BABINDA
Heading north to Cairns and after
Innisfail we come across the small town of Babinda. Another sugar
town.
Babinda is noted for its proximity to two of
Queensland's highest mountains Mount Bartle Frere (1622 metres) and
Mount Bellenden Ker (1593 metres). Babinda and Tully annually compete
for the Golden Gumboot, an award for Australia's wettest town. Babinda
is usually the winner, recording an annual rainfall of over 4200
millimeters each year.
Babinda was hit hard by
Cyclone Larry in March 2006. The category four storm damaged 80% of
the town's buildings, including the town's historic movie theatre and
iconic coffee shop "Yum Yum's". Sugar cane crops and banana
plantations in the region were decimated. At least twenty homes were
completely obliterated down to their concrete foundations, their
debris causing significant damage to other buildings. Vegetation,
often full-sized tree trunks weighing some one to two tons, were
ripped from nearby forest and flung into buildings by the winds.
The Babinda War Memorial is
located near the RSL.
The Churches is Babinda are
all in Church Street and Modern….As a result of ‘Larry’  
The Hotel only just
survived the cyclone and only the heritage listing allowed funds for
repair.
There is no Museum in
Babinda but the Library does have a ‘beginnings’ poster board.
At a minimum stop over for
refreshment.
Diary
notes
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