Bouncing Rocks

Submitted: Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 19:12
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Rocks do bounce like tennis balls if you can find them.

The only place I know that they exist is between Cape Tribulation and the Bloomfield River in North QLD. It used to be (about 10 years ago) signposted on the track until it was declared an Aboriginal Sacred Site and the signs were taken down. Hard to find now.

Does anyone have GPS co-ordinates? It was a fascninating place and it is sad that it cannot be enjoyed any longer by everyone.

Cheers,

Jim.
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Reply By: Member - DickyBeach - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 19:54

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 19:54
Jimbo,
While I can't help you with your question you query prompts me to take this opportunity to recommend that anyone with an interest in FNQ try and find at the local library a book by Ion Idriess called "Men of the Jungle".
In it Idriess describes a small part of his fantastic life, in this book before WW2 when he lived in the bush as a tin miner and fossicker at the top of the Range where the Bloomfield and Daintree rivers start as trickles.
His word pictures of the Bloomfield Track, Roaring Meg Falls and the whole hinterland will make one want to go and soak up the place for themselves.
A wonderful story and as you say above, it is sad that one cannot enjoy today what Idriess experienced so long ago. A great read.
All his books are wonderful stories of the Australia that was and that we won't see again.
DB
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Reply By: Willem - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 20:11

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 20:11
There are bouncing rocks as well at Cape Hillsborough National Park nort of Mackay in Queensland and I seem to recall this phenomeon somewhere in the NT but the place escapes me now. The bouncing rocks have something to do with volcanic activity some millions of years ago.
AnswerID: 100395

Follow Up By: Member - Jimbo (VIC) - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 20:27

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 20:27
Willie,

They're bloody amazing things. To see a rock bounce and skip is something that all children should experience as part of their education. Didn't know why it occurred, but your explanation of volcanic activity when you were a child (LOL) makes sense.

Cheers,

Jim.
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Reply By: Member - Jack - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 20:41

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 20:41
"It was a fascninating place and it is sad that it cannot be enjoyed any longer by everyone.

How true ... discussing this with a mate last night (freedom of movement) made us both ask do we live in Australia any more? You can move around Baghdad more freely ... (although with some additional risk). Certainly not the country I grew up in as a kid. Pity.

Jack
The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get. (Lewis Carroll-Alice In Wonderland)

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Reply By: Pullsy - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 21:11

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 21:11
I am pretty sure that the Daintree site was closed as too many people decided that they would take some of these rocks home despite numerous signs asking them not to. Maybe complaining about government closing sites is better than not having any beach left because everyone decided to take a stone home with them.
Pullsy
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Reply By: Member - Oskar (Bris) - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 21:26

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 21:26
I grew up in Bundaberg and spent much of my young life at the beach.
If you know Bundy then you'll know that much of the beach there is mainly black basalt rocks (like the beach in FNQ that you refer to).
We used to bounce rocks and stones all the time and then when, as an adult, I went to bouncing stone beach in FNQ on our way to Cooktown (we lived in FNQ for several years) and flicked a few stones around, I thought "..... so what's the big deal?"
Maybe bouncing stones are more common than you think.
Cheers
Oskar
AnswerID: 100410

Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 21:47

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 21:47
Theres a beach on the east coast of Tas, good 4WD track down there, I reckon its near Coles Bay. Theres bouncing rocks there too.
.
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Reply By: Member - Poppy (QLD) - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 22:15

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 22:15
Jimbo
I seem to remember they are within walking distance from Thornton Beach "North"
Cheers Poppy
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Reply By: Big Woody - Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 22:33

Sunday, Feb 27, 2005 at 22:33
Hey Jimbo,

When I first read your post it brought back some happy memories of my first trip up the Cape about 15 years ago. The signs to the Bouncing Stones had been taken down then and the bushland had been planted up beside the road to conceal the location. My first instinct though on reading your post was that the Bouncing Stones were south of Cape Tribulation.
I have just spent the last hour going through old map boxes and I found my original maps that still have the "Stones" marked on them.
The road following the coast north to Cape Trib. is weaving inland north of the Daintree Riveruntil it first comes back out to the coastline at the village of Thornton Beach. About a kilometre north of Thornton Beach is where you will find the Bouncing Stones mate. The road is running right at the back of the beach and the council have built up a mound and planted thick vegetation but you can still pull over to the side and climb through the bush and about 50 metres away you will be bouncing your rocks off.
In reference also to the other posts above, I live about right beside the beaches of Bundaberg and have tried bouncing the volcanic stones with my kids as I have told them about the real Bouncing Stones in north Qld. I admit they bounce a bit here but nothing like their northern cousins. We timed some of the stones up north and they continued bouncing of the larger rocks for around 10 seconds if they hit the big rocks well.
I have plotted the position on my Garmin GPS charts but I use my GPS with digital positioning. If you would like the position in a standard hh:mm:ss format just let me know and I will post it.

Bouncing Stones - S16.16440 E145.44252

Have a great day!

Brett
AnswerID: 100423

Follow Up By: Bundy - Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 07:29

Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 07:29
BigWoody

Could you please send GPS markin hh:mm:ss format? We arre hoping to get back up that way in the next couiple of years.

Thanks

Bundy
fishnboat@bigpond.com
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Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 07:44

Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 07:44
Thanks for that info. Brett.

Which map datum was the map you plotted the position on using - probably AGD66 but it may have been a different one. The info. should be printed with all the other text about the map.

Mike Harding
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Follow Up By: Member - Jimbo (VIC) - Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 07:57

Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 07:57
Thanks Brett.
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Follow Up By: Big Woody - Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 08:00

Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 08:00
Hi Guys,

The datum used is the one that most locals use here for plotting our fishing spots - WGS 84.
Bundy - Make sure you set your GPS to the correct datum before plotting the position. Here it is in hhh:mm:ss.s format.

Bouncing Stones - S16 09 38.5 E145 26 35.6

Give me a yell if you have any more questions.

Brett
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Reply By: Member - Dexter - Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 16:19

Monday, Feb 28, 2005 at 16:19
As a kid growing up in FNQ, I recall going to a number of "bouncing stones" beaches. The most southerly may have been Pebbly Beach, between Cairns and Port Douglas, but there were a couple more up past Cape Kimberly and towards Cape Tribulation.
Spent a fair bit of time up there - Dad was with the CREB when they put the power (and the track) through to Bloomfield.
Asked him many years later, which was the best really serious offroad vehicle he ever used. He said "Bombadier". Apparently, the CREB had a bloody snowmobile up there for a while. I believe it went really well in swampy country!
Cheers
AnswerID: 100520

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