CAIRNS (Part 2)

Thursday, 27 June 2019

Feeding the fish in Freshwater Creek

Fungus and insects

Pitcher plant

Mmmmm

Happy looking orchid

Spot the butterfly hiding on the sign

We have been very quickly easing ourselves into “holiday mode!”

On our first walk along the Freshwater Creek track, we came across a new sign – a cassowary warning; we now have to watch out for snakes and large birds on our walks.  The water level is down a little on last year, although there are new fallen trees in the water.

On Monday, we visited Cazaly’s to renew our membership and enjoy lunch before making our $5 donation to the brightly lit machines!  Tuesday night was time to renew acquaintances at the Edge Hill Memorial Bowls Club – many familiar faces and a few new ones.  It was good to get back on the green after a six week break.  Wednesday afternoon we visited the Botanic Gardens (probably the first of a few visits), so there are plenty of flower photos!!!  Upgrades to the pathways have been made and are still being undertaken; the gardens are as lush and beautiful as ever.

We have the cleanest doona cover in the caravan park – it has been washed twice in three days after oily marks kept mysteriously appearing on one side of the bed.  It was eventually discovered that a moisture absorbing container in the bottom of his wardrobe had split and leaked.  Consequently, every time something from the wardrobe was placed on the bed, an oil mark appeared.

The weather has been very warm (25-27 daily), with clear blue skies, although today is a little cloudy.  However, Cairns did suffer one of its coldest nights on record a few days ago, when the temperature dropped to a very chilly 11 degrees.

CAIRNS

Sunday, 23 June 2019

Friday morning we farewelled the not so hungry midgies (they must have been quite sated after their feeding frenzy of the previous days!) and set out for the final leg of our trip north.  It was another magical tropical day – warm with clear skies and a nice little tail wind for good measure.

The highway was in good condition for most of the way, with some roadworks, but not a lot of trucks.  There was plenty of sugar cane to look at, as well as banana plantations to break the monotony.  We stopped for a lunch break at Innisfail and were at Big4 Crystal Cascades before 2.30pm.

The caravan park changed owners shortly after we departed last year, so some changes were expected.  The first big change was in the reception area, with a coffee shop (including rather nice looking cakes, plus ice cream!) just waiting for customers; the second (and will be the most dramatic) was that people now have to put themselves on site with no friendly guidance.  This wasn’t a problem for us, as we have a new site this year along the back fence, with plenty of room to manoeuvre.  However, it will prove very challenging once the park fills up and incoming clients have to manage with the long caravans and narrow roads.  There would appear to be a complete change of staff, the grounds look immaculate and it will be interesting to have a look inside a cabin when the opportunity arises.

We only set up the basics on Friday afternoon – awning out and mat down on the slab.  Then it was time to celebrate our arrival with a glass of bubbly and some brownies!  It was down to work on Saturday, with the shade walls attached, the rafters/lighting affixed in place and the future unpacked and placed.  It also didn’t take long to head to the supermarket for a major stock up of the cupboards and refrigerator; a trip to Rusty’s Market after lunch completed the stocktake!  Naturally, we had to stop at Movenpick for that longed for ice cream – it was well worth the wait!

Today has been a bit of a rest day, although we did manage to get to Bunnings for some more outdoor solar lights, torches and a plant to make the awning feel like “home.”  The highlight of the day, though, was sitting in the car at the laser car wash!

TOWNSVILLE (Continued)

Thursday, 20 June 2019

Magnetic Island

American War Memorial

Castle Hill in the background

"I participated in this!"

We received at text message first thing this morning from the caravan park management to inform us that the planned spraying of midgies wouldn’t happen now until next week.  Not amused; the Bushman’s has been used by BOTH of us!!!

Another glorious Far North Queensland day – clear skies, gentle breeze and a temperature around 26 degrees.  Nothing much planned for today, apart from a visit to the Bezzine Barracks at Kissing Point, which is quite near us, and the Army Museum.  The museum only opens three mornings a week, we discovered, and today wasn’t one of them.  So we wandered around the barracks area and climbed the hill to the fort – and the views of Magnetic Island and the Townsville docks.

Tomorrow – Cairns.

TOWNSVILLE

Wednesday, 19 June 2019

Waiting for the moon to rise...

rising...

and looks much bigger in real life!

Breakfast on the patio in Townsville

Back garden at Townsville

Rowes Bay

Supposed to wait for the timer to finish...

National Servicemen's Memorial, with Magnetic Island in the background

Whoa, Nessie!

Artwork

That is one ugly fish

Sculpture of a hermit crab or a tick?
Actually just a coconut that had us fooled.

Monday morning at Mackay we decided to visit Caneland Shopping Centre (never been there before) to collect a few grocery items in preparation for the drive north to Townsville.  We had anticipated about an hour, which quickly became four!  This is the largest shopping centre we have visited outside a capital city and seemed to be made up of many small alleys as well as the larger connecting ones, with lots of shops to browse.  Shirts Anonymous seemed to be working, as Himself showed great restraint around the shirts and didn’t seem to think that a windcheater really qualified as a shirt!  That evening, we joined a large number of caravanners to watch the full moon rise over the sea – very special.

After washing the car and caravan (again!) on Tuesday morning, we set out for our longest day, with 400 kms to travel to Townsville.  The weather was superb, with a tail wind and reasonable traffic until Prosperine.  After Prosperine, the traffic seemed to disappear until Bowen; all the trucks had just been waiting there for us to pass!!!  We had a lunch break at Ayr and arrived at Rowes Bay, Townsville, about 2.30pm.  We are in the developed front part of the park, with a very large site, an enormous slab (longest we have ever seen), lawn, tropical hedges, palm trees and frangipani borders.  Very pleasant, although a number of midgies seem to enjoy it as well.  The curlews followed us to Townsville, but we kept our destination a secret from the bats!  The back section of the park is being developed and needs a couple of years for the plants to grow.

The park is literally across the road from Rowes Bay beach and esplanade, with lovely long walking/bike pathways heading in both directions.  Magnetic Island is just across the water and The Strand only about a kilometre away.  Just right for a nice walk this morning to stretch our legs and view the numerous artworks before, this afternoon, we were delighted to discover the gelataria is still on The Strand.

We have discovered the caravan park is only a short distance from the airport, so we get to hear all the commercial jets taking off, as well as the Defence Force aircraft – jets and helicopters; the helicopters are currently undertaking night time exercises.

MACKAY (Continued)

Sunday, 16 June 2019

Rats of Tobruk Memorial

Slouch hat and wreath

Unusual flower

Look like it, but definitely not bananas!

Hot and very humid this morning, cloudy this afternoon.  After refilling the brownie tin this morning, we once again headed back into the centre of Mackay, this time to Queen’s Garden and the orchid house.  The council are currently undertaking works in the gardens and it was quite wet and muddy in places.  However, we managed to look at the Rats of Tobruk Memorial and the memorial to Lord Baden-Powell at the siege of Mafeking before entering the orchid house.  We were obviously a little early in the season, although there were a number of orchids in flower and plenty of lovely ferns and greenery.  The afternoon was spent watching the washing not drying.

MACKAY

Saturday, 15th June 2019

Carmila lunch stop - cane, crocodiles and snakes

Beach erosion

Sunbathing seagulls

Flowering paperbarks

Lunchtime view

Morning scrub

Frogs

Artwork

Platypus

Waterhole

Frangipani

Unusual tunnel

On the beach!

We departed Yeppoon early Thursday morning, with our longest daily drive so far this year as we headed further north to Mackay.  This was also our first full day on the Bruce Highway - much heavier traffic, lots of trucks and a fairly bumpy road at times.  The scenery was pretty much just cattle country - grass and trees - as far as Carmila, when sugar took over.  Carmila was also our lunch stop in a small rest area close to the river - sugar cane (with lots of snakes, no doubt) and crocodile warnings.  Needless to say, the lunch break was spent inside the caravan!

We are staying at the Big4 Blacks Beach Caravan Park, on Mackay's northern beaches.  We have stayed at this lovely caravan park a number of times and always enjoy its position right on the beach (no roads to cross).  However, the large number of paperbarks are in full flower and not only do we have the overpowering smell of the flowers - no pleasant, but not unpleasant - and large numbers of rainbow lorikeets enjoying the flowers during the day, but the flowers also attract large numbers of dirty, stinking, pooing bats at night time!!!  The morning ritual seems to be washing mustard coloured mess off the caravans and cars.

The weather has been superb, with clear blue skies, sunshine, gentle breeze and temperatures ranging between 23-27 degrees.  Apart from a walk along the beach and lunch at the Eimeo Hotel with its superb view, Friday was a rest day.  However, today we ventured further afield this morning, with a visit to the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens, with an interesting artwork at the entrance.  Although the gardens aren't large, it was pleasant strolling along the paths under the trees, watching the many and varied butterflies and birdlife.  This afternoon we again enjoyed a long walk on the beach.