The coastline vanishes behind me as I head high into the rainforest surrounding Kuranda. The smooth curves in the road lead me through the lush green landscape, it’s gorgeous. After a while it transitions into tropical empty grasslands with lone palm trees, reminding me of the Cocora Valley in Colombia. I could drive through this landscape forever, but all too soon Jason (my kiwi GPS voice) tells me to ‘chuck a uey’ onto the waterfall circuit. It’s only nine ‘o clock and I’ve already arrived! At Millaa Millaa falls I find a bunch of backpackers, obviously having camped out here for the night – not too shabby. When I walk down the steps to the waterfall, I am quite disappointed. Yes, it’s a waterfall, but hardly worth carrying a camera for. So I continue the cirquit to the next one, Zillie falls. To get the full view, it requires a short jungle trek down a muddy trail. Once I get to the bottom, I look up to a beautiful waterfall plummeting over black lava rocks, which have green vegetation all around them. This is more like it! Unlike many other travellers, I can’t get enough of waterfalls, creeks or swimming holes, I love them. It’s like being in a tinker-bell movie where tiny elves to flutter around. In reality, there’s big blue butterflies, fair enough.
There’s a third waterfall to see, called Elinjaa, even more stunning than Zillie. All re-energized by this natural beauty, I head to the final destination of the day; Henrietta Creek Campground. This national park camping is within Wooroonoora National Park.

My tent is set up before lunchtime but relaxing is out of the question; I get seriously harassed by horse flies. As soon as they sit on your skin, they sting, even through clothes. Annoyed by doing spastical-dancelike-movements all over the place to fend them off (like Moby’s videoclip Bodyrock – but way less cool), I decide to make an actual move to the Nandroya falls, picking the long side of the loop walk that is six kilometres in total. It is Cassowary terrain, so my heart doesn’t just beat faster because of the hike. These gigantic birds are particularly territorial and have big claws to show you when you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. Luckily, I’m at the right places at the right times, except for some leeches trying to get through my shoes and a big black snake on the middle of the trail, I encounter nothing but tropical natural beauty. I cross a few creeks and small dripping falls, but most the trail is easy, leafy and not used judging by the amount of spiderwebs I walk through. Oh, the amount of times you could possibly die in this country, right?! The sound of plummeting water finally gets louder and the air gets that nice cool breeze surrounding waterfalls. I already got several glimpses of the creek, with lots of sawshell turtles wobbling on the surface of the bronze coloured water. I find the waterfall completely deserted, and as much as I like to get precious places to myself, the combination of croc-territory and brownish waters make me a tad uncomfortable. This far inland, there should be no problem, so I tiptoe into the refreshing water. The waterfall is another beauty, with its immense height and the stone arc around it, Nandroya falls remind me of Emma falls in the Kimberleys.

Back at camp I kick back  and just as I’m getting all chillaxed in the perfect afternoon sunrays at beer ‘o clock, I see movement in the corner of my eye. I’ll be damned, a cassowary just walked up to my little buzz bubble to check it out. Wary but oh-so-curious, I get closer, and the cassowary isn’t shy or vicious at all, which is the perfect rainforest gift before the sun sets.  In that short moment of twilight, the nightlife crawlers kick into a concert so loud I need cover my ears, then once the stars are dotting the sky everything gets calmer. What a mighty fine day to be out here.

At five in the morning I rise to a whole new symphony of the rainforest. By the sound of it, the animals are at least as excited as me that another day has begun and I get up for a shower ‘au naturel’. This campground has a creek and a bush swimhole. That it’s nameless is an understatement for this magical little spot, which is good, for the tourists stay away. I dip into the clear refreshing cold water, not for long, as the voice in my head keeps repeating ‘hungry salties everywhere!’ Before packing, the cassowary comes by to check out my masterpiece brekkie – I don’t share, even Australia isn’t ready for cassowaries on caffeine!

I hit the road to look for the next designated natural wonder, I suppose there’s more spectacular falls than the ones I want to see, but going by the name Tchupala falls, I can only giggle knowing the Spanish translation. They turn out to be very nice (banner picture), even though I’m spoiled after yesterday. Once I continue, Jason and I have a disagreement, so I get rid of him and head to Etty bay without directions (Jason’s the GPS, remember?). The landscape leading towards this bay is gorgeous, a small winding road gets me down to the bay, which is packed. People are enjoying this closed off beach to its fullest, and with good reason! The blue water is so inviting, I consider a dip, but then I double parked so I can’t stay too long. There’s so many (dis)advantages of traveling solo. An absolute perk is the ability to move around quickly without any hassle. I love it!
After Etty bay, I deviate from my route to see famous Mission beach. It’s.. a beach, pretty, yes, but stingers and crocs won’t allow me to enter the water once again, so I go for a walk in the scorching mid day sun. Having to reach a certain spot by the end of day, I push on and magically, just around one ‘o clock, I see a turnoff to Jourama falls, what it doesn’t say is that it’s a dirt road including a creek crossing, but ey, nothing my mazda 121 cannot master. The decision to stop here pays off. I get to a lovely picknick area and the chance to plunge into a refreshing swimming hole. The more I travel Queensland, the more I realise how incredibly much it has to offer. I guess it’s simply putting its foot down on my decision wanting to stay longer in this marvellous country. I surpass Townsville to find a free campsite close to Ayr for tomorrow’s diving. Supposedly, Home Hill comfort stop, recommended by friends is the place to go. When I pull over I find a street loaded with old vans, right next to the railway. Not all-that if you ask me. But then again, there’s hot showers, a kitchen and it’s in a little town. The only thing that troubles me is that it’s not allowed to pitch a tent, which I figure out only after doing it. Solution to the problem; have a few glasses of wine, to be unable to make a move at all. Also, to suppress my mad excitement about tomorrow. I’ll be diving the SS Yongala and driving down to Airlie beach to meet friends.. Yes, I’ll have some more wine for a good night’s sleep…

Whether it’s the excitement, the wine or the illegal camping, I wake at four in the morning, unable to sleep in again. By the time other backpackers crawl out of their vans, I’ve already had brekkie, packed my stuff and I’m ready to hit the road.

At 07:30 I’m at Yongala Dive, the dive centre to take us to the famous wreck. Although I know it’s a world class dive which most diving friends rave about, I am not quite sure what to expect. The way out to the spot isn’t particularly rough, but the rubber-duckie boat slams onto the waves as if giving us all a big beating for going to the shipwreck.
By the time we’re moored and roll on the waves I get eager to jump in to make sure my brekkie doesn’t brexit. Happy to descend away from the swell I calm down to go into a state of sheer amazement with a grin on my face so big that my mask keeps flooding. We descend onto the stern of the giant wreck, which is surrounded by countless schools of fish, giant trevallies zooming by, seemingly playing hide and seek and batfish the size of car-tires while sea-snakes slalom around the soft corals attached to every corner of the wreckage. Cleaning stations are everywhere, attracting fish hanging motionless on the spot every other finstroke. This is an absolute dreamworld, pinch me!

We swim along the bottom, reefsharks in the distance take my eyes of the wreck for a bit. Then we reach the bow where a strong current attracts even more life. Along the hull a turtle is hanging out and a big shovel nose shark glides by gracefully several times, remoras trying to keep up with it. An OMG is well-placed here, is this really planet earth?! Surreal! During both dives I get a proper reminder why I love diving so much. Yes, the SS Yongala gets a well deserved spot in my top five dives! Back at the shop we have a bbq, rinse the gear and soon enough we all off in different directions of the globe.

My next stop – Airlie Beach, gateway to the Whitsundays!