Last week when my husband and I  were at the local markets, we came across a huge moth and wondered what it was. We were lucky enough to speak to a local who told us it was a Hercules Moth. We'd never  heard of them before and we'd certainly never seen one. I found the following information about the moth which was bigger than my hand!

The Hercules Moth is the largest species of moths in Australia and one of the largest in the world. The main colour is brown and both the male and female have triangular shape  transparent windows on their wings with a white triangle edge.

The male is smaller than the female and she  can boast that her wingspan of up to 27cm is the longest in the world. The male has a wingspan up to 20cm, their hindwing is longer with a tapered tail and has more vibrant colouring.

The adult female emerges from the chrysalis without mouthparts as her brief life does not include feeding. After she emerges she will emit pheromones to attract a male.  After mating, the female lays 80-100 eggs on the leaves or stems of some Daintree plant species. She dies shortly after that as she can only live only as long as her fat deposits last.

 They feed on leaves of several rainforest trees but prefer those of the Bleeding Heart tree.

As you can see from the image above, our  caravan park is quite large and has many sites on offer for caravans, campervans, tents etc.

Our caravan sites are bigger than most and can accommodate vans which are longer than the norm.The majority of our sites have a cement slab and there is plenty of room for campers.

We also have 6 one bedroom fully furnished units and 2 two bedroom units.

At the front of the park is a cafe which serves hot food such as burgers, fish and chips etc., as well as coffee, soft drinks and a few grocery items. 

​The beach is only 50 metres from the front of the park so is an ideal spot for a beachside holiday.

1.5KM - APPROX. 45 MINUTES
Lacey’s Creek Walk is approximately 7.5km from Mission Beach Village along the Mission Beach – El-Arish Road. What you will find is crystal clear waters running over pebble stones, and there are picnic tables, BBQ’s and toilet facilities for your convenience.

This walk is best appreciated when walked in an anti-clockwise direction. Starting from the Cassowary Information Shelter, here you can learn about cassowaries, which are frequently seen in the area.

Cassowaries rely on the rainforest for their food and shelter. The fruit of over 230 rainforest plants provides them with a large menu to choose from. Signs identify a variety of the food plants growing near the cassowary information shelter.

The track passes through rainforest and exits at the picnic area near the car park. Signs along the track provide information about the evolution of various plants and animals. About half way round, a viewing platform allows walkers to peer into a calm pool of Lacey Creek and maybe spot saw-shelled turtles and fish of various types. Signs help with identification.

Cassowaries are often spied at Lacey’s Creek so keep an eye out for them.

The district now known as Mission Beach is located on the coast north of Cardwell and was originally part of the Cardwell Division local government area constituted in 1884.

This division included the area from the Hinchinbrook Channel in the south to Double Point near Mourilyan Harbour in the north. Later the boundaries were changed and the northern section of "Mission Beach" became part of the Johnstone Shire in February 1937.

However, although the beaches were included on maps, generally known as the "Clump Point" region, opening up for selection and actual settlement was slow in developing.

The coastal floodplains of the Murray, Tully and Hull Rivers which discharge into Rockingham Bay are wetlands subject to extensive flooding in the wet season. Mangroves fringe the coast and movement in the area was very difficult for the first white settlers. It was not until the 1880's that the first settlers became established.  

Aboriginal Heritage The Dyiru-speaking Aboriginal people who inhabited this island coast were linguistically, culturally and socially related to the Dyirbal, Girramay and Gulngay groups of the Tully and Murray River districts.

Hunters, fishers and gatherers of the rainforests and coast, they utilised the rich plant and animal resources to provide their needs. They excelled in making and using canoes and rafts and were expert fishermen of both fresh and marine waters.

Contact with early navigators and coastal surveyors as well as with beche-de-mer fishing boats was established long before the first white people settled the beach areas in 1882. Timber-getters also camped on the beaches during their cutting expeditions and occasionally utilised Aboriginal labour in return for tobacco or tools.  

Source:  Cassowary Coast Regional Council

Nearly everyone in Australia knows that you don't swim in the ocean between October and June in Far North Queensland.  The reason why is because this time of the year is when the Box Jellyfish and Irukandji Jellyfish are prevalent.  The Box Jellyfish are particularly dangerous and they can administer a sting which will inflict searing pain and leave disfiguring scars. In some cases their sting can be fatal.

The Irukandji is only 2cm in diameter and their sting is moderately painful with minimal scarring, however,  approximately 30 minutes later  the patient will develop severe back  and abdominal pain, limb or joint pain, nausea, vomiting, sweating and agitation. In both instances medical treatment should be sought immediately.

To overcome the problem and allow people to swim safely, many beaches have installed stinger nets which help to keep the stingers out. Most also have a lifeguard on duty as an extra protection and are there to offer assistance should an incident occur.

It's only May, and even though I haven't been for a swim, I've had a couple of long walks along the beach in the water and felt absolutely safe doing so. Listening to the locals is the best way to find out what's happening in the area.

We went exploring today  and went for  a very long  walk on the magnificent beach from Central Mission to North Mission Beach. 

What we didn't  realise was how  long it would take us to get there. It took us an hour there and back again! Luckily we stopped for lunch before heading back to home. What a magnificent beach it is too. We passed only a handful of people on our journey there and back, so we more or less had it to ourselves.

While we were having lunch, a group of 6 skydivers landed on the beach just a short distance from where we were sitting. Skydiving  is very popular up here and a lot of tourists are quite brave and jump out of a very small plane strapped to an instructor. The smile on their faces once they've landed is priceless!

The weather here today was magnificent. A typical tropical north day with sunny skies dotted with a few clouds. From now on the weather up here will bring many people from the Southern states to escape winter, and if it's anything like it was today, then who could blame them!