanton. Karumba is well regarded as a fisherman's paradise with a huge array of fish, crabs, and prawns in the area.
Visit the iconic Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre to discover all the amazing secrets of the mighty barramundi fish. Also contains the only hatchery in the world to breed the Southern Gulf strain of this fish. You can visit the information centre for free but if you want to get up close and personal with this fish then book a "feed-a-barra" tour where you get to hand feed a barramundi in the 10 metre diameter feeding tank.
Don't miss doing a cruise on the Norman River for a spot of bird and crocodile watching. I went with The Ferryman Cruises and thoroughly enjoyed their outback hospitality on an informative and fun cruise. I can honestly say it is a rare day when I am drinking champagne and nibbling fresh prawns at 10 o'clock in the morning whilst searching for crocodiles!!
Visit Karumba Point at the end of the day to enjoy the picturesque sunset over the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Burke & Wills Camp #119
Follow in the footsteps of former explorers and visit the location of Burke and Wills last northern camp on the main Normanton-Burketown road. It is only a 1.5-km drive into the bush to the spot which is marked by a couple of plaques.
The dedication reads: 'This monument marks the site of Camp No: 119 of the 1860-61 Burke and Wills expedition occupied on Saturday 9 February 1861 by Robert O'Hara Burke, William John Wills, John King, and Charlie Gray. On Sunday 10 February Burke and Wills left on the attempted journey to the Gulf of Carpentaria returning on Tuesday 12 February. All four abandoned the camp the next day for the return journey to Coopers Creek, Depot No: 75, and home to Melbourne. During the return journey, all died with the exception of King who survived with the assistance of a friendly Aboriginal tribe.

Cobbold Gorge
Cobbold Gorge is Queensland's youngest gorge, set amongst an ancient landscape, which began 1,700 million years ago. Covering an area of 80km2, the gorge is named after its tributary, Cobbold Creek, which commemorates pioneering Gulf pastoralist Frank Cobbold (1853-1935), who held several large cattle stations in the region. The gorge is a natural wonder with a narrow chasm that has been etched into large craggy sandstone formations. Fed by several springs, the gorge is only 2 metres wide in some areas with the magnificent sculpted cliffs rising to 30 metre on each side. Think truly spectacular scenery.
An electric boat tour beneath the narrow 30m rug sandstone cliffs is a must. The flat bottom boats have barely enough room to maneuver through the 500m watercourse. The overall length of the gorge is approximately six kilometres, though a series of rock falls and vegetation inhibits traversing the full length. Enjoy the peace and serenity as you spot local birds and fish and maybe a crocodile or 2. A new addition to the area is Australia's first fully glass bridge spanning the width of the gorge. Set at a height of 17 metres it was installed in 2019. This bridge provides a connection with the western side of the gorge and the Savannah Guide walk is worth it to see even more fantastic formations.

Undara Lava Tubes
Undara Volcanic National Park is situated 275 kilometres Southwest of Cairns with evidence of volcanic activity from 164 volcanoes. Undara' is an Aboriginal word meaning 'long way'. There are few natural events more awe-inspiring than a volcano eruption. The last time the Undara Volcano erupted was 190,000 years ago, but you can still follow the path taken by the red-hot lava by walking through the remarkable lava tubes at Undara Volcanic National Park. Ancient roof collapses have created deep depressions in the tubes allowing rainforest plants and animals to thrive in this unique ecosystem.
The story of how the lava tubes formed is fascinating. As the lava flowed downhill, the outer layer cooled more quickly than the fast-moving core. The result was a series of hollow tubes of extraordinary size. The Bayliss Cave, for instance, is 11m high, 22m wide, and more than a kilometre long. These are the largest lava tubes in the world. So far 68 separate sections of cave have been identified from over 300 lava tube roof collapses. We visited the Stephenson Cave and Collins Road Cave.

Ravenshoe
Ravenshoe is the highest town in Queensland and is part of the Atherton Tablelands. Historically Ravenshoe was a town with a proud heritage of extracting timber from the surrounding forests. In the 1980s the town was the site of a number of major battles between environmentalists and timber workers particularly when the Federal Labor government declared a huge area of local rainforest World Heritage Listed and protected. This led to the arrival of "alternative lifestyle" people in the area (they still live outside the town) and by 1990 the town had a decidedly "hippie" ambiance. The locals declared the town the "Beard Capital of Australia" because they felt they had the most beards per capita of any Australian town. Pay a visit to Queensland's highest pub which sits at 916 metres above sea level.
Situated five kilometres from Ravenshoe you will find windmills that are 45 metres freestanding and twenty of them together are a spectacular sight to behold and feed enough power into the national grid to power 3,500 homes. This is Queensland's largest wind farm dotted amidst the expansive landscape.

All too soon we were heading back into Cairns. It has been an amazing trip to see remote parts of Australia that I would not have considered previously. It is time to say farewell to new-found friends. This eye-opening trip has given us spectacular scenery, unique experiences, mile-upon-mile of unspoiled bushland and an appreciation for all that this wonderful country has to offer.