As you note, it’s over a month since my last update. Now for the story:-
Fathers Day lunch was a great success with most campers participating in the beautiful meal....note $5 Per plate! How exceptional.
The not so good side was we both got the flu, Brian knows how to get a ‘GREAT’ flu and I’m much more sensible and just get the basic variety. We had both had our immunisation shots before leaving Melbourne, but Brian had Whooping Cough before we left Melbourne and that affected him badly. This flu has the same effect, no energy, continuesly tired, sleeping anything up to 14 hrs per day.
We saw a Doctor in Townsville and were given antibiotics and Ventoline puffer. We were very pleased that we had decided to stay at Black River Stadium for the month of September because that gave time for Brian to recover......well, sort of!! During this time we had some wet weather so it was good that we were not missing the nice weather.
We had the car booked in for a warranty repair, the casing of the springs were cracked which needed both casing & springs replaced. It was a full days booking so Brian took the opportunity to go on a full days Tour of the sights and Military places around Townsville. He came back with so much information about the history of Townsville,that made it so very worth while.
Another highlight of the month/year/century!......RICHMOND FOOTBALL CLUB WON THE AFL GRAND FINAL. 🐅🐅🐅🐅🐅🐅 Tigers for ever 👏👏👏👏👏👏
Then the next day The Nation Rugby League grand final was won by Brian’s favourite team there, also....The Melbourne Storm.
On our last day at the Park we took a drive to the places we had missed, some that Brian had seen on his tour and wanted to show me. The special was Castle Hill which is only just misses being a mountain. Some school children build bits & pieces to make it height enough to be a mountain! It’s so nearly there. Hundreds of people walk, run, etc up it every day (they are plum crazy) it’s a very busy road. The views were magnificent
2nd October we set out for Doris southbound trip. Crossing the Burdekin River was quite a thrill, a most wonderful construction, almost a covered bridge but not covered. Also it was great to see a river that actually had water flowing.
We stopped in Bowen and went for a days outing to Collinsville, 90 k inland, it’s an historic coal mining area. It’s worth looking up the history of Coal in that town. They had a huge disaster there on 13 October 1954, with the loss of 7 lives and it changed mining thereafter. There is an excellent museum with a movie re-enactment of the disaster which is very sensitive handled.
Bowen is a fruit and veg growing area & we were canled on the ocean in a small park. Bowen and Collinsville have wonderful Murals of the history of their areas and are well worth visiting them. Bowen tomatoes are first class and so are the Mango Sorbets........I should know! (I love Mango ❤️❤️❤️)
During our time in Bowen we went to Airlie Beach, this is such an Tourist Resort area, made us think of Surfers Paradise, they are still recovering from cyclone damage so a lot of the water front is under construction and a lot of damage is still visible.
I’m so glad we saw the Burdekin river because most of the rivers we cross have turned to sand!!! Yes it’s very dry. Hard to imagine the wet up here when they become raging torrents.
Our final night in Bowen we went to the ‘Grand View Hotel’ and we had Chilli Chrispy Skin Soft Crab on jasmine rice.....it was up to our high expectations. Such a beautiful hotel, fairy lights in the trees in the open area.
So many if there smaller towns have such nice entry and exit areas of trees and flowering shrubs as we left Bowen we passed the big salt mounds and great areas of salt collection field.
9th October we moved on and for me like pure joy......driving through sugar can growing areas.
We drove through Proserpine on to Clermont for free camping, we stayed here on the way up and the were about 30 vans there then, now there were only 2 of us.....that tells us we are too late in the season, we should have come south earlier.most uninviting so we packed up and went to the caravan park for the night. It was worth the $30 to have air conditioning. On to Roma we booked in for 1 night and.....stayed 8! Brian got another dose of the Flu, so it was back to bed...again! OK, decision made, time to head for home in the shortest and most sensible manner. We have had one night stops, drive about 200k, have dinner, then it’s back to bed Brian, and up for tea and then early to bed..
We are in Seymour today, I have written this while Brian slept, now we will pack up as much as possible and will be home about 10.30 tomorrow, Tuesday 24 October and will see the Doctor at 4.30pm.
So ends our wonderful 2017 trip, it has been really great and now we have great expectations of good health so that we can do a similar journey in 2018..
Thank you for your interest in our travels., bye for this year,
Rosemary and Brian.
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