First 11 Days - Getting the hang of things!!!!

Wednesday 23 May 2012 - Adios Amigos  (Goodbye My Friends) - Chinchilla Weir

Chinchilla Weir

After all the years of talking about it, we finally did it.  We left our island paradise and comfort zone on the 10am barge on Wednesday 23 May and headed for Chinchilla Weir to spend our first night, arriving around 4pm.  It was a very long day and even though it was State of Origin night, Roy was so buggered that he was asleep by 7:30 (that meant he really was tired).  Once again our trusty "Dreampot" came through with flying colours and we enjoyed a yummy corned meat, spuds and tomato and onion casserole for tea, complimented by a few reds to boot. "Just what the doctor ordered" as my Dad would have said. This is a beautiful little spot, but would have been even more so if we had some firewood.  Just chilly enough to enjoy a fire and a glass or two of red.  It got down to about 14 degrees in the van.

Yellowbelly - No we didn't catch them - he did!

Thursday 24 May 2012 - Theodore

Outside Comet Pub

Next stop was Theodore.  We had planned to stay in the Free Camp on the river but we arrived too late (about 4pm) and you couldn't fit another van in, it was chockers.  So we camped at the Showground instead.






Friday 25 May 2012 - Capella

Lighthorsemen - Capella

We left Theodore at about 9:30 heading for our next stop which was supposed to be at the Comet pub.  We were looking forward to having a counter meal for tea but arrived at 1:30 to find the pub was all locked up.  Very bazaar!!  Roy and 2 other young guys who were wanting a beer, walked right around the place but it certainly was all locked up - very strange.  So on we went to the next town which was Emerald. We weren't fussed on the free camps there so soldiered on to Capella.  A lovely little town and nice little van park. (not free though). It got down to 14 degrees in the van that night - really still quite comfortable.  Weather has turned overcast and drab though.

Ahhhh!

Saturday 26 May 2012 - Charters Towers

This is a very boring stretch of road.  Many thanks to Lynn Harland for the audio books which kept us from nodding off along the way.   We had planned to stop along this section of highway at a camp called "Cape River" but another disappointing spot, so kept going until we got to Charters Towers.  We stopped at the Tourist Park for the night and have decided that we will have to come back to CT on another trip because there's so much to see here.  So much for the free camping, we've only stayed at one so far!!!

Sunday 27 May 2012 - Townsville

We're booked in to the Range Van Park for 4 nights.  The weather has been very gloomy up until today - its actually sunny and warm so far and the min temp inside the van has been about 15 degrees (getting warmer as we go north).  We had fish and chips on the waterfront at The Strand.  Very beautiful place.

Monday 28 May 2012 - Townsville

We did the tourist thing today - Castle Hill Lookout, the Reef HQ Aquarium and the Maritime Museum.  I have fallen in love with Townsville and especially its beautiful old buildings in the town area.  Roy was amazing today, doing all those stairs on the Castle Hill walk. I was very impressed with him!!!!  Good on you Darling... What a man !!!!!!!!!  And not to mention our wonder dog Jed who was very well behaved all day, having to stay home alone and without a single complaint.  What a dog!!!

We met up with Roy's relies in the evening for a family gathering at a lovely park on the esplanade.  Ron and Carmel supplied everyone with Pizza, thermos' of tea and coffee and soft drinks.  It was a wonderful catchup.

No hands!

Tuesday 29 May 2012 - Townsville

Priority today was getting Jeddy's ear looked at.  He has a blood blister in his ear which was drained the day before we left, but we were told that it may come back and it has.  The verdict being, either he has surgery which will mean stitches and a bucket on his head for 2 weeks, which would really be uncomfortable travelling in the back of the ute like that - or just to let it go and it will hopefully just shrivel up in about a months' time, just to keep and eye on it - which is the way we will go.   After the vet, we went for a drive up to Hervey Range and had lunch at the tea gardens there.  Then back to the van and an early night.  The weather is turning to mush again and we plan to do the Magnetic Is tour tomorrow.

Tea Gardens - Hervey Range

Wednesday 30 May 2012 - Magnetic Island

We headed off  on the Yellow Stretch Mini Moke Tour with our guide John.    We were the only ones on the tour (it didn't rain!! but it was very bleak).  The tour took 3 hours and the highlight was feeding the beautiful little Rock Wallabys.  We stopped for morning tea along the way and called into all the picturesque bays around the island.  You can pick up a little cottage for around $250k at present.  It's only 20 mins by SeaLink from Townsville.

Rock Wallaby - Magnetic Island

Once again Jeddy was a very well behaved boy!!! (or so we think - Nobody complained to us anyway).

Thursday 31 May 2012 - Hull Head

There must be something wrong with the lure!!!

Rain Rain Go Away!!  Wish it would p... off!!! Our intention was to go up as far as Mission Beach , but the rain and visibility was so bad that we called it quits at Hull Head, 9km south of Tully.  What a beautiful spot. Right where the river meets the sea.  The caretaker here told us that this is where the EYE of YASSI came through.  Most of the cottages were flattened, but you should see the mansions that have been rebuilt and what a paradise!!!  We stayed at the camp site just behind the VMR and right on the river.  This is the first signage we've seen, warning us of CROCS.  But  we didn't see any.

Hull Head

I tried out the new Jelly Prawn Lure that we got from Ben Jones (jellyprawnlures.com), which are supposed to catch anything.  I'm aiming to catch a barra.  But of course the crocs must have scared them away. ha ha  If nothing else - it was good practice for me because I have never used an eggbeater before or fished with a lure either.  Obviously I have a lot of practicing to do.  It was very relaxing though, aided by a glass or two of wine.

Another "Dreampot" meal to the rescue - what would we do without it...

Friday 1 June 2012 - Hull Head

Maureen and John Bristow are staying just down the road at Cardwell for a few days, so come up for a day visit.  We had a lovely catchup and the rain held off for much of the day.  We'll next see them when we meet in Cooktown for the festival next week.

Saturday 2 June 2012 - Kurramine Beach

The bloody rain keeps coming!!!!   We left beautiful Hull Head at about 10:30 and we're heading for Mission Beach, calling in at all of the beaches on the way.  South Mission Beach was very nice but we continued on until we reached Kurramine and have checked in to the Kurramine Beachfront Van Park.  We have a waterfront site but it just won't stop raining.  The park is connected to the local pub, which means that guess what we're doing for tea tonight......

This is the first time I've been able to get to the Blog, hopefully it will be on a more regular basis from now on.

Bleak

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To be continued....