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.