Townsville last day

Today was the last day of my stay in Townsville.

It was an easy and relaxing, as well as enjoyable day. I woke up early, as usual, listening to Ian McNamara's Australia All Over. Some was interesting but mostly he waffles on. I had my cereal and did some reading.

About 8.00am, my friend from work days, Cliff, called to say he would collect me after 10.00am and go for brunch. He duly arrived and we proceeded to go into the very nice area of the Strand. We went into a very busy cafe overlooking the water.

We first ordered our coffees and then a while later, we ordered something a little more substantial. All the time we were chatting over old times and thinking about what we will do over the ensuing times. Time past by very quickly and it was almost 12.45 when left for a drive out to Cliff's work place.

After about a 10 km trip we arrived at Lavarack Barracks where Cliff works. It is very large and quite modern. There are numerous building under construction partially due to another Regiment moving there in the near future.

While there, Cliff showed me where he lives. It is all quite modern and comfortable. He has a fairly large room in which he resides which has an ensuite. Most meals are taken at the mess.

Cliff pointed out the vehicles that he trains the drivers on. They have to be very conversant with these heavy vehicles and are not just drivers. They are required to know and understand how they work and be able to identify all the parts on them. A lot more than the average car driver.

After that tour, Cliff returned me to the Caravan Park. He left and went to do his weekly shopping and I then visited the RAAF Museum.

It is not large but has a great record of the various Squadrons that have operated from Townsville since it was established. It was very heavily used during the Second World War especially with activities in the Pacific not being so far away. The Americans had a big presence there during that time.

 The Vietnam war featured heavily with the aircraft that were there, too.

Various other sheds have displays such as engines and an early turbine along with another shed that houses bombs. There is also a library that has a lot of information too.

After that a quick trip to some shops to get some vegetables and then back to the Karavan. After packing all the goods away it was time to refill water tanks and then have a read and relax.

So that has been the last day in Townsville, at least on this leg of my journey.

A bit more of Townsville

This morning was slightly cooler than previously, it was quite cool as it dropped to 13 degrees overnight. However, the day warmed up to around 25 so it was still really nice.

First job this morning was to do some shopping at the Stockland shopping centre which was about 4 kms from the Caravan Park. Just a few minor items to be replaced.

After an early lunch, I returned to the city area to further look around the Strand where I stopped and had a cappuccino. It is a very popular area and it was quite hard to get a parking spot.

Afterwards, I went and walked around Jupiter’s Casino and the Entertainment Centre which is on a sort of peninsula. Ross Creek is on one side and the Strand beach on the other. At the more easterly end there is a massive breakwall complex obviously to protect from adverse storm events. A lot of work has gone into the construction of the wall which is all made from heavy rock.

Then I drove around the other side of Ross Creek and the Port area. There is a lot of storage and berths in the area allowing the loading of sugar and other products. A large presence of heavy vehicles indicates a industrial type area especially a large fertiliser bulk warehouse. It is all very neat and tidy compared to some other similar areas I have seen.

Then I returned to the Caravan Park for a quiet remainder of the afternoon which was taken up with a few odd jobs and reading.

So basically a relaxing day in Townsville.

Townsville

Another lovely morning in the early tropics! An overnight temperature of 16 degrees. I was awake early due to the departure of military and civilian aircraft from the joint airport almost next door.

It was time to do some serious washing and catch up. I was one of the first to the laundry so was able to get it underway by the allowed 7 am. By 8 am it was ready to hang on the line. A job done and freed me up to go and explore the city area.

I decided to have a coffee in the Karavan and wait until the ‘peak hour’ subsided. So it was about 9.15 when I left for the city. On the way in I passed through where the V8 Super Car races were held in Townsville last weekend. It is being dismantled and taken away. It was easy to see where the track was with the heavy rubber on the road at the corners.

I found a nice shady park and left the Bravo there. It is a City free park and only a short walk to the CBD. As the day was o pleasant, I had decided to do the two Heritage trails that went through the CBD area.

The first trail was called “Civic Pride” and displayed some wonderful historic buildings. A few of them were early bank buildings but now have other uses although an occasional one is still occupied by businesses such as a Legal firm. Most look well looked after but some are looking tired and in need of care. In the Flinders East area some of the historic buildings are now night clubs or major restaurants.

About half way through the morning, I found a lovely restaurant, “The Balcony Restaurant” which is a striking building with its timber balustrade, verandah and parapet. It is the last of this kind of building in the city. I had a lovely muggacino, at a reasonable price, and fruit loaf. It is really worth a visit.

After the coffee, I continued to walk through the area taking in the lovely buildings.

I walked back to the Bravo and then drove through the city to The Strand which is a beach side area that looks out to Magnetic Island and beyond. It is well done in the area.

The next stop was after a very steep climb up to The Castle lookout. It has spectacular views right around Townsville and its suburbs. There are some good energetic walks to be able to see these wonderful sights. A lot of people take advantage of this stunning lookout. While there I took some photos for several overseas visitors.

Then it was back to the Caravan Park to have a late lunch. Then it was time to bring in the washing. I think washing would be damp if left out overnight as I had quite a dew on the Bravo windscreen.

Late afternoon, my friend Baf picked me and took me to his beautiful new home for dinner. That home is magnificent and has views of the numerous islands off shore as well as views to the mountains. A wonderful chatting evening with a great fellow.

To Townsville

This morning dawned fine and warm again. This is ideal to pack up rather than dodging rain showers and damp gear. After a leisurely breakfast, I commenced packing up the Karavan. 

On completion of packing up, I was visited by the family, Leo, Veronica and their 3 sons, who I had camped beside at Carmila Beach who came to say farewell as they were going on an island excursion for the day. A lovely family and so friendly.

I left the Caravan Park and decided to go into Airlie Beach and have a muggacino before I left town. I returned to the cafe that I had been to yesterday as it had reasonable coffee and the price was very acceptable.

By 9 am I was on the way to my destination for the day, Townsville. The countryside changed all the time. Initially there was heavily timbered and cane farms with hills around then it opened out to flat grazing land inhabited by Brahman cattle. Then more big hills or mountains to the west and more cane land. This is the region where most of the sugar in Australia is grown. Various sugar mills placed around with the narrow rail tracks to take the cane there. 

I passed through various towns including Ayr and Bowen. Bowen has been in the news as some criminal has poisoned millions of horticultural plants to go to farms to grow various things like tomatoes, egg plant, melons etc. This will have a major impact on price we all pay for vegetables and also a major impact on the Bowen community income. Many people will be unemployed for some time due to this low act.

As I was getting close to Home Hill, I noticed another Kimberley Karavan behind me. We made contact by UHF radio and then stopped for a while in the town for a chat. It was Peter and Chris from Gosford with their April 2010 model on their way to Cape York, too. We shared information and soon we all moved on.

About 1 pm, my GPS guided me to the Coral Coast Tourist Caravan Park exactly. Thank goodness as I had no idea where I was. The park seems nice and clean and is beside the RAAF Base so there is the occasional blast from a jet departing. That is usually only during daylight the neighbours tell me.

During the afternoon, I perused various leaflets to work out what to see during the next few days. While I was doing this I received several calls from several friends who used to live either in Lennox Head or Lismore and now live here. We have arranged to get together separately tomorrow and Sunday. 

So that was the day to get to Townsville.

More Airlie Beach

Another warm morning to start by and it only became better as the morning rolled on. I had to skite a little when a friend, Reg, rang from Broken Hill to tell me that it was cold and raining. My reply to him was that it was 22 degrees and fine here at 9 am. He told me he and some others he is travelling with had to go into cabins as their camp gear became wet at Peterborough the night before. 

A bit of house-keeping happed in the Karavan this morning with a bit of a sweep and shake of the mats. I discovered some tiny ants had found their way in so they met a bad end with a spray. That seemed to end their invasion.

About 10 am, I went to Airlie Beach and found a different cafe that had nice coffee and was much cheaper than the rip off yesterday. I had a good walk around the area and the lagoon. 

Afterwards, I did a drive around the north eastern part of the area and just dove up roads but really did not find anything unusual except some unfinished developments. No ideas why they had not proceeded.

Soon after, I drove to the Whitsunday Airport to see what action there was but it was very quiet. There were 2 Cessna Caravan amphibious aircraft parked on the apron and a Robinson R44 helicopter.

As I returned to town I drove up more streets and discovered some nice locations perched way up on the side of the steep hill. Magnificent views from these locations but must have been a nightmare getting built.

It was getting towards lunch time so I went to the hardware shop on the way back to the Caravan Park. I picked up some tap washers as I was being annoyed by a dripping tap. Just as I finished paying, I heard this voice behind me say “What are you doing here?” It was Mal that I used to work with. He is with his wife Cathy and their home is now in the Marina on their large Catamaran. Having sold their apartment in Lennox Head, the cat’ is now their fulltime home. I gave them a ride back to the marina with their purchased goods.

After lunch I set about repairing the tap, successfully. I reloaded the water as I was getting low in one tank.

A quiet afternoon reading and getting organised to move on tomorrow.

This evening I drove into Airlie Beach and had dinner with Mal and Cathy. We had a nice Indian Curry along with some nice red wine that Mal supplied. Lovely evening chatting about things from the past.

Airlie Beach

This morning dawned fine and clear and managed to get up to about 26 degrees in Airlie Beach where I am located until Thursday morning.

My ‘wog’ is still making me feel unfit. I hope that it is improving only time will tell. It is so annoying to have this issue.

After getting out of bed, it was time for breakfast and coffee. By then Drew was about as he had taken Angie to the Mine coach pick up point at 4.30 am. I slept so soundly I did not hear the car move even though it was parked only several metres from where I was sleeping.

Once Drew was around we had another coffee together while he had his breakfast. After that I went and proceeded to pack up the Karavan which always only takes a short time. Then it was a final farewell to Drew and I was then on my way towards Airlie Beach.

Along the way, I stopped at a little village called Calen. Drew and Angie told me to visit the newsagency/shop as it was special. It certainly was. I could not believe how much was stacked into the shop let alone the extremely large range of magazines. Everything seemed to be in date that I looked at and especially the food. It is run by a little old lady who was most chatty and very with it. It is really worth a visit to view the exceptional range of items.

A little while later, I turned off the highway at Proserpine but was briefly hindered b a cane train crossing the Bruce Highway. It is the first I have seen so far but there are numerous other tracks over the highway with lights.

By lunch time I was in the Big 4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort. It is a very clean and quiet park. It did not take long to set up in the nice shady site.

After lunch I went for a drive into Airlie Beach. I had a look around and found some lovely vessels in the marina. I also found a nice coffee shop but it is the most expensive so far, $5.50 for a muggacino!

After a caffeine fix I went to drive onto Shute Harbour from where ferries and support barges leave from and return to. Quite a bit of activity in that area while I was there.

Then I returned to the Big 4. While wandering around the park I came across a family that I was parked next to at Carmila Beach a few nights ago. I am almost certain that I will see them during the next few days.
So it was the evening meal which was a nice tomato pasta. That was my day and I am hoping for an even better one tomorrow.

Around Mackay

Today has turned out a lovely warm day up to about 24 degrees which is really pleasant. The morning started a bit cloudy but soon cleared up. Just as well as I had washing on the line and it was dry by 3 pm.

After breakfast, Angie and Drew took me for a drive around the Mackay area. We did a walk through a nature park first. While there we saw so many butterflies. I have not seen them in such numbers for a very long time.

Then we went for a drive along the coast a bit and to a look out where the ships and islands can be seen. There are many ships waiting to load out to sea. 

As we travelled around we visited the Mackay Marina Village where we discovered the Young Endeavour tied up. It was behind the security fence so we were unable to get too close. This is a beautiful vessel that is well used.

Soon after we drove towards Sarina then turned in to the coast. We visited the viewing area above Dalrymple Bay and Hay Point coal loaders. From this site the loaders look so small but after we drove down beside them, they are massive. It is apparently one of the biggest and most efficient coal ports in the world. It is amazing to see the 4 ships tied up and loading with about 30 waiting off shore. Angie and Drew work in mines that supply some of the coal that goes through this port and to hear their stories of the size of the machinery used to get it out of the ground.

It was about late lunch time by now so into town for a nice lunch. Soon after it was back to Angie and Drew’s home to collect my washing from the line. It had dried well in the sun and wind.

After a while it seemed it was time for dinner so we went to the Marina for a nice easy dinner. Said farewell to Angie as she has to go to work early in the morning and Drew later in the day, so I will move on to Airlie Beach for 2 days. It has been really nice catching up with this couple.

Carmila Beach to Mackay

After a very good sleep, I woke up to another glorious day at Carmila Beach camp site. I looked out of the tidal flats to find the water was coming in. It is quite fast and covered the flats to just look like any beach. It was a lovely spot to stay overnight.

After a latish breakfast, I packed up the Karavan and chatted with the family who had been next to me overnight and away I went. They planned to stay another night as they enjoyed the location.

Luckily, my distance to drive was relatively short. I only had to drive under 100 kms. I was having trouble with my voice and not feeling so wonderful.

My first stop was at the Sarina Caravan Park where I surprised Bob and Edna from Gunnedah. Bob used to haul grain from my farm all those years ago. It was nice to see them again and chat about all sorts of things. The whole park appeared to be full of people from the south who had migrated north for the winter. Apparently, nearly all the people are regular visitors.

I moved on the short distance to Mackay where I checked out the first Tourist Information centre I came to.

Then I drove to where Angie and Drew have their home. Thanks to the GPS I was able to find their home really easily. It was great to see them both again and we have chatted at length although I was having difficulty talking.

Angie made a lovely dinner and we consumed some red wine with it. So ended a pretty easy day.

Rockhampton to Carmila Beach

This morning was pack up from Rockhampton. I was on the move again t6o the north. After packing up the Karavan and all its associated bits, I retrieved the deposit for the automatic gate key. As I left the office to go back to the Bravo a rotten little Pee Wee dive bombed me. It did the same yesterday, too. It is nesting time so it is to be expected.

My first stop out of the Caravan Park was the Stockland Shopping Centre. I needed to see a Pharmacist as I felt as though I was getting something I did not want. My symptoms were an ear that felt blocked, partially blocked sinus and a feeling of ‘flu. I was given some pharmacy products and I think they may be working. It is the last thing I need on a trip.

As I was in the shopping centre, I decided I had better have a last coffee at Jamaican Blue. It was nice again and would be the last muggacino for the day.

I drove out of Rockhampton on the Bruce Highway again. I had several brief rest stops along the way. A variety of farmland passed by and ranged from grazing braham cattle to sugar cane.

Eventually it was lunch time so I pulled in to the Carmila Hotel for what turned out to be a very large meal. It was a really nice rump steak and chips. I had one drink with it and chatted to fellow travellers who were doing the same.

After lunch, I drove east to Carmila Beach and a free camp. The Karavan is not more than 50 metres from the water’s edge. The tide was out and seems like it rises about 3 metres as there are just flats that run out for about a kilometre. I went for a walk along the beach and saw lots of small crabs on the flats. There would have to be more than 50 campers along the area and we are not jammed in. The few islands that can be seen from the beach are of the Duke Island group.

On my return, I had a cup of packet coffee and this resulted in having several chats with others around. The usual thing is they all would like to look in the Karavan. The Karavan is certainly a focal point to start a conversation.

So, a fairly easy going day with just a cup of soup for dinner, after such a big lunch.

Scenic Loop and Rockhampton CBD

What a change a night can make. This morning dawned clear and warming. It stayed that way all day although at elevation, Mt. Archer Lookout, it was cool enough for a light jacket.

After breakfast, I made my way out of the Caravan Park, booking for an extra night as was leaving. I was getting out before peak hour in the City traffic. There are over 100,000 people living around here.

I departed Rockhampton on the Scenic Tourist Loop with Emu Park my first stop. On the way I drove past St. Christopher’s Chapel. It was erected by the American troops, of which comprised about 70,000 people, who were convalescing in the area after combat duty in the Pacific. It is of timber and stone and unique in its structure in Australia. It is non denominational and open air construction.

On arrival at Emu Park, I went to the coast and found the Singing Ship. It was built in honour of Captain James Cook to commemorate his visit to the region when he was exploring the east coast in 1770. It is design to hum in the wind with its fluted pipes but there was none while I was there. The view was stunning looking out on the Keppel group of islands with Great Keppel the best known and quite visible from here.

Then I drove onto Roslyn Bay which is a wonderful man made harbour. In here is not only a massive marina but also the location of the berth for the ferry that travels to the Islands offshore. There are some really lovely vessels in the 290 berth marina. Yeppoon was visible in the distance.

It is a relatively short drive to Yeppoon, passing by the beaches which I had done since Emu Park. It is quite a large and well serviced town. It appears to have almost everything a town needs. There are a variety of homes and some constructed up on the side of the coastal hills. The roads are wonderful around this town. It has numerous coffee shops, other cafes and other types of food outlets not far from the beach. I did have a nice coffee at Coffee Club near the beach.

Going further north is the awesome Rydge’s Capricorn Resort with its 2 golf courses which looked really amazing. There were many golfers in their buggies on the fairways. It is located quite distance from Yeppoon, It is surrounded by a massive wildlife sanctuary. It blends in with the surrounds making it a little hard to get photos of. I did not go in.

After leaving Yeppoon, I returned towards Rockhampton on the northern leg of the Scenic Loop. Just out of the city I turned off and drove up the very big climb to the Mt. Archer Lookout. It is very high above the city with magnificent views in most directions. There are good walking paths to get to these lookouts.

After returning into the city, I did a walk around the CBD. There are some amazing heritage buildings all through this area. In places, especially near the river, I was reminded of similar locations in Singapore. Almost all the buildings are in use and are in good condition. Nearly all were made from sandstone. They really do look stately.

Then lunch and a coffee at the Sexie Coffee shop again. The it was time to refuel the Bravo and return to the Caravan Park. 

Back in the Park, I filled the water tanks on the Karavan and checked around the vehicle as well as a bit of tidy up. During these activities, I chatted with fellow travellers. One couple have just come out of Cape York. Interesting to hear their stories and discuss various things with them. Then it was a pasta dinner made by me.

Bororen to Rockhampton via Gladstone

This morning in the tiny village of Bororen, I was greeted by a damp morning. During the night I had heard rain drops on the Karavan. Unfortunately, the further into the trip and the day, the rain seemed to get heavier. The rain became heavier as I unhooked the Karavan from the Bravo. Later in the afternoon it started to become a bit lighter. It is definitely not the weather to go sightseeing. Most interesting items are out doors. Maybe the weather will be a bit better tomorrow.

I left Bororen at an earlier hour than previous days. This was mainly because the rain was falling and I suspected that the trip to Rockhampton via Gladstone could be slow. There was a lot of traffic on the Bruce Highway. 

After a while, I turned off the Bruce Highway to go into Gladstone. It is a heavy industry town with massive coal loaders, a very big power station and an alumina smelter. No doubt I will see the raw product in a few weeks around Weipa. The power station is reported to be the biggest in Queensland.

Due to the rain, I only gave a cursory trip into Gladstone. Obviously, the heavy industry is the major reason for its existence. It would be worth a return trip to see more of it but only if it is dry. A thing I noticed as I drove towards Rockhampton, was the size and frequency of coal trains going to Gladstone. The trains are all powered by electricity so it is no wonder they require massive power stations and much coal.

Eventually, I arrived at the first tourist information centre in town. I stopped to gather information on the area. The staff is usually very helpful and this lot were no exception.

Then I drove onto the Big 4 Discovery Park. It is very nice, clean and, after last night, heavenly quiet. As it was showering, I erected the bag awning to deflect the moisture away from the door area. 

After setting up, I went to a massive Stockland Shopping Centre. It is almost the largest I have been in and everything is inside under cover. I did a little replenishing of some items and procured some I was lacking. I had to have a good coffee and found one there, Jamaican Blue. It was really good coffee and made up for the terrible one in Bundaberg, yesterday. Then I returned to the Park to unload and have a late lunch.

Later in the afternoon, I decided to go for a bit of a drive into the older part of the city. There are some magnificent old sandstone heritage listed buildings. The rain had lessened so I was able to get around without a raincoat by just using awnings. I walked around a fair bit of the CBD and enjoyed viewing these buildings. Eventually, I found another nice looking coffee shop which is part of a growing business. It had the eye catching name of “Sexie Coffee”. The coffee was excellent and the staff great, too. It is a very neat and professional business.

Finally, back to the Park and prepare for dinner, a nice steak from Lennox Head butchery along with a variety of nice vegetables. No red wine as I am not one to drink on my own. No doubt that may change in a few days time. So ended a very damp dull day with no photos worth showing.

Woodgate to Bororen

So far on this trip, my mornings are not a rush, in fact I am actually not getting moving until about 9.00 am. I suppose it is a holiday type trip, so why rush.

After leaving Colin and Helen, who were such lovely hosts, I slowly drove along to get to Bundaberg where my priority was to be the Hinkler Hall of Aviation.

As I left Woodgate, I travelled through a variety of land and its uses. Firstly, it was former farm land being developed for residential areas. I must say it is not the most fertile looking soil. Some of it was quite heavily timbered in places. Then I came upon more open land that was growing sugar cane that appears to be a different variety to that grown on the North Coast of NSW. Closer to Bundaberg it was competing with more horticultural type crops such as strawberries and various vegetables. As I have been in Bundaberg before, this encouraged me to bypass it. I could see in the distance the stack of the Bundaberg Rum distillery. I could still remember the smells of that visit some years ago.

Eventually I arrived at the Hinkler Hall of Aviation which is located in the grounds of the Bundaberg Botanic Gardens.  This is a new addition to the Botanic Gardens. Previously, I visited the home of Hinkler that was dismantled in England and transported and re-erected here. The Gardens look so nice and again I remember a previous visit.

Bert Hinkler was an amazing aviator who sadly died at the young age of 40 years attempting another solo flight to Australia in 1933 when he crashed in Italy. He is buried in Florence and was given a massive funeral by the Mussolini Government who respected his attempts.

 Hinkler built several gliders in his youth which led to his major involvement in aviation. He was born in Bundaberg in 1892. In late 1913, he went to England, which was fast becoming the leader of aviation in England. Initially he worked for the Sopwith Company before serving in World War I and receiving the Distinguished Service Medal. He joined A V Roe & Co., and became their test pilot. He had a wonderful mechanical knowledge as well as understanding the design process and was able to assist in improvements in the aircraft.  He created many early aviation records including the world’s first solo flight across the South Atlantic in 1931.

I highly recommend the Hinkler Hall of Aviation to visit. It has many audio visual displays as well as much written work along with five aircraft that were common in that time. As it was time for a coffee, I went to Café 1928 which is a large and very comfortable location. Unfortunately, I had the worst cappuccino of this trip. It was so bad that I did not finish what is normally my favourite drink.

I then refuelled the Bravo as well as topped up the diesel tank on the Kimberley Karavan which runs the cook top and water heater, when needed. The price was a little cheaper than when I filled up in Lennox Head before I left.

My next stint of driving took me to the twin towns of Agnes Water and Town of 1770. They are both on the coast about 124 kms north of Bundaberg. The drive took me through timber and farm land as well as through several small villages. I had thoughts of staying in the area but when I saw the crowds in the Caravan Parks I decided that it was not for me. It is very pretty and obviously very popular. There seemed to be a lot of people fishing and going out on charters to fish. There are many beautiful homes and cottages along with various apartments and flats. Also, I noticed a large apartment block that must have gone into financial meltdown as the building has not been completed and stood looking quite neglected. So after a look around, I moved on.

My route back tracked me for about 22 kms to an intersection that allowed me to turn north again.  I turned toward Miriam Vale which I passed though. It did not look a very big town but more of a service centre.  Here I rejoined the Bruce Highway that I had really left at Childers yesterday. I did briefly travel on it just outside Bundaberg before going to the coast.

My day ended at the tiny village of Bororen. It is about 50 kms south of Gladstone. At least the Caravan Park is not overflowing although it appears to be full. It is clean and tidy. I had looked for a free camp but to no avail. They are a bit scarce around here especially as the roadsides are fenced off and there are no real camp areas. There will be plenty later on.

So that was my day. I had a plain but nutritious meal and after consuming almost a bottle of red last night decided it would be a ‘dry’night!

Forest Glen to Woodgate

This morning arrived as a bit of a dewy morning, everything damp especially after some evening rain.

I had an issue with the mobile phone. In hindsight it may have had some moisture in it as after removing the battery I found some there. I wiped everything and sat it near the stove top. Now it appears to be fine, thankfully.

After breakfast, I then liesurely packed everyhting up and packed the Karavan away. Everything being damp required me to wipe it down before it was stowed.

My first stop was the Ginger Factory at Yandina. I had been here several times before over the past 9 years. As I am a ginger addict, I bought some ginger products. Hopefully, enough to get me to the top and back again. While here I wandered around the grounds soaking up the atmosphere of the rain forest through which the little ginger train passes.  I browsed through the little shops in the complex. It is a must stop for a ginger consumer.

While in Yandina, I  visited Nutworks. This is a Macadamia nut processing factory that has not only plain macadamias but also macadamias coated in many things including such things as chocolate and chilli. It is a great place to visit besides its free samples.

Finally, it was time for a muggacino. My first for the day at about 11 am! It was a  visit to the Pioneer Coffee Roastery. While waiting for my coffee, I was able to watch the staff roast their coffee. It is an exacting process to do it correctly. I can assure you that it was worth having a nice brewly roasted coffee.

Soon it was time to leave for Gympie. On the way, I stopped and had lunch at a rest stop that was well attended by travellers from all over. As usual there were some people that were intrigued by the Kimberley Karavan. It does tend to attract people. 

After lunch, I drove  a short distance to the Gympie Museum, I spent some time looking at the large variety of exhibits. One building was showing where a former Prime Minister, Andrew Fischer, lived his younger life. He represented the area and the house on display was originally owned by his parents in law. There were many exhibits relating to the gold mining in the area as well as the rural industries. So much is done by volunteers to keep these places going.

Then it was on the road to Woodgate via Childers on the infamous Bruce Highway. After passing various small locations the traffic suddenly stopped. The UHF radio was working hard as the transport drivers were alerting each other that the road was partially blocked due to  a car "feeling tired and falling off the road ", in other words a car had run off the road and overturned. There was about a 30 minute delay.

After that hold up, it was plain easy driving to Woodgate after passing through Childers. Eventually, I arrived at the home of Colin and Helen. After parking the Karavan in their garden, Colin took me for a drive around the most stunning small town of Woodgate. It is right on the ocean and so lovely. as it is surrounded by national park and cannot grow much more. There are numerous homes that would fetch more than $1 million as they all face the beach with Fraser Island faintly visible in the distance.

After setting up the Karavan it was time for drinks and a wonderful dinner provided by Colin and Helen. Sadly, they have recently sold their Kimberley Karavan however I am sure our friendship will last  a long time regardless.