Year 2, Weeks 11 & 12 – From Moranbah to Finch Hatton Gorge

This blog post covers two weeks, as Week 11 was pretty uneventful! We rolled into Moranbah and started work for the next couple of weeks. Ryan ended up finishing his work quicker than anticipated, so we managed to leave early — which meant more time to go exploring before our next stint in Mackay.

Moranbah is a small inland town, known as one of Queensland’s newer mining towns. Built in the 1970s to service the coal industry, it’s now home to a tight-knit community with a population of around 9,000 people. The town is dusty, but the people are fantastic. It gave us very similar vibes to Port Hedland, a place that will always hold a special place in our hearts and the place we still call home.

While here, Rachael found a little routine walking down to La Crema Caffe each week for coffee and cake while doing some remote work. The staff were always friendly, and the Dubai Chocolate-inspired brownie was absolutely delicious! One highlight of our stay was catching up with a friend from Port Hedland who now lives in Moranbah. We had dinner together at the Golf Club, where she introduced us to some of her friends who welcomed us with open arms.

Another surprise in Moranbah — we had the best Chinese food we’ve had since leaving WA. Fresh, delicious, and definitely memorable. Worth the stay just for that!

Our fortune cookie messages. Can you guess who got which one?

We left Moranbah on a Wednesday and made our way to Finch Hatton. We decided to stop here because of the epic mountain bike trails we’d heard about (thanks to Aussie Destinations Unknown for the tip!). We set up at the showgrounds — $30 for a powered site — which is conveniently located straight across the road from the trails.

The camp was full of friendly people, which reminded us that while life on the road can sometimes feel lonely, there are still plenty of travellers who love a chat and a laugh. Ryan quickly got talking to a few others and arranged a mountain bike ride the next morning. He came back red-faced, sore, and completely worn out, but raving about how good the trails were.

The Start of the MTB Trails!

The next day we headed to Finch Hatton Gorge. Part of the trail was closed, but the walk to Araluen Cascades was open. The trail is just under 4 km return and ends at a stunning waterfall with a refreshing swimming hole at the bottom. Rachael, determined to have a swim, took a little time to work up the courage (deep water + not seeing the bottom = big mental challenge!), but with a pool noodle in hand and Ryan’s encouragement, she finally took the plunge. Floating back from the waterfall in the cool water, with the place all to ourselves, was pure bliss.

Rachael enjoying the cool water at Araluen Cascades, Finch Hatton Gorge

The following day it was mountain bike time again. Ryan started Rachael off at the pump track to learn some basics, then decided it was time to head up the trail. Easier said than done! What a mission! They made it to the first checkpoint, but instead of choosing an easy route, Ryan picked an intermediate trail. Cue big jumps, rollers, and berms! Rachael had a few wobbles (and almost went over the handlebars once), but by the time they got to the bottom, she was hooked. Next time, they’ll definitely make use of the shuttle service to get to the top.

After a few adventurous days at Finch Hatton, we made our way to Mackay for our next work stint.

Hit the road 🎵 — we’ve got places to be. – R&R