Big Crystal Creek in Paluma Range National Park

June 17, 2024

Sunday the 16th of June 2024

Thirty seven kilometers up the Bruce and then another ten on a quiet road got us to the Big Crystal Creek campground in the Paluma National Park. The campground is quite busy but we have a secluded site in a corner.

The Bruce Highway north of Townsville has mostly had a good shoulder but the bridges over the creeks are squeaky bum times.

It's Father's Day in South Africa today so it was great to get some calls from kids and grandchildren wishing me the best. It is also Youth Day in South Africa, the day we commemorate the start of the nineteen seventy six student riots against the iniquitous Bantu Education Policy of the then Apartheid regime.

Hector Pieterson being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo after being shot by the South African police. His sister, Antoinette Sithole, runs beside them. Pieterson was rushed to a local clinic where he was declared dead on arrival. This photo by Sam Nzima became an icon of the Soweto uprising

This was my generation of fellow countrymen who sacrificed so much for my country's future

Monday the 17th of June 2024

Unfortunately, Paluma National Park turned out to be a poor choice. Overfilled with seemingly lots of campers not having booked and paid. There were even a number of groups of people camping in the day visitors area adjacent to the campground.

Blaring music, raucous laughter and shouting continued until midnight and we didn't get much sleep. We're accustomed to National Parks having strict rules regarding noise but since no other campers seemed concerned we just have accept that last night's parties and uncontrolled access are the norm in Queensland National Parks.

The music started up again mid morning and hasn't stopped. In retrospect we should have packed up and left this morning.

By late this afternoon there had been no sign of any officials checking up on the campground. All of this us really a pity because Crystal Creek is quite picturesque. We escaped the music for a while and had a swim in the bracing cold water.

I was in quickly but I didn't last long before sunning myself on the rocks to warm up.

Back at the campground we seethed and tried to keep our disappointment in check but finally Leigh had had enough and went to ask the campers who had been blaring out, admittedly some of my favourite sixties and seventies, music to please keep it quiet tonight. They were quite shocked, responding that it wasn't them who had had, in their words, the "#$%@-ing monster party" the night before. Despite them letting Leigh know that they thought she had "a bad attitude", they turned the music down and we have had a wonderfully calm evening . I'm sure there are other campers here tonight who think Leigh deserves a medal.

Today's ride: 47 km (29 miles)
Total: 4,229 km (2,626 miles)

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