This fabulous trek takes us through country rich in history, from early mining activity and Chinese immigration, to military training activity and following part of the route of the early explorers.
We will trek through the beautiful Atherton Tablelands, supported by pack donkeys, which we as a trekking team are required to care for. Evidently, if the donkey isn’t happy about how it’s being treated, it won’t budge!
We will retrace the route taken by Edmund Kennedy during his party’s exploration of the area in 1848.
Looking around the terrain, though we have good equipment, are well fed, and are trekking through land that has been cleared and maintained, we will get a sense of how difficult life was for the early explorers.
We will also learn about the early interactions between the European explorers, and our indigenous communities. In April 1848, a young man named Galmahra was asked to accompany and help guide Assistant Surveyor Edmund Kennedy on an expedition through unknown country heading up into Cape York Peninsula.
On that expedition Galmahra proved his value (including bush skills) and turned out to be a loyal and resilient member of the expedition upon whom Edmund Kennedy increasingly relied until he died, speared by Yadhaykenu people in the northern Peninsula area in December 1848, somewhere near the Escape River.
Following an inquiry into Edmund Kennedy and other expedition members deaths, Galmahra became more generally known as Jacky Jacky: one of the first Aboriginal Australian to be honored for his loyalty, heroic deeds, and general assistance to the expedition.
William Carron also accompanied the Kennedy Expedition as botanical collector. He was one of only three who survived starvation in Camp LXXX near the mouth of the Pascoe River. He kept a journal, had to abandon this when evacuated from the camp due to risk of imminent attack by Aboriginals. After he was rescued and returned to Sydney he re-wrote the journal from memory – this being the only substantial record of the expedition.
The other surviving records include a set of Kennedy’s sketch maps of the route that were placed on microfilm in 1948 and are held in the Mitchell Library, Sydney. All the paper records were affected by water damage during the wet season floods as Jackey Jackey hid the papers in a hollow log after Kennedy was killed. Jacky Jacky retrieved them during the expedition mounted to find Kennedy’s body the following May. This is a story in itself!
Cairns
Arrive in Cairns. Overnight: Cairns Hotel (D)
Transfer 2.5 hours from Many sites enroute, including Rocky Creek WWII Memorial Park, 7th Division AIF Camp at Millstream Falls, and others. Pre-trek & safety briefings and meet donkey team. (B/L/D)
Trek along disused railway line from Tabo, learning about the history of the history of mining and Edmund Kennedy’s third exploration, begun in 1848. (B/L/D)
Follow the Camel Track, between Lappa Junction and Mt Garnet. Camels were used to transport supplies during the mining era – the leading cameleer, Abdhul Wade owned between 600 and 700 camels. (B/L/D)
A ‘Kennedy’ day following a part of Edmund Kennedy’s exploration route. Head into Cobb & Co country and into the heads of Reids Creek. (B/L/D)
Trek further along Reids Creek to Denford via disused haul roads and tracks used by the early miners. Along the way, view a pre WWI miners camp, forges used at that time, and the original Denford battery site, operated by Dalzeil Family. (B/L/D)
Option to visit Greens Battery, used from 1911 and virtually intact today. Alternatively, just chill and spend time with our group – and our donkeys! (B/L/D)
Trek through Cobb & Co territory, close to historic routes between Georgetown, Herberton and Petford, and along Emu Creek. View Chillagoe-Mungana Railway Bridge, Wade’s Pub, Dorothy McGrath Bridge and Kennedy’s camp K XXXIV. (B/L/D)
Trek along a disused coaching road north of Emu Creek, continue north of Mt Black past Emerald Hill, to the vicinity of Bluewater Creek.
Visit “ Kennedy’s Rocky Hill” (if time allows), used by Kennedy to observe and plan his route. Richard Boyle, GGG Nephew of Edmund Kennedy has placed a brass memorial plaque at the base of Kennedy’s Hill. (B/L/D)
Final day of trekking takes us past more evidence of Kennedy’s exploration, including the Long Waterhole approx. 350m from Kennedy Camp KXXXIV. We continue to Emu Creek Cattle Station, our camp tonight. It is a great spot for kayaking, swimming, fishing and yabbying. (B/L/D)
