Lake Eacham Circuit, Crater Lakes National Park - April 2022

Lake Eacham

Sam and I faced a 'big' drive of around an hour to relocate from Lake Tinaroo to Cairns today, so with plenty of time up our sleeves and the weather looking quite good we decided to stop off at Lake Eacham and go for a walk around the lake. Lake Eacham is an old volcanic maar that is filled with beautiful turquoise water and it is a popular spot on a nice day for swimming, picnicking and walking. We decided to do the walk around the lake to work up a bit of a sweat before hopefully finishing off with a swim.

We'd visit the pontoon at the end of the stroll.

The walk starts off as a sealed path.

Kauri Pine

This is an easy walk that should be within most peoples capabilities.

Heading off along the sealed path we started our counter clockwise stroll from the day use area. Despite being a lakeside stroll there are surprisingly few water views on this stroll, it's really the rainforest that is the star of the show. After around 1 kilometre the sealed path finished and we then walked a good gravel path pretty much the rest of the way around. A bit over halfway around the circuit we came to a couple of giant Strangler Figs, one of them spanning the track so that we had to walk through a 'tunnel' in its root system.

The Lake Eacham Walk, Crater Lakes National Park.

The sealed path finished after awhile and we found ourselves walking a good benched track above the lake.

Somewhat surprisingly we mostly only had fleeting views of Lake Eacham. 

Lake Eacham

Lake Eacham

There are some huge old Strangler Figs here.

The track actually tunnels through this Strangler Fig.

After checking out the big Strangler Figs we continue on our nice stroll. This last section of the walk featured an Echidna sighting (I didn't even know that they live in the rainforest), a Water Monitor, turtles and fish - although we didn't manage to see any of the freshwater crocs that allegedly call the lake home. With our circumnavigation virtually complete the track dropped down to almost water level and we wandered out to get a view from a floating pontoon - this pontoon is also a good spot for a swim although you'll be dropping into some deep water. A couple minutes after leaving the pontoon we arrived back at the day use area and it was time for me to sample the cool water - every walk should finish with a swim in a freshwater lake I think, especially if it is in the tropics!

Crater Lakes National Park.

Lake Eacham Walk, Crater Lakes National Park.

Pretty well the complete circuit was shaded from the tropical sun. 

Lake Eacham Walk.

I wasn't even aware that Echidna's lived this far north. 

Lake Eacham

The Dirt.

According to my GPS we walked 3.7 kilometres and climbed 60 metres on this easy stroll. This walk should be suitable for wheelchairs and pushers as there are no steps - although it would be a hard work in a wheelchair as there are some reasonable inclines. The day use area at Lake Eacham has toilets, BBQ's, picnic tables and shelters as well as great swimming. Numerous walking guides have covered this stroll over the years so information shouldn't be hard to find. I used the notes out of the Woodslane book Best Walks around Cairns & the Tablelands as well as my Allrails map and my GPS topos - that said, you are not going to get lost along this stroll!

Relevant Posts.

Stewart Head & Bradlaugh Mine Walk, 2022.

There was quite a bit of aquatic life in the lake...

... however we didn't spot any of the Freshwater Crocodiles.

Looking across Lake Eacham towards the day use area from the pontoon. 

Lake Eacham

I'm going to have to start open water swimming I think - I'm getting pretty rusty nowadays. 

No croc sightings today!

Carlisle Circuit, Great Otway National Park - August 2022

Climbing Raper Ridge Track - there is actually no single track on this walk.

After arriving home after my recent Gammon Ranges walk I fell back into a familiar rut, one that I've struggled to dig myself out of for the best part of the last three years now. After enjoying such a great walk, and enjoying such a wonderful companion in Joanne I was really struggling now I was back at work in Victoria with no big walks on the horizon. So when I awoke at around 4am on this rainy Saturday it was a little harder than normal to drag my sorry arse out of bed and head off through the late winter rain on the long road trip down to the Great Otway National Park. Thankfully though I did manage to to make my way down the coast, and by the time I'd arrived at the wet and grey car park I was in a little better head space... well, marginally better anyway!

The rain had pretty well stopped by the time I shuffled off this morning.

After following the Carlisle Gellibrand Road for a couple of minutes I swung left onto Old Carlisle Track.

While this walk didn't really promise any wow moments I was thinking that at least I'd get some fresh air and a little bit of exercise in, and really that's pretty well how the morning turned out. With the grey skies threatening to drop their load on me at any minute I locked the ute and shuffled off into the gloom, almost immediately veering left off the Carlisle Gellibrand Road onto Old Carlisle Track. Once I was on the sandy Carlisle Track I followed it west for over 4 kilometres, crossing Boggy Creek as I eventually made my way over to Raper Track.

Coral Ferns - Old Carlisle Track.

The sandy heathland was bleeding water out after another long and wet winter. 

Old Carlisle Track.

Sun's out and suddenly my day was looking up.

Old Carlisle Track.

The good news was that the sun had appeared now so I was able to climb Raper Ridge Track enjoying the feeling of the weak winters sun on my back, something that always cheers me up a bit. In even better news the local wildlife also looked like it was enjoying the sun judging by the number of Wallabies and Rosella's around. After a bit of a climb I swung left off Raper Ridge Track onto Rocky Creek Track and again dropped down to cross Rocky Creek. After climbing away from Rocky Creek the increasingly sandy track started to cross some beautiful heathland, the sandy soil bleeding out water today after what had been a fairly wet winter. 

I'm about to start climbing Raper Ridge Track - believe it or not this is my happy face!

Rosella's on Raper Ridge Track.

I'm guessing it's a Swamp Wallaby.

I passed through an old prescribed burn on Rocky Creek Track - if nothing else it looks like the grass trees were doing ok.

After following Peppermint Parade for just under 4 kilometres I once again swung left and started a longish descent down Cricket Pitch Road. The walk down the deserted Cricket Pitch Road back to the ute was around 2 kilometres and the gently descending track made for a very easy way to finish the stroll, with the rain once again arriving just as I pulled off my boots back at the ute. 

The sandy Peppermint Parade was arguably the best walking for the day.

The grass trees are a feature of this walk.

Peppermint Parade.

Heathland - Peppermint Parade.

Peppermint Parade.

The Dirt.

According to Alltrails I walked around 14 kilometres and climbed 443 metres on what I'd call a medium grade walk. As my notes had promised this was a fairly inoffensive stroll, while the scenery was nice enough it was probably the wildlife that made this walk a little memorable today. I'm thinking that winter is probably the best time for this stroll as the open heathland could be a bit exposed in the warmer weather I think. I used the notes out of the House of Chapmans book Walking the Otways along with my GPS topos and Alltrails App.

Relevant Posts.

Stevensons Falls Falls Circuit, 2019.

The walk finished with a gentle descent along Cricket Pitch Road. 

Time to head off home.

The Strand Walk, Townsville - May 2022

Tropical nights are the best.

The last of the day's sun is slowly going. 

The Strand is another one of those nice and easy town walks, the kind of walk that I enjoy doing with Sam every now and again. When the walk is along the waterfront like The Strand I try and time it for twilight as the changing light can help give my photos a bit extra oomph , and that was the plan tonight. So after leaving our accomodation Sam and I set off into the Townsville evening to explore a bit.

Our hotel wasn't the most modern building in town however it was comfortable enough for us...

... and the view from our balcony was pretty sweet!

Once on The Strand we turned left and headed towards Kissing Point. 

Magnetic Island is easily in view from The Strand...

...and Castle Hill is generally in view in the other direction.

We are about to check out the old fort. 

Initially we headed up to check out the old fort at Kissing Point, another of those Townsville spots featuring a lot of war history. After checking out the old bunkers and gun emplacements, as well as long range views across to Magnetic Island Sam and I started heading back down towards town. By the time we left Kissing Point the sun was getting pretty low so our walk back down towards town was a slow one as I stopped to take it all in.

Looking back down over The Strand Rockpool from Kissing Point. 

One of the old gun emplacements on Kissing Point. 

Kissing Point.

Kissing Point.

There are a few options to get up and down Kissing Point - I'm thinking that wheelchair access would be possible. 

Back down at the Rockpool - this is a free public swimming spot.

The Strand Rockpool.

Heading back towards town along The Strand.

With the setting sun starting to light up the Coral Sea in one direction and the full moon rising in the other this was a good walk. After numerous stops Sam and I eventually made it down to the marina, where after checking out the war memorial we turned and headed back to accommodation... yes, it was a very simple walk!

Suns going down and the moons up.

The Ocean Siren Statue - the state changes colour depending on how warm the water is on the Great Barrier Reef.

Early evening on The Strand. 

Castle Hill is a good reference point to gauge your progress. 

I'm not sponsored... unfortunately!

Early evening on The Strand in Townsville. 

The Dirt.

I didn't have my GPS on this walk and forgot to turn on my Alltrails App so I'm estimating a bit on the distance this afternoon, I reckon we walked around 6.8 kilometres and climbed about 73 metres on this easy stroll. This is a popular walk with the local active wear crowd so you won't be alone on this one, that said it is a really good stroll - particularly at each end of the day. 

Relevant Posts.

Magnetic Island Bays Walk, 2002.

The marina was as close to the CBD as we got tonight. 

Townsville War Memorial. 

Some ofd the Figs were lit up by LED's.

The Strand, Townsville.  

The Art Deco Seaview Hotel - it was time for dinner!