Townsville

Our plans have become a bit fluid, and the itinerary is regularly changing as we talk to people and read about new sights to see. Fortunately for us, but unfortunately for you, many of the places are remote and unique, which means no Internet, and often no phone reception, which means no blog updates as we go, so now it's catch up time again!

Bowen is famous for mangoes!

We left Mackay heading for Townsville. North through the endless fields of sugar cane, past all the harvesting activity, and into Proserpine where the sugar cane mill is belching steam, a clear indication of the busy time at hand. Time for a quick coffee at a small new place in town, whose name I can't remember, but whose coffee was good, then back on the road. Proserpine is also the turn off point for The Whitsundays, which we plan to do on the way back. So past the turn off and on to Bowen, which as anyone who has eaten one knows, is famous for mangoes. At the moment the trees are just teasing us. It will be a few weeks before they are in full fruit, so we are stopping here also on the way back.

Past Bowen and on to the twin towns of Home Rule and Ayr, separated by the mighty Burdekin River, the second largest river in Australia by water flow, and the major reason why this area is such an agricultural marvel. The bridge across the river is almost 1 km long, and it must be an amazing sight in the wet season. Ayr is the bigger of the twin towns and again we will spend a day or two here on the way back. It is affluent, and has a nice ambiance about it. Carol's sister and family spent a couple of years here more that 20 years ago, and that is the only other time we've been here. It doesn't look familiar at all. We found a fantastic Italian deli for lunch, full of fresh and home made goodies, and satisfied our hunger and stocked up the larder.

Roadside Fruit & Veg Stall

 Back on the road, we soon are past the lush sugar cane and into some rugged and dry farmland, that has only a few cattle, and looks more like the outback than the coast. Fires are burning around the ranges and the air is full of smoke and visibility is poor. It stays like this all the way to Townsville, although we did find a really good fruit stall at a farm gate along the highway, and we stocked up. You know you are in North Queensland when the fruit is tropical and the prices are low. Beautiful Paw Paw and Papaya, Pineapples, and Melons are only $1 or $2 each, Avocados can be as cheap as 20cents each in bag lots, and Passion fruit are 7 for $1. (Our English friend Jim has probably just fainted and fallen off his chair!) Even bananas are now down around $5 per kg. So stocked up we drive into Townsville.

Townsville from Castle Hill

Townsville is a big sprawling city. It is in a dry and dusty bowl, and at the moment extremely smokey. It is home to the Lavarack Army Base of some 25,000 troops, an RAAF Base, and a lot of Metal Processing Industry. The tin and copper and other minerals of Mt.Isa Mines are sent to Townsville by rail for processing and export.

Waterfront Townsville

We eventually find our Caravan Park. According to the brochure it was close to everything, but unfortunately, the things it was closest too, a busy truck route, airport and water treatment plant, weren't in the brochure! The park itself was OK, but our neighbours were a rustic family of 30, in town for a wedding, and hell bent on partying. Don't you love it when intoxicated persons whisper to each other at 80 decibels "SHHH its late, keep the noise down!"

Hillside homes on Castle Hill

The town itself is very modern, with lots of new buildings and shopping centres. It is built around Castle Hill, which looms over the city. You get a great 360 degree view. There is some amazing architecture around the hill, as everyone tries to get a view out to Magnetic Island. The waterfront area near the harbour and along the Strand is very nice, but it seems to lack people, and is more expensive than any other town we've been to. For example we had terrific Fish & Chips at the Marina in Mackay for $20, but in Townsville same Fish & Chips was $30, and it was average. We did have a nice dinner in town at the Eat Street area on Palmer Street, but were very amused by the taxi driver who described Townsville as Brownsville, because of the dry dusty look.

The aquarium is very good, and Magnetic Island is popular, but we decided not to go over, as the weather was constantly windy. We mostly had a look around by car and on foot, but would summarise our stay in Townsville as underwhelming. Sorry Townsville!

Mackay Region

We left Tannum Sands and headed north for Mackay. The countryside is fairly bland coastal scrub, so a pretty boring drive. We are in cattle country, with our coffee stop at Rockhampton, the proclaimed Beef Capital of Australia. There are statues of cows at every corner! Our coffee stop is, you guessed it, Sexie Coffie!

North of Rockhampton, we soon find the fields changing to flat farmland, planted with sugar cane. We have entered Australia's sugar bowl, and it is a huge area stretching along the coastal plain to Townsville and beyond. More on the sugar scene later.

The world's last fully operational
kerosene powered lighthouse
at Mackay harbour 

We arrive in Mackay mid afternoon and are immediately surprised by its size and urban spread. It is much bigger than Gladstone. Thanks to Polly, our sat nav, we work our way across town, to the Andergrove Top Tourist Park, situated on the northern beaches of Mackay. It is a nice park, set among playing fields, with lots of palms and banana plants, and lots of birds, mostly lorikeets and a pretty waterbird that looked like a duck but sounded like a lorikeet. They were very friendly, and Carol was soon feeding them. I must buy a book on Australian birds. I did inquire at a book shop, but the volume she showed me required two people to carry it, and my comment "do they have a pocket version", went straight through to the keeper!

It is an impressive harbour at Mackay

We headed off around Mackay. First to the magnificent harbour, which won an award last year for "Best Harbour" in Australia. Who gives out these awards? Who really cares which is the best harbour? Anyway, it is very impressive, and passed the only real test, it has a great Fish 'n Chip takeaway, next to the lighthouse!

Like Gladstone, Mackay's growth is driven by the coal industry. The blue and yellow flouro uniform is every where.
Unlike Gladstone, all the heavy industry happens away from town, with separate coal loading facilities about 20km south of town at Hay Point. According to the lady at the Visitor Information centre, current population for Mackay and surrounds, is 120,000 and expected to double in the next 15 to 20 years as the coal industry expands.



Dragon Boat races at Eileo Beach

We drove out to the beach side communities of Bucasia Beach and Eileo Beach. These are extremely popular with the locals, though we can't get used to the fact that the tides recede so far! At low tide you can walk a mile before you get wet! We drove up to the beautifully located Eileo Pub, and looked down on the beach and dragon boat races. The poor bastards doing the racing, were getting most of their exercise dragging the boats out to the water!

Sarina Sugar Shed Tour

Tasting the sugar products

As usual, we relied heavily on the recommendations of the Tourist Information Centre. We look for the big "I" in every town. Staffed mostly by volunteers who are usually passionate about their area, we headed out to the Sarina Sugar Shed. Sarina is a small town about 30 kms south, and is home to the Sarina Sugar Mill. With all the changes to Occupational Health & Safety making it extremely difficult to do tours of the mill, these clever people have built a miniature working sugar mill! It is called the Sarina Sugar Shed, and we loved our tour, at the Seniors price of $15.00 each. We were shown every facet of the sugar industry, from planting the cane to the final bi-products of ethylene and fertiliser. It is an industry that has no waste. Everything is used. At the end of the tour we got to taste some of the products made, such as liqueurs and schnapps, and sauces, and of course sugar! It was an excellent tour.

Lunch with Jen & Dave
at Airlie Beach

On Sunday, we took a drive to Airlie Beach, about 1.5 hours north. Airlie Beach is the gateway to the Whitsundays, and is backpacker heaven. We plan to stay a few days on our return down the coast. This visit is to meet up with John's sister Jenny, and hubby Dave, who are presently doing the round Australia cruise on board the Dawn Princess, and as luck would have it, were spending the day at Airlie Beach. It was fantastic to catch up over a lazy lunch at the pub across from the beach. We hadn't seen Jen & Dave since Christmas, so it was a real treat. Seemed strange though, dropping them off at the tender and waving them off on their 5 mile journey back out to the Dawn Princess.

The sugar trains.

Back at Mackay, our next day is a spent doing a wonderful drive up into the Pioneer Valley and the Eungalla (pronounced Young galah) National Park. Initially we travel through fields of sugar cane and passed sugar mills, that are all working flat out, as it is the middle of the harvesting season. We are enthralled by the miles of narrow gauge railway, that is still used to move the cane from the fields to the mills. We stopped to take a photograph of one of the trains, and to our surprise, the train slowed and one of the engineers came down out of the engine, and walked straight up to us for a chat! He had a huge smile and was really proud of the rail network, which he told us is the largest small gauge railway in the world, with over 11,000kms of track and some 25 - 30 engines, though we did laugh when he told us not to drive too close as track maintenance was not all that flash, and the little trains had a habit of jumping off the tracks!

The climb up to Eungalla

Further up the valley we started an amazingly steep climb, to the top of the range at Eungalla and Broken River. We now enter one of the longest rain forests in Australia, and the contrast to the cane farms is dramatic. This is also one of the few places you can regularly see platypus, but our timing was wrong, you need dawn and dusk, but the walks to the river viewing platforms were great. Along the top of the ridge are a number of spots to walk through the rain forest, to some amazing views of the Pioneer Valley below.

Pinnacle Hotel Pie & Peas

After checking out a number of lookouts, we return down the hill and head for the iconic Pinnacle Hotel. We were told about this as a must do. It is famous for its pies, which can be simply purchased, or served as a meal in the traditional way with mushy peas, chips and gravy. Not hard to guess which we choose. Steak & Black Pepper pies with the works, washed down with a schooner of the local XXXX ( remember that Queenslanders cant spell beer!) Well this is about the tenth "best pie in Australia" we have sampled, and whilst it was good, it didn't make our top 3. No.1 still remains the pies from "Creme della Creme" in Camden, but the experience was great, and very popular for a weekday.



Cascades at Finch Hatton Gorge

To walk off lunch, we headed back down the road to the Finch Hatton Gorge. We had read about this spot, with its beautiful walks through the rain forest to the waterfalls and swimming holes at Araluen Falls and the Wheel of Fire. The drive in is beautiful, with a number of water crossings and the river beds full of boulders and rushing waters amid the rain forest. We did the walk to the Araluen Cascades, about 45 minutes each way. The walk is moderate and beautiful, and the falls at the end are well worth it. We didn't have enough time to do the other walk, but this is an area we will come back to and spend a lot more time in the rain forest.



The sun sets over our caravan park at Mackay.

Back to the caravan park and more feeding of the birds, who are all waiting when we get back. It doesn't take long for them to remember where the daily feed comes from! The drive back is through the cane fields, which are still a hive of activity as dusk approaches. It is a beautiful evening, so we open a bottle of wine and sit down to watch the sunset. they are spectacular up here. Tomorrow we head for Townsville.

Tannum Sands & Gladstone

It is about 450km from Golden Beach to Tannum Sands. We soon leave the rain behind, and the further we drive the sunnier and warmer it gets. Our plan is to get to Far North Queensland before the weather gets too hot & humid, so we are bypassing a number of towns that we will call into either on the way back or at another time.

The name says it all!

As always, we are on the lookout for a good coffee stop, and this time find it just north of Maryborough, and it's called Sexie Coffie. If you're not into coffee, then you can try the Strip Teas! It is a bright fresh establishment with good eats and the coffee was very good. We later find another outlet in Rockhampton, so it looks like it might be a franchise. We tried both, and they were equally as good. A little further up the road, we find another little outlet with a sign out front saying "we may not be Sexie but we're hot!" Gotta love there quick wit!

Wild Cattle Point Cycleway

Tannum Sands is about 25km south of Gladstone, and from our research decided to stay there, as Gladstone itself is very industrial. It turned out to be good advice, as the Caravan Park, The Tannum Sands Top Tourist Park, was right opposite the beach, with great walking tracks and cycleways, and excellent shopping facilities nearby. The only drawback was the bloody sand flies, which got John's legs looking like the join the dots puzzle again in no time. We made great use of the cycleways, and especially enjoyed a dirt cycleway to Wild Cattle Point, all along the inlet, next to the park. Oh! we should also add that phone and wireless Internet connection, were non existent!

Feeding time for the kookaburra.

Kangaroos in for a feed.

The bird life and wildlife within the caravan park was also fantastic. Each day we fed a variety of Kookaburras and other birds, and the kangaroos were very tame, grazing right up to the caravan sites.

Gladstone is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia, all being driven by the mining boom, and the latest energy product, LNG (Liquified Natural Gas). We were gob smacked by the extent of works in and around Gladstone. Everywhere you look, are young men and women dressed in their dark blue and yellow flouro work wear. One wag joked that if you aren't wearing flouro, you are either retired or unemployable!

Curtis Island Ferry Harbour Cruise

We took a Harbour Cruise on the Curtis Island Ferry barge, which takes place only on Wednesdays, and is a fantastic way to get to understand what is happening with industry around Gladstone. It is without doubt, one of the best value and informative tours we have done. $18.00 for Seniors, and it included a good morning tea, and lasted 2 and a half hours.

Bauxite Processing Plant Gladstone.

First we sailed past the bulk loader, loading a ship with the fine white marble product, that is used as a filler in the cosmetics industry. Then past the Grain loader, filling the holds of another ship  with wheat. From there we sailed past the first of the two bulk coal loaders, busily loading a ship with 150,000 tonnes. This is the smaller of the two coal loading facilities. Then further around the harbour past the huge mounds of red bauxite at the world's largest bauxite processing plant, where alumina is produced to feed the world's demand for aluminium. In the distance is the Boyne Island Aluminium Smelter, the largest in Australia, where the alumina is turned into aluminium, both for the local and export markets. The volumes being moved, are mind boggling, but it is the scope of the LNG projects currently under construction, that really set your head spinning. Each of the 4 projects will generate export dollars in the tens of billions, and the work that needs to be done to build harbour facilities for the LNG Super Tankers that will carry the gas, is just as impressive, especially in light of the fact, that all the work is being done by barge, as it is on an island!

The coal loader at Gladstone

Finally, we come back past the big coal loader, where 3 huge ships are each being loaded simultaneously with 150 to 160,000 tonnes of coal. The coal which comes in from the vast coalfields west of Gladstone by train, is stockpiled next to the wharf. It is usually at around 3 million tonnes, but is down around 1.5 million, due to still catching up from the floods earlier this year. The trains themselves are enormous, with over 100 cars being pulled by 2 locomotives at the front, and another 1 or 2 in the centre of the cars. When you come across one beside the road, they seem to go on forever.

With all the heavy industry going on, it is easy to forget that Gladstone is a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Heron Island is only a 2 hour fast ferry ride away. This is a unique Eco resort, famous for its marine and bird life.

Speaking of marine life, the area is also a major fishing centre, both recreational and commercial. All those wonderful reef fish, such as coral trout, sweetlip, and cod, are caught for the local, and export markets. In fact there is a live fish export operation from Gladstone, to Asian markets, where fish like coral trout are a sought after delicacy. And whilst on the subject of delicacies, this is the home of the iconic Queensland mud crab. The area is teeming with mangrove estuaries, ideal for the "muddy". We found a fish market, and bought the biggest guy we could. He was caught and cooked the day before, and weighed in at 1.5kgs, so we had him cleaned and cracked, headed back to camp where Carol made our favourite mango and walnut salad, covered ourselves with bibs, surrounded ourselves with napkins, cracked a cold bottle of sauvignan blanc, got out the jar of locally made lime aioli, and let the carnage begin!! I'm telling you that if this had been served at the Last Supper, it wouldn't have been their last!!   

So our stay in the area has been most interesting. We can really see why our economy is going so well. The new houses and new cars, the new shopping centres and great infrastructure, are all testimony to this booming area. The mining companies pour millions back into the community, with sporting fields, picnic areas and the beaches, all in wonderful condition. The Tondoon Botanic Gardens are another excellent example. We took a look around these gardens, which place a strong emphasis on the areas rain forests and native orchids.

On our final day we fitted in a round of golf at the Tannum Sands/Boyne Island Country Club, which was very pleasant indeed. We almost had the course to ourselves, the only way to play! We finished up with light lunch at Lilac Lily's, a nice little cafe high on the hill above our caravan park, with a wonderful view out over the harbour, the islands, and the dozens of waiting ore carriers. 

We left Tannum Sands in the sunshine! A stay with no rain at last. On to Mackay.

Golden Beach and Family

Well Bloggees, my apologies for the tardiness with updates. Our schedule has been so hectic, and in recent times we have found our broadband connection appalling, so we have fallen behind. So here we go............

A sisterly moment over tea and cake

We arrived at Golden Beach in the rain and wind, putting to end the record run of fine warm weather! Yes, the drought breakers have arrived! We got one of the few big sites at the caravan park, and hastily set up. There was little time to waste, as being on the Sunshine Coast, always means a hectic schedule. As most are aware, Carol's sister Chris lives at Palmwoods with hubby Keith and youngest son Kyle, so it is family catch up time. This time we had added to the mix, a visit from our niece Jillian, who was holidaying in the area, and moved to Golden Beach to share our first family week. As an avid shopper and foodie, she blended seamlessly into the group!

After the quick setup, it was off to the Embreys for a welcome feast, and as usual it was great. You see, Chris and Kyle are wonderful in the kitchen, and every meal is an event, from Pre-dinner to dessert and even afters. Carol always puts in her order for Blitz Torte, and as usual, the order is filled, and it is delicious, with just enough left over for Carol to take home for those rare moments in our stay, when other food isn't available.

The weeks events continued on Monday with a dinner at a local Italian, to welcome Jillian into town. Tuesday, was Trivia Night at the Buderim Hotel. Kyle had suggested this as a bit of fun, and boy was he right. Keith came armed with discount vouchers for Dinner, and would you believe we won the night and a $50.00 voucher to spend at the hotel! Looks like so far, the brain cells are still OK!

Wednesday, there was a minor tragedy, with the Eumundi Market Day cancelled due to bad weather, but this was quickly retrieved by the girls, who decided Thursday would be a Buderim shopping day, where there would be no cancellations due to bad weather! Keith & John decided that golf would be a  more relaxing way to spend the day, so planned for around at Cooroy Golf Club, weather permitting. After a quiet day, we all met up back at the Embreys for another great dinner. 

Thursday went to plan as the weather gods were kind, and we finished off with a nice Thai Dinner at Jillian's resort, as first thing Friday, Jillian was heading home, after a fun few days.

The weekend started with a wet trip to Eumundi Markets! Nothing was going to stop us this time! The good thing was that the rain kept the big crowds away, so it was quite leisurely, if not a bit damp, and we escaped without too much damage to the money tree. Another great dinner capped off the day. Sunday we all headed down to Maroochydore's Sunshine Plaza, for a Sushi Train lunch, which was a lot of fun.

The Pizza Truck

Monday was a quiet day, as John had booked the car for service. Chris and Carol headed off to Cotton Tree for a little sisterly time. That night we planned on a quiet night back at the caravan park, but as we drove in we were taken by the sign that said "Wood fired Pizza Tonight". We investigated, and found almost everyone in the park was tucking into pizza! www.thepizzatruck.com.au was at the park for two nights. What a fantastic idea! These guys designed and built this truck, and are living the dream, travelling Australia, and paying their way as they go. They tow a Jayco camper trailer behind the truck, and as well as serving up dinner to caravan park patrons, they do local shows and events. Whilst most of the park patrons did take away, we decided to "eat out" at the tables provided, so with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in hand we enjoyed a great night out.

Tuesday, we were back to defend our Trivia title at the Buderim Hotel, armed with our $50.00 voucher. So another cheap night out was had, and yes we kicked their butts again! Those Buderim folks will be glad to see the back of us! Another voucher, this time $45.00, we could go on the circuit! But with Carol and John moving on Monday, Chris, Keith and Kyle were last seen scouring the district, looking for brainiacs, to bolster the team for a hat trick performance!

Wednesday was another Golf day for the boys and sisterly time for the girls, with more great dinners, desserts and slices thrown in. Our freezer is stocked!

John & Carol with Jersey

Friday was a treat for us. We found out that Darren (nephew), with wife Erin and new daughter Jersey, were coming to Brisbane from Emerald for the day. Little Jersey was born in March, and was born deaf in one ear. She was coming to see the specialist to have a hearing aid fitted. As a surprise, we all drove down to Brisbane to meet up with them. They got a real surprise to see us, and we got to see little Jersey for the first time. As the picture shows, she is a real cutie! That smile never left her face all day. We headed back home and enjoyed a Pizza Night watching the footy.

The week was nearing the end. John decided to play golf in the Caloundra comp on the Saturday, and Carol had a tidy up day, confidently swapping over her wardrobe in favour of mostly summer things, as even though we had quite a bit of rain, it was still warm. That night we all headed out to an Indian Restaurant, to give the Embreys a rest from cooking. The Curry Bowl at Kawana, was excellent, and doing a roaring trade.

Sunday was our last day, and was also Father's Day, so we invited everyone down to our place for a good old sausage sizzle, and a couple of drinks. We had a lovely afternoon, that ended a really lovely couple weeks of catching up. Carol doesn't get a lot of time with her family, so this quality time was very enjoyable for all. It was so good, we will be back to do it all again for Christmas, so start cooking!

Oh Yes, we woke up Monday morning to pelting rain, and again got soaked as we hooked up and headed up the coast for Tannum Sands. Where? I hear you saying...

Mt. Tamborine/Kingscliff

Kingscliff is just before the Queensland border. What used to be a sleepy little village is now a growth centre full of resorts and new subdivisions. Thankfully, they have kept the high rise out, so it looks good. The village along the beach is now a vibrant shopping and cafe scene, and we immediately like it. It feels good.

Tweed Heads Snapper Rocks

We had tried to get into the Caravan Park, along the beach, right in town, but it was full for big vans like ours, something we are finding now, and means we may have to book ahead more than we would like to. The caravan park had also suffered badly from the beach erosion that had taken place a few weeks earlier, with all the huge seas that have been pounding the east coast, and had lost some roads and sites. We found our spot, at Nth Kingscliff Caravan Park, only 2 km north, again right on the beach. It was good for us, as it made us walk to town and back, either along the walking path, or along the beach. We usually alternated. The weather was pretty good, and it was nice to get the shorts and T-Shirts out, and paddle in the surf. Still too cold for us to swim!  We drove around the area, and marvelled at how much it has changed, and also took a drive up to the Gold Coast from Tweed Heads to Main Beach, where we reminisced on holidays past in this iconic Aussie tourist ground.

We had a really lazy few days, doing some washing and other household chores. Yes we do have housework! It takes 2 minutes to vacuum or wash the floor, dusting is at least 3 minutes, and making up the bed is another 1 and a half. If we throw in the washing up, it takes us a whole 10 minutes! Eat your hearts out girls! This time John even got the bikes down for a full maintenance check and clean up. They take a battering out in the elements all day/night, but having spoken to the right bike shops, we now have the right gear to keep them in pretty good condition. Whilst Cadel may laugh hysterically at our equipment, we are only doing The Path of Kingscliff, not The Tour de Anywhere!

We sussed out the best coffee, and on our last night, had a terrific Thai meal, cooked by an Aussie Chef! In fact, the only Asian in the restaurant was doing the dishes! Shows you how cooking has changed. We always remember our Italian meal in Leichhardt, at the Jolly Italian Restaurant. The name should have told us, but all the staff were Chinese!

Mt. Tamborine Caravan Park

On to Mt. Tamborine. We took directions from the caravan park manager, whose last job must have been working for Basil Fawlty. In fairness, we could have written down the wrong information, like everything he said! We turned up Cedar Creek Rd, and were immediately confronted by a sign saying No Through Road. Another car had followed us onto this road and was madly flashing his lights at us. He pulled along side, and asked if we were looking for the caravan park at Mt. Tambourine. He was obviously a highly perceptive local, who proceeded to tell us that this happens all the time, so that means the manager is consistent, and that we will need to turn around, and go back to the main road and find Cedar Creek Falls Road. We eventually found somewhere to turn around, and headed for the right address. Now obviously the local and the manager went to the same school, because the local neglected to tell us that as soon as we turned into Cedar Creek Falls Road, we had to immediately do almost a U turn down a track on our right. This track was beautifully sign posted if you were coming back up the hill, which we were to find out. So down the ever narrowing road we travelled, until we reached a dead end in the Cedar Falls National Park car park, that had a turning circle designed for cars without caravans. The bewildered looks on the hikers' faces said it all! John executed a perfect 14 point turn, and to a standing ovation, left the car park. This time we found the sign, and the caravan park, and we were soon parked in amongst the trees and other campers.

Fresh avocados 3 for a $1

Dress Shop sign we loved

Mt. Tamborine is lovely, full of guest houses and B&B's, gift shops, cafes and every other tourist trap imaginable. If you closed your eyes you could be in Leura (NSW) or Montville(QLD) or the Dandenongs(Vic). The formula for tourist traps in the mountains is always the same, however here, the views back over the coast to the east, and out across the plains to the west, are breathtaking. It is all rain forest, so is lush and tropical, and grows a fair amount of produce in rich red soil. It seems everyone has an Honesty Box stall at the front gate, and we stopped to check a few out. Terrific avocados, stewed fruit (we bought a big jar of stewed rhubarb), lemons and various vegetables.

Giant Trees and Orchids

The raised walkway among the treetops

The highlight for us though, was the Treetop Rainforest Walk. What a wonderful 2 hours we spent doing the 45 minute walk. You don't need to be a tree hugger to know what a privilege this is. The towering trees, the ferns, the orchids, the palms, the vines and the bird life, all made it such a treat. And the peace and quiet. We didn't want to leave. We would sit in a quiet spot and wait for all the birds to come to life and just look and listen to all the sights and sounds. By the time we were finished, we were ready for coffee, local rainforest blend of course, and be assured, there is no shortage of choices, all with their special kinds of goodies to temp you. We tease ourselves for a while, but soon succumb.

Now that's a campfire!

Back at the camp we treated ourselves again. This time, happy hour around our own little campfire. Our powered site came with its own campfire, so we bought a bag of firewood, and along with almost every other camper, got the fire going. It was beautiful evening, complete with one of Carol's fantastic baked dinners. The trees were full of lorikeets, and there were bush turkeys everywhere. As night fell and a million stars came out, who needs TV!

We enjoyed Mt. Tamborine a lot, and would welcome a few days back here at some future time, but only if the weather is good. On our last night, having enjoyed the campfire, we were woken in the early hours by a tremendous downpour, that lasted several hours. Morning dawned to a sea of water and mud, soaked campers and flooded camp sites. We weren't the only ones packing up and moving on.

Port Macquarie and North Haven

We left Sydney, again, and headed across the Harbour Bridge, and a last look at the fantastic harbour, for a few months. It still feels sad and strange, without April on Carol's lap, head out the window and into the breeze, heading up the highway, but we are soon into the traffic of the F3, and past Newcastle, on our way to our first stop at North Haven. We've got the stereo on, and Bob Segar is in fine voice, as the miles fly by.

We had to change our travel schedule for the trip north. It would now be 10 days instead of 3 weeks, so we decided against lots of short stops, and would spend a few days at both North Haven/ Port Macquarie, followed by Kingscliff, and a short 2 day stop at Mt. Tambourine, a place Carol has wanted to visit for years. Unfortunately this meant no farm stay at Gloucester on the way north. This we will defer until the return journey in January.

North Haven from
North Brother Mountain Lookout

North Haven is the new chosen home of our new found friends from WA, Julie and Ron. We met them on the road in March, and they told us of their plans to settle on the east coast. They had a list of possible areas, but didn't get past the first stop at North Haven! They had sent us photos of their "Tree House", so we were eager to see it.

The area is only 40km from Port Macquarie, and includes the nearby townships of Laurieton, the main shopping area, Dunbogan, Camden Heads and West Haven. It is a very pretty area with ocean, river and lake. We stay at the Jacaranda Holiday Park, on a large grassy site, out the back among the paperbark trees and the lorikeets. It is really peaceful and quiet. Across the road from park it is a short stroll to the breakwall, and a lovely walk either out to the river entrance and surf beach, or back along the river into town.
First night is dinner at Julie & Ron's new house. It is an amazing house. Architect designed as a holiday house, it is high set among the trees, with all the living space and bedrooms upstairs, with separate guest room underneath with the car parking. There is a huge under cover deck off the upstairs living room, which looks out over the reserve that they back onto, and the river beyond. It is all steel beams and louver windows, and reminds us of our Lilyfield home. And of course, there is plenty of room for the caravan. We are certain they will love living here. We enjoyed a lovely meal of chicken casserole, with a few wines, and headed back home at a respectable hour.

Hail storm at North haven

Next day we took a drive around to look at the sights. What is it with us and weather! What started out as beautiful day, finished up with a hail storm! Apart from the hail, we had a great day. The area has grown tremendously since we last had a stop here, about 20 years ago. It is still a quiet little holiday town, with beach and fishing as the major attractions, as well as the fantastic scenery. The view from the lookout at North Brother Mountain, is 360 degrees, and really shows the varied landscape of mountains to the sea. We enjoyed another couple of great evenings with Ron & Julie, at both the Laurieton United Services Club (LUSC to the locals, but Carol preferred LUST), for the $13.50 T-Bone and Schooner night which was pretty good value, and a lovely meal at a little restaurant called Relish.

We moved a short distance up the road to Port Macquarie. Here we checked in at the Sundowner Breakwall Caravan Park. It is a big park with over 300 sites, and is in a wonderful location beside the breakwall and surf beach, and right on the edge of town. The main reason for our visit is to catch up with Charlie and Marg, the original owners of Gaymoir Products. We love their company, and there is much reminiscing about the 2 generations of Gaymoir, and we all share the nice feeling that the third generation of Mario & Cheryl, will continue the tradition. We shared a couple of nice meals at each others' places, walked the breakwall and the coastal walk, and generally had a great time. Marg is into everything, line dancing, folk dancing, clogging, bush walking, table tennis, badminton and I'm sure there is more! She took Carol to badminton, and as only Carol can do, she soon had them asking her back for more fun!  Carol had a ball. Three days later, and Carol is still feeling the muscles she had forgotten.

Sunday, after a beautiful, if not a bit pricey breakfast at The Fig cafe, we took a nostalgic trip up to Crescent Head and South West Rocks. We took the back road, taking the old cable ferry across the Hastings River, and following the mostly dirt, Mariah

Old Lodge Gallery & Riverside Cafe

I said it was beside the river!

We headed on to South West Rocks, and along the way stopped in the lovely old coastal river port town of Gladstone. Most of the old buildings, from the boom timber times of the late 19th century, have been beautifully restored. The old pub with its lacework around the verandah is a classic. We found a gorgeous gallery and cafe, for morning tea. The gallery was excellent, and the cafe at the back was right on the banks of the Macleay River. The sign said "Famous" Devonshire Tea, all home made. Imagine the let down when the waitress said sorry, the Bikies came through this morning and ate all the scones! Come on, Bikies don't do scones! They are tough and mean. Can you imagine huge, leather clad, hairy men covered in tattoos and body piercing, sitting down sipping tea from fine china, with pinkies perfectly extended, saying "Oh Slugger aren't the scones divine, so light and fluffy? Yes Bruiser, and isn't this Earl Grey tea beautiful? Don't you just love these pretty little cups?" It's the most far fetched excuse I've ever heard! Anyway, the Hummingbird cake was a pretty good second choice.

On to South West Rocks, where we found the bikies doing what they are supposed to do, drinking schooners at the pub and devouring huge hamburgers with sauce dripping off beards and elbows! Carol was having a good old reminisce also. No, not about the bikies, but holidays, long ago with Bev. The two of them had driven up to the Rocks in Carol's old Vee Dub. Bev met Fred, he took her out to the old gaol site to show her his etchings, and the rest is history! We took a drive out to the old gaol, which has been restored, and now looks great on the hilltop looking out over Trial Bay. There are lots of walks and lots of plaques, nothing about Bev & Fred though. He told me he was famous at The Rocks! We took a note of the Horseshoe Bay Caravan Park, right in town, as a good site for a future visit, and generally drove around, being amazed at how much the area had grown over the years since our youthful holidays.

We headed back to Port Macquarie. The sky was looking very stormy, and sure enough we got another hail storm. We sheltered by the side of the road. The hail was small, and not damaging to the car, but I was secretly hoping that those bikies had been caught out in it!

The 60's Silver Bullet Retro Van

We arrived back at Port, and started talking to our neighbour. He was one of those surfers left over from the 60's. His van was a silver bullet retro job from the 60's and he was pulling it behind a 1968 Valiant Station Wagon, complete with venetian blinds and the number plate SWELL. Two long boards strapped to the roof, he and his girl were reliving the dream big time! His rig was in fantastic condition, and attracted an endless stream of onlookers. The sky was again looking ominous. He took a look at the sky and boldly predicted that there wouldn't be much in it. Three hours later, we were about to find out if the Silver Bullet could float!

Monday morning we hitched up and hit the highway, headed for Kingscliff. It had dawned a beautiful clear morning, and the temperature gauge is slowly rising.

Bendigo & Back

Struggling with the loss of our little April, we headed back to Melbourne to get our caravan repaired. We were not happy with having to turn around and head back to the cold, but we had little choice. We had decided to base ourselves at Bendigo, as we hadn't spent any time in that area, and we had heard good reports, and it was only 90 minutes from where we had to take the caravan.
First night, we got to Wodonga. We did manage a stop at Jugiong, at one of our all time favourite spots, The Long Track Pantry. As usual, we had an excellent lunch, and stocked up the larder. We love this place! At Wodonga, we did a drive through site, so we didn't have to unhitch. It was cold and wet. Next morning, we had to get fuel, and called in at a trucker stop. We hadn't had breakfast so went into the cafe, and for the uninitiated, who don't realise that trucker stops are not famous for low calorie or vegetarian food, Carol spotted that her favourite, savoury mince, was on the menu, so it was a no brainer, and breakfast was served. Boy was it served, and boy was it good!!

Replenished, we did three laps of the car, and headed for Bendigo. We arrived at the Bendigo Park Lane Caravan Park, and after refusing the first cabin offered, that resembled a large phone booth, settled into our large two bedroom brand new cabin, complete with airconditioning, 2 plasma TV's and all other mod cons. We got all the things we had to, out of the caravan, ready to drop it off next morning. We didn't realise how much stuff we had to take out. It took us 3 hours! So early to bed, and up early and off to Melbourne. We dropped off the caravan, and the plan was to have it back by Friday.

Th talking Tram - Bendigo

Back to Bendigo, and what a gem it is. Full of history, wonderful buildings, galleries, and shops. It is a real melting pot of culture and sophistication. Of course, the gold mining heritage is front and centre, but there is so much more. Did you know that Sidney Myer came from Bendigo? Yes, the first Myer store is still in Bendigo. Did you also know, that Leggos tomato sauce came from Bendigo, and it is not Italian. Those bloody Yanks took over and started spreading lies! The original family owners came from Wales! And finally, the biggy. The chiko roll was invented in Bendigo! So Bendigo is responsible for around eleven trillion calories, that the founders of the Fernwood chain of health studios, also Bendigonians, (that's what the locals call themselves), are now trying to get rid of!

First stop was the Visitor Centre, then off to take the Talking Tram trip across town. It's a must. It leaves from one of the old gold mines, and goes through the centre of town, to the Chinese Joss House (Temple), and back. There is a stop at the Tram Museum, and a great orientation of how the city works. Bendigo is a city of more than 100,000 people, so there is lots to see and do. It was not hard to fill in the week, and then there is the surrounding area to see as well.

Bendigo Cathedral

Timber cottage with iron lace.

There are some magnificent buildings in Bendigo, none better than the cathedral. There is no doubt about the catholics, they sure know how to dominate the centre of town. This is as good as anything we have seen in Europe, just minus the gold inside! All around town you see great buildings. Too many to list individually. Even the old homes have been beautifully restored. There are so many examples of the basic timber cottage with iron lace around the veranda. Classic Australian architecture.
The food scene is excellent, both produce and restaurants. No shortage of places to try and buy, which we do regularly. We really liked the Epicurean Cafe, with its home cooked Italian influenced food. Yummo! 

The longest Dragon, called Loong

There is also the iconic Bendigo Pottery, which we called in at and bought a small piece, and there is an amazing Chinese Museum, called the Dragon Museum, that houses the oldest, as well as the longest, ceremonial dragons in the world. The exhibits, depicting the Chinese culture from the gold rush of the 1850's until present, are wonderful, as well as a fantastic collection of artifacts and treasures from the gold rush t

The Lake House - Daylesford

A short drive from Bendigo, are the wonderful towns of Daylesford, Castlemaine, Kyneton, Mount Macedon and many more. We took many wonderful drives into these towns, all of which are less than 90 minutes from Melbourne, and are trendy little places full of history, and now B&B's, gift shops and cafes. Daylesford is home to the iconic Lake House. This has been on Caro'ls list of places to eat for years, and now it has been ticked off. It was worth the wait. We had the most wonderful lunch on a beautiful day, overlooking the lake. The entree of caesar salad with the crumbed poached egg, white anchovies and locally smoked pancetta, was simply amazing. (Hang on while I wipe the drool off the keyboard!). It was one of those memorable occasions we will never forget.

Bluestone home from 1870 - Kyneton

While all this was happening, our caravan repair was proceeding slower than expected, but with good weather and so much to see, not to mention all the space of our cabin to lounge around in, we weren't that worried! The weekend came, and still no caravan. We were promised for Monday, so over the weekend we took in Kyneton, with it's magnificent bluestone buildings. We had lunch, on a cold and showery day at a beautiful little cafe, enjoying a fabulous pea & ham soup with crusty bread, delicious!

The Cross at Mount Macedon

We then headed up to Mount Macedon, with its amazing mansions. You have to see the homes to believe them, all in the most beautiful bushland setting. The homes are huge, with gardens to match, yet there is nothing else around. It is a bit bizarre really. High on the mountain, is another fantastic sight. The Cross. This is a huge monument to Australia's fallen from the First World War. It was a gift from a wealthy local by the name of Cameron. He wanted something that could be seen from Melbourne, and he built it. It is magnificent. The original was hit by lightning, but it was rebuilt bigger and better than ever, and remains quite a sight.

At the bottom of the mountain is the famous Hanging Rock picnic area. You all remember the movie? Well it was late, so we didn't take a picnic and we didn't go missing, we just drove through.
Monday morning came around, and Carol got a real treat, as a result of the delay with the caravan. The Bendigo had been advertising it's world exclusive exhibition, from the Royal Albert Museum in London, called, The White Wedding Dress. So there we were, some of the first people in Australia to see this excellent exhibition. Even as a bloke, it was very good, and Carol had a ball, oohing and aahing at all the famous wedding dresses, the photos, and the Royal Wedding videos all the way from the Queen Mother to Will & Catherine. In the afternoon, we headed to Melbourne to collect the now waterproof van (we hope!). All seemed well, so back to the cabin, and a late night repacking the caravan, in readiness for an early start north, to warmer climates.! Hopefully this time we'll make it!

Tuesday we headed back to Sydney. We decided to take a different route which took us across the heartland of the Riverina, and would give us a chance to look at some new places, that might be worth a visit down the track. We headed north to the paddle steamer capital of Australia, Echuca on the Murray River. What a great little town. This is one we will be back to spend time in. From here we continued north to Deniliquin, home to the largest red gum forests in Australia, and also home to the biggest ute muster. Yes once a year, literally 1000's of young men and their tricked up utes, gather in a paddock out of town with their friends and cattle dogs, to celebrate all things country, but mostly beer and music!

Blossom trees near Junee

From here we went through Jerilderie to Narrandera, not a lot here, then east to Coolaman, Junee, and our overnight stop at Cootamundra, birthplace of Aussie legend Sir Donald Bradman. The drive was beautiful with the country looking spectacular. Vast fields of yellow canola, and green winter grain crops. The wattle was in full bloom, and being a bit further north and away from the freezer called Victoria, even the blossom trees had burst into flower.

Grain silos at Coolaman

This area is huge in grain crops. Every town, large and small, has its grain silos beside the railway, and with such a bumper crop after all the drought, the silos are surrounded by tarpaulin covered piles of grain, waiting to be shipped. Quite a sight.

We arrived in Cootamundra for our overnight drive through stop. We were immediately advised about all things Bradman, by the enthusiastic park manager, so we decided to take a look first thing next morning. The caravan park was right in the middle of town, so dinner was taken at the RSL Club next door, about the only thing open for dimmer on a Tuesday Night. It was a good, hearty club feed. Up early next morning to take in the sights.

The Captain's Walk in Cootamundra.

First stop was The Captains Walk, which was in the park right next door. The local council, has created a fantastic spectacle of a pathway through the trees, with a bronze bust of every Australian cricket captain, complete with a plaque recounting their individual record. It is fantastic, and is up to date. From here we took a drive past the Don's old home, which is now a museum, but we were unfortunately a bit early!

So off for Sydney we headed. We had decided for a last catchup with mum and friends on the way north, so we did an overnight drive through for dinner with Bev & Fred at Shellharbour. Sadly no time for fishing this time, then off to Camden for another overnighter and dinner with Cheryl & Chris at our favourite little Italian, Salute. Friday we gave the caravan's water leaks a real test at the Caravan Park. Darren, the manager, aware of our problems from a chat we'd had the day before, came down and suggested we get out the fire hose, and give it a real test and a wash! Thankfully it passed the test!

Friday we were back at Rockdale, to drop off a few excess things at Mum's. She reckons the bill has just gone up again! So we took her out to dinner, with Mario & Cheryl, and had a real good catch up all round.

Saturday was like old times. John off to golf at Moore Park, and Carol off for a walk and breakfast with Robyn. The Golf was rusty, but the breakfast, walk and shopping were a success!

Sunday, we are off to lunch with Nancy & Keith, at Danny's Seafood Restaurant at La Perouse, before back to pack up and get ready for our journey north to begin again on Monday morning.