Shorty's RV Adventures

Day 71 – St Lawrence to Boyne River Rest Area

Posted on Saturday, August 2, 2014 by shorty

Ann and I both slept like logs last night. The darkness was a major factor – no bright caravan park security lights outside the bedroom windows – just stars punctuating the blackness! The silence was another welcome factor.

It was a bit cool when I got up so I started in jeans and a long sleeve top but changed into the more traditional shorts and tee-shirt once we hit the road as it was obviously going to be another beautiful day.

Today was to be another driving day similar to yesterday, with no specific destination in mind and just a couple of places that might be possibilities.

The first leg of our journey was one of the most uncomfortable driving experiences we had ever encountered, and I am sure that all caravanners will have experienced similar situations. As soon as we got onto the Bruce Highway from the St Lawrence road, we ended up behind an older Millard caravan being towed by an older Ford Falcon sedan. Speed-wise it stayed around 75 kmh with bursts of speed up to 80 kmh. In itself this wouldn’t normally be a problem as the BT50 has plenty of grunt and we have met these drivers before and I am usually quite comfortable overtaking in the right conditions.

With a fair bit of traffic coming in the opposite direction it was starting to take a bit longer that I would have preferred to be able to overtake the Millard and then disaster struck. The Millard van got stuck behind an older motorhome that seemed to be only able to manage 75 kmh at best, so we were stuck. There was simply no way I was going to be able to overtake two slow and totally erratically driven rvs in one go. The traffic behind us was going berserk and a few crazy drivers made overtaking manoeuvres, even over double lines, and often requiring the slamming on of brakes and pushing in to get back onto the right side of the road in the face of oncoming traffic. At times it was potentially quite dangerous!

Then, obviously seeing the error of his ways, the driver of the motorhome pulled off at a roadside stop and let traffic past. What a relief! Even the old Millard van got a bit carried away and started speeding up. Low and behold, just as it seemed that it was my turn to make a move to overtake, the Millard got stuck behind a slow moving Golf caravan. We were in exactly the same situation as before but with even heavier oncoming traffic making overtaking even more difficult!

Finally, just before Marlborough, the Golf van pulled off onto a side road and the Millard gained speed. We turned off the highway into Marlborough and had a well-deserved cup of coffee. Then, lo and behold, the Golf van parked behind us. Coffees were gulped down, dishes quickly washed, and we were off again. After a quick stop at the servo to top up the diesel we were back on the highway, ahead of that Golf slowcoach. It was a fantastic feeling to be able to get to 90 kmh, and that was in third gear! We eventually caught up with the Millard van but fortune was on our side at last and an overtaking lane saw that problem disappear and we were able to continue our journey at our own pace.

During this time the countryside had changed. We were no longer in sugar cane country and the scenery changed from flat cattle grazing land to bush and scrub, but all the while with mountains in the background. At times we saw the signs of recent bushfires, and smoke from current fires as well.

Changing scenery

We stopped for lunch on the outskirts of Rockhampton. We had spent a few days in Rocky last year and it was quite nice to see the river and some of the other places we recognised. There were also some interesting roadworks underway. While following Gabby the Garmin GPS to a rest are in the Camps 7 book we saw some nice shady spots on the side of the road and decided to stop there instead of driving any further.

Views of Rockhampton

New bridge under construction near Rockhampton

Lunch on the outskirts of Rockhampton

After lunch we headed for the Calliope River Rest Area – Q102 in Camps 7 – which we had seen last year and made some favourable notes about. Unfortunately things have changed since then and the main access road had been closed. When we tried the alternative route we found more changes to access including signs forbidding camping. There were a few parked vans at the end of the Old Bruce Highway and more along the riverbank but we were simply not game enough to take our van down the sandy and rough road that we assumed they used to get where they were.

We were a lot more successful at the next free camp we tried – the Boyne River rest area Q105 – although again there were changes compared to last year. Access to the area had changed with a result that vans had squeezed into all sorts of strange positions. The higgledy piggledy result left otherwise good flat areas inaccessible. In amongst the chaos there were actually several concrete slabs – it just didn’t make much sense. This is a very busy place and there are a lot of caravans and motorhomes here, and also several people simply sleeping in their cars or tents. Despite all this we managed to find a nice flat site with views overlooking the river and without close neighbours.

Views of the Boyne River from our van tonight

Views of Boyne River Rest Area free camp

We feel that the Boyne River rest area isn’t as good as St Lawrence, but after a reasonably long day’s drive, and viewing a beautiful sunset over the river while having BBQ lamb and vegies for dinner, I’m sure that we’re going to sleep well tonight anyway.

We have no idea where we’ll be staying tomorrow night, but that’s all part of the adventure!!!!!

Day 70 – Airlie Beach to St Lawrence Recreational Reserve

Posted on Friday, August 1, 2014 by shorty

We got off reasonably early this morning as today was to be a driving day. Despite some initial issues getting into our site at the Island Gateway Holiday Park we were well positioned to get out and were able to make an easy and untroubled exit. Armed with maps and our Camps 7 free camps book, we made our way to the Bruce Highway and headed South without any set destination or caravan park booking.

Ready to Roll

The scenery for most of the day was reasonably uninspiring. It was basically sugar, sugar, sugar – remember the 1970s pop song – and sugar mills. The sight of continual sugar cane fields and even the sweet sugary smell in the air became a bit too much after a while. Having to stop at one point for a sugar train was something of a respite from the otherwise somewhat monotonous countryside.

Sugar Cane Train

Sugar Refinery

First stop for late coffee and early lunch was outside the Mackay Tourist Information Centre. We were here last year and the Centre has been significantly improved since then with the addition of a roundabout so you can actually turn around, a dump point, and changed information facilities. No changes have been made to the amenities though.

From Mackay we returned to the Bruce Highway and eventually stopped for afternoon tea at Flaggy Rock Exotic Fruit Garden. This is a really interesting place to stop and the ice-cream and coffee were delicious. We were here last year and actually stayed at a free camp at the nearby Flaggy Rock Community Centre. We noticed that there was a job vacancy for a caretaker at the community centre and also that Flaggy Rock Exotic Fruit Garden was also offering overnight accommodation for self-contained RVs – apparently in competition to the community centre.

Flaggy Rock Exotic Fruit Garden

After Flaggy Rock we made our way to the St Lawrence Recreational Reserve free camp where we decided to stay overnight. We actually stopped here for lunch or coffee last year on our way south and were quite impressed and that assessment was confirmed today. We’re not quite sure exactly what this place is. There are some buildings, animal pens and stock loading ramps, a kiosk, an amenities block including toilets and coin operated showers, and more. This is a huge area and the variety of vans here is quite amazing. A popular local activity is fishing, although apparently the fish weren’t biting this afternoon.

We did a super quick set up with front and back legs on the van but remained hitched up. We put the awning out mainly to dry things out as it was a bit wet from the overnight dew when we rolled it up this morning.

Set Up at St Lawrence free camp

As I was cooking dinner on the BBQ, we were delighted to see a beautiful sunset. Some of our neighbours have lit camp fires and the feeling of near black darkness punctuated by the occasional fires and brilliant stars in the sky is absolutely magic.

Sunset and camp fires at St Lawrence free camp

Free camping is not for everyone but we are set up to be totally self-sufficient. Our fridge, stove and hot water service all operate off the gas bottles and the lights and TV operate from deep cycle batteries which are charged by the solar panel.

For us, free camping at a place like St Lawrence is what caravanning is all about.

We might be tempted to stay here another day …..

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure, Free Camping | Tags: airlie beach, flaggy rock, st lawrence

Day 69 – Chilling in Airlie Beach

Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2014 by shorty

Today was a bit of a slow day after our very early start yesterday and our action packed long day. We both slept in but I eventually got up first and made a start on catching up with the blog while I let Ann sleep a bit longer.

After fiddling around for the rest of the morning we had a light lunch before heading into town for look around and a few supplies. First stop was Bunnings – funny how you never have a screw the right length when something breaks isn’t it? Then we went for a cruise down Main Street. Last year we couldn’t actually drive down this street due to major roadworks, but they’re all finished now and getting around town is a lot easier. Plus the place looks a lot better.

Main Street, Airlie Beach

Having parked the ute we stopped for coffee and terribly fattening cakes at ‘Capers on the Esplanade’ and sat under a huge roofed area that wasn’t there at all last year. Coffee and cakes were delicious.

Capers on the Esplanade

Appetites satisfied we went for a walk along the boardwalk and up and down Main Street. There are some interesting looking shops here but in a way this is more of a younger person’s destination with plenty of backpackers’ accommodation and bars and other attractions aimed at that end of the market. That said, there are also some pretty upmarket places around Airlie Beach, although they aren’t necessarily in the centre of town. Unless you are a mountain goat you would probably need a car here to be able to access most of these higher end places.

Boardwalk at Airlie Beach

Beach at Airlie Beach

Then it was a quick trip to the supermarket before heading back to the van for a few minor repairs and other minor maintenance tasks before we head off tomorrow. The birds we mentioned the other day made an appearance again tonight outside the van door and on one of the nearby cabins.

Some of the permanent residents we share the caravan park with.

I cooked steak outside on the BBQ for dinner, which was complemented by a delicious salad put together by Ann.

We’ve quite enjoyed our stay in Airlie Beach but new destinations and adventures await us.

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: airlie beach

Day 68 – Whitsunday Islands

Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2014 by shorty

By 7.30 this morning we had got up, showered, dressed, had breakfast, caught a bus, and were enjoying a coffee at Abell Point marina at Airlie Beach. By 8.00 o’clock we were boarding the catamaran ferry Kingfish to start our Whitsunday Islands tour.

Abell Point Marina at Airlie Beach

Daydream Island

Our first point of call was beautiful Daydream Island where we were met by Alison, our tour guide for the day. Alison was very charming, personable, and certainly knew her stuff.

On board the Kingfish

The Whitsunday Islands National Park includes 74 islands of which over 96% is national parks, mostly uninhabited. Only a handful have resorts or permanent inhabitants. Captain James Cook sailed the HMS Endeavour into a passage between the mainland and the islands on 3^rd June 1770, the date of the ancient British festival of Whit Sunday, so he named the passage Whitsunday Passage.

Daydream Island is a small island resort but with plenty of things to do, ranging from swimming and snorkelling to more active pursuits including jet-skiing, parasailing, skiing, etc. There are in effect two halves to the island. The North end features the main reception areas, accommodation and restaurants, plus swimming pools, bars, spa complex and so on.

Fishy theme at Daydream

It also features the Living Coral Reef Lagoon which is home to sharks, rays, sea stars, and more. The water is very shallow and the marine life is quite visible – although not so much so by camera lens. There are organised feedings as well and apparently no-one has lost a foot from standing in the water for quite a while. We didn’t test this statement!

Coral Reef Lagoon

The North end of Daydream Island also features Mermaid Beach, the Mermaid Bar and some terrific mermaid sculptures. The story goes that Captain Cook ran aground on this beach but was rescued by some mermaids and was refloated, hence the association with mermaids. Alison our guide commented that perhaps Cook had been enjoying his rum ration a bit too much that night which might explain the voices he heard, although the ‘baby crying birds’ we have commented on several times – which we now know are bush stone curlews – might have something to do with the story as well.

Mermaids

The South End of the Island is more the activities end, with playgrounds, tennis courts, outdoor cinema, wedding chapel, swimming pool, a small boutique shopping area, bakery, bar, helipad, and so on.

Enjoying Daydream

After a good walk and explore around Daydream Island it was back on board our ferry – this time the Swordfish – and off to our next destination.

Hamilton Island

This is the place where it seems the millionaires hang out. Our first stop was at the Airport Wharf to let people off before we headed into the Hamilton Island marina where we disembarked. The two things that struck us immediately on arrival were the number and the size of the huge yachts in the marina, and the number of golf buggies everywhere. Actually the buggies make total sense as the only motor vehicles on the island appear to be commercial utes, vans and trucks and the buggies are a very convenient way to get around.

Yachts and buggies at Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island is much bigger than Daydream and is the most commercially developed island in the Whitsundays, but is still about 70% national park. Alison told us that a new resort wanted to claim 6 star status but needed a golf course to do so. There was no extra land available on Hamilton for a golf course so they bought nearby Dent Island and developed it as a golf course and got their 6 star rating. Most of the development on the island is low rise and quite settled in the environment, although there are 5 or 6 high rises as well.

One of the more interesting shops on Hamilton Island is the Foot gallery, where there is an amazing collection of large scale sculptures on display. Inside there are some smaller, many absolutely exquisite items suitable for display or jewellery.

Foot Gallery

Lunch was on the Marina Tavern balcony overlooking the marina and out to sea. Lunch was delicious and we both felt obliged to have a glass of Wild Oats Chardonnay in recognition of the Wild Oats racing yacht, which is apparently due in Hamilton Island very soon.

Lunch overlooking the marina

After lunch we went for a walk around town, and were quite taken by the new yacht club. It has a wide range of facilities available, but the design is quite striking. Debate is out as to where it is meant to resemble a whale, or a manta ray, or a yacht, as all these influences are visible when viewing the yacht club from different angles.

Striking design of the yacht club

Hamilton Island is home to a range of interesting retail shops, art galleries, and so on, but the main focus is very clearly on water sports, whether sailing, fishing, snorkelling, scuba diving, or again the more adventurous activities such as jet-skiing, parasailing, etc. The choices are only limited by the amount of money in your wallet!

Our time on Hamilton Island was way too short before we had to catch our next ferry.

Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island

From Hamilton Island we cruised through Solway Passage to Whitsunday Island, which is the largest island in the Whitsundays and is approx. 18 kms long and 14 kms wide at its widest point. Whitehaven Beach is on the eastern side of the island and is about 9 kilometres of beautiful white silica sand fringed by brilliant blue water that is regularly voted as one of the best beaches in the world. The silica sand is approximately 98% pure and is better quality than needed to make binocular lenses. It is also particularly bright and reflective, yet doesn’t retain heat so it is very easy to walk on.

Whitehaven Beach is part of the national park and is maintained in pristine condition. Although there is a small camping area, nearly all visitors are day trippers on organised tours like us, or others out sailing, etc. There was a sea plane there today as well. Unlike the other islands we visited, there is no wharf or jetty at Whitehaven Beach so it took three smaller ferry loads of visitors out from the ferry onto the beach. Also, there is no shop so you have to take everything with you, and importantly bring everything, including rubbish, back with you. Other than some long drop toilets and a few bench seats, there are basically no facilities at all at Whitehaven Beach.

Whitehaven Beach

A few of our tour group were game enough to have a swim, but Ann and I simply went for a walk along the water’s edge in both directions from our drop off point. It was a wonderfully serene experience, walking on extremely fine, almost pure white sand on a beautiful sunny day, and wading through almost perfectly clear water lapping at our ankles. We did see some small fish in the water, plenty of sea birds, and a lizard about 1 metre long out for a stroll.

Views of Whitehaven Beach

Before too long it was time to go and we returned to the ferry.

Back to Abell Point Marina

Once on board the ferry we were treated to afternoon tea of scones, jam and cream, hot or cold drinks, and plenty of fresh fruit. The bar was open for those so inclined. We then faced a rather bumpy ride back to Hamilton Island where we had to change ferries as the one we were on was heading off to another destination. Alison made sure that we went straight to the start of the queue to board the ferry for the final leg of our trip home. We arrive back at Abell Point Marina at about 6.00 pm and then caught the connecting shuttle bus back to our caravan park.

What a tremendous day!

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: airlie beach, day dream island, hamilton island, whitehaven beach, whitsunday island

Day 67 – Townsville to Airlie Beach

Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2014 by shorty

After nearly six terrific weeks in Townsville, it was time to start heading South to see more of this great country of ours. The weather in Melbourne still looks pretty terrible so we’re not necessarily in a huge hurry to get there and we’ll be taking our time.

The first stage of our journey today was to Ayr, which we had travelled on a day trip a couple of weeks ago. We stopped for coffee at a very tranquil spot by the river near the Ayr Tourist Information Centre.

Coffee stop in Ayr

From Ayr we headed to Bowen for lunch. We were able to bypass the main centre of Bowen – not much fun in a caravan – and stopped in a good rest area opposite the Big Mango and Bowen Tourist Information Centre. There was also a track to the beach and we thought the view was pretty good, and hopefully a preview of what is to come.

Big Mango outside Bowen Tourist Information Centre

View out to the Whitsunday Islands from the beach at Bowen

Our final destination was Airlie Beach and unfortunately Gabby the Garmin let us down again and we got hopelessly lost. To be fair, when we were here last year the entire main street was undergoing major roadworks and presumably some roads were changed – maybe the Garmin GPS doesn’t know about the changes?

After a desperate phone call to the caravan park for clear directions, we finally arrived at the Island Gateway Holiday Park. Ann had previously booked us into a drive through site which was just as well as Airlie Beach seems to be a very busy place. Interestingly, we are seeing a lot more Victorian number plates here than we did in Townsville, but there is a lot of traffic on the Bruce Highway heading North. After finding our site and squeezing in, we got set up and then went for a walk to stretch our legs after a reasonably long day driving.

Arriving at the Island Gateway Holiday Park

View of Island Gateway Holiday Park

This is quite a nice park with good amenities. One thing of note is that the birdlife here is quite overwhelming. There are flocks of ducks wandering throughout the caravan park looking for food and plenty of strange brown birds that sound just like babies crying at night. There are also heaps of white cockies screeching loudly and dive bombing caravans. Some also seem to understand that food comes from the door of a caravan and hang about outside various vans waiting for dinner.

When back from our walk it was time for an early tea as we have a very early start tomorrow morning.

Stay tuned …….

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: airlie beach, townsville

Days 58 to 64 – Phil, Tracey, Alex & Emily’s Townsville Adventure

Posted on Monday, July 28, 2014 by shorty

Our son Phil, his wife Tracey and their daughters Alex and Emily joined us in Townsville to stay for a week. As we hadn’t seen them for a couple of months it was great to catch up and spend some “holiday” time with them all. The timing was also good as we were able to celebrate Alex’s birthday a week or so late and Emily’s birthday a week or so early.

Arriving in Townsville. Alex & Emily on their apartment balcony.

Over the course of the week we have had a range of adventures including:

Water Park on The Strand

This was actually the first destination for Alex and Emily on the day they arrived. We met the family at Townsville airport and while Phil and Tracey caught a taxi to their apartment with all the luggage to get things set up without the assistance of the girls, we packed Alex and Emily and a bag of clothes etc into the Ute to make a preliminary introduction to Townsville.

First stop was the water park on The Strand and after a change into bathers and hats and sunscreen and the girls were off, shrieking and screaming with delight. By local standards Townsville is enjoying a mild winter, but by Melbourne standards we are practically enjoying a heat wave so the girls stayed under the water until they were a pale shade of blue.

Adventures at the Waterpark on The Strand

The Water Park is a great place for kids and Alex and Emily have certainly enjoyed the wide range of ways to get wet on offer here.

Seaview Hotel

Our first family holiday dinner was at the Seaview Hotel on the corner of The Strand and Gregory Streets, after the girls had changed and warmed up after their initial visit to the Water Park.

Do they meet age requirements ?

The Seaview had a good and wide ranging menu, including a choice of kids’ meals, and the prices were quite reasonable. So with Angus or rump steaks for the grown-ups and sausages and chips for Alex and Emily, we had a very enjoyable dinner.

Fish Inn and the Rockpool

Ann and I have enjoyed several meals at the Fish Inn and so did Katie and Mick while they were here, and Phil, Tracey, Alex and Emily have similarly decided that this was a great place to eat.

One morning we received a phone call from Phil at about 11 o’clock saying that they were at the Rockpool and would we like to join them for an early lunch. This was a bit of a surprise as their apartment is at the other end of The Strand and they had all walked several kilometres to get to the Rockpool. Fortunately there is plenty to see and do along The Strand so Alex and Emily had plenty to keep them busy and entertained during their long walk.

The Rockpool and nearby playground equipment.

After a bit of a play on the playground equipment near the Rockpool, we headed inside for a great meal of fish and chips, calamari, salad and more.

Another day, Ann and I took Alex and Emily for a swim at the Rockpool, and I actually donned my boardshorts and bared my body to the world. There‘s a lot more of it now than there used to be and fortunately there weren’t too many bystanders to be shocked! The Rockpool is a well-planned and safe place for anyone to swim with plenty of grassed areas to sit or sunbathe. There are no stingers or crocodiles, and it is drained and cleaned out every week. There is a large area suitable for wading in and much deeper areas for the more adventurous to dive, swim, etc. After a rather long time in the water, the girls enjoyed cleaning off under the outside showers while Ann got some take-away coffees and hot chips from the Fish Inn to warm us all up. After our swim we went for a short walk around to the beach where Alex and Emily enjoyed making sand castles.

Enjoying the Rockpool

Alex and Emily Drying Off After Their Swim

Cleaning sandy feet before a warm snack after swimming

Harold’s Seafood

We also enjoyed a family dinner at Harold’s Seafood in Gregory Street. Harold’s is essentially a take-away with plenty of tables and chairs outside. There is also a Juliette’s gelato ice cream shop next door and a Coffee Club next to that, so everyone’s appetite can be satisfied. For dinner we shared a couple of fisherman’s baskets amongst the lot of us and the big surprise to Ann and I was that Alex simply loved prawns. Later in the week while we were minding Alex and Emily while Phil and Tracey went out for dinner at Odysee greek themed restaurant, we shouted them fish and chips with a special prawn pack for Alex. Just as well that Emily doesn’t like prawns.

Enjoying tea at Harold’s Seafood. Alex liked the prawns.

Coffee and Gelato Ice Cream

There are plenty of reasons to have a coffee and/or gelato ice-cream and we have certainly devoured our fair share while we have been in Townsville. No-one really needs an excuse and there are always different flavours to choose from. Alex and Emily needed gelato to warm up after their visit to the Water Park and at another time needed gelato for strength before their long walk home along the Strand after their swim at the Rockpool. There are multiple coffee and/or gelato shops along the Strand and Alex and Emily enjoyed many flavours of gelato with “bubblegum” or “smurf” as perhaps their favourites. They particularly liked the fact that all the gelato shops let them taste different flavours before they had to make up their minds.

Enjoying Gelato Icecreams

Interesting Coffee Art

Swimming

Apart from spending time playing at the Rockpool, one morning we bought Alex and Emily back to the caravan park where they had a proper swim in the swimming pool. This is a great facility with a small pool for kids and a deeper area for laps. Alex showed off her swimming skills by swimming across the shallow end of the main pool and both girls had fun playing with the pool noodles.

Alex and Emily in the swimming pool at Rowes Bay Caravan Park

Tracey also took Alex for a swim at the Tobruk Memorial Pool where she was able to do some ‘proper’ laps.

Other Activities

We took Alex and Emily for a bit of a walk around town one morning. They were very interested in what they could see from the pedestrian bridge over the river and were delighted that that could see some fish in the river. We bought them some buckets and spades to use at the beach and further down the footpath, they enjoyed a game of hopscotch. Townsville streets are quite interesting in that they have play areas like hopscotch and snakes and ladders painted on the footpath.

Walking Around Townsville – views from the bridge, hopscotch and buckets and spades

Plenty to do around Townsville

Townsville does a fantastic job catering for kids and along The Strand and also along the beaches opposite our caravan park are many different pieces of play equipment, much under cover, to keep the kids active. Alex and Emily particularly liked the dragon, fish and pirate ship outside the caravan park.

Plenty for Alex and Emily to do in Townsville

Tracey also took Alex and Emily for a visit to the reefHQ Great Barrier Reef aquarium and turtle hospital complex where they stayed for a couple of hours. The girls were very proud of their ‘turtle tattoos’.

Magnetic Island

Phil, Tracey and the girls were all pretty keen to visit Magnetic Island and thoroughly enjoyed the apparently rather fast and bumpy ride over. They had originally thought that perhaps they would just catch the ferry across and back but in the end stayed and caught the bus around to Picnic Bay where they had lunch and explored a bit before catching the bus and ferry home.

Quad Bike Riding

Just to show that they are really just big kids, Phil and Tracey booked a Quad Bike Adventure so Ann and I looked after Alex and Emily for the morning. They were picked up from their apartment and driven out to Herveys Range to the Quad Bike centre, next door to the Heritage Tearooms that Ann and I had visited earlier in our stay. They were the only ones on the morning tour that day so received great attention from their guide. The morning started off with an introductory session on riding a quad bike with laps around a paddock before they set out on their tour. Both Phil and Tracey apparently had their share of “exciting moments” but thoroughly enjoyed the tour through beautiful countryside, up and down some very steep hills and through some old railway tunnels. After a quick snack at the tearooms they were brought back to their apartment. They both agreed that it was “wicked” fun!

Quad Bike Adventure – photos by Tracey

Phil and Tracey obviously had a great time on the quad bikes!

Billabong Sanctuary

Phil and Tracey took Alex and Emily to the Billabong Sanctuary about 17 kms south of Townsville. Tracey said that she had been to quite a few zoos and sanctuaries and that this was probably the best she had ever been to. What sets Billabong apart is that it is truly interactive and that the kids can touch and hold a huge range of native wildlife. Alex and Emily had a great time and handled their fair share of birds and animals, including a crocodile, before having their photos taken with their favourites. A great day was had by all.

Feeding Turtles at Billabong Sanctuary

Emily and Alex with their new best friends at Billabong Sanctuary

The week certainly passed very quickly. It was fantastic to have so much quality time together. We hope that the girls are old enough to remember their Tropical Queensland Adventure in Townsville. Nana and Papa certainly will!

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: townsville

Day 55 – Day Trip to Ayr and Home Hill

Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2014 by shorty

We woke to another beautiful day and decided to go for a drive South to Ayr and Home Hill. We had driven through this area last year and thought that it warranted a longer visit this year.

Leaving Townsville, the landscape was mainly flat with mountains in the background. At one point we appeared to cross through salt plains, although there may be another explanation. There were some signs indicating that some University research studies were in progress in the area.

Scenery on the Way to Ayr

The vegetation soon turned to sugar cane and mangoes. The Burdekin region, of which Ayr and Home Hill are the two main towns, is the largest sugar producing region in Australia and produces around 1.3 million tonnes of raw sugar each year, which is about 25% of Australia’s total sugar production. The Burdekin region also produces around one third of the mangoes in the Australian market. With 300 days of sunshine each year, rainfall of about 1 metre and average maximum temperatures of 25 and 32 degrees in winter and summer respectively, it’s no wonder that growing conditions are so good for these and other crops, including capsicum, melons, zucchinis, rice, and more.

Mangoes and Sugar Cane on the way to Ayr

Upon arriving in Ayr, we immediately set about finding somewhere for coffee and a light lunch. We ended up at the Chill Lounge, where the coffee was great, food was delicious, and prices were great value. And the service was pretty good as well. Several insightful sayings were displayed in the café, including:

A yawn is a silent scream for coffee

Children left unattended will be given an espresso and a kitten.

Welcome to Ayr

Chill Parlour in Ayr

Once our appetites were satisfied we went for a long walk around town. The Tourist Information Centre is a quaint cottage in Plantation Park, and the volunteer on duty made sure that we went away armed with plenty of maps and brochures. Also in the Park is a 60 metre long sculpture of a giant carpet snake, Gubullamunda, which was constructed to celebrate and promote indigenous culture in the region.

Ayr’s Tourist Information Centre and Gubullamunda

There are some very interesting heritage buildings in Ayr, and we were particularly impressed by the Ayr Town Clock which was unveiled in 1930 as a tribute to sugar industry pioneer, John Drysdale. The Ayr Post Office also caught our attention. There are several hotels in town, as one might expect, including the Queens Hotel where we stopped for a cool drink before continuing on our walk. It was 30 degrees at the time!

Historic Buildings in Ayr

In front of the Burdekin Theatre is the granite and bronze “Living Lagoon Sculpture” opened in 1985, which pays tribute to native flora and fauna and recognises the importance of water to the Burdekin community.

Elements of the Living Lagoon Sculpture in Ayr

Having seen a fair bit of Ayr on foot, we returned to the Ute and drove some 12 kms to Home Hill, crossing the Burdekin Bridge over the Burdekin River in the process. This bridge – known as the “Silver Link” – is a vital transport link between north and south, particularly in the wet season when the river can swell by up to 11 metres. At 1,103 metres long it is longer than the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Brisbane’s Story Bridge and Newcastle’s Hawkesbury Bridge. It took a decade and $6 million to build, and was officially opened in June 1957. Built to withstand the highest known flood at the time, it has never gone under water. Driving across the bridge in the dry still highlights how wide and deep the Burdekin must be during the wet season.

Burdekin Bridge

View from the Burdekin Bridge

Several kilometres from the bridge is the small town of Home Hill. It’s an interesting place and one of its better known landmarks is the Comfort Station where travellers have free access to showers and toilets, and is very popular with caravanners and others travelling along the Bruce Highway. There are a number of heritage buildings, including a couple of old pubs, and a beautiful Queenslander style Post Office.

Home Hill Post Office building

Once we’d had a bit of a look around Home Hill we headed back across the Burdekin Bridge and back home to the caravan.

We enjoyed our day trip to Ayr but really only scratched the surface of what the town and the wider Burdekin region have to offer. We will have to come back again, and maybe stay longer next time.

Still living the dream!

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: ayr, home hill, townsville

Day 52 – Day Trip to Ingham and Wallaman Falls

Posted on Monday, July 14, 2014 by shorty

The sky was uncharacteristically overcast this morning so we swapped our shorts and sandals for long pants and sneakers and set off on a drive to see more of the Northern Queensland countryside. We decided to head North towards Ingham.

From Townsville we entered the Bruce Highway and we soon took a turn off the highway to have a quick look at Saunders Beach. A lady we had met on our travels had raved about this place so we thought it would be worth a look. There was a small free camping area with about half a dozen motorhomes and a couple of backpacker campervans. There is a quite reasonable toilet block and it was a very short walk to the beach. The tide was right up so we didn’t see much of the beach. However we couldn’t find any shops other than a bar, and there didn’t seem to be too much to do about town, so we were a little disappointed.

Back on the highway we were quite interested to check out the free camp area at Bluewater. It was large, very busy and looked like quite a good place to stay. A short distance further along the highway we stopped for a quick look at the Big 4 caravan park at Rollingstone and have also added this to our “visit next time” list.

Up to this point the scenery has consisted mainly of dense scrub and small trees, right up close to the road with some patches of open ground.

Landscape Leaving Townsville Heading North

Coffee stop was at the Frosty Mango on the highway about 60 kms north of Townsville. This is a combined fruit plantation and café selling not only the usual coffees and cakes but a wide range of fresh tropical fruits and associated jams, sauces and ice-creams. We thoroughly enjoyed our coffees and coconut and mango cake, and Ann bought some interesting fruit that we will no doubt enjoy in the next day or so.

Coffee stop at the Frosty Mango

From here the landscape changed to sugar cane, and more sugar cane and a few sugar cane trains.

Scenery has changed to mainly sugarcane fields

Arriving at Ingham

We soon arrived at the outskirts of Ingham and had a bit of a drive around town. Ingham is famous for its Italian heritage and the Italian influence can be seen all around town. There is an annual Ingham Italian Festival which is a major tourist event for the town. Ingham is also home to the TYTO Wetlands area which is home to some 230 bird species.

We stopped at the Lees Hotel Motel for lunch. This hotel was founded in 1857 and is officially on record as the inspiration for the song “Pub With No Beer” made so popular by Slim Dusty. It is the only hotel in Queensland with Heritage Listed status. Our meals, and the beer at the pub with no beer, were delicious and we had a great time chatting with fellow diners and host, who recommended that we visit nearby Wallaman Falls. We even made it onto the Pub’s Facebook page!

Lunch at the Lees Hotel – The Original Pub With No Beer

We made it onto the Pub With No Beer’s Facebook page!

So from Ingham it was off further North to Wallaman Falls about 50 kilometres away. The road started out alright but we did encounter pigs and cattle on the road as we moved further off the main highway.

Pigs and cattle on the road and crocodile warning signs everywhere

The last 20 kms or so was a different proposition though and road conditions varied from new bitumen to rough dirt road with bone shattering potholes, all the while looking out for cassowaries, on-coming traffic and wondering exactly how steep the ground just inches from our tyres really was.

The last stages of the road to Wallaman Falls

Eventually we got to the top and made the short walk from the carpark to the lookout. That drive was definitely worth the effort and we were greeted with an absolutely amazing waterfall 286 metres high and Australia’s largest sheer drop waterfall. There are several walking paths in this national park and there is apparently a track down to the base of the waterfall where you can look straight up at the waterfall with it falling down on top of you. Ann and I decided not to go for a swim today so we did the shorter Djinda Walk which gave us great views of the gorge and other areas of this World Heritage Listed park.

Wallaman Falls

Wallaman Falls is Amazing

Views around Wallaman Falls and the national park

Eventually it was time to head back down the hill and after stopping for a coffee in Ingham we made our way back home to the caravan park, arriving home after dark.

It was a long drive today but we had a fantastic day!

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: ingham, townsville

Days 40 to 45 – Katie and Mick Visit Townsville

Posted on Tuesday, July 8, 2014 by shorty

Katie’s Birthday

Our daughter Katie’s birthday was on 2^nd July and we were delighted that she and her partner Mick came up to stay with us in Townsville for a few days before having to return home to a rather chilly Canberra.

First challenge was to set up our four man tent, which we had brought up in the caravan. Our site was big enough to include the tent and the caravan park was OK with that. It’s been a few years since we had put the tent up so after a few false starts with flexible poles, bending tent pegs and the like we managed to get the tent and it’s fly up and functional. Then it was time to set up the air bed. Last time we used the tent we slept on self-inflating sleep mats, but the birthday girl deserved better so we had bought up a queen size, double height, luxury air bed. I had assumed that I could use the 12 volt air compressor to pump up the air bed but of course the fittings didn’t fit so I had to revert to the hand pump. Sometime later it was up but at this point we realised that the air bed was so big that we couldn’t do up all the internal zips in the tent, so we decided that we needed to turn it around inside the tent. When we finally got that sorted out, it was time to actually make up the bed with sheets, a blanket, pillows, etc. By the time we were finished, our neighbour Pat and his wife offered applause and thanked us for a pleasant afternoon’s entertainment.

Tent Set Up – Air Mattress is Next

In the meantime, Katie and Mick’s flight from Canberra was cancelled due to fog, and the next plane they got a seat on was also delayed. This meant that before they had left the ground they had already missed their connecting flight out of Sydney. Things finally got sorted and they arrived in Townsville some 12 hours after initially leaving home. Sufficient to say this mucked up our original birthday plans but after a quick freshen up at the caravan park we all went out and had a great fish dinner at the Fish Inn.

Katie and Mick in Townsville

The following day we took Katie and Mick for a bit of a tour around Townsville. We finally ended up at “Shaw & Co” a recently opened bar in the new “City Lane” project. Shaw & Co promotes itself as the “Bar with Balls”, and their menu consists almost entirely of dishes featuring meat balls of some description. Mick certainly enjoyed his light snack.

Katie and Mick Around Townsville

Shaw & Co – Bar with Balls

Later that afternoon I dropped Katie and Mick off at the Jezzine Barracks Parade Ground where the drivers in the forthcoming V8 Supercars round in Townsville were doing a signing. There were hundreds if not thousands of people there and queues were considerable, but Katie and Mick persevered and successfully got a good range of signatures. I also managed to take a few photos of some classic cars on display at the Barracks.

Scenes at the V8 Supercar Driver Signing

Magnetic Island

On Friday morning we caught the early ferry across to Magnetic Island. We really wanted to hire a Mini Moke to drive around the Island but previous phone enquiries had advised that no-one was taking car hire bookings over the school holidays so it was first in first served. When we arrived however, there were no hire cars available at all, Mokes or otherwise. So after a quick look around Nellie Bay, where the ferry lands, we bought all day bus tickets and headed off to Horseshoe Bay where we enjoyed a delicious breakfast and walks around the village and along the beach. We then hopped back on the bus and got off at Arcadia to have a good look around the village and the Geoffrey Bay and Alma Bay beaches. We had lunch at the Arcadia Bay Resort then got back on the bus again and went on to Picnic Bay. After walking along the jetty, Katie and Mick decided to climb to Hawkings Point Lookout, during which time Ann and I sat outside at the Picnic Bay Tavern and enjoyed a coffee. When they got back we got back on the bus to Nellie Bay and after a short wait we caught the ferry back to Townsville. There really is a huge amount to see on Magnetic Island and after two day trips we feel that we’ve only scratched the surface. A longer stay on the Island may be in order at some time in the future.

Scenes at Nellie Bay on Magnetic Island

Scenes at Arcadia and Picnic Bay on Magnetic Island

Kevin and Lynn

On Friday night we got dressed up a bit and went out to dinner at the Odyssey Greek restaurant on the Strand, where we caught up with Ann’s brother Kevin and his wife Lynn, who were also in Townsville for a few days. We all enjoyed a delicious meal and plenty of catch-up chatter. After dinner we all went for a stroll along the Strand and ended up at the Friday night Strand Market, where stall holders were starting to pack up. Never-the-less we had a good look around before saying our goodbyes and heading back to our respective caravan parks.

Castle Hill

Saturday was another take it easy day. Mick and I are going to the V8 Supercars on Sunday so we had a quick look around the track to see traffic conditions and work out drop off points, parking options, etc. Then we all went for a drive up Castle Hill, which has absolutely magnificent views over Townsville and the surrounding area. As we headed to the top we saw Kevin and Lynn on their way down. Mick and I went up the Radar Hill Walk which takes you to the highest part of the Hill. There are several other walks but it was very busy all over the hill so we had to take our time going back down and back to the caravan. After ‘fives’ on the beach opposite the caravan park we had a BBQ dinner back at the van.

Castle Hill – with view of the V8s track

Scenes around Townsville

Townsville 500 V8 Supercars

Sunday was the final day of the Townsville 500 V8 Supercar event. This is apparently the biggest single annual event in Northern Queensland and for anyone with an interest in cars it is pretty well a must do event. Timing wise it is in the middle of the school holidays and Townsville is literally packed at this time of year – in fact the local economy relies heavily on a good turnout. Mick and I contributed in our own small way to the 142,000 headcount over the weekend.

Overall we had a great day. Just for a change I went as a spectator to a motorsport event and not as a working photographer, so that was a nice change. I did take a small camera to try to capture some of the sights and atmosphere though. There was a huge amount to see and do over the course of the day, even without the motor racing. Lots of merchandising stands, usually with pretty girls in short skirts and high heels outside, and plenty of food and drink options. There was a Disney play area for kids featuring a Cars 2 theme. Mick couldn’t resist a couple of driving games, which all came with entry into a fabulous prize draw for a Ute or something similar. Last we heard Mick hadn’t received a winner’s phone call unfortunately.

Scenes at the V8 Supercars Event

General entry gave free access to the pits for the support series cars, so we got to see racing Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Lotuses, Aston Martins, and other exotic and expensive cars close up, along with V8 Utes and V8s from the Dunlop development series. Access to the V8 Supercars was more restricted, although we could have bought Paddock Passes which come with extra privileges.

Scenes at the V8 Supercars Event

The Big Top at the V8 Supercars Event

By the end of the day we had walked right around the track; visited a whole heap of merchandise and trade stands; had lunch in the shade in the biggest marquee we had both ever seen – Vanessa Amorosi and Jessica Mauboy performed there on Saturday night; bought a few souvenirs; bumped into Kevin and Lynn; and watched the V8s final on a big screen in shade and comfort. After the final presentations, we walked back down the road to a suitable spot where Ann and Katie picked us up in the Ute and we headed back to the van for dinner.

In the meantime, Ann and Katie had a great day as well. They visited Cotters Market in Flinders Street, went to Casteltown Shopping Centre, and had lunch at Harold’s Seafood on the Strand.

Katie and Mick Head Home

On Monday it was time for Katie and Mick to leave Townsville’s wonderful weather and head back home to Canberra. They had enough time before their flight to go for a swim in the Rockpool swimming pool on the Strand and have pancakes for breakfast. After a bit of final packing, we said our goodbyes and dropped them off at the airport.

Katie and Mick About to Return Home

Mick and Shorty in their New Shirts

Ann and I then had the tent and airbed to contend with, and we really worried that neither was going to fit back into the containers they came in. First was the luxury air mattress and that was a bit of a challenge. It took great ingenuity to squeeze all the air out but we did manage to fit it back in its bag. The tent was actually less of a challenge that we expected, and it also fitted back in its carry bag. A couple of loads of washing for sheets and towels and by the end of the day pretty well everything was under control and stored away.

Trying to Deflate the Luxury Air Bed

At about 6.30 pm we got a text from Katie advising that they were home safely and missing the warm weather already. It was great to spend some fun time with Katie and Mick for her birthday. We’ll probably see them again on our way home.

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: castle hill, magnetic island, townsville

Days 29 to 38 – Townsville – Highlights

Posted on Monday, June 30, 2014 by shorty

We’ve been in Townsville for just over a week now, so it’s probably about time that we give our fellow Adventurers a bit of an update.

We’re going to be in Townsville for around 6 weeks so we’re not going to be sightseeing every single day and we do want to share some of those experiences with the family once they get here. Equally, we’re not going to bore you with stories of broken cupboard door magnets and the subsequent trip to Bunnings, etc.

Sunday Market

We really enjoy the Townsville Cotters Sunday market. Flinders Street in the Townsville CBD is closed off for a couple of blocks and street stalls of all sorts are set up for the morning. There are local handicrafts and clothing, street entertainers, plus most of the retail shops are open as well. What really attracts us is the amazing range of fresh fruit and vegetables – much of which we don’t see at home and some of which we simply don’t recognise.

Food Stalls at Sunday Market

On our first Sunday here there was a Scottish pipe band parade down Flinders Street through the market. The bagpipes certainly bought back memories from my days in school cadets and had many feet tapping. It was quite a bit different to the country music and didgeridoos that we usually expect.

Pipe Band at Sunday Market

Herveys Range Heritage Tea Rooms

One place we were looking forward to visiting was the Heritage Tea Rooms at the top of Herveys Range, about 30 minutes out of Townsville. Gabby the GPS failed us on this one and couldn’t find the tea rooms or even the correct road, so we reverted to paper maps for navigation.

Spectacular Views Going to Herveys Range

The tea rooms are situated in what was originally the Eureka Hotel which was built in 1825 and is one of very few slab sided inns left standing in Australia. It has since been restored but the original colonial feel is still very much in existence, and there are some very old and historic photos and artefacts on display.

Herveys Range Heritage Tea Rooms

Displays at Herveys Range Heritage Tea Rooms

The old building is surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens, so we enjoyed our lunch outside with native birds providing a lovely background soundtrack.

Sights at Herveys Range Heritage Tea Rooms

On the way back from the tea rooms we stopped at a roadside lookout – the views across to Townsville were amazing.

Views from Herveys Range Lookout towards Townsville

We also made a brief detour down Black River Rd to the Black River Stadium caravan park. It’s about 20 kms from town but promotes itself as a “seniors” camp with no jumping castles etc, and with having large sites and very competitive rates. We didn’t actually go for a walk around the park, as we often do, but from what we could see there were certainly plenty of big rigs and there appeared to be plenty of room overall. It would be worthwhile considering as an alternative if we couldn’t get into either The Lakes or Rowes Bay, where we are this year.

Kissing Point Fort and Jezzine Barracks

Ann and I often go for a walk before breakfast and last Wednesday we set off in the general direction of The Strand, assuming that there would be a track that would take us all the way there. There certainly is a track and it took us through Kissing Point Fort and Jezzine Barracks. There is a long timber boardwalk, plenty of interpretive signs and a great collection of artworks reflective of the indigenous history of the area.

Boardwalk to Kissing Point

Artwork along Walkway

Kissing Point Fort was completed in 1891 to defend the harbour from the threat of foreign attack – at that time by the Russians. During WW2 it was the Headquarters for 265^th Australian Infantry Battalion and landing ship tanks used the beach near the fort to embark and disembark men and supplies.

Sights at Kissing Point Fort

The walk also takes you through the Jezzine Barracks, a newly redeveloped recreation area that features Jezzine House, which is privately owned, a collection of army huts and the Army Museum of North Queensland.

Jezzine House and Army Museum

As the last stage of our walk was reasonably strenuous for a couple of old crocs like us, we needed a rest, so we took refuge in the Odyssey on the Strand, where we both had a delicious breakfast. Once suitably nourished, we returned back to the caravan park by a slightly less strenuous route. Our early morning walk ended up taking nearly 3 hours! Odyssey is a very nice Greek themed café and restaurant so we will probably come back one night for dinner before we leave Townsville.

Odyssey on the Strand and Jezzine Barracks

Walk Along Rowes Bay Beach

Another morning we walked along the beach in the other direction. It was a much flatter walk among some of Townsville’s amazing trees with their huge exposed root systems. There were a lot of people fishing along the beach and we were stunned to see fish literally jumping out of the water. Ann has put in an order for a fishing rod for Christmas! It’s exciting when there is actually something to catch!

Amazing Trees and Artworks

Wandering

We’ve been snapping as we’ve been wandering around town so here’s a collection of some of the sights we’ve seen.

Flinders Street, Townsville

A Nice Place to Stay on the Strand overlooking the Marina

Lots of Fun at the Water Park on the Strand

Scenes Around Townsville

Townsville Show

Today – Monday – is actually the Townsville Show Public Holiday. The Show started on Friday night and coincides with the start of Queensland school holidays. It certainly looked very busy over the weekend. Max and June our neighbours here at the caravan park reported back that it was great for 5 year olds who were looking for show bags and rides, but that there really wasn’t much for us oldies to we decided to pass today and go for a long walk in the sun along the Strand instead.

Categories: 2014 Townsville Adventure | Tags: herveys range, townsville