Well unfortunately snorkelling never took place on Magnetic Island due to extremely bad algae in the entire area. We enjoyed a lovely pub dinner overlooking Horseshoe Bay and a most magnificent sunset. We returned to Townsville Saturday afternoon on the vehicle ferry, then on to Bluewater Caravan Park where we had left the caravan. Here we met up with Brian and Joan, caravanning friends for many years. Understandably the next 3 days were taken up with a lot of catching up over many cuppa's.
They are heading south, so we went our separate ways on Tuesday morning. We travelled north to Ingham, then out to Lucinda on the coast. Lucinda's main claim to fame is for the sugar loading facility. A sugar conveying jetty extends 5.7km (yes 5.7km) out to sea with an offshore loading facility. The conveying jetty follows the curvature of the earth and is the longest of its kind in the world. Good fishing is supposedly possible from the adjoining service jetty, but not for us. - say no more. However almost every camper in the caravan park has a boat of some sort and they seem to do very well in the Hinchenbrook channel and offshore. Tempting as it may have been, I resisted the urge to put the Zodiac inflatable in, having seen the signs posted at regular intervals along the beach and boat ramps in the many inlets, warning of the danger of crocodiles. Fish and chips from the corner store will have to suffice. Lucinda which is 27km from Ingham, boasts little more than the suga!
r loading facility, a small corner store which sells more fishing gear than anything else and the caravan park. The majority of caravanners here come from all over the country and spend 4 to 5 months here - hence the many tinnies and assorted small boats.
Lucinda is considered to be the southern gateway to Hinchenbrook Island and sits at the southern end of the Hinchenbrook Channel.
Tomorrow we move on after 3 delightful days here.
Kevin and Gail.
Our Kinda Country
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Magnetic Island.
Sunday and Monday we spent exploring in and around Townsville, referred to as the Capital Of The North. Mount Cootharinga, known better as Castle Hill is one of the better known landmarks of Townsville and one of the most distinctive natural features on the Queensland coast, and is an imposing backdrop to the heart of Townsville.
Tuesday morning we locked up the caravan, leaving it for 4 days while we soak up some luxury at a timeshare resort on Magnetic Island.
The island is adjacent to Townsville just off the coast, with regular ferries covering the 8km trip in 20 minutes for the passenger ferry and 40 mins for the vehicle ferry. Although Magnetic only has about 20km of road, we elected to take the Landcruiser over as this allowed us to take food etc. which we had in the fridge and freezer. We also have our push bikes and snorkelling gear etc. so don't have to lug those about. The trip across was great on the 9am vehicle ferry, dead calm water due to the proximity of the Barrier Reef and the many islands scattered about. After disembarking we drove around the Island to get our bearings, then checked into our accomodation for the next 4 nights, "Island Palms" on the waterfront at Nelly Bay. This is a magnificent timeshare resort and dare we say almost as good as Boambee Bay on a smaller scale - there are 12 units. Set in a very lush tropical setting with palms and frangipani. Some of the best beaches and most picturesque bays in Qu!
eensland are found on the island, with the more secluded ones accessible by walking track or boat. More than half the island is national park, its huge granite boulders and towering hoop pines dominate the mountainous skyline, the rugged natural beauty, a haven for wildlife such as koalas, rock wallabies and a wide variety of tropical birdlife. There are 4 small communities on the island; Horseshoe Bay, Arcadia, Nelly Bay and Picnic Bay.
We were up bright and early Wed to go on a walk to The Forts - a 3km walk. It begins as an ungraded road and winds its way along a ridge with great views above Arthur and Florence Bays. On the way up there are two gun emplacements, left over from 1939-42, plus quite a few building foundations such as; observation tower, command post, mess kitchen and sleeping quarters. We climbed all the way to the highest point (385m), the Command Post, which is still in use for navigation lights, where a panoramic view of 360 degrees is experienced.
Mid afternoon I went fishing for 3 hours from the jetty at the old ferry facility at Picnic Bay. Caught 8 smallish ones - enough for a feed.
In between times we have been swimming in the resort pool and walking around Nelly Bay area where the new ferry terminal is located.
We are going snorkelling later today.
Kevin and Gail.
Tuesday morning we locked up the caravan, leaving it for 4 days while we soak up some luxury at a timeshare resort on Magnetic Island.
The island is adjacent to Townsville just off the coast, with regular ferries covering the 8km trip in 20 minutes for the passenger ferry and 40 mins for the vehicle ferry. Although Magnetic only has about 20km of road, we elected to take the Landcruiser over as this allowed us to take food etc. which we had in the fridge and freezer. We also have our push bikes and snorkelling gear etc. so don't have to lug those about. The trip across was great on the 9am vehicle ferry, dead calm water due to the proximity of the Barrier Reef and the many islands scattered about. After disembarking we drove around the Island to get our bearings, then checked into our accomodation for the next 4 nights, "Island Palms" on the waterfront at Nelly Bay. This is a magnificent timeshare resort and dare we say almost as good as Boambee Bay on a smaller scale - there are 12 units. Set in a very lush tropical setting with palms and frangipani. Some of the best beaches and most picturesque bays in Qu!
eensland are found on the island, with the more secluded ones accessible by walking track or boat. More than half the island is national park, its huge granite boulders and towering hoop pines dominate the mountainous skyline, the rugged natural beauty, a haven for wildlife such as koalas, rock wallabies and a wide variety of tropical birdlife. There are 4 small communities on the island; Horseshoe Bay, Arcadia, Nelly Bay and Picnic Bay.
We were up bright and early Wed to go on a walk to The Forts - a 3km walk. It begins as an ungraded road and winds its way along a ridge with great views above Arthur and Florence Bays. On the way up there are two gun emplacements, left over from 1939-42, plus quite a few building foundations such as; observation tower, command post, mess kitchen and sleeping quarters. We climbed all the way to the highest point (385m), the Command Post, which is still in use for navigation lights, where a panoramic view of 360 degrees is experienced.
Mid afternoon I went fishing for 3 hours from the jetty at the old ferry facility at Picnic Bay. Caught 8 smallish ones - enough for a feed.
In between times we have been swimming in the resort pool and walking around Nelly Bay area where the new ferry terminal is located.
We are going snorkelling later today.
Kevin and Gail.
Ulysses Grand Parade.
Saturday morning, and the entire showgrounds tent city was up and about very early. Assembly for the motor cycle grand parade commences at 7:00am, with planned move-off at 9:00am. Organisinng 3,000 plus bikes into an orderly group takes quite a lot of time and effort. On this ocassion the parade route of approx 10km's circles the Townsville CBD then proceeds along 3 major roads to the finish point at a sporting complex in an outer suburb. Under the control of Police escorts, the entire parade was broken up into 6 groups with a 5 minute gap between each group to allow other traffic to cross major intersections. Each of these major intersections was under the control of traffic police, with the lights switched to flashing yellow. The locals came out in force along the route to wave and cheer the riders along. I was able to "hitch" a ride as a pillion on a BMW 1200 LT (a very luxurious touring bike) with a Ulysses friend. A very enjoyable experience which gave me the freedom to!
take photos and video. Gail drove to the end point of the parade and parked on the edge of the road where she watched the entire parade pass by. I was in the second last group, so by the time we had parked the bike Gail had seen the entire 3,000 plus bikes.
We watched some of the presentations, then had a coffee before driving to the Entertainment Centre where I was attending the actual AGM. Interesting to note that only about 400 of the gathered Ulyssians actually attend the AGM meeting. This is the case each year, consequently this group are known as the "faithfull 400".
While the meeting was taking place Gail took her book into the coffee shop at the Casino next door, where she pal'd up with another "Ulysses AGM Widow". They had a great time chatting and found that they had a lot in common such as Forestville Scouts, as they used to live in Starkey St.
I had packed up my camping gear except for the tent prior to the ride,so we dropped back into the showgrounds and collected it on the way back to the caravan. Sunday morning I went back and packed up the tent and said good-bye to new friends I had made during the course of my stay at the showgrounds.
take photos and video. Gail drove to the end point of the parade and parked on the edge of the road where she watched the entire parade pass by. I was in the second last group, so by the time we had parked the bike Gail had seen the entire 3,000 plus bikes.
We watched some of the presentations, then had a coffee before driving to the Entertainment Centre where I was attending the actual AGM. Interesting to note that only about 400 of the gathered Ulyssians actually attend the AGM meeting. This is the case each year, consequently this group are known as the "faithfull 400".
While the meeting was taking place Gail took her book into the coffee shop at the Casino next door, where she pal'd up with another "Ulysses AGM Widow". They had a great time chatting and found that they had a lot in common such as Forestville Scouts, as they used to live in Starkey St.
I had packed up my camping gear except for the tent prior to the ride,so we dropped back into the showgrounds and collected it on the way back to the caravan. Sunday morning I went back and packed up the tent and said good-bye to new friends I had made during the course of my stay at the showgrounds.
Kevin and Gail.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Ulysses 25th Anniversary AGM.
Monday morning Gail drove me into town where we first went to the Ulysses registration point, then on to the showgrounds, the venue for the coming week's AGM events. Fortunately we were permitted to take the Landcruiser into the grounds (under the guidance of an escort). This greatly simplified the task of conveying my tent, chair and misc. camping gear to a camp site.
I was able to get a very good green grass spot, close to power, water, toilets and showers. After erecting the tent I went for a walk around the confines of the showgrounds to check things out. There are already hundreds of other Ulyssian's set up here with tents, motor cycle trailer/campers and every imaginable type of minimilist camping gear. It seems that every second person has a motor cycle trailer, some extremely flash (and costly) and others home made from such things as a decorated forty-four gallon drum mounted on a small trailer. All of these people are able to carry far more of the essentials which a solo rider is limited to carrying. However on this occassion I have everything that I need to make my camping experience comfortable. Limited food outlets are on-site, however a major shopping centre is only a 5 minute walk away.
I did a test ride on a radical new style of motor bike, called a Spyder. This "bike" has independant front suspension with two wheels and a single very wide rear wheel. Powered by a 1,000cc V Twin motor it is effectively a "3 wheel trike" in reverse. An entirely different concept and riding experience, but one which is very exciting. Possibly more suited to older riders with limited mobility. Gail came and picked me up on Wednesday afternoon and we went for a drive to "The Strand", where we had a coffee overlooking the ocean, with Magnetic Island on the horizon. We then went to Jupiter's Casino for dinner. When Gail dropped me back at the showgrounds (she is not registered, so cannot enter due to security requirements) I felt a little like a geriatric "out-patient" who had been allowed out for the afternoon.
As luck would have it, I discovered that another Hornsby branch member Alex is camped with several of his Internet Forum friends, just across the road from me. Alex plays guitar and had entered the daily talent quest, qualifying for the finals on Friday afternoon. We all sat and talked and sang to his music until well past the 10pm nightly noise curfew. Met quite a lot of very nice friendly people from all over Australia.
My second test ride was on another new brand of motor cycle from America, called a Victory. This bike is in direct competition with Harley Davidson, with a range of loud V twin cruiser style bikes. My interest in the Victory was purely to gauge if they vibrate as much as the Harley. Not quite as bad but still detectable. Test riding is a way of getting out to see the surrounding country-side when your own bike is two thousand kilometres away. I may do one or two more test rides on differnt makes if possible.
At the moment I am trying to setup a ride as a pillion in the grand parade on Saturday morning. In excess of 3,000 motor cycles will take part in this spectacular organised ride through the CBD area prior to the actual AGM to be held at the Casino.
Kevin
"Growing Old Disgracefully" at the AGM.
I was able to get a very good green grass spot, close to power, water, toilets and showers. After erecting the tent I went for a walk around the confines of the showgrounds to check things out. There are already hundreds of other Ulyssian's set up here with tents, motor cycle trailer/campers and every imaginable type of minimilist camping gear. It seems that every second person has a motor cycle trailer, some extremely flash (and costly) and others home made from such things as a decorated forty-four gallon drum mounted on a small trailer. All of these people are able to carry far more of the essentials which a solo rider is limited to carrying. However on this occassion I have everything that I need to make my camping experience comfortable. Limited food outlets are on-site, however a major shopping centre is only a 5 minute walk away.
I did a test ride on a radical new style of motor bike, called a Spyder. This "bike" has independant front suspension with two wheels and a single very wide rear wheel. Powered by a 1,000cc V Twin motor it is effectively a "3 wheel trike" in reverse. An entirely different concept and riding experience, but one which is very exciting. Possibly more suited to older riders with limited mobility. Gail came and picked me up on Wednesday afternoon and we went for a drive to "The Strand", where we had a coffee overlooking the ocean, with Magnetic Island on the horizon. We then went to Jupiter's Casino for dinner. When Gail dropped me back at the showgrounds (she is not registered, so cannot enter due to security requirements) I felt a little like a geriatric "out-patient" who had been allowed out for the afternoon.
As luck would have it, I discovered that another Hornsby branch member Alex is camped with several of his Internet Forum friends, just across the road from me. Alex plays guitar and had entered the daily talent quest, qualifying for the finals on Friday afternoon. We all sat and talked and sang to his music until well past the 10pm nightly noise curfew. Met quite a lot of very nice friendly people from all over Australia.
My second test ride was on another new brand of motor cycle from America, called a Victory. This bike is in direct competition with Harley Davidson, with a range of loud V twin cruiser style bikes. My interest in the Victory was purely to gauge if they vibrate as much as the Harley. Not quite as bad but still detectable. Test riding is a way of getting out to see the surrounding country-side when your own bike is two thousand kilometres away. I may do one or two more test rides on differnt makes if possible.
At the moment I am trying to setup a ride as a pillion in the grand parade on Saturday morning. In excess of 3,000 motor cycles will take part in this spectacular organised ride through the CBD area prior to the actual AGM to be held at the Casino.
Kevin
"Growing Old Disgracefully" at the AGM.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Townsville on the horizon.
We departed Airlie Beach with Ayr as our destination for overnight where there is a very large off-road park.
As it was only 2pm when we arrived at Ayr, being totally flexible we decided to press on to Townsville and camp overnight about 30km north at Bluewater Park, which is a fantastic camping facilty and only about 5km from the Bluewater Caravan Park where we are booked into from Saturday for 10 days. The local junior football club run a kiosk at the park, so Friday night we bought dinner from them - BBQ sausage in bread for $1. They also are allowed to sell beer etc there as it is about 25km to the nearest pub, consequently there were lots of locals there. We had a leisurely Saturday morning before departing this great free camping area and driving the 5km to the caravan park.
We have set up the annex as this will give Gail plenty of room during my absence at the Ulysses AGM in Townsville, which starts on Monday. I will be camping at the Showgrounds until next Saturday. Sunday we did a full load of washing in the laundry then went for a drive to a couple of the beaches in the vicinity.
Kevin and Gail.
As it was only 2pm when we arrived at Ayr, being totally flexible we decided to press on to Townsville and camp overnight about 30km north at Bluewater Park, which is a fantastic camping facilty and only about 5km from the Bluewater Caravan Park where we are booked into from Saturday for 10 days. The local junior football club run a kiosk at the park, so Friday night we bought dinner from them - BBQ sausage in bread for $1. They also are allowed to sell beer etc there as it is about 25km to the nearest pub, consequently there were lots of locals there. We had a leisurely Saturday morning before departing this great free camping area and driving the 5km to the caravan park.
We have set up the annex as this will give Gail plenty of room during my absence at the Ulysses AGM in Townsville, which starts on Monday. I will be camping at the Showgrounds until next Saturday. Sunday we did a full load of washing in the laundry then went for a drive to a couple of the beaches in the vicinity.
Kevin and Gail.
Onwards to Airlie Beach.
I have been having some electrical problems with the 12 volt cigarette lighter in the Landcruiser, consequently the Engel freezer and other 12V accessories have been intermitently cutting out. Emerald being a fair sized town allowed me the opportunity to buy a double 12V socket, which I wired directly to the auxillary battery via an inline fuse. This appears to have resolved the previous problems. On the road again, northbound. We have decided to now head north-east towards the coast,joining up with the Bruce Hwy at Mackay. On the way we stopped mid-afternoon at a great rest area beside the Isaac River. Shortly after we were joined by two other couples in caravans for the overnight stop. As the State Of Origin Rugbby league match is on tonight between NSW and QLD, we set up our satelite dish to ensure god TV reception. As it turned out we were the only ones to get a picture, so we invited the other couples (both Queenslanders) to join us to watch the game in our van. As luck!
would have it, NSW won, so we did not have to suffer the ridicule of our guests. Les and Kim, one of the other couples had supper with us and in return for our hospitality, Les who is an auto-electrician, gave me a hand next morning to completely rewire the 12V accesory outlet in the Landcruiser with the recommended connectors, which he had with him. After morning tea we all departed on our seperate ways. This sort of friendship and mutual help is what makes roadside rest area overnight camping so enjoyable. A lunch stop at Bowen, then on to Airlie Beach for our next overnight - this time in the Gateway Caravan Park and the promise of dinner at the best seafood cafe in Australia. Wrong, the cafe has closed since our last visit in 2004, possibly because they were too cheap. We consoled ourselves with fish and chips from a take-away, eaten at their kerbside tables. Still very nice though.
Airlie Beach has changed completely, high rise everywhere and prices elevated to match this development. This is most unfortunate as we feel the casual back-packer atmosphere has gone. The caravan park has quite small sites now, having sacrificed quite a number in favour of cabins.
would have it, NSW won, so we did not have to suffer the ridicule of our guests. Les and Kim, one of the other couples had supper with us and in return for our hospitality, Les who is an auto-electrician, gave me a hand next morning to completely rewire the 12V accesory outlet in the Landcruiser with the recommended connectors, which he had with him. After morning tea we all departed on our seperate ways. This sort of friendship and mutual help is what makes roadside rest area overnight camping so enjoyable. A lunch stop at Bowen, then on to Airlie Beach for our next overnight - this time in the Gateway Caravan Park and the promise of dinner at the best seafood cafe in Australia. Wrong, the cafe has closed since our last visit in 2004, possibly because they were too cheap. We consoled ourselves with fish and chips from a take-away, eaten at their kerbside tables. Still very nice though.
Airlie Beach has changed completely, high rise everywhere and prices elevated to match this development. This is most unfortunate as we feel the casual back-packer atmosphere has gone. The caravan park has quite small sites now, having sacrificed quite a number in favour of cabins.
Kevin and Gail.
The Clean Skins.
Stay more than 3 days in Mitchell, have a hot artesian spa twice a day every day and you can't help but be pristine clean. Well that's exactly what we did. A number of factors contributed towards Gail and I deciding to stay on in Mitchell for an additional 3 days, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Over a conversation with fellow travellers while in the hot spa we heard about a free camping area on the outskirts of Mitchell, at the Neil Turner Weir.
So, we decided a nice little walk to check it out would be a relaxing Saturday afternoon activity. The route took us via the local cemetery and the racecourse. The weir is a very nice grassy location, with plenty of shade and town water - keep it in mind for the future. We took a shortcut back to town via the railway line where there were hundreds of rail spikes lying beside the line, which I made a mental note to come back later and collect some. By the time we got back into town we had walked just on 10km. A visit to one of the pubs fo a refreshing drink, then back to the van park.
Little to report on during the rest of our time at Mitchell, other than to say we did a lot of nothing... and some reading and craft work. While Gail did her crochet, I tried my hand at Pyrography - wood burning drawing to the un-initiated.
Departed Mitchell Monday morning, after a last early morning spa. We returned east to Roma, then north via the Carnarvon Development Road to Injune then Rolleston where we stayed overnight. Continuing north via the Dawson Hwy we pased through Springsure, a lovely well looked after town, then onto the Gregory Hwy to Emerald. There is a lovely free overnight camping area adjacent to the Botanic Gardens in Emerald, so this was our planned overnight stop. Arriving prior to lunch we parked to secure a good level spot, then spent time walking around town and some food shopping.
Kevin and Gail.
So, we decided a nice little walk to check it out would be a relaxing Saturday afternoon activity. The route took us via the local cemetery and the racecourse. The weir is a very nice grassy location, with plenty of shade and town water - keep it in mind for the future. We took a shortcut back to town via the railway line where there were hundreds of rail spikes lying beside the line, which I made a mental note to come back later and collect some. By the time we got back into town we had walked just on 10km. A visit to one of the pubs fo a refreshing drink, then back to the van park.
Little to report on during the rest of our time at Mitchell, other than to say we did a lot of nothing... and some reading and craft work. While Gail did her crochet, I tried my hand at Pyrography - wood burning drawing to the un-initiated.
Departed Mitchell Monday morning, after a last early morning spa. We returned east to Roma, then north via the Carnarvon Development Road to Injune then Rolleston where we stayed overnight. Continuing north via the Dawson Hwy we pased through Springsure, a lovely well looked after town, then onto the Gregory Hwy to Emerald. There is a lovely free overnight camping area adjacent to the Botanic Gardens in Emerald, so this was our planned overnight stop. Arriving prior to lunch we parked to secure a good level spot, then spent time walking around town and some food shopping.
Kevin and Gail.
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