Such is life

You may remember me likening our digs to a resort. They say the tropical north is paradise (I have heard there are only two states to be in QLD and pissed....). My paradise..... a handsome waiter set up a table and chairs on the beach, near our camp, complete with prawns and wine (perhaps however you will note the wine is in a Black & Gold Soda bottle- it is easier to keep in the fridge than the whole cask......). The waiter then joined me (OK, it was Dave) and we sat and watched the sun set.


Prawns & wine on Mackay beach

Having our fill of prawns we then feed them to ‘Mr Percival’, while we planned the next days adventure.
The following day we meandered through some rural towns, including Childers. You may remember it was here in 2000 that the backpackers burnt down. We visited the memorial in the remains, which has been turned into an art gallery. Leaving in a sombre mood, after reading about the victims lives and unfulfilled plans, it was a little surreal to be ‘accosted’ by a local homeless man. He seemed very intelligent, but did he ever stop to draw breath? He also looked like the person who could have started the fire.....
A little down the road, I felt peckish. Dave pulled over, I jumped in the ‘house’ and chopped up some pineapple- sweet and juicy and only 49 cents! We soon arrived at our next destination- The Town of 1770 (its real name). 1770 is the second place (after Botany Bay) that Captain Cook landed after being seduced by its beauty. Can you guess what year this happened?



Captain Cook landed here, 1770

1770 and the neighbouring Agnes Waters are indeed beautiful, similar to what an untouched Manly peninsula may once have looked. The town has a drowsy feel, the glittering sun shining a sleepy warmth. It is as if time has stood still, the new beachfront developments looking very out of place with the FJ Holdens and ‘old codgers’.



Cairn to commemorate Captain Cook

After walking a few nature trails, we stopped off at the local art gallery. Not sure if I would call most of it ‘art’, but they did have a baby joey they were looking after. His mother was road kill. Stuffed safely in his pouch, ‘Joey’ looked very content as he sucked his thumb. (It is true joeys do suck their thumbs, or rather their dual clawed claw that they use for grooming). Given that we were in an area steeped in history, we decided it may well be worth a visit to the local museum. Quaint is the word that springs to mind here. The museum is an eclectic mix of bits and pieces locals have collected from the local area and on their travels. The local school has also made many a diorama..... But the piece d resistance was a 65 year old orange. It has been lovingly kept for all those years, through each stage of mould.... If you want to know what it looks like, you will just have to visit the Museum at Agnes Waters.....


We are currently staying 20kms south of Gladstone. This ‘resort’ is complete with a jumping balloon, like a big reverse trampoline, which seemed to beckon Dave and I. Dave had trouble getting on, as I kept bouncing him off.... he may have forgotten I was a master trampoliner in my day. We also have the luxury of a herb garden, for us to pick from as we wish, and of course a pool- very nice after a hard day sightseeing and fishing. Alas, no barra for dinner tonight, after equipping Dave with a new rod, reel and lures, all we managed to catch was a desire for a swim to cool off.
Tomorrow we are heading towards Rockhampton, and are tossing up the idea of trying out some ‘free camping’- mmm..... must be sure to have a long hot shower in the morning!