Stage 3 started on July 22nd when we arrived at the town of Ayr
Wednesday 22nd July. Ayr. . . Too Easy! . . . only 86 klms and we were at Ayr. The aim is to move in a southerly direction as slowly as possible. Unfortunately there were no places that we wanted to explore between Townsville and Ayr. The drive was short and sweet apart from some annoying semi-trailers that wanted to drive at 100klms/hour - I just passed them. The Cascades caravan park at Ayr is quite nice (lower left) with some nice scenery in the main street (lower right).
Sunday 26th July. Midge Point. Ayr was OK but the park got a bit messy when they dug up a water pipe (lower left) and made a lot of noise. So on Saturday we moved to Midge Point where we had a nice quiet site in a thick bush setting (lower right). Midge point is only 240 klm south and so the weather is just as warm (otherwise we might turn around and go back up north :-). I put up a wire antenna about 80 feet straight up (to get above the bush canopy) and then about 80 ft across to another tree - and NO it wasn't easy. I also found that the Mackay repeater was easily accessible, although nobody in Sydney answered my calls on the radio. We have a nice swimming pool in the caravan park but it's just not quite warm enough to use - still it is nice to sit around it with a beer. We are going to watch out for the dingoes and kangaroos tonight.
Tuesday 28th July. Carmilla. Yesterday, before leaving Midge Point, we drove around the area and were intrigued by the contrasting real estate. There were half a dozen properties that looked like they were worth millions (lower left) and yet there were scores of houses for sale. One general store was closed and deserted a long time ago (lower right).
The Laguna Quays resort was once a luxurious holiday destination for wealthy Japanese tourists - but it now appears to be run down and nearly empty - look at the original entrance (lower left) now unused. Several sections of the resort are now closed (lower right).
Wednesday 29th July. Carmilla. We seem to stop at Carmilla Beach every year and this year was no exception. I could throw a rock from the caravan into the sea (at high tide) .... but it is about a 15 minute walk to the water when the tide goes out (lower left) . The sand is not very fine or white (in fact it's course and dusty) but when we come back in several hundred years I'm sure it will be much better. There are no fees for stopping here but there is also no water or power. Fortunately we are completely self sufficient. It is fun watching people sink their cars and caravans into the soft sand - but not so funny when they need some help to get out again. Waking up with the sun coming into the bedroom window is fun (lower right).
Thursday 6th August. Rockhampton. It has been a lazy week except for a rather expensive day on Tuesday when I had to remove our leaking water heater and install a new one (cost .. $966.00). The rest of the time in Rocky has been pretty relaxed. Amateur radio has been been declared STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! My radio contacts consisted of ONE in Tasmania ... and one via IRLP (via the internet), [thanks Frank]. I think I will trade my radios in for a set of lawn bowls. I'm sure that the kookaburras are looking at my antennas each dinner time when they start their laughing. Today, we had lunch at the top of Mount Archer and were watched carefully by some more kookaburras - one false move and they would have pounced on our fish & chips (lower left). I then did some bird watching myself (lower right).
The "green ants" in QLD set up home in trees. They drag a bunch of leaves
together (lower left) and stick'em together somehow? They have a nasty habit of
covering a perceived enemy ... then they all sting simultaneously when one of
them (the smartest one I suppose) says "Go". If you discover that you have a few
of them on you, don't say "go" ... not even "go away ants".
I've got used to it now, but the first time I saw Rockhampton I was surprised by
how busy it was (lower right). We have found four Ice Cream Parlours in the CBD
and that makes it a major tourist destination in our opinion.
Wednesday 12th August. Rockhampton. Ham radio has been painfully stupid. So we walked. We also walked around Rocky (above right). In our spare time we walked in "Kershaw Gardens" (lower left) where I spotted some birds (lower right). Last night we walked to the bowling club where I was served yesterdays soggy chips and salad on my fish - so I walked again.
Saturday 15th August. Bundaberg. Last night we stayed at a "freebie" [no fees, but limited to 48 hours] called Calliope beside a river. The council has set aside a huge area - maybe 200 acres in total and they have sealed some roads and installed toilet blocks. The view (lower left) shows the far side of the river and the other view (lower right) is the area with sealed roads and amenities. It was so hot our ice cream was melting as fast as we could eat it. By the end of the day we counted about 170 caravans and motorhomes parked in the area.
Along the road to Bundaberg, we came across "The mystery craters" (lower right). These odd looking holes are many meters deep and the rocky ground has thousands of "blobs" of red ocre in it. The caretakers told us some of the amazing theories about their formation, but Connie and I were busy eating ice cream while it was being explained - so we didn't really learn much. I had much more fun exchanging funny stories with a horse next door - he told me that the "caretakers" actually dug the holes and mixed the muddy stuff on top to make the craters look weird.
Monday 17th August. Bundaberg. We went to the Ginger Beer factory and Connie had trouble getting served (lower left). Then we checked out the Rum distillery and Connie was able to calm down when she sampled the rum on the front steps (lower right).
Wednesday 19th August. Bundaberg. The magazine said "Come and see this astonishing hand dug tunnel that passes through 190 meters of ROCK". So I drove a round trip of 170 kilometers to see ... a tunnel ! (lower left) and (lower right). It was a great feat BUT... there was nowhere nearby to buy ice cream.
Our next stop today was the Hinkler Hall of Aviation ... you all know about Bert Hinkler dont you! Well here is one of his planes (lower left) and his house (lower right) that was shipped from England .. yup! brick by brick.
Thursday 20th August. Bundaberg. I became a hero today. I climbed a tree and and fought a ferocious battle with a gigantic Frill Neck Lizard (lower left) and finally saved the life of a tiny chick in a birds nest. The chicks parents helped by constantly diverting the monsters attention while I attacked the great beast with my bare hands. The huge lizard finally left after a marathon fight of some thirty seconds. My bravery earned an extra sausage at the caravan parks "geriatric gathering" that evening (lower right).
Friday 22nd August. Bundaberg. This is our last day in Bundaberg and so a tour of the local area was voted for. The seaside town of Woodgate was very attractive with three or four kilometers of great sandy beach (... and no photo?). Some of the houses facing the ocean were ultra modern, but this old one caught my eye ... (left)... because of the kangaroos.
[Jenny in China, - the kangaroos are not usually this friendly and they don't usually stay around houses - they have been encouraged to come here by the people who live in the house].