The weather was grey and overcast, but the rain held off, so after helping to set up the kids explored the campground by bicycle while Bruce and I got 10 minutes for a peaceful cup of coffee. As it wasn’t really warm enough for swimming, we headed up the hill to Paluma Village. Paluma Village is 18 kms up the mountain range on a narrow, windy road through the spectacular Wet Tropics rainforest.
It is quite a surprise to get to the top of the mountain range and find this very isolated little township. And we thought Keysbrook was remote! Apparently the town was first settled when alluvial tin was discovered in the area in 1875. There was some bullock droving and logging in the area and during WWII Paluma’s altitude was seen as strategically attractive and a secret radar station was set up. The mining and the logging in the area continued to be quite successful until the 1980s when the price of tin collapsed and the introduction of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area put a sudden and permanent stop to logging.
Unfortunately, the boys missed the cute little village and
the sweeping views of the valley from the top as they were all sound
asleep! On the way back down we stopped
at Little Crystal Creek and woke them all up for some rock hopping and a look
at the picturesque stone arch bridge built in the 1930s depression.
But of course it started raining almost the very moment we got out of the car! (This recent weather has brought on some serious discussion about returning to Darwin!)
A bit of guitar, harmonica, singing, red wine, marshmallows
and laser light show around the campfire, oh, and just a little more rain, and
we were all tuckered out once more.
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