TWO GIRLS – Making The Wrong Choice

Camping in Cairns, North Queensland, Australia.

Oh dear, sometimes we get it very wrong. Not only had we chosen to camp for over two weeks at the wrong time of year in the wet tropics (the clue’s in the name), but also throw into the mix temperatures continuously above 30 degrees C, intensely high humidity, no air-conditioning or fan (as we were camping), very painful infections (ears, skin and tonsilitis) debilitating three out of the four of us, an infestation of biting ants colonising one side of our tent, dangerous Australian spiders and the risk of disease-bearing mosquitos, all meaning we couldn’t sleep with the tent flap open, and you’ll start to get an idea of just how bad things were.

Still, when it rains, some things excel. Waterfalls, for example. During our time in North Queensland, we visited a vast array of the most amazing waterfalls. As they say, every cloud has a silver lining.

Josephine Falls, Wooroonooran National Park, North Queensland.

Wallaman Falls and wildlife, Girringun National Park, North Queensland. Australia’s tallest single-drop waterfall (268 m) ... yet hardly busy getting there (except for the cows).

More water in North Queensland. Clockwise from top-left: Little Crystal Creek near Townsville; flooding meant we couldn’t reach Jourama Falls in the Paluma Range National Park; rapids in Mossman Gorge; Barron Falls near Kuranda; a walk aborted owing to flooding at Lacey Creek in Djiru National Park near Mission Beach.

Millaa Millaa Falls in the Atherton Tablelands, North Queensland.