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| 2 German children reading to Superman and Muz in German at Mission Beach - the children spoke no English |
Sad to leave MB, after spending 40 days here – at the Council Campground on the beach-not in the camp #6 book – a well kept secret – we felt we needed a change. It is a beautiful part of Queensland and if it wasn’t for the threat of cyclones and the expensive rates and insurance – we would have consider this as a retirement haven.
We had heard on the radio about the roadworks and road closures on the Ingham Range and here we were, at long last-a vast network of camps, gates for road construction crews-once the new road is open it will certainly be much safer.
The scenery changed once we were over the otherside. Gone were the thick lush green trees and rainforest landscape. There were trees, but more gums, sparsely populated trees, brown savannah grass, pineapple plantations, still sugar plantations.
Balgal Bay – free 48hr campsite on the beach and a river with a boat ramp, general store, hot food and the daily paper, was our destination. Probably, about 15 sites overlooking a grassed area with rotundas to sit under for happy hour. There were BBqs- a bit dirty, clean toilets and a dump point.
Having recovered from our midgie outbreak at Dundee Beach/Kakadu, we didn’t take precautions the first night and now we are covered in huge welts – back on the Telfast tablets, administrating quantities of tee tree oil and rubbing the ‘Locals’ ointment into our skin.
Yesterday I caught 3 trevally from the pontoon and 2 sooty grunters. Murray caught 2 fish. Between us-(John and Pat had now joined us), we cooked the fish and bought chips, had a good feed, washed down with NZ sauvvy blanc and a Henwoods port. The beach is lovely – but the stingers have arrived and local crocs cruise by-too risky to swim.
Townsvile – not a misprint-Townsville-is the correct spelling. Well, this city? is 55kms from Balgal Bay-and Murray was keen to watch the league test on TV-so we treated ourselves to a caravan park. Rated as 4 star – we didn’t think to ask if there was a TV – once we were booked in and set up-we discovered no TV!! How disappointing!
Townsville did not offer too much for us to see-although I was keen to go to the markets and check out the waterfront-we had been told it was better than Cairns. We are both very disappointed with Townsville – it is brown, dry, old, the town is dirty, the footpaths very much in dis-repair-no shops open on a Saturday, the Info Centre staff were un-helpful-more interested in knitting and telling us about their thick slice of raisin toast that they had to eat at some café on the Strand – their response to our question – “is there a yum cha restaurant in Townsville”.
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| the old and the new |
We walked from the Info centre down Flinders Street to the Strand, along here to Gregory Street, up the hill to Castle Hill, up and down Stanley Street to Sturt Street – back to the ‘truck’ in a carpark building-which we thought was $3.00, but was $3 per hour, $9.00 later, after our long walk. We did stop for a lovely lunch at GYO, (Japanese tapas bar restaurant.) No markets today, tomorrow-too bad we will be gone. We noticed that, even the schools,and parks are brown-has Townsville run out of water?
The Strand was not as interesting as the Esplande at Cairns. We saw a small waterpark for children.
The 'hands on' info stands – some worked and some didn’t. A good idea – they give an oral commentary of sights that are around you – by placing your hand on top. But the one by the fountain had the commentary, but no water in the fountain.
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| Castlehill |
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| the old and the new |
But there was a silver lining- we found a Dan Murphy’s…… Now where to store it all…..
We are off to Greenhill – sth of Mackay to see some friends that we met last year at Point Westall. October 24th, we will pick up Marie from Rockhampton Airport and spend the week at Kinka Beach together.
