gdtourism.Com: Mission Beach to Innisfail: Finding Our Way to the Enchanted Ruins

Thứ Ba, 9 tháng 8, 2011

Mission Beach to Innisfail: Finding Our Way to the Enchanted Ruins

ROAD TRIP DIARIES # 22

We never thought we would stay this long at Mission Beach but we enjoyed immensely its relaxed atmosphere and world-class beaches. Each of the four beach villages here has its own unique character and charm, which captivated and prompted us to stay longer than we had originally planned.

After our eventful White Water Rafting at Tully River, we didn’t feel like leaving our lovely spot at the council-owned camping ground in Mission Beach town center. It wasn’t as luxurious as our previous camping ground at South Mission Beach, but it was way cheaper and within a stone’s throw from the beach, as well as the strip of cafes and restaurants.

The next morning we slept in and were somewhat in a semi-catatonic state, probably still feeling the hang over of the events from the previous day. But we were glad we had managed to drag ourselves out of the campground to check out the live indie music at the Shrubbery Taverna the other night. Dancing with the rapids during the day and swinging on the dance floor at night time accompanied by lots of booze were the deadly combination for a restful and deep sleep but the morning aftermath was a totally different story.

Goodbye Mission Beach

Lunch at Clump Point

It was already past 10 in the morning when we finally checked-out from the campground and finished replenishing our food supplies. We were back on the road before lunch time and were tracing the stunning coast towards our next destination. It seemed the spell casted upon us by this town wasn’t broken yet so we decided to camp by the beach for one more night this time at Bingil Bay, its northernmost sister village.

Jetty at Clump Point

Disappointed at Bingil Bay

We fell in love with Bingil Bay the first time we saw the camp ground by the beach. It was more laid-back and less touristy and it was the kind of spot we wouldn’t mind staying on for days or even weeks. It was quite far from the town, which actually made it more appealing for us. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any available spot, which didn’t surprise us because it is one of the cheapest campgrounds on Mission Beach.

After exploring Bingil Bay a bit, we were back on the road quite disappointed and still undecided on whether to head straight to Cairns or make one last detour before embracing the frantic city vibe. By this time I was looking forward to setting foot in Cairns. I was just a few hours away from ticking off my list my long time childhood dream of snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef.

But at the end of the day, we found ourselves heading west off the Bruce Highway to the enchanting ruins of a once grand castle. The adventure underwater could wait for now after all, we seldom encounter medieval-like ruins with a fascinating story to tell.

(This is part of our 6-week North Queensland Road Trip Series, which took place July- August 2010)

Mission Beach to Innisfail: Finding Our Way to the Enchanted Ruins review

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29 July 2011 5:00 AM
31 Comments
Mission Beach is a cassowary conservation area and this alone was enough reason for Charles and I to drop in for a few days.
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01 August 2011 11:50 AM
42 Comments
We rafted under surging waterfalls, free-flowed on the calmer parts of the river, jumped-off from a huge boulders and were purposely thrown out of the raft to the delight of our cheeky guide.
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21 February 2011 11:39 AM
24 Comments
The first thing I noticed here was the temperate weather. It was winter then in Queensland but
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