Month: July 2013

I was last in Townsville about 25 years ago when Alan Bond converted Queenslanders’ from their favourite XXXX to Fosters, by printing ‘Bond Brewing 26 St George’s Tce, Perth’ on the drop that slaked a couple of million thirsts every day. The Victorian brew took over only until Power Brewery came up with the real McCoy.
We left ‘Camelot’ –Airlie Beach–(fine each day and only rains at night!) this morning, after spending a glorious day there and fine dining at dusk, overlooking the Coral Sea. With quick glances at the towns of Bowen and Ayer along the way we arrived at Jupiters Townsville about 2pm
Castle Hill, the giant rock, is still here, but the city has grown enormously since the last visit. As is our wont we also took the time to wander around Queens Gardens.

Like good cheese and wine, they both improve with age; similarly Queensland’s countryside scenery improves with each kilometre you travel north. We are now in Airlie Beach which is quite brilliant and a worthy contender for a full week on your bucket list.
The journey here was quite spectacular, enjoying more of the great ranges caressing the tablelands with mighty hectares of sugar cane.
Interestingly, we were intending to shoot thru from Mackay to Townsville, a marathon 450km on the ‘Bruce’ but there is an NRL Broncos Vs the Cowboys (whoever a team of blokes in ‘chaps’ might be) and absolutely no accommodation available.
We had been to Airlie Beach a couple of years ago on the Dawn Princess for a day and so this unexpected visit has been a joy and who knows, we might be back!
We are at the Coral Sea Resort. (I hope to learn how to do picture captions in the next few days!)

Gladstone was left in the wake of our dust around 9 this morning and by mid-morning it was time for elevenses…….and surprise surprise the old Rockhampton Post Office is now a Degani Bakery and Cafe of Melbourne fame. (See the 3 cheese omelette)
Travelling to Rocky was a horror stretch of the now infamous Bruce H’way and along the way a radio news bulletin quoted RACQ research which put the ‘Bruce’ as a 2 star highway in world rankings. (Ranked with 3rd world countries by my reckoning)
Did not see much on this first leg of the journey for dodging Mac trucks which were only interspersed with hundreds upon hundreds of serious Jayco/Land Cruiser inheritance guzzlers.
But from Rocky onwards we traversed stunning Great Dividing Range country; a land of plenty, with the richest dark loam soils encouraging mile upon mile of healthy sugar cane fields cresting the wind as they reached skyward. And the local Queensland Macadamia nut trees growing commercially in beautifully regimented row after row.
All of this on a tableland surrounded by the majestic ranges adorned in that ever wondrous eucalyptus blue hue.
Altogether a magical days travelling, covering 450 km on a vastly improved highway, only after we left Rocky. Tonight we are relaxing in a 6th floor apartment overlooking the city of Mackay in readiness for a quick change and dinner up-town

Although Gladstone is not exactly a place you would want to put on your bucket list, today we really enjoyed our drive from Hervey Bay, avoiding the Bruce Highway travelling thru Childers, Bundaberg, Rosedale and Miriam Vale on the Tableland Road; a huge blue dome of sunshine skies presented the nearby hills in ‘eucalypt blue hues’ until we arrived at Gladstone, and dinner at the local Yacht Club at dusk.
Wikipedia tells us the of the famous people from Childers is Margaret (Mollie) Laurance (nee Kirk) simply born at the little township before her family moved to nearby Bundaberg.
Tomorrow, Isabel says we are heading for Rockhampton and Yeppoon. Quite a task and so unlike travelling the Nullabor where you can easily do a thousand km in a day!!

A disappointing introduction to Hervey Bay this morning gave way to blue skies and brilliant sunshine for the very lengthy drive along the foreshore of the bay this afternoon.
The trick is apparently lunch at the Boat Club situated right by the ferry terminal for Fraser Island. Roast of the day and seafood selection turned the day’s fortunes around completely.
Tomorrow we head for Childers, where I am reliably informed Grandma Mollie was actually born before being raised as a child in Bundaberg, where we will also be, heading ultimately to Gladstone.
But who was Mr Hervey or for that matter Mrs/Ms Hervey you might all ask………

The first recorded European sighting of Hervey Bay was made by James Cook while carrying out his running survey of the east coast of Australia, on the 22 May 1770. “By noon Cook’s ship was in a position a little over half-way across the opening of Hervey Bay heading for Bundaberg. Cook named the bay “Hervey’s Bay” after Augustus John Hervey (1724–1779), later Third Earl of Bristol, a naval officer who became a Lord of the Admiralty the year Endeavour returned”.

A few pictures and also more of the grand kids

We’ve had a fabulous week with sunshine streaming across the Pacific Ocean directly into the front windows every morning—-warming the living area until we open the doors to cooling sea breezes.
Seaworld, Wet and Wild, Movie World and Dreamworld have all been on the visitation list; but for us Seaworld still has it. The Penguin and aquarium areas we found the best, while the older young ones enjoyed the thrill rides
And the weather forecasters just can’t cut the mustard, nor the actual details of whether to take an umbrella or apply more sunscreen!

Isabel had a great idea; a family holiday at the Gold Coast at Oceana apartments on Broadbeach, where we had a holiday on an upper floor overlooking the Pacific 15 years ago.
And so this is the week when all 17 of us get together, be it in our own apartments and hire cars because of the diverse needs of tiny babies thru to sub- teens, some denying approaching middle age and even septuagenarian deniers.
What a treat. First time kiddie flyers with their own window seats, cousins getting together having fun at Seaworld, a luxurious heated pool and spa and 7 men in a boat casting a fishing line on the Nerang river.
All this and it is only Wednesday. Expect a lot more as the week progresses.