Sunday 16th
May 2004
Although still a little tied after the last couple
of days, we managed to get ourselves up and underway by about 8:30am
this morning and back on the Bruce Highway heading north, with the
idea of reaching Mackay after lunch.
The highway was fairly kind to us and remained reasonably
flat, although not always smooth. Traffic was reasonably heavy when
leaving Rockhampton but soon thinned out and other than a few trucks
that were a little faster than us and an old VW Combi Van that was
slower in a very winding section of the highway, we did not encounter
too many obstacles, although at one stage we did meet a very wide
load coming toward us with a police escort. The Police Escort just
about ran us off the road, however the load passed us bye without
any incident.
Most of the journey was driven between two ranges
of mountains (or very high hills) and along the way we passed through
Yaamba, Kunwaraka, Marlborough, Clairview, Carmila, Ilibie, Koumala,
Yukun, Sarina and Moana before arriving in Mackay at about 12:10pm.
Most of these towns were very small or even just a road house in
some cases, however Clairview appeared to be set on a very narrow section
of the ocean front and stretched for about a kilometre and Serina
was a fairly large town with a good sized shopping centre right on
the Bruce Highway.
For about ten kilometres before we reached Serina
through to Mackay (About 50 kilometres) we were passing through sugar
plantations most of the way and at Serina there is a large
Plant that converts the sugar cane product into ethanol. Once in Mackay we made our way to the Beach Tourist
Park (Big 4) which it says is on the beach, however we were under the
belief that we would find water at the beach but we must have been
wrong because we couldn't see any when we walked down to where it should
have been. Someone has told us that if we walk down to the beach
at 9:pm tonight the water should make an appearance for a while.
Now it is time for a siesta and prepare ourselves
for a little sight seeing tomorrow and you never know, 'one of us'
thinks maybe even a little shopping. |

To the beach......

Anyone for a swim?????
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Monday 17th May 2004
Not a lot to report on today as we have made this another rest
day, even though 'one of us' insisted that we rise and shine by
about 7am. it was a very easy morning with a cup of tea and raisin
toast that the toaster decided to burn to a crisp. (The bloody
thing has a mind of it's own!!!) The second attempt was a bit more
successful thankfully.
Later in the morning we did take a drive into the city but once
the Coles Store' came into view, 'one of us' made a bee line for
it and a small fix of shopping revitalized her soul. Once we managed
that event, we went in search of a Shell Service Station, so that
we could make use of the Coles docket to received 4 cents per litre
off the diesel required in the Patrol. This mission was also accomplished
without a great deal of difficulty so we decided to call this money
spending thing it a day before our luck changed.
Once we arrived back at the caravan park we took a look at the
beach again and Hey Presto... there was the water that had done
the disappearing act last night. I couldn't resist taking a photograph
of the Hula Girl (well 'one of us' actually) posing under yet another
coconut palm.
Then (under the instructions of 'one of us') we sat outside the
caravan and pulled out the pen and paper to work out roughly how
long it
will
be before
we
arrive
home in
Kalamunda. After some ernest study of the map and a lot of numbers,
we figure it will be about 7187 kilometres of towing the caravan
(Sight seeing in the Patrol only will be additional to that) and
19 stops over a period of approximately 37 days. Makes sense doesn't
it, arriving home at the start of winter, who would want to remain
standing under coconut trees in the warm sunshine when the cold
wet weather beckons.
Tomorrow we head of to Townsville for a glimpse of the old army
barracks that was home to the 'other one' when he was much younger
fitter and training for service in Vietnam with the 6th Royal
Australian Regiment (6RAR/NZ)
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Pammy and a Palm |
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Tuesday 18th May 2004
We must have both got a touch of the sun I think because we were
both up early this morning and feeling ready to get on the road.
After packing up and having a last minute chat or two, we were away
from the caravan park by about 7:55am, then it was back onto the
Bruce Highway and Townsville here we come!
I'm not sure we were even out of the 80 kmh zone before we came
to the first town, Farliegh, then Leap, there was a succession of
small places such as Hampden, Kuttabul, Mt Ossa, Kolijo, Calen, Pindi-Pindi,
Yalboroo, Elaroo and Bloomsbury before we arrived in Proserpine. Then
the towns became quite a lot more sparse as the next one was Bowen,
then Merinda, Gumlu, Inkerman and Home Hill before Ayr. There were
no more towns between Ayr and Townsville, at which we arrived on the
outskirts around 1:00pm.
Then came the saga of finding the caravan park that
we had booked into. It was the Rowes Bay Caravan Park situated on
(yes, how did you guess) Rowes Bay. We had a small map of where to
find
it and we managed to drive past the Army Laverack Barracks and
find our way on to Ingham Road, that was going okay. Then we drove
past Hughs
Street that was not mentioned but we were looking out for ????
Street, Well we never found it and after driving right through the
centre
of the city of Townsville, we ended up having to stop and ask directions
in a shop. As it turned out we were originally in the right direction
but the map was wrong, the Hughs Street we had seen very early in
our search was the one we wanted, the map had just put the wrong name
on it..... 'One of us' (The camel driver) said:
"##@@%%##=lets#%@=go$%&#=home!!#@&%"
whilst the 'other one' drove through the city centre for a second
time with
the caravan in tow. However we eventually found it by about 2:pm
and settled the van in for the next couple of days.
Next came a trip to the liquor store to buy 'one
of us' another cask of white wine as the health of the 'other one'
may need it tonight! |

The Big Mango - Bowen

Sorry kids - Crocodile got Mum!
On the Caravan Park Foreshore - Townsville
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