Townsville to Kinka Beach

Starts don't come much earlier than today with the alarm tolling at 4:15am in order that I could have Sue at the airport for check in at 5:00am.

We went through the usual airport things including the obligatory security check. Top points to the Townsville security officers who accepted my absent mindedness in still having my knife on my belt when I presented. A lovely lady there took my offered knife and kept it in a safe place until my return. We had very little time to wait, as Sue, wheelchair bound, was first loaded on the plane and there was no time for emotional farewells, a short peck having to suffice for us both until the weekend. Sue, managing her pain and preoccupied didn't look back or perform and final wistful wave and I was left standing among strangers who just stared and waited as though there should be a postscript to the parting. I turned, fighting the first pangs which would stab me all day, collected my knife and headed for the hills ... literally, Castle Hill, a Townsville landmark which lies between the centre of town and the well healed shoreline.

Like most mornings, in a scene reminiscent of Uluru, the steep road which ascends Castle Hill is a hive of activity as people of all ages and readiness for heart attack, walk, run or stagger to the top of this 286 metre high pink granite monolith. The derivation of its name is no surprise as it looks for all the world the type of landform which would have been fortified in medieval times. As to the fixation with "conquering" the climb I am loath to offer the excuse "because it is there" as it holds no logic because the flat and go on forever Ingham Rd is there too and presumably also needs conquering but I saw no sweat jockeys there.

As I am nursing a damaged knee and for reasons of not being a complete idiot, I was content to weave in and out of people in various stages of apoplexy as I showed them how the ascent is done ... in my Forester. Some even bothered to give me dirty looks.

As I reached the summit, the sun was managing its first greeting on a cliff face of Mt Stuart, behind Townsville and beginning to light the surface of the Ross River. I was able to watch the take off of Sue's plane. I waved and blew kisses but Sue just seemed to ignore me, too intent on the imminent serving of breakfast and the movie full of tall guys that was just starting ... or perhaps the pain.

After stepping over several folks making resolutions and Labradors who wished for blind owners, I must admit that the sight of a guy pedalling his adapted road bike into the car park at the top of Castle Hill with one leg and the other, a titanium stick strapped to the side of the bike made me glad I gave up smoking and pleased I take the little pills to stop me being that determined. I got to wondering if he had back pedal brakes for the return trip.

The plan was that I was to break camp, leave the trailer with Jim & Judy Parsons for the day and follow my wife's instructions and go sightseeing. I did something very close to that plan. I packed up the car and trailer and hit the road.

The first stop was Airlie Beach, which appears to be for the beautiful people and the ugly rich. It certainly is beautiful with that postcard turquoise blue water, white sand, coconut trees lining the beaches and every shade of green imaginable, include those passing through who were subject to envy. There is even an inlet which runs into the town where you can feed the fish and watch the string rays.

I somehow managed to snag a park where no trailer parks existed, right at the beach and ate lunch and wrote some poetry, sharing a park bench with a friendly lass who claimed to be a major in literature and thought I was brilliant. A young couple nearby seemed to be undergoing some form of training for sucba diving, as they locked mouths for fifteen to twenty minutes at a time without requiring breath ... either that or the braces on their teeth were locked together, which might explain the way their heads were turning vigorously from side to side. I took lots of photos of the place to show Sue. Think Byron, think Cable Beach and then think prettier and you have the picture.

The rest of the afternoon was spent driving, as I was keen to get a long leg out of the way on the first day. The highlight was driving behind Skooby Doo ... which only reminded me of my girl again.

Sunset at Emu Park

I stopped occasionally for fuel or photos and eventually arrived at Kinka Beach about 6:30pm. I came back here because it was a place Sue loved. I had a rather nice pasta at the pub at Emu Park and was ready to head back to the digs when I spied a big, fat, red moon just peeking over Great Keppel Island so I drove up to the Singing Ship and soaked it all in and attempted to capture it with the cameras. This scene made sure I finished the day where I started it, missing Sue.

TODAY'S PHOTOS

Meanwhile Sue was back in Tamworth by mid afternoon, looked after mid journey by Sarah at Sydney airport and once she was home by a friend - Robyn Crosby - and then tonight by Chris and Sam. She's surrounded by people who will look after her.

I worked on some poems and snuggled into my empty bed.

1770 to Kinka Beach

Getting tropical

Our second night at 1770 was mild and pleasant and we slept peacefully. As usual, we sauntered through our pack up and we were leaving the caravan park just as two blue-winged kookaburra were attending to the morning bathing in the park's pool. Sue snapped some nice shots as they preened and splashed.

Just like any other couple on the road, we had to attend to refills of our medications which was done at Agnes Water. I added some Ear Clear to remove a build up of ear wax which has been a problem for my big ears since I was a lad. Swimming always makes it worse and the dip yesterday afternoon was the culprit.

We pushed north after joining the Bruce Highway at Miriam Vale and stopped soon after for morning tea at Bororen, picking up a humorous photograph into the bargain.

From here it was a straight run to Rockhampton, where we stopped at the Tropic of Capricorn, reminiscing a similar stop when we were on the other side of Australia in 2008. Sue added another photo of me acting up for the camera - hardly any of them in the family photo collection - and then went into the adjacent information office to unpack some thoughts of how we should spend the afternoon.

Mt Archer Lookout

After had lunch there and stowing the trailer, we went east to Mt Archer, the most prominent of the volcanic plugs which act as sentinels for Rochampton. The drive took a tad longer than it was suggested but the climb made me very glad to have taken the advice of a bloke at the information centre and not attempt it with the camper trailer. It was steep and done mostly in third gear but I enjoyed the actual driving. The summit is swamped with trees and ferns so we walked the short round trip distance of just under a kilometre to see the view over Rockhampton and further on, the view out to Yeppoon. It was a hazy day but it was still an impressive view.

Rockhampton is much bigger than I had expected and the view from Mt Archer was my confirmation but at around 100 000, I shouldn't have been surprised. It takes a long time to drive across the city and the street pattern seems odd , with streets off the main drag in a diamond shaped pattern. After taking in the view, we had a delicious coffee because would you believe, they have a cafe up there. How it makes it's trade is hard to imagine but our thoughts were much to the short term.

After taking the descent in a control second gear, we went across town to a site beside the swollen Fitzroy River where the Rockhampton Art Gallery is. We only saw a limited exhibition as they were in the process of setting up the Qld version of ArtExpress - the best of the Year 12 HSC Art students submitted pieces for assessment. What were saw was impressive, particularly as it was displayed using a thematic approach which allowed responses in a variety of medium so that canvasses were displayed along side ceramics or other media. Several "big names" were on display but it was mostly people we didn't know which caught our attention. I particularly liked a short film on the indigenous artists of the Kimberley region.

The Singing Ship

After returning to the information centre and reconnecting with our little home, we set out for Kinka Beach - part of the Capricorn Beaches Scenic Drive. Our only stop - another was planned but I missed the turn off - was at Emu Park, where we visited the exquisite Singing Ship. This is a sculpture installed on the point above Emu Park in 1970, as part of the Captain Cook bicentenary celebrations. It is a large sail shaped sculpture and on the inside of the sail, chimes have been placed to catch the wind. Even the slightest breezes sliding between these shapes will produced a sound not unlike singing. It was humming when were there. From here we caught our first glimpse of the Keppel islands, all too obvious from our vantage point.
Archer for

We travelled the last few kilometres to our lodgings for the night and were greeted by easily the most accommodating hosts so far on our journey north.

Our portable hut set up, we took advantage of the $10 meals available on Chewsday at the Pine Beach Hotel in Emu Park. The tucker was great, the cold beers I had hit the spot and the view until the sun left was inspiring. Dad rang to catch up and offer some advice on the immediate distances ahead.

We returned to our digs and before settling in for the night, took a torch supported walk down to what appears to be a very wide and shallow angled beach. With no moon, it was dark when the torch went out and Sue was prepared to call every hideous shape an approaching saltwater crocodile. We saw our first live cane toad and then were serenaded by them as we walked back off the beach. For good measure, Sue was obstructed from entering the camp kitchen by two robust specimens at the door. She is seeing and hearing them everywhere now.

TODAY'S PHOTOS

We missed the chance to take a cruise to Great Keppel on a large catamaran (not large enough was my thinking) as the numbers filled before we could decide. We might wander up to the wharf precinct in the morning and see what we can find.