Townsville

Have had two nights in Townsville, was to be only one but a bit of an accident yesterday, we were  all in Dave's car going to The Strand and some f......t ran into the back of us, luckily we had the tow bar, so he had a hell of a lot more damage than Dave's car did,  stove in his radiator and the police told Dave the guy only had three demerit points left on his licence as he had a string of driving offences........so after exchanging details we went on our way,  everyone, inc. dogs were alright.  This guy was uninsured, and this is  pretty common up here wth loads of people running around with no insurance but it was his car and he was who he said he was.

This meant that they needed to sort out ins. and go to police and then repairer before moving on just to make sure nothing was damaged underneath or anywhere else.  They were given the green light so hence the extra night, which we were delighted with as it meant we got to have a walk along The Strand which is very picturesque and  so onto Charters Towers tomorrow.

Strand runs from the port right thru to the rock pool at the other end and the council have certainly made a great job of it wih playgrounds, cleaned the beaches up and great walking track from one end to the other.  Val went swimming in the rock pool and we just sat on the grass and looked out to Magnetic Island which is 8km away and an hour by ferry.

Also went up Castle Hill which overlooks T/ville and has tremendous views out to sea and the islands.

Kings Beach - Sunday

 Such a beautiful day - tomorrow (Monday) we leave Bowen and move to Townsville, will be sorry has been great having 5 days in one place and in such a wonderful location.  However, the one thing no-one will miss are the pesky midges/sandflies which appear late in the afternoon and continue to attack until dusk. We seem to have all suffered.

David (looking to the far end of the Kings Beach bay)

Val paddling and waiting to throw Dana's ball

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At last Dana with ball

Misty laying down the law

Gotta bury this

If I can't bury it I'll eat it instead

Will someone come when I call???

Gotta do it this way Dave

Dad here too

Dave and Val enjoying a well earned lunch

This is to prove David is also along for the ride - lunchtime at the campsite:-  after a busy morning around the Bowen beach markets

Misty, Dana and Jake

 The dogs came back plum tuckered out and ready for a rest until the afternoon's excursions down the beach again only the other end of Kings beach today.

Dana, Jake and Misty in pure bliss at Kings Beach

Little Misty making the most of the warm shallow water

Misty with the inevitable stick

Trying to encourage Misty to look at the camera



Dana Dog (Kelpie)



Jake with his ball having fun

Val,Ann, Dave throwing the ball for Dan and Jake in foreground

Very warm today, lazy morning , Val and i went around the shops this morning havng agood nose around.

 Bowen is very flat except for the hills in the distance but it has the most amazing wide streets.  The main street is two lanes on each side with central reservations of palms and flowers - reminds me of Invercargill (NZ) a lot - of course there is a vast difference in the weather though.  After lunch we did a tour of the different beaches surrounding Bowen of which there are 7, all different but Kings Beach is the designated dog beach and it is fabulous.  No waves, beaut. boulders and lovely pools for the dogs to swim in, in fact the water felt as warm as our pool does on a warm day in the summer - not stinger season either and the view across the beach to Gloucester Island is magic.

The front beach (Harbour beach and foreshore) along from the c/van park, is the showcase of Bowen having recently undergone a major redevelopment.  There is a sound shell, an interpretive centre commemorating the Catalinas stationed in Bowen during WWII (the landing strip where they used to pull the Catalinas to repair them is still there and still used in part, and of course a display depicting the town's making of the movie Australia.  Lots of picnic areas, a state of the art skate board park and construction of a water park for kids, 20 metres from the beach, located close to the playground and new amenities block will be finished by the ed of this year.  They also have an outdoor rollers skate park and tonight there must have been a session from 5-9pm because we could hear kids laughing and shouting.  The do so much forkids here in town - unlike Tweed and the Gold Coast, because the coucils just bury their heads in the sand............

Yesterday afternoon we also walked around part of Mullers Lagoon which is a 23 hectare picturesque botanical gadens and wetlands habitat centre in the centre of town.  Within its confines is 11.50hectares of water and 11.97 hectares of land.  There are reputed to be 140 different birds found in the area at different times of the year.

Flagstaff Hill, Bowen

Looking across to North Head lighthouse only a km from shore towards Gloucester Island loooming in the east and Gloucester Passage, gateway to the Whitsunday Isles.

Misty and me o/looking the harbour and the c/van park is just behind that - note the picnic setting



This speaks for itself and all the picnic settings up on the hill were made from the milk cartons

 Beautiul cafe right on the top of the hill which has these 360 degree views and has magnificent grounds around it - again the council.....

Bowen was also where the film "Australia" was made in 2007  and the hotel that was used in the movie still has the facade in front of it.

A nice quiet day today getting some housekeeping duties done and just relaxing - so sign off time as it is also past the "happy hour" time.  Sayonara for today everyone.



Pretty girls with lollipop sticks

As we left Holmbush Weds morning, we encountered some road works and David was delighted to see that there was a very pretty, slim girl in her 20's manning the lollipop road stick and then further along another one - what a pleasure that piece of road was.  W as so nice to see no butch looking women or short big gutted men - for a while, however revert to form and the rest of the roadworks (there is a few of them) were the uninteresting men with sour faces - and big guts.....

Stopped at Prosperine for m/tea and arrived at Bowen at lunchtime, we are at the harbour Lights c/van park obviously right opp. the harbour which is very pleasant, not so many Vics. here, more NSW no. plates.  The first people we saw when we were registering was Bridget and Ivan - well, you wouldn't credit it.  They are here for 2 nights and we are here for 5.  Certainly nice to be still for a few days.

We have decided we have no desire to travel around Oz.  The constant moving and stopping o/night and then the 200/300 kms a day is not exciting for us - don't know how people do it and say it is enjoyable.  I would love to go to Rocky again and stay put like the Vics. do or even here.  All these towns are so pretty and their councils are doing up the foreshores and not scared of spending money on making the areas attractive - NOT LIKE TWEED COUNCIL........

General Gordon Hotel, Holmbush, - Tuesday night

The General Gordon Hotel where we spent Tuesday night (upstairs is the wonky balcony and the ladies toilets were right at the end with rooms in between)  Built in 1877....

The carpark at the back of the hotel (our 2 vans at the centre) certainly packed 12 units in for the night

The  cut sugar field at the back of our vans where the dogs had a good run

sunset at Coolwaters Caravan Park - Sunday night

pelicans flying in onto the lake at Coolwaters c/van park at sunset

fisherman trying his luck at the lake

people watching the start of the sunset about 5.30pm

pelican waiting for his tea

Doggie Happy Hour

We spent an interesting night last night staying in the carpark behind The General Gordon Hotel at Holmbush, 23kms south of Mackay  bang smack in the sugar cane belt,  we backed onto cane fields.  In fact we were lucky to get in for the last two spaces.

The hotel was built n 1877 and I am sure not much has been done to it since.  The dogs had a very pleasant 'happy hour' at the outside area of the public bar with us, of course, - a good drop of  draught beer though,.  Real hard cases and I guess most of the patrons last night were workers from the sugar factory who stay in the rooms ab ove the hotel.  Dogs were most interested in a lady who brought a very beautifully coloured parrot into the bar.  It sits on her or her husband's shoulders all the time and had a head of bright red and blue body it was stunning.  Wasn't fazed by the dogs at all.  David and I went baqck for a night cap and there was a darts match going on with some heavy drinkers......

The 'afters hour' loo for the ladies was up the outside stairs and right along th balcony, but we didn't realise that and looked into rooms which we dicovered had had sleeping bodies  in them - but should have realised as there were work boots outside the rooms - finally found the loos along the wonky balcony - so hurredly made our way quietly along.  The shower area was fairly open, hence we really didn't want to expose ourselves.

The bar ladies could certainly look after themselves  and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to tangle with them.  Adds to the character of the journey - the dogs  are certainly getting some different experiences in their travels.

Doggie Heaven

 Monday the dogs had a wonderful walk around the woodland tracks until they were exhausted and then we went into Yeppoon (prob. a smaller version of Coolangatta), another beautiful foreshore - DOG FRIENDLY - a  town that is being done up and a great job is being made, loads of parks, in fact the whole region is pretty spectacular.

 Left Coolwaters Tuesday morning - albeit reluctantly, but must move on.  Interesting history to the c/park - it was originally the first hotel built on the Capricorn coast and the 1956 Aust. Olympic team stayed and trained there before moving to melbourne for the games. Then it was bought by the Baptist Church who built o/50's villas at the front of the property and introduced caravans and permanents and used the facilities for the community and school camps. etc.  It was then bought by the present owners 7yrs ago who have  got rid of the perm. vanners -() mind you all the Vics. that come up can be classed as perms. as they stay for up to 5 months - the owners have upgraded the park put in lots of new amenities and things for kids to do and turned it into an A1 park but still maintain the strong links with the community groups and schools..  There are two special fire pits one of which is lit everynight and people take their drinks and chairs and go sit around the fire.  Monday evening they even had a couple singing so that was very amenable, sitting, listening and having a drink - DOGS INCLUDED of course.  There was one lab/ retriever (a big boy) who wanted to join in with the singing and it seemed a special note got him going and he would sing along as well.  Of course the songs were from the 50, 60, 70 era....... I wonder why!!!!  (Have to wonder who runs the state of Victoria as most of the pop. is up this end of the country  for 4/5months.)

 It is still the only park on the coast that can cater for huge groups because they still have the dining room and  other areas which have been turned into dorms. and motel style units.  They put on special weekends for groups and cater accordingly so obviously a great moneyspinne -  - even do vegetarian weekends for the yoga group with veg. food. - They run a very tight ship but are so friendly and accommodating and must say THEY ARE VERY DOG FRIENDLY.   1 out of thee vans in the park would have at least 1 dog and like us have two dogs but you NEVER hear them barking at all...... even our two were quiet, think they are so bemused by the whole thing. 

They have also wonderful wide woodland tracks that Jake and Dana had a great time charging along, the tracks run behind the camp and along the side of the beautiful lake - all maintained by the gardener at the park (who incidentally is the bush poet - versatility plus.)

(Have some wonderful sunset shots taken Monday evening so will put them up)

Cheryl's alpacas

Val and me - not strangling the girlie



kiss, kiss



the wee feller only 3 weeks old with such a soft fleece



Add captionCheryl and me with baby blue

  

Jake, Misty and Dana Dog had a new experience today (along with us) went to an alpaca farm.  They were bemused to say the least as were the alpacas by the three extra dogs.  A friend of Dave and Val's rears alpacas on a property at Nimbara 1/2 way between Rocky. and Emu Park so we went out to see the herd and the babies - one of which is only 3 weeks old. I felt so urbanised, thinking this is a hard but wonderful life.  Cheryl works out at Blackwater in the mines during the week and her 85 yr old mother looks after three dogs, chooks and feeds the alpacas during the week.  Needless to say her mother is a real dag, she is 'A' list country lady who definitely calls a spade a spade and like my mum there are certainly no flies on her at all..  We spent a lot of time in the paddocks with the alpacas and looking at their incredible coloured  fleeces.  Afterwards we were treated  to lunch and the dogs had free rein of the property together with their three dogs, - not near the alpaca padddocks though.  Great afternoon.

We then went back to Emu Park to have a look at the singing ship out on the point - the wind going through the pipes and wires makes a wonderful sound as long as there is a breeze of sorts and today it was singing well.  So impressed with Emu Park, lot of new housing and it is so clean - fly in and fly out for the mines or families who don't want to live in Blackwater which is about 2-3hr drive west.  Am so impressed with all the wonderful green areas along the front above the beach, all so tidy.

The singing ship looking up almost to its top, so we appear pretty small - was playing a lovely sound as I was sitting there.

This morning we went for a walk along the beach which is a huge crescent shape and goes out for miles at low tide, you can Gt. Keppel island and all the smaller isles as well,  the dogs had a wonderful 'blat' with bat and ball and swim, knew they were going to be busy out at the farm as well. There was a beautiful sea hawk circling overead and its undercarriage was a magnificent orange colour in the sun, having a very close look at Misty, so had to hastily put her on the lead as didn't want that swooping down and picking her up.  It had seen her running along the beach with me and  that piqued its interest.

  We are staying an extra day here as it is so beautiful - how best to picture it :    Noble Lakeside, although much bigger with caravans as well, beautiful gardens and top notch maintenance around the park,  everything works........and is spotlessly clean.....  filled with Victorians who escape their winter for three months.

How good is a lovely hot shower when you have been on the road three days - bloody marvellous - didn't want to get out, will be making the most of them while we are here.

 Arrived at Rocky this afternoon and at a fantastic c/van site  for two nights, right by the sea ( missed seeing the sea)  and has a huge lake as well, loves doggies too, called Coolwaters at Emu Park about 40km out on the way to Yeppoon, absolutely packed but we are down by the lake.  Weather has warmed up and happy to say this evening is measureably warmer than the last two have been.  Sat out side until 8pm tonight. So might be warmer in bed tonight.  Drove about 350kms today, in  fact that has been the average so far.

 Not sure about this long haul stuff and Jake is definitely not sure.  Misty is good and just curls up and goes to sleep but all Jake can see from the back is the front of the van bouncing around, they haven't had a decent 'blat' for three days, still they will be down the beach tomorrow and there is a wooded walk  at the back of the campsite, it is on 150 acres of land and is so clean, beaut. gardens, lovely pool, huge kitchen and even a campfire pit which was going tonight - great park for the kids too - lots to do and Emu Park town is only 10km up the road.

 Doggies did have a walk   around Maryborough park yesterday,   which is huge and well laid out and must look a picture in the spring with all the garden beds  - Love Maryborough, so old but well preserved with some really nice Queenslander houses and then we had lunch at Childers  another really pretty well maintained country town with one main street which is  treelined.  All the houses are neat as are the gardens, had a great lunch stop there in another park where the dogs had a good old rummage.

Last night we stayed at a freebie at Granite Creek, 27 kms south of miriam VAle, a nice site not too big stood around a campfire (which someone else had built) with a glass of wine, had to it was so cold, had thermals, jackets, beanies on and to sleep we had two blankets, a duna - and two furry animals......  it has been so cold at night, didn't realise it got so cold that far up, but by 8 am the sun is up and it is warming up nicely. Stopped at Miriam VAle for one of their famous pies  - for brekkie which were superb and lo and behold there was a market but this one was a real country market, ( unlike the Kingscliff one which is pretty commercialised and full of vintage clothing and soap stalls) not too big but had so many unusual things, was wonderful - especially as we just wandered into it.......  Just amazed at the length of the coal trains, saw about three today and each one must have had nearly 100 containers of coal being pulled.

There are so many travellers on the road, still.... they must make up 60% of traffic with trucks another 25% andthe rest is other traffic.

Jackie, if you are coming back down the coast road, there are a lot of roadworks and stoppages from Rocky down to Maryborough.

Have realised that there would have been no way i could have done this if my arm had still been in a sling.  Have had a couple of teething probs.with van.  Reason we went to M'boro was to get a new gas hose as original one was leaking gas, so we haven't had gas since we left.   Luckily Dave and Val have.  Also we are having a few probs. with the sway bars, David has flipped the towbar completely and upended the sways but they keep bending the 'R' clips, haven't stopped long enough to get a good look at them may have to wait until Bowen.

Anyway, time to hit the sack, the dogs are in their own beds at the moment - long may it last.  David says goodnight and it is good night from me as well signing off at 10.30pm from the mother ship.

The wine was calling so we had to take heed and stop at 4pm  (sure that is why Grey Nomads travel for a perm. happy hour at 4pm) - which we did at a lovely wee rest area - don't know its name 12km north of Gympie, up on a hill, beaut views and only a handful of vans and rigs.  We grabbed a great area and even tried to have a campfire which was not that successful even though Val (our travelling friend) tried to set herself alight - could have been a  great first night  at a and e at Gympie - thankfully it wasn't that serious but she won't need to shave her legs - and you thought that we got wiser as we got older, well,  well, think again.

Jake and Misty are not sure what the hell is going on, jake is normally flat out on the settee by 6pm, but, he was able to go and meet and greet which pleased him, and then took off off back to his new friends by himself so they had to bring him home.  They are  both flat out on our beds right now  (Jake and  Misty).

Was a great trip up and traffic not too major and we were thrilled to find a spot like this,  after calling into a couple  of stopover sites which were 'packed to the rafters'. 

Darling wee Chace was 3 on July 10th, gosh she seems to have shot up, think it is the skinny jeans that give her the long legs, oh how i envy her..... she had her first dance session on Thursday, another grand-daughter headed for the stage, she just loved it so now it starts again, love it Carol. Tap shoes, tutus, rhinestones sewed on costumes and so now the fun.

Had my cast removed after just three weeks, really proud of that.  Plenty of goodness in the old bones still.  It is now just a matter of keeping out of trouble and trying to remember my age.

still our dear wee lucy was 2 today, she is just not fazed by much, even when everyone's singing happy birthday to her she sat on her chair taking it all in - whereas the boys were all vying for attention. she didn't even have frenzied present opening.

out of the mouths of babes, my g/daughter chace told me i had old feet, because i am old - 65 on weds. doesn't seem old to me, still i have been living with it for ever.