2nd  July...  DAY 16

 NB I have not been able to post a blog for 5 nights. A lot has happened since then.

What a great day we have had. A little shopping in Mareeba to stock up with food for 2 weeks.
 I was lucky to be able to speak to both ladies who had helped me with research about Charles
Desailly. Shelline is the Heritage Officer for Mareeba Council and Elwyn is a very knowledgable
local Historian who had grown up in the area. I called to thank both of these ladies for their help.

 Travelling west of Mareeba took us through Sugar cane plantations some of which were being harvested.

Sugar cane west of Mareeba

Interestingly we passed over the top of the Great Dividing range at 576 metres. Turning north at Dimbulah we came over very rough gravel roads to Thornborough, looked at the cemetery then came through Kinsborough to 'Ike's Place' ..a veritable paradise. Ike is a fine hard working Swedish chap who has built a home and beautiful tropical garden for himself. He allows visitors to camp amongst the trees beside Caledonia Creek which he has dammed into a water storage. He charges $5 per person, per night. We paid him a few more dollars because it will make such a 'paradise' to stay in for a tomorrow's 'day of rest'.

Our garden campsite for 2 nights


Two flocks of birds have been interesting...firstly we disturbed four red winged parrots which are bright 

green with vivid red wings. Secondly quite a large flock of red tailed black cockatoos were feeding in a tree near the ornborough cemetery.

Charles and Lewis Desailly worked on a station near Mt Mulligan