Misty rain wakes us at dawn so we quickly pack up and cross the Herbert River, which has dropped enough not to be a worry. A cuppa and breakfast on the other side and we move on. We find an old grave yard near the crossing. We note many of them are Atkinson’s, mum may know if they are distant relatives of hers.

The road to Kennedy is very picturesque. The Herbert River and Blencoe Falls are a highlight. Mist through the gorge and across the falls adds to the rugged beauty. The hilly country and combination of woodland, tall eucalypts and rainforest make this a really beautiful drive. The council has spent a lot of money on keeping this iconic road open, I like to think given its beauty it will be a good investment for their community.

We stop at Cardwell for lunch then Ingham for a check on road conditions up the range road to Mt Fox, which is an ancient caldera. The view over Ingham on the climb up the range is special.

The road is devoid of caravans and we see only a handful of cars, what bliss. It’s hilly country, rugged at times and chiefly woodland with some clearing for cattle. 

The Burdekin River crossing is a bridge made of rail line, It’s lumpy and the river is impressive and wide even though shallow.

On this trip we spot emu, deer and the regular carnage made up of Roos and pigs. A White-bellied Eagle feeding on one of the road kills was interesting to see, a majestic predator so far from water suggests the Burdekin River must be a bit of a corridor for them.

https://cloud.hemaexplorer.com.au/public/pqHi5HaiiKa8SMySvPWqMuW3