Nambucca Heads to Armidale via Tenterfield caravaning around Australia

Posted on December 7, 2023 by paulinerose18

Nambucca Heads

Leaving Lismore our decision was to either stay at Coffs Harbour or Nambucca Heads. As younger people we had both spent time in Coffs Harbour, oh so many years ago. Also discussed not staying in big cities so Nambucca Heads it was. As we drove through Coffs, we commented on how much it had grown. Plus, my friend Helen lives in Nambucca – yes, another Helen. I was fortunate to meet Helen whilst working in Esperance WA and said to her, if I’m ever on the East Coast I would look you up and so I did.

Our caravan park was Ingenia Holidays – White Albatross, V-Wall, fantastic park with a beach and tidal lagoon 100meters from our caravan. It was cloudy, I was hoping it would not rain. Our stay was only for 2 nights – the first day we arrived about 4pm later than I had hoped for however we unhitched and went for a drive around the town.

As we drove around the area and through the State Forrest, the Kangaroos came out to greet us. There were some fabulous houses, we noted some rather small houses as well. As we drove down one of the streets, I spotted a dog, “Stop, look a Dingo” – Mr C…. “I don’t think so“…. Me “just stop please” by this time Mr C had spotted the dog and stopped the car. I got out and walked towards the truck with the dog leashed to the back of the truck and spoke to the dog – “Hi there, are you a friendly dog“, by this time a young man came strolling up to his truck, dressed in work clothes and boots, he was smiling at me. “hi” I said, “is this a Dingo?” he responded with “what do you think?” “Yes, it is it’s a fine-looking dog” “will he let me pat him“. with that I didn’t wait for a response, I put my open hand towards the dog….. the man says “go ahead see what he does“…… well the dog licked my hand and started playing with me. The man said, “he doesn’t do that to everyone, you must be special” my response, “Of course, he knows I love dogs“. we both laughed, Mr C was watching from the car. The man was visiting a young woman and her daughter, I think they were dating, or he was trying hard to date her. The young girl came over to say Hi and also pat the dog, by the way the Dingo’s name was Loki, so appropriate I thought, a bit mischievous (that’s if you know your Marvel movies). I said, “I didn’t think you could own Dingo’s” he responded with “I found him as a pup in the bush, he is now 4yrs old – you do have to be careful as he is a wild dog“. We left it at that, I thanked him for letting me have some doggie time and wished him all the best.

Helen picked us up the following morning a beautiful sunny day and we went for a drive – so good to be spoiled with a driver showing us and giving us a history of the area. Morning tea was in an arty town called Macksville, very quaint. We then went to Urunga Lagoon which has an amazing Footbridge about 2km long. Helen and I walked it solving the problems of the world, sharing our sadness at a “No” vote result. Mr C, sat happily on the beach front watching people and enjoying the sunshine. We also visited the many beaches all with glistening crystal blue water, at times I thought I was in Greece.

On our return to the caravan park – the V-Wall is a wall of rocks, shaped in a V which effectively acts as a breakwater creating a lagoon – it is an easy walk about 500meters. it’s a rock gallery of art and anyone can paint on the rocks. I left our mark on the rocks. I went for a swim in the lagoon, the water was a bit fresh but fabulous. We then had dinner overlooking the lagoon and watching the sunset at the V-Wall Pavillion. What more could you ask for – just perfect.

My contribution to the local art….. Fat Cat and Kez

Waterfall Way – Bellingen – Mt Dorrigo

From Coffs Harbour along Waterfall Way through Bellingen and Dorrigo was 2.5hrs (191kms). A steep mountainous winding road. We thought ok, we can do this, Ian as a young man had driven this road before and so we began the journey.

Our first stop was a beautiful quirky town of Bellingen. We stopped parked the caravan and went for a walk around the town. Had a coffee, sausage rolls and vanilla slice from the beautiful Swedish Bakery, I also bought some chocolate from the sweet shop for our drive. On the road again to Dorrigo.

The Car Problem

As Mr C was driving up the mountain, the car slowly began to struggle on the steeper sections. I was beginning to get worried as I could sense Mr C’s concern. I asked him “is your foot on the accelerator” as the car was going so slow – he responded with “Of course, its to the floor”. We then heard the gears change and for a moment thought the car would pick up speed, but alas it continued to struggle – at this point I asked Mr C what we are going to do…. as the car was struggling – I kept saying “come on Betsy you can do it“, it was like Thomas the tank little engine that couldn’t – and the car clearly now couldn’t – lucky for us there happened to be a turning point in the opposite direction and Mr C turned the car into the bay – we both gave a sigh of relief that we were off the road safely. We both sat and looked at the car, by now the car was over heated…. we just sat in disbelief that this could happen and now considered our options.

Our car stopped – the little engine that couldn’t. Turn-a-round point.

Our alternative route

After looking at the map and speaking with a friend who has local knowledge about the roads we decided to go back to Coffs Harbour to Armidale via Grafton, Casino and Tenterfield 6hrs and 15 mins 513 km. This now meant that Mr C had to reverse the caravan into the oncoming traffic around a blind bend – I had to go up the road and stop the oncoming traffic to allow for this to happen. Mr C had good vision of the upcoming traffic – it was stressful, I was now a traffic warden – the cars stopped as we turned, we allowed them to overtake, and we continued down the hill without any further ado.

Mr C did the first 2 hours of driving and we changed over in Grafton. The car was going well, no further overheating or problems. Mr C was tired and fell asleep in the car as i was driving. I came to Casino and thought I have 162km of fuel, I will fill up at the next station to allow Mr C to continue to rest. Unfortunately, this was the wrong decision – Mr C awoke startled and said “are we in Casino yet” I replied “No way passed it” – Mr C – “did you get fuel”, Me, “no I thought I’d let you keep sleeping and we can get it at the next town” – Mr C, “Ok good – how much is left” – me “about 130km” – he looked concerned – I said “don’t worry there are a couple more towns coming up“. Little did I know.

As I continued to drive, we noted the car beginning to struggle on a hill, I had the pedal to the metal and the car was not responding as it should – I was saying come on Besty, you can do it, and she did. I have to say it was worrying and I was concerned, the car didn’t overheat but this this time and the gears did change as they should.

The next concern was the fuel, each town we went through was small and had no fuel stations, we were still about 40-50km out of Tenterfield – I was stressed, the fuel gauge dropped to 30 – I said to Mr C, “we have to stop and use the jerry can fuel, we are not going to make it” – I felt like a complete fool that I did not fill up in Casino and I had not accounted for the heavy load in my calculations. We pulled over in Drake and a kind young man asked if we needed help, if we were ok – I said, “thanks we’re all good, just going to fill up using the jerry can” and sent him on his way. little did I know how heavy and difficult it is to fill the car up using this method – in hindsight I should have accepted his help. Funny thing as I drove on, we both thought the car performed much better – have no rationale for this (Perth Fuel).

We continued to Tenterfield without any further incidence. We stayed at the Tenterfield show grounds – I reversed park the caravan and was pleased to get out and go and have dinner – we were both tired and stressed.

The following morning, we explored Tenterfield (next blog) it was Mr C’s turn to drive, and I was very happy about that – it was going to be a 2–3-hour drive to Armidale.

Lesson for me: Fill up in major towns – don’t worry about Mr C sleeping.

Next blog – Tenterfield, Armidale & the car repair – see you there!

Lismore: Ballina, Bryon Bay & Kingscliff

Posted on December 5, 2023 by paulinerose18

Crossing the border to New South Wales (NSW) at Tweed Heads, was sheer delight. I have a real soft spot for NSW. It was home for me as a teenager, I started my nursing in Sydney and my eldest son was born at Wollongong Hospital.

Our route was along the Pacific Hwy and Dunoon Road, through Mullumbimby, Dunoon to Lismore. We choose Lismore because it was central to the places we wanted to go. The caravan park was The Roadrunner about 10 minutes from the city centre. Our spot was great, close to the amenities – however, I was not keen on the amenities block. We had a key to open the gate which led to the bathrooms, no one uses keys for amenities blocks these days – the building was old and dark. The park was cheap only $39 per night – guess sometimes this is a red flag however, for us it was great, quiet and clean. There were some local residents who have lived there since the last floods.

Ballina – Bundjalung Nation – Nyangbul people

I was last in Ballina 7 years ago and it had not changed much, although I did not see the Big Prawn, this was new for me – it seemed a little quiet and it was sad to see some empty shops. The Richmond River is the main river which enters the Pacific Ocean- we had lunch near the beach and the coffee was great – I watched as the honey eaters were playing up in the gum tree. I also went for a short walk on the beach; however, it was a bit windy – there were no shells.

Byron Bay – Bundjalung Country

Leaving Lismore along the Bangalow Road, past Bexhill, our next small town was Clunes. This town had a host of small churches (couldn’t get Me C to stop) and some charming crafty shops. We did stop at the General Store to buy some flowers and some delish banana bread. Our drive to Byron Bay was an amazing drive, winding roads, through some spectacular luscious green almost rainforest. I noticed showcase letterboxes such as brightly coloured dogs, cats, cows, microwaves, old fridges. People were very creative when it came to their letterboxes – it did make for an interesting drive. The driving time along this scenic route was about 50 mins, that accounts for getting lost. The journey back was much quicker along the main drag – maybe 40 mins.

The beaches at Bryon Bay were stunning and beautiful to swim in. Byron Bay seems an upmarket kind of place with lots of new age shops, alternative lifestyles, holistic wellness retreats (that did seem very expensive), many clothing stores and an array of eateries. We had dinner down a lane way that turned into an outdoor food market – I had fish and chips and Mr C had octopus salad, needless to say we shared.

Kingscliff is another beautiful part of the world – my friend Helen graciously showed us around her neck of the woods. What a wonderful place she lives in. The beach is pristine and where the river exits makes for a great place for the kids to swim. There is an array of eateries across from the beach. Together with boutique shops to appease any shopper, I steered clear as I didn’t want to be tempted to buy anything.

Both of us being midwives, she showed me the new Tweed Valley Hospital soon to be opened, it looked impressive from the outside. Here’s hoping it is everything they hope it would be.

There are so many beautiful beaches and quaint towns in this area: Cabarita Beach, Chinderah, Pottsville, Cudgen, Murwillumbah and Fingal. I can’t remember all the places we went only it was all very pretty. We saw some of the most expensive houses on millionaire’s row…. a little too big for my liking. We had a fabulous day.

The Tweed River is a mighty river, it’s so beautiful however, the danger of flooding is ever present – it’s amazing to see houses still being built near the river knowing that a flood is possible – I don’t think I would risk it and if I did, I would build on stilts. Lunch was at the Historic Tumbulgum Tavern, it was a perfect day. I think it’s always good to see a town by a local person, they know the place and its history – thanks Helen, very grateful.

Lismore – Bundjalung Nation

I didn’t know what to expect from Lismore, I just remember they had bad floods last year, most of the CBD was flooded. The Lismore visitors centre was closed still under repair from the floods, so this put us on a back foot. There was still evidence of a city recovering from the flood. Most of the time we were in Lismore it rained.

We kept seeing signs everywhere for Koala’s -“lookout Koala’s are here, drive safely” Koala’s cross here” – certainly not when we were around – did not see one Koala in the wild, despite all these signs. We went to the Friends of the Koala’s that is in the grounds of the University – this is where I purchased a friend for Fat Cat, Kez the Koala, it was a donation to the Koala hospital which looks after the sick Koala’s of the area.

We went to the local shopping centre for our usual supplies, Lismore had all the shops any large city has plus a Cathedral. There were many old beautiful buildings around the city.

One day on our return from Byron Bay, the havens opened up and the rain just came down – it was pouring, so heavy. At one stage I said to Mr C, “I can’t see the road in front of me, I am going to pull over” and so I did, we waited about half an hour and then I continued back to the caravan. It was scary. When we returned to the caravan, people at the site had put our chairs under the caravan and put our awning away for us – what a kind gesture.

It’s been an interesting time in Lismore, we had the most rain ever. camping /caravaning when it rains is horrible, not only are you confined to inside, but you have to close the vents – I felt claustrophobic. it was awful. I was disappointed not to see a koala, given all the signs around Lismore. We loved Byron Bay and Kingscliff. We are travelling well, no major arguments – all is well in our world. If it rains too much more, I’m coming home sooner.

Next stop is Nambucca Heads – see you at the next blog.

Brisbane – Caravaning around Australia

Posted on November 28, 2023 by paulinerose18

Leaving Hervey Bay, for Brisbane we realised that our caravan indicators were not working. This problem started a few days earlier however, we forgot until we were on the road again. Our caravan tripped the breaker when I ran over the electrical cord and broke the plug. Mr C went and bought new fuses for me to fit. Of course, the space where the fuses are kept is for small people not overweight people, nevertheless I managed to be able to sit on the floor and squeeze into small space to change them – Mr C suggested I take a photo so I could replace the fuses as they were – me “yes, good idea.” When the job was done, the indicators were still not working, however we took the chance and said we would fix at Hervey Bay – and we forgot until we set off. Mr C said, “Pauline go and check the fuses against the photo” -me “sure, I could be bothered arguing the point” – “yes honey, fuses are correct“. The fuses were not the problem.

We did a google search for an auto mobile electrician for caravans. Luckly for us, the first one we contacted was available in 30 mins – so we waited. The man arrived promptly, he had a broad South African accent, he was super helpful. He walked around the van – asked me to put the hazard lights on, and said, I think it’s a poor connection – and with his screwdriver thingy (a multi-meter that checks power) he confirmed we had a dirty connection – he cleaned it up, checked all the other lights – job done $120 for 15minutes and half an hour of chit chat and we were on the road again. Lesson for Mr & Mrs C – check the connection next time.

On the road again, Mr C is driving, I’m happy doing my crocheting and all is good with the world. We stopped for a late lunch at Lake Alford. We saw hundreds of birds in the trees, it was truly amazing. I got out the car and walked around the lake and took loads of photos of the birds – there were some sitting on nests, some building nests, and some mating. I spent ages watching them not realising Mr C was waiting to eat lunch with me in the car – Oops.

As we were eating lunch a man approached our car window and said, “it seems we have the same make caravan – can we see yours and compare to ours“. I thought strange people, be nice Pauline! We spent the next hour talking to Alan and Jenny from the Gold Coast – 76yr and 72 respectively, not married living together for 22yrs, with 6 children between them…… see Jenny gave me her life story. Whilst the boys were comparing the caravans – I tried very hard to cut this meeting short but failed miserably.

making a rug for one of the grandchildren

We finally were on our way again – now we have to find a place for the night, we were not going to make Brisbane. This is the part of travelling I don’t like, being the navigator, because Mr C second guesses google maps. I found a 20-hour rest place Steve Irwin Memorial – set google maps, it was 40 minutes away. It did appear that we were going the long way, but as we don’t know the area, we really have no choice but to follow blindly – at least I’m happy to do this.

However, Mr C isn’t and there is nothing like driving and directions to start an argument and so it happened. Mr C “this is the Bruce Hwy, we could’ve just come straight down the highway not round about the country” – me: ” we are following google maps so just follow the directions” – we missed the turn off for the rest bay, (you could only enter the rest bay from on direction) in fact there was no signage at all, so could not even see where it’s meant to be.

I reset google maps and now it’s telling me we have another 20 minutes, yet we know we have just passed the bay maybe 5 mins ago. Mr C put his google maps on and his phone, his was saying 10mins and going back onto Bruce Hwy to turn around – he was annoyed and said “that’s it we’ve finding somewhere else” – Me – “no let’s try one more time its only 10 mins and I don’t want to find another place” – lucky for us both, this time it worked – it was the smallest right turn half way down the freeway off ramp – we missed the first time, the most stupid rest place to date – no toilets, no tables, just a layby with beautiful trees. For some reason I was just so tired, and cranky, I just wanted to stop. Equally Mr C was tired. We were grateful to have found a place for the night. We got out the car and there was a stale smell of urine – really, by this stage I didn’t care. As we open a few windows in the van, we noted three cars pull in at different times – the men get out and went into the bush and then back in the car – that’s it, this is a shagging and bush toilet stop, that’s why it smells.

We both laid down and slept for about half an hour – probably not a good idea, we awoke and had some fruit and yoghurt for dinner about 8ish. Four big semi-trailers- trucks pulled up, engines running. The drivers all got out and had a chin wag outside our caravan…. guess it won’t be a quiet night. Thankfully it all went quiet about 10pm.

We awoke early and got back on the road to Brisbane. We had booked a caravan park in southern suburbs plugged the address into google maps – which led us astray again. It was a nightmare going through Brisbane towing a caravan and not knowing the roads or where you are going – never again.

We went via Brisbane for 3 main reasons. First to pick up my Cannon Camera being repaired. Secondly to visit my mum at the cemetery and thirdly to catch up with my estranged sister and her family. A bonus was too catch-up with a few friends. None of the above was achieved – it was all very disappointing and sad. – that’s all I am saying on this matter.

our first Maccas breakfast after the Steve Irwin stopover

In June I injured my ring and little fingers on my right hand – I tripped and dislocated and fractured the fingers and have volar plate injuries on both the fingers. I was in a splint for 6 weeks. Now 5 months on I still cannot bend these fingers and have had a very painful hand for the last month. Whilst in a big city I decided to go and have it reviewed.

we had a debate as to what constitutes stopping here.

Logan Hospital A & E was a sight to behold, when I walked in, I could tell by the people waiting that it is going to be a long, long wait – and yes, I was correct. The triage nurse said 6 hours minimum. You guessed it, I did not wait – after going to several GP clinics I finally found an urgent care clinic that would see me. I had an X-ray and ultrasound luckily on the same day – and reported back to the doctor the next day – long and short of the story, I need surgery. This will have to wait until I get home – he suggested strapping my fingers until then and take regular pain relief.

There is a silver lining in everything – we had a wonderful last afternoon visiting Mount Tamborine – starting with a great lunch at the Bearded Tavern, followed by a walk to see Cedar Creek Falls – which didn’t have much water falling due to lack of rain. It was still beautiful and peaceful.

Halfway down the mountain – we stopped at a few beautiful villages, it was so tempting to buy some books, but I resisted the temptation, instead had a play with the pooches in the shop. I picked some strawberries and further down the mountain, had the most spectacular view of the Gold Coast – gosh it is getting bigger and bigger. We last visited the Gold Coast in 2014, we had no interest in going this time.

I did not enjoy Brisbane at all, the roads were difficult to navigate for both of us – unfortunately, it was bad timing to catch up with my friends they were all out of town (chance you take when you give them short notice). My Cannon camera was sent to Port Macquarie to get repaired, and my sister did not answer her phone or emails – so I guess she was unavailable.

Goodbye Queensland, it’s been a real adventure.

Lesson for me: I’m very grateful for my family and dear friends. I can’t wait to get home – love you all.

See you at the next adventure: Crossing the border into NSW – my favourite state.

Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy (1770) & Hervey Bay

Posted on November 21, 2023 by paulinerose18

The only reason we came to Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy was because these places came highly recommended as a place to visit. I really had no idea why there is a place called Seventeen Seventy on the map. Little did I know it is because Captain Cook landed here, hence the name. The town name is Seventeen Seventy spelled out however, I will refer to it as 1770 in numerals for ease, not spelled out within this blog.

I / we were expecting to see something like Airlie Beach not sure why we thought this, but we did. Agnes Water (which I kept calling Agnes Walsh – due to working in KEMH) and 1770 is nothing like Airlie Beach. It is smaller and less commercialised, which is good in a way. I expect that it will only grow in the years to come, for now it’s a small couple of towns.

Information Centre:

Here’s the thing, booking in advance does not always work well unless the Tourist Park has come recommended. As we drove into Agnes Water, we were on the lookout for where to stay. Again, first port of call is always the information centre, everyone is very helpful and font of knowledge. Our stay was for a couple of days however we are flexible. The lovely lady who helped us said it would be easy to get accommodation. Mr C picked up a brochure for 1770 Tourist Park for $39 a night, so that’s the one we chose. I had called another camp site in Agnes Water and she informed me they had no running water, so to fill up in town. We chose the 1770 option.

Where to stay:

On arrival to check in, there were three places left – the man quoted me $51.00 per night. I showed him the brochure that said $39 per night. well, you guessed it, it was an old brochure the prices are now updated on the website and on display in the office. I cut my losses and booked for two nights, with no internet (it was broken).

1770 Tourist Park was right on the beach however, it was an untidy looking park with narrow roads and not much turning space. Mr C was driving so he had to navigate the narrow track and the big trees. The part I hate most about caravaning is having to be the person who has to direct the driver into the parking bay. I’d rather be the driver any day. The park had some beautiful big old trees however, they dropped all their flowers on the car and on the concreate slab, it was a nightmare. Bush Turkey’s roamed through the park, blue honey eaters were around, together with Stoned Curlew’s which I now don’t like because they scream at night.

It was a 100-meter walk to the beach, perfect for me. The tide was way out when we arrived, so I walked around to find my bearings – where’s the ablution block, very important. The ablution block was old and looked unclean – I didn’t fancy shower. Once I got lost at a caravan park because I didn’t check out where the toilets were before dark. I went to the toilet and came out and turned the wrong way, walked around the block twice – these people were watching me and playing cards, they asked if I was lost, trying not to laugh – how embarrassing. I responded with “yes” then they did laugh. One of the men took out a map of the grounds and asked what the number of my site was…….. thank goodness I knew it. Long story short, his wife said just walk her back to her caravan…. when I got back, Mr C could not stop laughing. Lesson learned, find the toilets in the day light.

Paperbark Forrest:

My first adventure was walking through the Agnes Water Bush Paperbark Forrest boardwalk. It was a magical walk; I had no idea that this short walk of about 400 meters would test my balance by having stepping stones – you do need to have good balance. Just as well I didn’t insist on Mr C coming, his feet were sore, so he stayed in the car. There were 100s of paper bark tree trunks, it was almost like a rain forest with the majestic green fronds of the cabbage palm and maiden hair creepers up the trees. I just love them; it was really magical. I went round twice just for good measure. I met a local couple who informed me that they are so short of water, this area is usually covered in water. If you fell off the stepping stones you would be in water – that made sense as to why they were there.

Dinner was at 1770 Beach Hotel: The Tree, preceded by a walk along the beachfront to see the setting sun over the water. This was our catch-up anniversary dinner as Mr C was in Perth when it occurred. It was a delightful evening with lots to eat, my lovely man with me, beautiful atmosphere, we couldn’t ask for a better evening.

The day started with me waking early, asking Mr C if he wants to start early or sleep. He responded with sleep. So, I got up and went for a morning walk along Bustard Bay beach – the tide was in, the water felt cooler than Yeppoon – it was a great 2hrs walk, the sea was rough, white caps on the waves when I reached as far as I could walk, I felt like I was on the edge of the world. The wind was blowing in my face, not a soul around and I stood right on the edge of the rocks. I could feel the splashes of the waves on my feet and shouted at the top of my voice – “I love Scott, my boy, I’m sorry, & I forgive you” “I love you” – I took some deep breaths, turned around and started my walk back. I felt invigorated, I felt Scott was with me. Just as well no one was around, otherwise they would have me committed.

As I walked back, I decided to go for a quick swim, the water was so inviting I couldn’t resist. I noted a couple of small children were playing in the sand nearby. I put my camera, phone and clothes in a pile near the fence and went for a swim. I did not go out to deep, just to my thighs, just in case…. I thought of sharks it was a bay, I think we are too far south now for crocodiles and still a bit early for stingers. l had a great 30-minute swim, it was so refreshing, I love the water it was fabulous. I got out and had a beach shower, only to notice a sign that said ” strong currents and stonefish” – well, I just about died. This sign was not where I entered the beach – I guess I was lucky – I didn’t swim again.

Mr C and I had discussed going on a tour – I called LARC Tours after my swim and booked us for an afternoon tour on an Amphibious truck. I returned to the caravan and cooked breakfast hoping the smell of bacon, eggs and fresh coffee would encourage Mr C out of bed and so it did. Over breakfast I told Mr C, I had booked the afternoon tour for 3pm. He was a bit reticent about going on a big pink truck, would it be ok for crochety old man? It will only go on the sand, it can’t float, he says – Me. too late it was booked – I was excited.

Bustard Bay Lookout:

It was now time to see Bustard Bay Lookout; it was still windy; however, the sun was shining. I kept calling it Bastard Bay, Mr C kept correcting me…. “Pauline its Bust.. Bustard Bay…. It’s a bird” me. really where is it, let’s find it“. Mr C, “I don’t know, it must be here that’s why it’s called Bustard Bay” – well do you think we could see one, NO. Not sure if it was the wind, but not many birds around. You can tell not growing up in Australia I don’t know my Australian history very well. As I admired the view, I did think it would’ve been hard for Captain Cook and his crew to land in this bay, the sea is rough and there’s a huge sand bar and its miles from anywhere – it wouldn’t have been easy.

History:

The town is built on the site of the second landing in Australia by Captain James Cook and the crew of the HMS Endeavour on the 24 May 1770. The monument below is built on the site where the crew carved the date in a tree where they came ashore. The story is told that one of the crew shot a Bustard bird weighing 6.8kg, it was the best meal the captain and crew had eaten since leaving the Uk – on departing from this cove, Captain Cook named the bay Bustard Bay. We stopped at the small car park, which is also the beginning of the Round Hill walking trail – I walked a little of it however, there were some steep steps for me and I wasn’t in the mood for a challenge – I did think how hard it would have been all those years ago.

LARC Tour:

The one-hour tour, which seem to last much longer than the hour, was absolutely fantastic. I would highly recommend it – in fact they have a whole day tour as well – but we were not staying another day and we weren’t sure about the weather. Neil is the owner of this big pink truck goes on land and sea (they have two)- it is called the LARC 5, developed in the USA in the 1950’s. It’s an Amphibious cargo Vehicle, it is capable of transporting 5 tons of cargo. It can also carry 20 fully equipped troops plus a crew of three.

We climbed up the steps and were seated, as soon as we started, i could see Mr C was excited, and then this big pink truck ploughs into the water with a big thud – and we are floating…. “Honey its floating” Mr C smiled and that smile did not leave his face for the whole trip – it was delightful. We saw stingray, a shovel nose shark and some jumping fish – also some birds. Neil was so informative – it was he that told us there are no Bustard birds around since the 1970’s they are all gone, so we would not have seen one anyway. This big pink truck went over land and sea, we went as far as the heads. Neil stopped on a sand bar so we could get out and take photos and collect shells – and so we did, even Mr C collected shells for me. This day will go down as one of the best to date for an unexpected LARC tour.

Hervey Bay

Our usual first stop was the Information centre – also the free parking was also located at the information centre. It was one of the smallest and strangest free parking we have encountered. Our plan was to stay for two nights – it literally was like a carpark for about 8 RV’s. I have noticed many single women travelling in small caravans, or RV’s or White Vans converted into a travelling van or 4 wheel drives and a tent on the top – amazing really, very brave – I managed to talk to quite a few: some say they are living the dream, others are travelling to visit children who live in other states and some have no fixed abode they are just travelling – One we met had a caravan about the size of ours. She came and spoke to me asking for my help with centre-link, I couldn’t help her, she did seem a bit lost. I felt sorry for her, she couldn’t manage her caravan – she asked the man in the next caravan to help her hook up so she could leave. I feel if you are going to travel in a caravan, you have to be able to manage it….. but I guess that’s my standard. I’m not sure I could do this nomadic living forever – I could do short trips maybe a couple of times a year.

Our first stop was the Urangan Peir, I wanted to walk the Peir before it rained. The weather was cloudy and people were praying for rain – here I was secretly not wanting it to rain. The pier is the longest I’ve seen it spans 1124 metres and was first built in 1917 for the export of sugar, coal and timber. The pier was decommissioned in 1985 and orders to demolish the entire structure. A save the pier campaign resulted in the last 880 metres of the structure being saved. In 2013 after millions had been raised to rebuild the pier work began, 2017 saw the 100th anniversary of the Urangan Pier.

The Pier is a lovely walk – the tide was going out, so I decided to walk under the pier and see if there were any shells. I had researched where to find sand dollar shells and Hervey Bay was the outcome – however I have yet to find any. We then decided to go shopping; Mr C wanted to go to Harvey Norman as he wants an new laptop and the Black Friday sales are beginning. He was fortunate to finally find one he likes so we are going to stay a few more days in Hervey Bay – however will move to a caravan park.

Sunday: there was a weekend market which we just had to have a wander around and have breakfast: It’s nice to walk around and see people’s handicrafts and junk which can be someone else’s treasure. it’s been very cloudy; every day is threatening rain. After brunch we went back to move to the Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park for three nights.

This cute terrier broke his neck, that why he’s in a pram.

Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park

Monday, we slept in, the rain has set in – I did still go for a walk in the rain, it was warm rain. I was keen to see if there were any more sand dollar shell, alas none were found. When I got back, we had breakfast and went to buy Mr C’s laptop. We spent the rest of the day resting, Mr C setting up his new toy, I cooked a stew for dinner and wrote my blogs. Its been raining non-stop today.

The danger of staying so close to shops and restaurants is that you are likely to eat out more and spend more money – that’s why I prefer to stay in smaller towns.

Tuesday – still drizzling, we didn’t get up until about 11am – It rained pretty heavily during the night, we were snuggled up in bed, dry as a bone. We went to the shopping centre and Bunnings – Mr C & I did a few odd jobs around the caravan and we’re ready to hit the road tomorrow.

We are heading to Brisbane, not far from the NSW border now…….lets hope we leave the rain behind us.

See you at the next blog adventure. Remember to always be grateful, we live in an amazing world.

Yeppoon & the Capricorn Coast- Caravaning

Posted on November 20, 2023 by paulinerose18

Originally, we had planned to stay in Rockhampton, and I was going to do some work as a Midwife with the agency I had joined. I called the agency to set up some dates for Mackay and Rockhampton. Both these maternity services have been investigated so I was a bit reluctant to work there, however I wanted to see what it’s like to work in Queensland. This proved to be harder than you think – the agency required that I show my original certificates of qualification, (I’m traveling in a caravan, and I don’t carry certs with me) despite being currently registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). I thought the point of having National Registration meant that you could work anywhere in Australia, without this kind of hassle. The agency also required that I have a 100-point Id certification by a Justice of the Peace before I could work in Queensland. Needless to say, I decided not to work clinically here.

Yeppoon Main Beach

Our first stop was to look around Yeppoon – we enjoyed a foreshore walk at the Yeppoon Lagoon precinct. There was Keppel Kraken a water playground with a mythical sea creature, looked great fun for kids. As we walked the Esplanade of boutiques, surf shops and coffee shops, I spotted my favourite New Zealand ice-cream shop, I had Hokey Pokey and Mr C had peppermint chip in a waffle cone, just delish. The walls of the public amenities block were covered in murals of beautiful native birds, just beautiful artwork. I finished off with a walk on the beach, (one of many to come) and Mr C sat on the foreshore looking over Keppel Bay- a perfect day.

Emu Park Beach

A day out at Emu Park Main Beach, it’s about 15 minutes from where we were staying along the Scenic Highway. Again, we had a fabulous day of just sitting on the beach just chilling all day. It’s a beautiful calm beach with surf lifesavers present. Nice grassy picnic areas if you get tired of sitting on the sand. Mr C sat watching as I swam, walked, swam, walked and sat on the sand and finally on the grass – Fat Cat enjoyed the day as well, he kept Mr C company when I was swimming and walking – as the tide went out, I collected some fantastic sand grit, tiny little shells for craft work, they were amazing.

Mulambin Beach

Our caravan was parked up at the NRMA Capricorn Yeppoon Holiday Park, one of the best parks we have stayed at to date (apart from Streaky Bay SA). We booked for three weeks; Mr C had 4 days with me before he went back to Perth to see his brother for 2 weeks. I had 2 weeks of marking to complete whilst he was away. The Mulambin Beach was a 15-minute walk from the caravan park. I walked almost every day. On the first morning, I awoke and said to Mr C I’m off to the beach for a walk – he rolled over and went back to sleep. I walked down to the beach, the tide was out, I noted these mounds of sand. I stopped to talk to another walker and was told that they are soldier crab holes- they come out when the tided is low. I walked as far as the eye could see and still didn’t get to the end. When I looked at my phone, I was surprised that several hours had passed and thought, oh! I better get back. On my return Mr C had been worried, “where were you” he said – me: sorry honey I lost track of the time“. I had done 10,000 steps. Each day walking on this beach, I checked out the tide to try and catch the soldier crabs, but only managed to see about 6 – some people see thousands at a time.

Always lost the way I entered the beach.

COVID

I got the lovely gift of COVID 2 days after Mr C left, it started with a sore throat and body aches and thought I just had a cold until I lost my taste and multiple fevers. For the first two days, I did not get out of bed apart from going to the toilet. The lady next door knocked on my window to see if I was ok because I was coughing so much, almost like pneumonia. On day 3, (after calling a few GP’s, it turns out you can’t see a GP if you think you have COVID) I was advised to go to the Yeppoon Hospital and be treated with Antivirals. I eventually saw the doctor, had another RAT test (which was positive), a blood test, was given a prescription for antivirals and a N95 mask and sent on my way. I was very grateful for the daily calls from my daughter, friends and messages to check I was ok. I was particularly surprised when a girlfriend offered to order pizza and send it to me – in my deluded condition I thought, how can you do that from WA? of course it’s just a phone call and an address……… silly me. The worst thing about this bout of COVID was the loss of taste and the metallic taste of the antivirals. Another dear friend gave me the tip of salt and vinegar chips, that worked a charm, well almost. I really did miss Mr C.

I felt better after about day 5 – this is where I drove into Yeppoon and to the foreshore and had breakfast on the beach and went for a short walk.

Rockhampton

I was confined locally for about 8 days. After the first 5 days, I was able to continue my marking however, took regular breaks. At my first opportunity I went to Rockhampton which was a 30-minute drive. There is one of my happy place shops – yes Spotlight, I don’t have to buy anything. I am happy just browsing at the materials / wools /yarns and imagining all the things I’d like to make – I feel like a kid in a candy shop, I just let my imagination run free nothing else matters.

We found an amazing pie shop, it’s called Mchughs Pies, a family-owned business – they serve the pies with mushy peas under the lid of the pie, unusual but nice. The family pies were only $9.95, we bought one for dinner – delish and economical.

Zoo

The Rockhampton Zoo is nestled within the Botanic Gardens. We went to the Zoo with some family friends, it was a great day out. I am not a fan of Zoo’s, however, do still go because the kids love them. The zoo is free, which was a bonus. The Chimpanzees were fabulous to watch and noisy, there are two chimp babies. The zoo is also home to problematic crocodiles, that would otherwise be euthanised. The Colonel was huge, old and grumpy wouldn’t want to meet up with him in the river. The Meerkats were cute, the Dingoes were asleep.

Mount Archer (Nurim) National Park

Mr C waited in the car, as his feet were sore after walking around the Zoo. Mount Archer was amazing, the views were expansive and spectacular. I did the short 500-meter treetop boardwalk circuit walk – it was a great way to end our sightseeing day. We then went and had a beautifully home cooked dinner by Shilo (who is a chef), we bought desert, and I played games with Qash who is 8 – reminded me of being home.

Beaches of Yeppoon.

I have had a great time in Yeppoon, the weather has been ideal, sun shining and not too humid. I’ve walking on the beaches almost every day. I can boast that I’ve walked on every beach in this area and collected some amazing shells. Capricorn Coast Beaches included: Kinka, Causeway, Mulambin, Kemp. Lammermoor and Cooee Bay.

I’ve also had quiet time when recovering from COVID – I discovered that I could watch free movies on YouTube. One movie I watched that really resonated with me was one of Wayne Dyer The Shift Its mainly about letting go of the ‘ego’ which I could relate to, also he describes the life cycle as the morning of your life and the evening of your life – I like this, I connected with being in the evening of my life – sounds much better than getting older or semi-retired.

I was very pleased when Mr C came back from Perth, I was a bit of a green-eyed monster that I had not seen any of the family. Now we won’t be home for Christmas. We spent the last few days getting ready to travel again – it’s amazing if you’re not careful when you stop somewhere for a few weeks you magically collect stuff – I now have two boxes of shells.

We are heading down the coast towards Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy and Hervey Bay. There is still lots for us to do and see – we are getter closer to the boarder. See you at the next blog.

Mackay to Rockhampton – Caravaning

Posted on November 16, 2023 by paulinerose18

Travelling with Mr C.

You will be pleased to know that we have nailed the awning and the annex – when we stop for one or two nights, we just put the awning up. When we stay for a week or so the annex goes up. It doesn’t take me long to put the annex up with some help from Mr C – he, is generally trying to give the orders (I practice patience). I have also mastered the drill to put the big screw pegs in the ground, much better than nailing in pegs, as my wrist and hands get tired. We have become quite the team; I’m the workhorse and Mr C is problem solver.

We are travelling well together, with the usual marital bliss and the occasional spat over something stupid, lucky it doesn’t happen often. In saying this I did lose my shit one day, can’t remember over what (it was driving directions) and just got out the car and went for a walk, told Mr C to go and find the spare part on his own – when I got over myself, I bought two sausage rolls from the bakery sat outside and ate mine (nearly ate his as well). Sometime later I saw Mr C return to the shopping centre – I gave him his sausage roll, he said he had the spare part for the caravan door, and we were good as gold again. Thank goodness this has only happened once.

We continue doing 50/50 driving and enjoying caravan life. I think Mr C prefers this nomadic lifestyle more than I do, I miss home, family and friends. I’m not saying Mr C doesn’t, but he has a charmed life, no housework, gardening etc – he has the occasional repair job otherwise I do the rest, which I love doing because I like to keep busy. I’ve made new curtains and a new blackout curtain for the caravan, so when one of us can’t sleep the other can be in darkness – it’s great, I just want a new caravan now.

Insight to self:

I’ve learned so much about myself and it’s been a period of adjustment for me. Some of the mundane (can’t make this blog too heavy) things I have noticed: I realise that I don’t like closing cupboard doors, not sure why…Mr C is often bumping his head, and me too. I do like to keep busy and find different ways of doing it in a caravan…I am always on the go…I don’t like to see a flat surface that doesn’t have stuff on it. I don’t mind if Mr C falls asleep during the day, because that means I can please myself. When we go to a new town/place, I love to challenge myself and see everything there is to see, at least the important things – now this is no surprise. I do this when we travel overseas, however I do plan rest days now.

One morning after breakfast I was hurrying Mr C along, when he said…..” we are meant to be on a relaxing holiday…. no but I should’ve known with Pauline there’s no such thing“. It was 11am and I had gone for my morning walk, I left Mr C sleeping, came back, cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast, washed the dishes and it was now time for sight-seeing. This is our usual carry on, I think Mr C just likes to whinge, after all he is English. Or maybe, I hear my mother’s voice saying, “Pauline there is plenty time to rest when you are dead“.

Mackay

The drive from Proserpine to Mackay was uneventful, it was mainly highway. When we were on the sunset cruise at Airlie Beach, we met a beautiful couple Karly & Andrew who were celebrating their wedding anniversary. We promised we would stop at her shop in Mackay for a cake and that’s what we did. It was Karly that suggested to stay at Emu Park or Yeppoon and not Rockhampton for our two weeks, I was so pleased we took their advice. I am a firm believer you meet people for a reason, they teach you something or vice versa. If you are ever in Mackay please stop at this shop, Healthy Stuff n Junk – the power balls are a real power hit, and the sausage rolls were so tasty, I wanted seconds.

Claireview:

We left Mackay and continued on, until we came to an interesting little town Claireview, we were going to free camp, however, there was not one in the town. It was a beautiful sunny day, a little humid, a great day for a swim. We parked up the car and caravan and Mr C sat on a seat whilst I walked on the beach, it wasn’t a nice beach. That dreaded sign that said “DANGER Box Jelly fish might be in this area” meant no swimming – the beach was full of stones and rocks, it was very hard to walk on, so it was a short walk I was disappointed. However, Fat Cat (the grandchildren follow Fat Cat’s adventures) had a play on the park. The toilet block had great murals to see and there were pretty flowers planted in tyres – the houses were old and some unkempt, it was an interesting place, we did not see any local people.

St Lawrence:

Our journey continued until we found a free camp – we had two options in a town called St Lawrence in the Isaac region – there was a shire-controlled park or at the local St Lawrence pub. Again, as luck would have it, we chose the first one we came to which was the shire showgrounds. Payment worked on an honesty box system, $15 per night – we stayed two nights and paid at the shire office when we left town.

The first night, I went for a cycle ride to the St Lawrence Wetlands. I am always worried about getting lost as I have no sense of direction, so I was a bit cautious about how far I rode. I made a conscious effort to remember some landmarks, however it was pretty barren. Sadly, there were not too many birds to see, but it was still a great ride as I got to see lots of Kangaroos and I found my way back to the caravan.

The history of St Lawrence is that it was originally built to service the Customs Office for the Port of St Lawrence – they have some very old buildings one of which is the pub. We are so pleased we didn’t stay there as it looked like it was dilapidated. Interestingly the shire offices were newly built and seem quite out of place in a rather undistinguished town. There were some really old houses an interesting butcher shop, police station and school. The Christ Church Anglican Church is heritage listed and is well preserved. Again, we did not see many locals milling around the town. I wondered how this place could ever be a port – you couldn’t access the beach; it was all overgrown with bush. It’s now mainly a tourist town.

The drive to Rockhampton was not long after a two day stop. We booked ahead for one night in Rockhampton and then onto Yeppoon for two weeks. Mr C’s brother has been unwell in Perth, and we made a decision for him to return home to see how his brother was travelling – I was happy to spend two weeks on my own in Yeppoon – I had some marking (work 78, 2000-word assignments) to do which would keep me busy.

Rockhampton:

On first arriving in Rockhampton, it looked like a real working town – spread out and a bit untidy. The Tourist Park was right on the river, we arrived late in the afternoon unpacked a little – I didn’t like the look of our Tourist Park, I went for a walk to the river, didn’t like the look of it either it was murky, so I went back to the van. I was pleased we were only staying one night. We also had to restock so went to the shopping centre followed by an evening at the Rockhampton Cowboys League Football club where we had dinner – we both had a roast dinner, it was delish.

On return to the Tourist Park that evening we kept seeing a low flying rescue helicopter with its spotty on searching – people around the park were talking about a man who had jumped into the river trying to run away from the police – he apparently called for help and then disappeared. Later we heard that the river has its local resident crocodiles and bull sharks – so not the kind of river you want to jump in. Sadly, the man was found dead a few days later. We left the next morning heading for Yeppoon, only 30 mins away, I was excited. More about Rockhampton in the next blog.

Next blog – Yeppoon & Rockhampton

Bowen – Proserpine -The Whitsundays, Airlie.

Posted on November 15, 2023 by paulinerose18

I’m a bit slow with this latest blog and not sure why – I think we have done and seen so much I just wanted to savour the magnificent time we had whilst in the Whitsundays. When we left Townsville, our first stop was Ayr, we stopped for a coffee as most people we talked too said, stop at Ayr it’s a lovely town to walk through – and so we did, it was an okay town – I stopped at an information centre and it was the worst I’ve ever encountered. Two elderly men manned the station and it was almost a surprise for anyone to walk in – I did say to them, you don’t seem as well stocked with information like other ‘i‘ places, they responded with “no we’re really not an information centre” – I said “funny there is an ‘i” outside the door” – they both laughed and rustled up some maps for me – it was very poor service.

From Ayr, journey took us through Bowen, it really was a picturesque coast drive. Bowen is most famous for being the birthplace of the Kensington Pride Mango – this is important to us as we have 8 mango trees growing on our property in WA, so we love mangos.

The giant mango – Bowens iconic Big Mango stands about 10 meters high and is situated just 5km south of Bowen on the Bruce Hwy, right next to the visitor information centre. We stopped and bought some souvenirs and a mango sorbet – it was a must and tasted great – however, I think my mango sorbet taste better.

We decided that we would stay a night out of Airlie but close by and peruse the area before deciding where to stay in Airlie. I was so pleased we did that because we choose to stay outside of The Whitsundays and go into Airlie for days out – best decision ever. I was driving so Mr C got to choose where we stayed and made the booking – that’s our rule, whoever is in the passenger seat is the one who chooses the next site. We booked at the Proserpine Tourist Park for a week, it was a great place, friendly & helpful people: Next to the caravan park is a 50-meter pool and water park which was free and run by the local Shire – I went swimming almost every day – it was fabulous. It was only a 30-minute drive to Airlie which was great: There were two spots we particularly liked, one was the Airlie Lagoon, and the other was Airlie beach. The Proserpine area is surrounded by sugar cane fields and cattle farms as far as the eye can see and the ever-present chance to see crocodiles in the wild on the Proserpine River – which I made sure I did not encounter. – there was always something to see when driving. To my surprise we saw signs for the Platypus, like you see for Kangaroos, but this was for a Platypus – so my next challenge was to find the elusive Platypus.

A day trip was to Cedar Creek Falls, sadly the falls was not falling, there was some water, however I did not fancy a swim. I felt there was not enough water so went for a walk instead. Mr C sat and watched the antics of the children in the swimming hole.

Other beaches we visited were Conway Beach and Wilson Beach south of Airlie – all beautiful.

We also drove out to Peter Faust Dam about 30 minutes from Proserpine town (funny name for a Dam) for Mr C to have a look at, being a dam man for the water Corp for many years, he was surprised how much he remembered from his working years and began to tell me the ins and outs of the Dam. Behind the Dam is Lake Proserpine which is used for recreational purposes, and some allocated space for free camping. There was so much to see and do, the bird life was amazing. If you like fishing, they have the biggest barramundi, so we’re told – Mr C has his fishing gear but I’ve yet to see him fish – and fishing is not for me.

The beaches of Airlie are pristine, reminds me of being in the Greek Islands- or closer to home a bit like Byron Bay. The marina is spectacular, with boats that you could only dream to own (not me) but Mr C would like one or two of them. There is a total of 74 Islands of the Whitsundays, including the famous island resorts of Long Island, Daydream Island, Hamilton Island and Hayman Island. We managed to get to two islands: that was enough for us – first one was Hamilton Island – what I loved about this place was the mode of transportation around the Island, it was a golf Buggie – you hire it online and once on the island it is a short bus-ride to pick up your golf Buggie and you are set for the day – great, we loved it:

I couldn’t wait for Whitehaven Beach, and it did not disappoint, I’ve never seen such soft white sand – the water was crystal clear. We were all briefed by the staff on the boat to wear stinger suits, which I did, however after being in the water for about 30minutes, I took off my stinger suite and continued to swim – there were no stingers. The water was divine, it was warm, refreshing and clear, I didn’t want the day to end. I was startled to swim amongst a shoal of fish, I think it was bream – it did feel like I was intruding. We also saw some turtles; they are amazing creatures. Mr C sat on the beach, watching me as I swam frolicked in the water, he wasn’t tempted to go in – however, he did go for a walk in the water.

At Airlie Beach we decided to treat ourselves to a sunset sailing cruise in the bay in an old sailing boat. It was fabulous, not only was the sunset spectacular, but we met the most amazing people – so had a ball. The following day I did a whole day of snorkelling off the Great Barrier Reef and Mr C had a rest day. This was by far for me the best ever day – I can’t begin to tell you how special this day was – swimming off the Great Barrier Reef was absolutely amazing – I wore a stinger suit, the water was not cold and it was breathtaking, I felt like I was in a huge aquarium, I felt so insignificant – the coral was amazing, some giant cauliflower, clams that seemed to be 100 years old, the colours were amazing and I saw Nemo and different coloured Clown fish, it truly was breathtaking. No amount of film could really do justice to what I saw. We swam for almost 2 hours in each setting – the boat trip took approximately 45 minutes each way – first session was inside the reef and was about 1.5hrs, it truly went so quickly – we then had lunch and then back in the water, this time the outer reef – this is where I saw a small reef shark and my heart skipped a beat, it was so exciting and then to see turtles as well, just amazing is all I can say.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Proserpine and Airlie Beach – we had some lovely meals out in Airlie, and ice-cream on the beach – we sailed into the sunset, and I snorkelled and saw the most amazing fish and coral. It was an adventure of a lifetime – we are so lucky to live in such an amazing country. If you ever get the chance to come to this part of the world, please do – there’s a budget that fits anyone, from cheap to expensive – we choose to stay out of Airlie so that we could afford to do the things we wanted to do rather than spend all on accommodation – as I said there’s a budget to fit everyone.

On my quest to see a Platypus I googled where to see a Platypus in the wild – the result was a place called Eungella National Park. I asked Mr C if we could go Eungella, they have Platypus there – its only 350km round trip. He said, “are you kidding”? me: “no please, I’ve never seen a real live Platypus, we can share the driving”. anyway, we did it and thank goodness we saw Platypus, they are very hard to find, and they are quick as lightening. We also managed to see many turtles. As a side issue we saw lots of signs that said “SAVE EUNGELLA” It’s about building a massive dam in the Burdekin rangelands for hydro-electric scheme – which is supposed to be renewable energy – I personally don’t understand the issue enough to comment any further.

Both Mr C and I really loved staying at Proserpine and visiting Airlie and the Whitsundays, it has been a fabulous experience. Next stop Mackay.

Cairns to Townsville – caravan life

Posted on October 10, 2023 by paulinerose18

Can you believe it, we’ve been on the road for 11 weeks, almost 3 months now and it’s been fun, I’m learning something new every day and even more about myself – I think I am starting to wind down from work and trying to relax more – for us Townsville has been more of a restful place, we’ve had haircuts, I’ve cleaned cupboards and sorted stuff out, Mr C did a few minor repairs with no nagging – all is good in the Costin’s world. It has rained a few days but on the whole it’s been good weather, but still humid for me.

It felt like we had been in Cairns far longer than three weeks – our packing up went well, and we watched the video twice about getting the awning down – we must be slow learners, but we did it without any arguments. The drive to Townsville was interesting, there was not much traffic on the road, and I had to get use to towing the caravan again.

Our first stop was a small town called Tully a quaint place; it has the highest rainfall in Australia. They have this large yellow gumboot that stands 7.8 meters tall – this represents the highest rainfall. I climbed the boot from the inside, and they have photos to represent all the floods they have had, it was a great read – I didn’t take photos as I thought it would spoil the surprise for people who want to go to Tully and climb the boot. As I was walking all the shops were closed, I stopped and asked someone, it was a public holiday, and we didn’t know…….different states different holidays.

We passed acres and acres of plantations, mangos, banana and sugar – it was funny to see banana trees with plastic bags attached, Mr C said they are to stop the birds, I haven’t had time to fact check him. We stopped to see the Australian Sugar Heritage Centre, an interesting place giving a good history – Queensland seems to have had checkered past in relation to paying low wages & poor treatment for coloured labourers (South Sea Islanders, Blacks, Asians) through the 1800s and 90s. It was also during this time there was great debate surrounding discrimination, equality and human rights – also these people were considered ‘undesirable’ migrants, I must say I was surprised to read this, and also adds to the all-White Australia policy – entrenched racism, it kind of explains some Qld political views. What a back breaking job it would have been to harvest the cane back in the day, now it seems more automated. It has been interesting seeing the cane being transported via train – it must be a major industry here in Qld providing work for thousands of people and income for the state.

We had lunch at Innisvale only a pitstop as we had previously been through this lovely little town- subway quick, easy and somewhat healthy.

We went to Mission beach (without the caravan) for the day when we were based in Cairns. It was a great day out. I was so pleased we didn’t take the van as it was a very narrow winding road – we kept looking for Cassowaries, but sadly did not see any. I had a nice long walk along the beach, contemplated a swim because Surf Living Saving present. On the way back going through the town of Innisvale we spotted and interesting old church that was in need of repair, with a very long unusual name (yes it was Catholic, see picture below). We also took a detour to Etty Bay south of Innisvale looking for the elusive Cassowary and all I saw was the sign saying, “Be CassoWary”. The drive was beautiful, and Etty Bay was peaceful and alluring, even Mr C managed to dip his feet in the ocean…. a rarity for him. A few days after we visited Mission beach a crocodile was spotted there – lucky escape for me!

We stayed two nights in Ingham {which for some reason is also confused with Hinchinbrook} – behind the Tourist Information Centre, cost $15 a night, you have to be fully self-contained and no wasting grey water on the ground. I was so pleased with myself; I reversed the van without too much bother – getting better at this. There is a beautiful wetland next to us – with purple flowering lilies and all different kinds of birds – the tourist information centre had mini bird guides of which I bought one for $6 and its great; Mr C has used it already – can’t believe we are turning into bird watchers and it’s a fun thing we do together. It was now late afternoon so not much time for sightseeing. That evening, we researched Hinchinbrook Island and decided against going across – it’s mainly walking trails and I didn’t fancy doing them alone so gave it a miss – we thought we would do Magnetic Island instead.

The tourist centre person gave me a map of the Tyto wetlands and pointed out all the areas that crocodiles have recently been spotted – George lives here, Lucy is here – I looked and said, “where shall I walk” – she pointed out three areas not to go on the map….. all set – I get on my bike to ride around, tell Mr C if I’m not back by dark, he better come looking. As I’m riding, I can’t tell which part of the map is what, so I just rode. The path was grassed, and the water is about 5′ from the path so as I’m cycling, I am thinking that pretty close, what if there is a croc… I’ll just pedal faster. I met a French couple walking and we all stopped near a sign that said – crocodile seen in the last 7 days here – I was a bit nervous, they laughed and carried on walking – I continued to ride and stopped to watch the birds and take photos – I must have been gone about an hour and I was now worried I would get lost, so turned around and cycled the same way – this way I knew I would get back before dark – thankfully I didn’t see George or Lucy. Sometimes it is hard to know how real the crocodile problem is in Qld, because I would think they wouldn’t let people in the wetlands.

We went into town for breakfast at a local cafe and then set off to Wallaman Falls, which are part of the traditional lands of the Warrgamaygan people. The Falls is located within the UNESCO listed Wet Tropics in Girringun National Park, west of Ingham and surrounded by rainforest. The Wallaman Falls plunges 268 meters in a clear single drop it is just spectacular – surprisingly there are no entrance fees to this park. The day was cloudy, looked miserable and at one point it was pissing with rain, I said to Mr C, “I think we should turn back” – but the optimist Mr C said, “let’s just see where that rain goes”, and we continued. We happened across some Brahaman Cows, funny looking cows, these were very healthy-looking cows – there were Mama cows with their calves all very cute – we happened across a mama and calf, it looked like the calf was not very old, I could still see some dried cord attached to the naval – I said to Mr C, “do cows have an umbilical cord, he asked why?- me, “I see some cord attached to the naval” – I then googled it – good ol google and said to Mr C, yes, they do…… Mr C, “nothing goes past a midwife” ain’t that the truth – I might know nothing about cows – but birthing “YES”.

The road was steep, winding and a little scary at times, what’s new! Mr C did the driving. I offered to drive down the mountain and Mr C said “why”, for the experience, I said, knowing full well he just enjoys the thrill of the drive, so why would I spoil his fun – besides, I was just shit stirring, I know he enjoys driving – this was one of those times, you just let the man do the driving – we all know they think they do it best.

The weather had somewhat cleared – as we walked to the lookout, which was thankfully not far, we could hear water gushing – we looked across to see a spectacular single waterfall, thundering to the bottom, it was truly spectacular, and we both went ‘wow’ & ‘wow’. Now you could also do a walk to the bottom of the falls – it was marked as ‘very hard’, ‘very steep’ and the warning read – people have died – needless to say we or I decided against this walk – part of me thought – go for it – however my legs, hips and knees all screamed at me “you stupid fool, we are not doing it, go without us” I was left with no choice but to do the small 2km walk and I was grateful my body did protest. I met several people on the way back from the very steep, very hard walk and they all said it was worth it but couldn’t swim in the water because the rocks were too slippery.

Townsville is a coastal city, and the largest city in the North of Queensland, it’s a bustling city with all the shops I’d expect to see. I had to call into Spotlight and Officeworks just to check out that they are the same as other stores, no surprises they are the same. I do think that Townsville is a very spread-out city. The Strand esplanade with the pier and waterpark is great – and offshore you can see Magnetic Island. The Botanical gardens are worth a visit as is Castle Hill lookout, you can see this hill overlooking Townsville, rather strange really – it’s just short of a mountain and you get a great panoramic view of the city.

We went for the day to Magnetic Island; we did a cheapskate version of the Island. There is an advantage to having a senior’s card – the discount was worthwhile it cost us $43.00 return for two of us, we then caught the local bus that takes you to end of the island at $4.40 return ($8.80) – we had looked at doing tours around the Island at $80 each – this way was really economical (and we could save our money for (Whitsunday Is ). I like travelling by the local bus as it takes you through the suburbs and you get to see how the locals live. We first went to Picnic Bay, it was a delightful bay, a bit cloudy and the sea was a bit rough to rough for snorkelling, I walked along the jetty and then we went and sat in the pub and waited for the bus. The next stop was Horseshoe Bay – this was a bigger bay and the weather had improved – I went for snorkel however the water was murky and I couldn’t see anything, so gave it up and just went for a swim – the water was warm, and I swam between the flags, good the lifesavers were on duty and the stinger nets were insitu – so it was a good swim.

Townsville has been a great place, we have done some tourist stuff, but most importantly we have slept in when the birds have not woken us up early. We’ve played monopoly in the evening (I don’t know why I agreed to play this game as I really dislike it) until I spit the dummy because Mr C plays by different rules, needless to so say we will be sticking to Quirkle, seven seconds and dominos from here on in.

I’ve been pestered by the dreaded mosquito and been bitten alive, I was so desperate I put on so much repellent that when I went to bed, Mr C complained that I stank of citronella, we both laughed – Not sure why the mosquitoes are so bad here – they don’t affect him, he doesn’t have sweet blood like me – I have tried so many solutions, automatic spray, light zapper, talking to them, nothing has worked – I remain the tortured one – covered in Mozie welts and calamine lotion.

We talk to the family regularly and try to catch up with the grandchildren on FaceTime or messenger – I’m really missing home and Kookie – thank goodness for technology at least we can see and talk to family at home. How could I forget, we VOTED early in the referendum – our votes will cancel each other out as we are opposite when it comes to politics, we never discuss it otherwise it turns into an argument; I’m doubtful the YES campaign will win, but hopeful at the same time, that’s all I’m saying about it. We are now heading to Mackay via Airlee Beach – still lots to see and do! keep well, see you for the next chapter.

Cairns and Far North Queensland (FNQ)

Posted on October 1, 2023 by paulinerose18

We haven’t planned any of our trip, we made the conscious decision to just drive – we had the general direction we were going and whatever took our fancy we would stop. This has worked well for us, and time is not an issue. What I have found really useful is stopping in at the Information centres and gleaning all the places to see, this way I felt we didn’t miss out on local attractions, because we hadn’t researched. I had researched going to Cape York and found out that taking a caravan (van) would be difficult especially if it was not an off-road van and ours wasn’t – also its best to travel with other people – so I gave this idea away, however, I had hoped that we might just drive to Cape York.

Queensland is huge, I didn’t really appreciate this fact and there is just so much to see. One of Mr C’s bucket list was to see the Daintree Rainforest and mine was to go to Cape York and snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef. People gave us ideas of where to go as a must see….. but at the end of the day, you can only see so much. Staying in Cairns allowed us to have a base to come back to and see as much as we could by doing day trips and having a couple of overnight stays up in the Daintree Cape Tribulation – just fabulous.

Fitzroy Island – Great Barrier Reef:

We decided to do a day trip to Fitzroy Island, the Great Barrier Reef – it would cater for my desire to snorkel, and Mr C could ride the glass bottom boat and also see some of the reef. The boat trip was approximately 45mins, it was a turbulent ride, the waves were pretty big, I’ve never been seasick, but this trip did make me a little squeezy: there were many people suffering from sea sickness, looking very green around the gills. As we approached the Island, you could see the ocean change colours – from a green/blue to a vibrant blue. The Island, the ocean was crystal clear and a vibrant blue – our glass bottom boat was booked for 12:30pm – so I had time to snorkel of the beach. I was mesmerized by the coral and the schools of fish – just wonderful, I spent just over an hour in the water – now for the glass bottom boat ride – the water was a little cloudy, this was because it was a bit windy and therefore effects visibility.

I decided to go for a walk through the rainforest to Nudey Beach, it was 40mins return – a little difficult, as it was natural rock steps, and some were a bit harder than others to climb. The walk was well worth the sight, the beach was pristine some sand and the rest crushed coral – the water was crystal clear, perfect for snorkelling – again just mesmerising. On my return Mr C and I had a late lunch of fish and chips – by the way the fish was delicious – then we sat watching from the bar until it was time to return to Cairns, this time it was a smooth ride back and everyone was tired.

Ellis Beach – Palm Cove – Yorkies Nob – Machan – Trinity Beach

We have visited most of the beaches of this area around Cairns – all the beaches give a crocodile and stinger warnings, and the water is not cold – however some beaches have surf lifesavers and stinger nets, the nets are in place for summer. Our favourite beach is Ellis as the first time we went there if was beautiful and clear blue, life savers were insitu and people were swimming, a good sign for me – however, we went back on several occasions and the water was murky, so I didn’t venture in, just went for my walk and Mr C sat in the pub with his beer. The locals seem to swim in the water regardless of the colour or whether lifeguards were present or not.

Palm Cove was lovely, has a jetty and several small islands to view – it’s a bit of a yuppie village with some trendy shops if that’s what you’re looking for – we stopped and had a lovely ice-cream from Numi Ice Creamery.

Crystal Cascades

Now this was a great place for a freshwater swim, it’s a beautiful secluded freshwater swimming hole, hidden amongst the rainforest – it’s just divine. The Crystal Cascades is a cascade waterfall on the freshwater creek. We found this delightful place because a friend told us about it – thanks goodness for friends. It’s a nice 3km walk, and once you are there, you can cool down by having a swim – again some rocks to climb over but generally ok – if you have a mobility scooter, I recommend using it for people who are not able to walk the distance, there are also lots of bench seats to rest along the way. We had a few rain showers when we were there, but with the tree coverage you don’t get wet.

Kuranda village and markets were about 17km from where we stayed. The markets were a great place hidden within the rainforest – there were many different stalls and eateries, we were spoiled for choice, and I had the most amazing jam doughnut! yum. Mr C wrestled with the idea of buying a very expensive crocodile belt, needless to say it was left in the shop. Instead, I managed to talk him into have a reflexology treatment for his neuralgic feet, alas it did not really make any difference. Kuranda offers a skyrail, cableway and scenic rail, we opted not to do any of these but to do our own self tour of the Kuranda rainforest – which suited us; however, the roads are so winding, narrow and at times steep, we both got nervous at times driving – but you know you can just go more slowly, I would just pull over if someone behind me was trying to push me along, and by more slowly by about 5-10 kms.

Port Douglas

I loved Port Douglas, where the rainforest meets the reef – we went twice and stayed overnight once – it’s a beautiful place. I would liken it to Margret River but bigger. The first trip was to have a look around, have lunch and walk around the town – I especially loved St Mary’s by the sea, now a non-denominational church that has been restored and used only for weddings, christenings and other special occasions…. not sure what they might be. The church was first built in 1881 and destroyed in 1911 by a cyclone. It was reconstructed with its original timbers on the same site on Flagstaff Hill – however after the sale of the land by the Catholic Church it was acquired and relocated by the sea front in 1988.

We also went on the Lady Douglas 1.1/2hr cruise. The weather was perfect – the cruise takes you along the river and through some of the estuaries looking for crocodiles, birds and wildlife – Mr C had a few complementary beers, I stuck to orange juice and there were some nibbles – we met some lovely people and learnt a lot about the history of Port Douglas, saw some wildlife and crocodiles swimming in the river – no swimming for me.

Our second visit was twofold, one so I could go snorkelling on Low Island, and second, we were heading to Cape Tribulation. The snorkelling was an early start 0800 on a speed boat – exciting… Mr C got his free time. The snorkelling was the best to date – I swam with green turtles, saw schools of fish, 150yr old clams which were so big I was worried it might suck me in …. they looked like giant vagina’s.

Cape Tribulation – World Heritage Rainforest and Reef

Cape Tribulation is a remote headland and a coastal area within the Daintree National Park – it’s a combination of rainforest and beaches. The drive was about 1.1/2 hours from Port Douglas, again a narrow, winding steep roads, at least we were prepared and have had lots of practice, it was a good decision to leave the van in Cairns. It was a cloudy day; I was worried it was just going to rain – although it was still humid. As you enter the Rainforest you cross the river on a large cable driven ferry, a first for me. Driving through the forest was just breath taking. We stayed at the Ferntree Rainforest Hotel – it was a small cabin within a rainforest – it was beautiful. We went as far up as Cape Tribulation Beach and the lookout – I did the Dubji night Boardwalk and it was amazing, although I was tired by the end of the night, it finished at nearly 11pm – and I have been snorkelling from 0830 for a couple of hours, no wonder my legs ached. I saw sleeping birds, bright green tree frogs, loads of insects, fireflies and frogs – the sounds at night were just amazing, sadly no Cassowaries.

The next morning, I took Mr C on the Dubji boardwalk, and he used the scooter, we made our way to Myall Beach, it’s really interesting walking out of the rainforest and to the ocean, it was a concept I could not get used to, every time I did it, it blew my mind. The same signs were present: stingers and crocodiles – therefore no swimming.

I did all the walks there were to do, except for the 9hr extremely hard walk lol, I’ve taken thousands of photos. We had brunch at the Turtle Rock Cafe, best coffee I’ve had to date, except for my own I make. At one rainforest walk, Mr C parked the car and I said I want to see this beach – he waited and I walked – I did not pay particular attention to where I entered the beach and just walked, however, on my return I could not find the entrance as the trees all looked the same – to cut the story short I called Mr C and asked him to walk to the entrance to see where I needed to go, when I reached him, he did say “I wondered where you got to” – I thought gosh it’s that easy to get lost – thankfully there was phone reception. Lesson for me – pay attention!

On my Bucket list was to see a Cassowary, but all the driving and walking the Cassowary has been elusive – We had to resort to going to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures to see one, it was well worth going – Hartley’s was a well-run adventure place with an interesting dining menu (they did serve crocodile), however it was expensive.

We had an amazing time in Cape Trib, (this needs a blog on its own, so many stories) it was also good to spend a few nights in hotels with ensuites lol it’s well worth the drive and the adventure, we just loved it.

I have so many photos, I’ll have to do a blog on my favourite photos at some point – There is so much to see that I feel I’m on exposure overload. We are leaving Cairns tomorrow and heading down the coast towards Townsville – see you at the next adventure – I’m still looking for my Cassowary in the wild, there are still some places they can be found further down the coast.

Cairns – living in a caravan.

Posted on September 29, 2023 by paulinerose18

Cairns is the gateway to far north Queensland – we came just as school holidays were about to start – It’s been great to be in one place for 3 weeks after being on the road for just over 6 and a half weeks. We have covered so much ground and seen so much, it’s really been amazing. We are staying at NRMA Carins Holiday Park, its fairly centrally located. We will use this as a base to see Far North Queensland.

Travelling can be tiring, however the adrenaline keeps you going, the excitement of the next new place to explore. There has been a period of adjustment for me, always on the go with our home, garden, Kookie our dog, work colleagues, friends, family, hobbies and of course the grandchildren. To have all these things gone all at once certainly needs a period of adjustment.

It goes without saying that I am devoted and love Mr C, however spending 24/7 together in a confined space such as a caravan also requires an adjustment. If I have one regret is that we did not embark on this trip 5 years ago, when Mr C was in better physical health. Surprisingly we have had very few arguments, Mr C calls them disagreements, for me they are an argument, and as always it is over the silliest things: here is a classic example:

We had stopped at a rest bay, for the usual toilet stop and for me to have my 15-30min walk around (which also was a discussion point as Mr C likes to keep the pace up with the driving). I had just returned into the car, it’s an Everest (I like to call it the tank) I climb up into the car, (as I’m short) put my seatbelt on and Mr C then says, ‘darling, can you pass me a tissue’, I look down at me feet and can’t see the tissues, ‘no tissues honey’, Mr C, ‘yes they are down there by your feet’, now I scramble and look again, ‘no honey no tissues’, Mr C, ‘yes they are just down there!’, now we are both getting annoyed – I undo my seatbelt, open the car door, slide out the car, and look on the floor of the car by my seat, “no f—king tissues, do you mean these wet wipes!!!! holding them up” Mr C, ‘yes, told you the tissues was by your feet’ – ‘for F–Ks sake Mr C, these are called wet wipes, not F—king tissues’!!!!! – see how simple communication goes wrong, I climb back into the car and we have a heated argument / discussion about the difference between tissues and wet wipes – at some point you have to let it go…… otherwise it ruins, the day – we are both still learning how to do this, and getting better at it. The ‘ego’ has a lot to answer for. Another self-realisation is the role of being a wife as the caregiver. I don’t think It’s Mr C’s expectation but my own that I do the traditional role of keeping house as in the ‘van’ cooking, cleaning planning etc- the danger of this, is doing too much – when we are home and I have competing roles, I have made a rod for my back……. it’s a fine line.

Housekeeping is so easy in a caravan; it takes me no time at all to clean up, however, we both realise we have bought too many clothes with us, I packed too many plastic containers, and you never seem to stop buying something for the van (like the slow cooker) – even the cooking seems easier with just the two of us….. no guests. I’ve mastered the washing machine, and even done a few repairs of course under the supervision of Mr C, as I can reach places he can’t. Finding the water leak was one of our funniest experiences. We would come into the van after being out and the floor would be wet, we both had our different theories of how the water got in. However, eventually I found the leak, which was under my seat, together with finding the seat was also broken… out came the toolbox and hey presto it was fixed.

One of my biggest learning curves has been to go with the flow and trying not to control every situation…. and believe me that’s not been easy. My two favourite mantas are “Lord give me patience” & “let it go through to the wicket keeper.”

Putting up the annex gives us more space and allows for outside sitting without the elements or insects – closer to nature and room from each other. I love to sit and write outside, read or mark papers. There is such a variety of birds, the sounds are constant, day and night – I wish I knew what sort of birds they were – sometimes it’s like an uncoordinated orchestra playing. We’ve noted the bats are huge here, Mr C recons they are as big as a Maggie, I’ve yet to get a picture. Most days we are out, I usually do plan a few rest days particularly if we have been out a few days in a row. Our evenings are spent playing games, surfing the net, listening to music, chatting on the phone, reading or me doing my crafts. I particularly love it when we play games – so far, it’s been a 50 / 50-win rate. To date we’ve never been bored.

Cairns is really a beautiful little city surrounded by mountains and ocean, the weather is tropical, and I forgot how humid Qld can be, that’s something I don’t like. The cost of living seems higher here, everything costs a little more than home in Perth. The streets are wider, and they have parallel and centre street parking. When we arrived, I couldn’t wait to go the Cairns Central Shopping Centre – it’s the biggest shopping centre we have seen in weeks – it’s almost like I had withdrawal symptoms. Cairns also has a Spotlight and Officeworks, two of my favourite stores.

Some of the houses are just beautiful, most of the old houses are built off the ground – I went for a bike ride around the suburb where we are, and it reminded me very much of New Zealand – everything is so green, sometimes I think I could live here – then I remember the humidity, stingers, and beaches with crocodile warnings and think, NO – home is Perth. I am missing family, friends and Kookie – thank goodness for Facetime and Messenger.

Next blog adventures of Far North Queensland

Reflecting on life!

Travels, holidays, general life musing

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