Stanage - Mackay - Airlie Beach, QUEENSLAND

The Stanage boat ramp was surprisingly quiet on Sunday morning. There were only a couple of cars parked with empty boat trailers, compared to Friday's 20 or so. Weekenders were definitely leaving, so that accounted for some, and the fishos probably weren't working - there were a few of those. Given it was such a calm,  lovely day on the water we would have expected at least a couple of the longer term nomads to be out.

Early in the afternoon our neighbours, David and Noel, passed our camp towing their tinnie to the ramp. They returned a few minutes later. Mmm...strange. We were planning to put ours in that afternoon as well. When we checked out the ramp the reason was clear. The tide had gone so far out the bottom of the ramp was high and dry. We knew the tidal range was big with the approaching full moon, but it didn't occur to us that the water was so shallow at the ramp.

We had been watching the tides since we arrived 8 days earlier. With each passing day the high tide was getting higher and the low, lower. The tide charts showed a full moon Tuesday with a high of 6.3 meters and a low of 0.1 meters. Sunday's low of 0.5 meters had exposed massive sand and mud flats along with extensive reef areas throughout the bay, which is actually very shallow. We were expecting Tuesday's low to be pretty spectacular. The high was so high Sunday it completely covered the large reef in front of our camp. It came right up the beach, quite close to the bottom of the steps that lead from our van onto the sand.

Putting the tinnie in was out of the question so we entertained ourselves with some grooming. There was no spare water to wash James and he really did need a bath. He got dry cleaned instead with spray shampoo and a good brush to remove tangles. Brain gave me a hair cut. I think he has missed his calling. He fired up the generator, used the electric clippers first, then his shaver and finally the thinning scissors. I did a little touch up around my face line with the thinning scissors. We were both very happy with the result. Brian reckons he loves doing it. Quite late in the afternoon we went down to the channel to fish on the incoming tide. That didn't last long. Bloody sandflies! I reckon we both got several bites within 15 minutes. That's one bad thing about Stanage. There are lots of sandflies. Bugger!

We were on the water by 8.30 Monday, allowing plenty of time to get back to the ramp before the low tide, around 3pm. The incoming tide was not far off the turn, so the water level was high, covering many of the reefs in the bay. We tentatively headed west, through the wide channel separating Quail Island and the Torilla Peninsula. The sea was flat but absolutely boiling with undercurrents. We could feel the effect on the boat and both felt uneasy, so turned around and motored back to where a few other tinnies were anchored in Stanage Bay. With the turn of the tide approaching, the current was strong everywhere, dragging our lines off the bottom. Brian ended up putting eight sinkers on each line. He didn't have any big ones in the tackle box so had to use multiple small ones. We spent a close to three hours fishing, changing location several times, before ending up with one keeper. All in all we caught a Spotted Cod, a Batfish that fought like crazy, a small Bream and a 40 cm long silver fish which we were unable to identify, but decided to fillet anyway. It's destiny a Thai green curry. The fish were definitely on the bite and we both had some good battles that we lost. It was a fun session.

                                                        The Keeper

                                                The Batfish

James was beside himself with joy when we returned, attaching like glue for the rest of the day lest we disappear again. Brian did some work up at the store after lunch, while James and I took a walk late in the day to Stanage Bay Marine to pick up more bait and some large sinkers. There is a Cocky in a cage at the Marine that says hello as you approach and chatters away madly. A beautiful Rainbow Lorikeet sat on a perch outside the cage. The lady shop-keeper said the wild Lorikeets often come to visit, sometimes getting into the cage to eat the seed. The cocky grabs them by the tail so they can't leave. He's probably lonely.

Our water was running low so we decided we would give ourselves one more day of fishing before heading North on Wednesday. With plenty of wood  for two nights we enjoyed a big fire while we waited for the high tide at 9.20 pm. We were both interested to see just how far up it came. In the bright moolight the reefy bay and the beach were both transformed to nearly double the low tide size, the water lapping just a few meters from our fire. The sound was magical.

James didn't stay snuggled up in bed Tuesday, he wanted to go outside. While he explored his space I did my journal and had coffee. It was our last full day at Stanage so we planned to do one more early run in the boat before starting the process of cleaning it out, disassembling the trailer and loading it back on the Beast. After a quick breaky we were just about to go down to the ramp when Brian noticed that James was covered in burrs. The poor little bloke was so uncomfortable he could hardly move. He hopped on my lap, laid on his back and let me drag them all out. It must have hurt like hell as I pulled his hair, but he just let it happen without protest. It reminded me of when my girls were little and I had to brush the knots out of their hair, only they used to express their pain very loudly.

There was a queue at the ramp. Everyone was going out early so they could get back in before low tide. We launched with a couple of guys in a tinnie about the size of ours. They were going around to the other side of Quail Island. We followed along behind them, albeit a tad tentative about going out to the open ocean - and quite some distance from the ramp to boot. As we motored along the swell became higher and the wind blew up - and that was before we had even left the relative shelter of Stanage Bay. We quickly changed our plan. We fished at few different spots but despite being on the turn of the tide didn't have any luck - a couple of bites, a small Bream and an eel that truly grossed me out. Ugh! The wind started to blow up rather strongly and the bay developed quite a big chop. All of a sudden Brian's hat blew off and into the sea behind him. By the time I managed to pull up the anchor so we could retrieve it, Brian's dearly beloved old fishing hat had disappeared. He was devastated - in tears almost. That hat had been with him on every fishing trip he'd been on for years and years. It was the mankiest, dirtiest, most moth-eaten old thing known to man, which I had threatened to dispose it multiple times, but he loved it. Poor Brian!

                                                     The Eel

                                                         Farewell beloved hat!

Wednesday we left Stanage at 8.45 heading north to we knew not where. The 100 km of dirt back to the Bruce Hwy was fairly slow going, particularly given we were held up by roadworks and the collection of firewood from the roadside on the way. Marlborough was not far up the highway. Hopefully we would get cappuccinos there. We hadn't had one since leaving Yeppoon 10 days before and were both hanging out. For some obscure reason we expected Marlborough to be a large town, but it wasn't much bigger than Stanage - it certainly didn't have a coffee shop. Sarina, 200 km further on, was the next big dot on the map, then Mackay not far past. That was a long drive for a drink. We ended up stopping at a roadhouse on the highway where we got two beautiful coffees. Nice!

With no water left in our tanks, a mountain of washing and James desperately in need of a bath, a stop over at a full service caravan park was the plan. Greenhill, some 60 km before Mackay, was on the ocean and had a dog-friendly caravan park. On paper it looked a possibility. It was 10 km off the highway, but when we got there the caravan park looked awful and there was no Telstra network. Brian was in the midst of a couple of aircraft deals and connectivity was a must, so we back-tracked to the Bruce. It was getting on for 3pm so I decided I'd better ring and book somewhere. I phoned one of only two parks at Mackay that took dogs and booked the last spot they had. It was at Bucasia, a Northern suburb of Mackay and cost $45 per night. That was a record for us....the most expensive night's accommodation in 5 months of travel.

It was getting on for 4 when we arrived. We paid for two nights and parked the van on site 47. A huge site with absolute beach frontage, it sat between the pool and an en-suite toilet and the closest neighbour was across the access road. We certainly weren't in a sardine tin and came to the conclusion that for $5 or $10 more than we expected to pay, it was well worth the money. Two of the five loads of washing went into machines, Brian set his laptop up and got stuck into work, James was given a lovely long walk on the beach and back at camp we were visited by some ducks with beautiful markings. We looked in our bird book to discover the white and chestnut ones were Radjah Shelducks and the ones with white side feathers were called Plumed Whistling Ducks. They were quite stunning. It was surprisingly cool so we spent the night INSIDE our van. That did feel strange after sitting out in front of fires every night for the last few weeks.

                                                     Site 47 at Bucasia Beach

Thursday we took a drive to the port area where modern, multi-story apartments overlook a new marina and port, across to a dozen or more islands. There is a promenade with several restaurants that front on to hundreds of moorings, many with luxurious, ocean-going yachts and cruisers. Protecting the port and marina from the ocean and weather is very long, high causeway which we drove out on. There was a long line of ships, thirty or more, which were moored off the coast. Not knowing anything about Mackay I did a bit of research. It is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar and Mackay Harbour is home to one of the largest bulk-sugar loading terminals in the world. The coal mining industry, however, is the mainstay of it's growing economy with the massive Bowen Basin coal reserves being shipped from the large port facility. That explained all the ships.

While some of our Thursday was spent sight-seeing, most of it was taken up with shopping. I had been suffering a sore shoulder for a few weeks so bought 15 minutes of massage from a small Chinese lady in a shop opposite Woolworths. She gave me a good 20 minutes of the best (fairly painful) deep massage I have ever had. It cost $20. Fantastic! We picked up some new rubber-backed carpet runner from Bunnings to replace the mats in the van that had become quite manky. James got a new, thick microfibre mat that is supposed to remove moisture, mud, sand etc when he rolls on it. Fingers crossed, especially given it cost $65! When we got back to the van a mobile dog-grooming unit pulled in behind us. How convenient. James got $20 worth of attention as well as a mat.

                                                   James loved his mat

Bucasia Beach is a lovely spot. Where we were staying is primarily a residential area with beachfront and parkland opposite. Our small caravan park was nestled ocean-side of the esplanade, a river and boat ramp at the Southern end and a long walking/cycling track through the park, running parallel to the beach for miles heading North. There was a quaint little cafe on the esplanade just up from the caravan park. It was the only shop on the esplanade. Never having visited Mackay before, we wanted to get a feel for the city and its surrounds. There was no way we would do the area justice in one full day, particularly since most of it was spent in shopping centres, so we booked another night. That meant we would have all of Friday to really check out some of the sights.

We spent Thursday evening inside yet again, booking airfares from Cairns to Melbourne for a week in September. We are heading back for the birth of a new family member who, if all goes to plan, will arrive via cesarean on September 16. The van will go to Jayco in Cairns for service and a few repairs while we are south. Very convenient. We save on storage costs and won't require alternate accommodation while the van is at Jayco. James, poor bugger, will have to go into a kennel. I haven't told him yet!

Brian was having trouble with his laptop, so he made an early call to a local repairer and dropped it off before 8am. on Friday. When he returned we moved the van to another spot in the park as 47 was booked Friday night. That was ok. It was a large site, bordered by trees and we could still see the sea. During the course of the relocation Brian noticed some loose wiring under the van. On closer investigation he found the that brake cable on two of the four wheels had disconnected and a third wheel appeared to never have been connected in the first place. That explained why he had trouble with the brake unit on departure from Stanage. Only the rear right was working. He spent some time on his back under the van rectifying the problem - at least on the two that he could.

Jobs done, we checked out Mackay. Our sightseeing tour started with a short drive up to Shoal Point, the Northern-most suburb of Mackay. It was a pretty place with some flash houses looking out over the Coral Sea to the islands. Next stop was Eimeo Pub. It was an old, hotch potch sort of building that sat atop a high point overlooking, once again, lots of islands. I counted thirteen of them. The location was simply magnificent and the ambiance was delightful. We sat outside in the sun and enjoyed the view, an antipasto platter and a glass of chardy.

                                                    Eimeo Pub

We did another tour of the marina area before going back into the city centre and following the river Eastward. River Road came to an end at a riding/walking track called Sandfly Creek. It went for miles. We hoofed along it at a fast pace for a couple of kilometers before returning the same way. The view back was over the city and the ranges to the West. They form quite a rugged backdrop to Mackay. James had a great time. Before dinner the three of us wandered back up to the cafe on the esplanade and had a couple of glasses of wine. That preceded a Weber roast lamb dinner and a night outside the van where we met a lovely couple, Leann and Glen, who arrived after dark and set up their tent on the site beside us.

There was no rush to leave Mackay on Saturday morning as Brian's laptop was still getting fixed. We were only going an hour and a half North to Airlie Beach anyway, and we had already booked a site for a couple of nights. While we were slowly packing up Leann and Glen came over for a chat. They both worked at a coal mine 150 km West and came to Bucasia every weekend. It was really interesting to hear about how different, and tough life is, when you live in a tiny donger at the same place you work, especially in the mining game. Glen gave Brian some information about traveling up to Cape York as they had recently driven up there, and Brian showed off the Beast. He loves any opportunity to do that. We were sorry we didn't have a chance to spend more time with them, though they did invite us to visit them at the mine, which we will try to do when we eventually start heading South. By the time we were ready to leave Brian had got the call to say his laptop was done. That was a relief as it carries a heap of information he requires to work. We picked it up and headed North on the Bruce, driving through extensive canefields bordered by mountain ranges. It's amazing how tall the cane grows.

At Proserpine we turned off to Airlie, 25km East through the ranges. The last time I was in the area was over 30 years ago and I remembered it as being stunning. That certainly hadn't changed, but man - has the area grown! The steep hillsides behind Airlie Beach town are positively crammed to bursting with terraced apartments. There is a massive new marina and a delightful waterfront park with huge swimming and wading pools. The main shopping precinct is a tourist and backpacker haven, the streets lined with open-air bars, cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops and Whitsunday tour booking businesses. We could only imagine how the place would throb into the wee hours with the young, international traveling set kicking up their heels. Probably not the kind of space you would find too many grey nomads on a Saturday night!

We drove through the main street and 2.5 km further on to Airlie Cove Resort and Van Park, which is where we were booked. Our site was tucked in beside a creek and surrounded by tropical shrubbery. It was fairly private and reasonably large. Once set up we headed toward Shute Harbour, stopping on the way at the aerodrome which services the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Shute Harbour is 10 kilometers past Airlie. The terminal at the harbour is used to load visitors onto all manner of water craft to commute to the islands or do tours.

There are 74 islands in the Whitsunday group with 8 offering a variety of resort accommodation, all with the Great Barrier Reef and fringing coral reefs at their doorstep. The most renowned islands include Hamilton, Hayman, Daydream, Lindeman, Brampton, South Molle, Long Island Resort and Paradise Bay Eco Escape. Whitehaven is well known for its beach, rated as one of the most beautiful in the world and Hook for it's coral gardens. We figured that while in the area we really should visit some of the islands. There are dozens of different tourist packages to choose from but we think we'll probably do the 'Three Island Discovery Cruise'.

After checking out Shute we drove back to Airlie Beach, parked the car and walked the main streets. The beachfront area is full of restaurants looking out across parkland to the bay. It's very pretty. All the shops and bars were open and the place was buzzing. It had a really lively holiday feel about it. Brian was quite taken with the place and decided it must rate pretty highly on our livability scale. I'm not so sure. Maybe a bit too commercial for me and I have yet to see a golf course!

Stanage, QUEENSLAND

We left Yeppoon around 9am Sunday (August 10th), heading west to pick up the Bruce Hwy, then North to Stanage. The trip was only 200 km or thereabouts, but 100 km of it was on an unmade road. I had phoned the Plumtree Store at Stanage a few days prior to find out the current road conditions and network availability. The road was in good nic except for a ten kilometer section and Telstra network was available at the store only. They had put in an aerial for the convenience of customers and we were welcome to use it if we were having drinks at the bar (the store is also the pub), or we made a donation. We also found out there was camping on the left side of the boat ramp as well as the main area to the right.

The Capricorn Coast had turned on another stunning day and the drive from Yeppoon along a backroad to pick up the Bruce was really picturesque - through lush farmland with mini mountains rising sharply out of the ground. We would have missed the turnoff to Stanage if it weren't for the GPS. There was no signage on the highway, just an information board at the start of the Stanage road. There was heaps of wood on the sides of the road so we loaded up the Beast with enough for two or three nights. The information I had been given by the lady at the Plumtree store was spot on. The road was really good. The bad section wasn't too rough, though we did hit a big bump that jolted both extension mirrors completely off, smashing them as they hit the road behind us. Bugger!

We arrived at Stanage just after midday and drove past the store to the camping area on the right. There were maybe 20 camps set up in a relatively small area fronting on to the ocean. There weren't any beachfront spots - they were taken up with what appeared to be fairly long-term residents. There was plenty of space closer to the road, so we parked the Beast and hoofed it 100 meters to the boat ramp and went for a walk down the narrow, well-hidden track to the left. Most travellers would not know there was camping in that area.It certainly wasn't noted in any of our free camp books. Thanks to the lady at the store we found a perfect spot, fronting onto an absolutely beautiful beach, flat, with plenty of shade and no-one else in sight. Excellent!

It was a pretty tight getting the van in, but with a bit of maneuvering (accompanied by a significant increase in stress level) Brian managed it. Just as we were leveling I heard a hiss. The rear tyre of the Beast was deflating at a rapid rate. Bugger! We had travelled 18,776 km without a puncture until this point, which I thought was bloody good. Brian, on the other hand, was really, REALLY unimpressed - you could say grumpy even. Oh dear! Not only that, but when he tried to get the compressor running it wouldn't work. I got him a big, cold drink (dehydration makes one grumpy), did all the setting up of the van and made him a yummy sandwich and cuppa while he changed the tyre then fixed the compressor.

 
                                                            Not a happy traveler

Once settled in and nerves soothed by a rest and a read we went for a walk on the beach in front of the van. What a fantastic place! James was in seventh heaven with his own slice of beach to play on. We drove back to the store and once again our lady was right - four bars on Brian's mobile (none for my Optus phone) and a lovely bar to relax at. We continued along the road to Alligator Point, one of the three residential pockets that make up Stanage - and the location of the local tyre repairer. Excellent! We did a bit of a tour of the point which consists of a couple of bluffs that jut out into the sea. Stunning scenery! We were back at camp by 5 pm so I lit a fire and had a great night.

The Bush Turkeys were around the van during the early hours. It sounded like someone walking under the windows, which were wide open, as were the curtains. Our camp site was very private so no need for blinds day or night. Aside from bird noises the only other sounds were those of the sea. Willy Weather had the temperature range for the week ahead at 13 - 26 degrees daily - so fairly mild nights and beautiful days. It really was an idyllic spot - the sort of space we could stay for weeks. The limiting factor is water. The nearest point to top up is over 100 km back along the dirt to Kunwarrara, the closest town on the Bruce Hwy. We had 190 litres total when we arrived - maybe a couple of week's worth with measured use.

   

Stanage sits at the tip of a peninsula that juts out into the Coral Sea, pretty much half way (as the crow flies), between Mackay and Rockhampton. Broad Sound to the West sits between it and the mainland, while Shoalwater Bay lies to the East. Quail Island is only a kilometer or two off-shore to the North-west, so the Western side of the point, which is where we were camped, was quite sheltered.

Monday was spent walking on the beach, fishing from the rocks out in front of our camp, exploring the tracks through the bush behind the van, reading and a couple of visits to the Plumtree Store. The store was only a ten minute walk back past the boat ramp and with a bit of work action happening for Brian we propped there in the morning and again late in the afternoon. We were pleasantly surprised to be charged only $7.80 for a large glass of chardonnay and a stubbie of VB, which we sipped on in the alfresco bar area as we fired up our laptops and Brian made calls. Maybe it was Happy Hour. It was certainly cheap.

                                                 Bar area is left under the purple awning

Another delightful night in front of a roaring fire looking out over the water illuminated by the moonlight completed a very relaxing day.

Brian needed to make contact with Piper in the USA so we drove up to the Plumtree Store just after 9am. Tuesday. When we got there we realised the network was not activated until 10, so we headed on to Alligator Point to drop the tyre off. There was a bloke in a house there that did puncture repairs. He wandered out and told Brian to pick it up before dinner. (Did that mean lunch time or tea time....we weren't sure). He did add that he would be fishing for the rest of the week so it had to be collected today.

We continued on to the bluff and walked the steep climb to the top. What a magnificent view! With the tide way out the rocky reefs extended out from the multiple headlands. The golden sandy bays curved between them lapped by the shimmering blue ocean. Spectacular rock formations jutted out against a backdrop of islands. It's quite possibly the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

Network coverage on the bluff was enough to get messages but not enough to call out. We went back to the store but the signal there was also weak. Brian ended up using the public phone to make his call.

On the turn of the high tide mid-afternoon we went fishing on the reef out in front of our camp. It was a great day to don togs and soak up the sun with a line dangling. As I cast my first line a seal surfaced only a few meters away. I was disappointed that it then disappeared totally. We fished from a few different spots on the rocks and while we had lots of nibbles we didn't pull anything in. James got quite bored and fell asleep on the rocky conglomerate which looked like part of an ancient lava flow.

Before fire time we went back to the store and got full reception, so we both did computer time while sipping on drinks. The lady who runs the store is a bit of a grouch. She never smiles and is really abrupt when chooses to communicate - which is not often. I asked if we could plug our computers into the power supply at the bar and pay for usage. I got a blunt "No - then everyone will expect it". That may be the case if anyone else was there, but clearly Mrs. Grumblebum has scared everyone off. Given it was a lovely day, a great bar with water views, cheap bar prices, plenty of people living or camping within walking distance and 5.30 in the afternoon you would think there would be more customers than just us. Silly old cow!

Wednesday, August 14 - Five months on the road and it couldn't be better. The lifestyle is totally addictive. I wonder at what point one or the other of us will have had enough. It won't happen while we spend time at places like Stanage.

James and I walked along the beach to the boat ramp, then up the road to the store around 11am. Brian drove there to get online to work. There is a Memorial Park adjacent to the main camping area that commemorates the landing of Captain Cook at Stanage in 1770. He named the bay Thirsty Sound as he couldn't find fresh water in the area. There are several large rocks set in a garden in the park that have plaques engraved with the names of some of the notable locals who have died. Across the road at the front of Stanage Bay Marine (the only business in town other than Plumtree Store) there is another memorial stone. That one has two plaques: Merv Ireland, born 1950, died 2003 and Trinity James Ireland, born 1990, died 2004, aged 14 years and 11 months. I thought it must have been father and son who both died young, only months apart. I later found out Trinity was a dog. It was still sad.

Brian had a few aircraft deals on the go which was great for business but a bit of an interruption to our day. After he'd tended to umpteen calls and emails we headed off to the tip to dump our rubbish, then on to Alligator Point to climb the bluff and soak in the magnificent view yet again. We figure if we walk up it every day our flagging fitness will improve. The next thing on our to-do list for the day was 'wood'. We had burned all that we'd collected on the way into Stanage on Sunday, so needed to fill the back of the Beast with another load. We only had to drive about 8 km back along the dirt road before we found heaps of lovely dry stuff. We filled the Beast with as much as we could get in - hopefully enough for 3 or 4 fires.

After lunch we walked up the beach to a channel that runs between a sandy beach and a line of mangroves to throw a couple of lines in. It was about 60 meters wide and appeared quite deep in the middle. We knew there were some decent fish in it because one frightened the heck out of me. I was standing in calf deep water when this 60 cm fish came racing toward me. I thought it was a small shark and jumped backward with a shriek. Brian said it was chasing another fish, but I reckon it had it's eye on my leg! We both had heaps of strikes and some really big bites, but the only thing we caught was a toad fish.

We made our usual late afternoon pilgrimage back to the store, firing up phone and computers over a couple of drinks. By 6 we were back at camp, sitting in front of a roaring fire and watching the tide come in. Bliss!

Thursday, Brian decided it was time to take the tinnie off the Beast. Our land-based fishing was not delivering results and the barman at the pub the afternoon before had convinced him it would be worthwhile. Everyone was apparently catching plenty. There were certainly heaps of boats going out each day - though most of them MUCH bigger than ours. Stanage is all about fishing. There are several commercial fishing enterprises based in the town and most of the 50 or so houses in the area have a big boat shed beside them.

While Brian was playing boats James and I went for a walk on the beach. We were a few days away from a full moon and the low tides were getting lower and lower. The sand bars extended way out into the bay exposing all sorts of interesting things including a strange object which at first I couldn't identify. On close examination I discovered it was the back shell of a turtle. It was quite pretty, so I picked it up to take back to camp. As we continued out over the sandbars the lady from the next camp walked toward us. She had been fishing a little further up the beach. We stopped to introduce ourselves and have a chat. Her name was Noelene. Most people called her Noel. "Funny about that, I'm called Noel too". She and her husband David were also traveling Oz and had just come from Yeppoon where they stayed at Coolwaters. David was back at camp taking his tinnie off the car. Coincidences hey! We agreed we would catch up for a drink one evening.

Before we could go out fishing Brian had to get up to the store and do some work. That was not a particularly successful exercise. The coverage was patchy to say the least and it took ages to get even a bit of work done. He gave up and we went into Stanage Marine to look at crab pots. They were $60 each, which was more than we were prepared to pay. The very helpful lady pretty much talked us out of it anyway by saying it would be a better option to spend $20 kg on mud crabs caught by the local fishos. By the time we got back to camp the wind had come up and we decided against putting the boat in. The tide had just started to turn so we went up to the channel instead and threw our lines in. The number of bites was amazing, but all we did was feed the fish. The little blighters took bait, after bait, after bait. In the end we ran out, so went back to the van for a late lunch.

Brian still had calls to make so we pulled the bikes off the back of the van, dusted off the thick layers of red dirt and went for a ride back up to Plumtree. The reception was a little better than the morning so after a ride around town we dropped the bikes at camp and drove back with laptops and Ipads. Once again connection was patchy. It will be a shame if it doesn't improve as we'll have to leave. Brian has stuff that has to be tended to. Bugger!

James had an early walk on the beach Friday morning. He was going to be left in the van while we went out in the tinnie. Half way through the walk he started hobbling. Burrs - bugger! They were everywhere he had long hair -  his chin, eyes, ears, feet and legs were a total matted clump. It took ages to untangle the hair strands from each burr. I must have sat on the beach with him for close to an hour getting them out, one by one.

We had the boat in the water by 9. The tide was on it's way out and Thirsty Sound looked relatively calm. We headed across to Quail Island to check out a big, two story house that sits atop a hill overlooking the Sound to Stanage. Apparently the house belongs to the owners of the island. The water once away from shore was surprisingly lumpy and when we moved beyond the protection afforded by the point, the wind was quite strong. The tinnie in rivers is good, but we're both big chickens when it comes to open water and waves. We motored slowly back to the shelter of the point and fished for a couple of hours, catching two undersized Bream.

Stanage started to get busy Friday afternoon. I guess locals from Rockhampton and Marlborough come for a weekend of fishing. The sites throughout both camping areas filled up with vans and tents, but fortunately no-one tried to squeeze in beside us, so we retained our privacy. When we went up to the store to do emails and calls (unsuccessfully) there were cars arriving with boats - presumably owners of holiday houses.

Brian had a couple of emails he really HAD to send, but just couldn't get on line at the store. In desperation he made a long pole using the broomstick and his fire poker, attached his Iphone to it, stood on the front tub of the van and stretched his arm up to get maximum height. You wouldn't believe it but they actually sent. Excellent!

Before bed we went for a walk up to Plumtree to check out the nightlife and there actually was some. At least 20 people were in the Crab Pot Bar.

The tide was high when we got up Saturday, so I threw a line in right in front of our camp before breakfast. It wasn't long before I had a couple of nibbles and then a big hit which left me baitless and fishless. I raced back to the van to re-bait, at which point in time Brian suggested I remove two of the three sinkers (the line was rigged for deep water fishing from the boat). He said if I got a snag we'd lose all of them. I assured him I wouldn't get a snag. When I arrived back a few minutes later with no line I explained I hadn't lost the sinkers. I knew exactly where they were and would retrieve them at low tide. My explanation was met with some skepticism until an hour or two later when I plucked them from between some rocks. That was lucky 'cos I'm not good at eating humble pie.

Later in the morning we went up to the store, got great coverage, made phone calls, did emails, got gas and fueled up for generator, boat and Beast. We were out of wood so picked up a load from the side of the road 8 km south of town before heading down to Alligator Point. The low tide meant we could walk along the beach, around one of the points to the next bay. It was lucky we had our walking boots on - it was really rugged. The variation in the rock colors and formations was amazing, set off by the fine, white sand between outcrops. James had a ball clambering from rock to rock, wading through the warm rockpools and bounding along the sand. He loves the freedom he has at Stanage. There are no rules, no leads, no crocodiles. Excellent!

On the way back to camp we dropped into the house where the local mud crab man lives. He was a lovely bloke and we chatted for ages about traveling Australia. He had a dozen or so muddies of various sizes. He apologized for the price of $25 kg, explaining that supply is short and city restaurants are paying $65 kg. In season he sells to locals for $10 per kg. Bugger! We chose a big one from the boxes they were stored in, claws tied and kept moist and cool with sea water soaked hessian. He weighed just over 2 kg. We then got stepped through the cooking process:

Step 1: Using fresh, clean sea water make an ice slurry and pop the crab in to slow down his metabolism, or alternatively, put him in the freezer till there's no movement. Be careful of the nippers, he might still have a go!

Step 2: Boil fresh, clean sea water and pop him in. It is important to get the water back up to boiling as quickly as possible.

Step 3: Boil for 16 - 18 minutes.

Step 4: Remove and chill him in a sea water ice slurry. You need to chill him as quickly as possible to stop the cooking process.

Step 5: Peel the central triangular flap on his belly back toward his rear  and, if carefully done, it will remove the entire top shell as well.

Step 6: Roll up your sleeves and prepare to get get dirty. Knives and forks don't work - only fingers do!

Back at camp we wrapped him in a sea water soaked towel and put his box under the van. Then we realised we had a problem. He was too wide for our biggest pot - the camp oven. We mulled over options and decided our portable fire pit would work. Brian took it down to the water and gave it a big scrub out, then lit a roaring fire. I made bread. Around 5ish our neighbours, David and Noel came over to enjoy a chat and drinks by the fire. They come from Tocumwal and both work at the golf club, so we shared golf, Murray and travel stories. When they left the bread went into the camp oven and into a pit of coals by the fire. Then Brian nestled the round metal fire pit on top of the big bed of hot coals that the fire had burned down to, and filled it with sea water. It worked a treat.

Our dinner of mud crab accompanied by fresh, camp oven  bread and a garlic butter dipping sauce was delicious!

Yeppoon - Byfield National Park - Great Keppel Island, QUEENSLAND

Sunday morning (August 4th) we met up with Scott, Nat, Isla and Halle at Farnborough General Store, a few kilometers North of Yeppoon . They had invited their friends, Bettina and Jamie and their two daughters to join us for a drive and picnic. We left around 10am to travel in a three car convoy to Byfield National Park. The aim was some serious 4-wheel driving.

Brian had taken the boat off the Beast and pulled the generator out of the back storage box to reduce weight. We knew the track through the sand dunes to Five Rocks and Nine Mile Beach was rated as difficult, a drive we would not have undertaken alone. It was our first experience true 'off-roading' in the Beast, and while we had no doubt he would handle the rough going we were feeling a lot more comfortable in company. We were glad Jamie was with us. He was a local and very familiar with the area and the road conditions. He led the convoy in his Toyota Hilux, followed by Scott, Nat, Isla and Halle in their Nissan Patrol. We took rear guard in our Mazda BT50, aka The Beast, the purpose being (according to Brian) to act as the Toyota and Nissan recovery vehicle if required.
 
It was 28 kilometers to Five Rocks from Waterpark Creek, which is where the bitumen ended. The first section of track was very pot-holey dirt, graduating to increasingly soft, deep sand. We all stopped and let down our tyres to around 20psi. The narrow track weaved through the dense forest in thick sand. The Beast didn't miss a beat. It was a pretty rough ride but heaps of fun, though James, who was not supposed  to be on board (no dogs allowed in the park), was less than impressed with all the lurching and heaving.

                                                             "Are we there yet......?"

The trickiest part of the drive was up over a large, very soft sand dune on the narrow, one lane track. Jamie gunned the Hilux up the hill only to call back on the radio to tell us to stay put. There were two cars stuck behind a Jeep that had bogged near the top. Fortunately there was a second track at that section for vehicles travelling in the opposite direction. We all managed to by-pass the Jeep by going up the alternate route full bore so as not to suffer the same fate. What a hoot. We eventually arrived at the Five Rocks lookout about an hour after hitting the dirt. We had all managed the outbound journey unscathed.

The view from the top of the high, rocky promontory where the track ended was simply stunning. To the North It overlooked several beautiful bays and the five rocky outcrops that give Five Rocks its name. To the South was the expansive beach known as Nine Mile with views over a huge sand blow and all the way back to Yeppoon. To the East the ocean was dotted with islands and prawning trawlers while to the West there were spectacular forested mountains.

                                 Isla, Nat, Halle & Brian with Nine Mile in the background

                                                                    Five Rocks

We decided to head down to Nine Mile Beach for lunch. Once again Jamie led the charge through kilometers of narrow, winding, sandy tracks. We would have been totally lost without his guidance. We drove out onto the hard sand of the beautiful wide beach. The tide was way out and there were lots of other vehicles on the beach, but given it went for miles (presumably nine), we were able to set up near a waterfall and creek with no-one around us. The kids had an absolute ball. James got to escape from the car, we enjoyed the stunning weather and location, along with some well-deserved drinkies, and had a lovely picnic.

                                                 Scott and the girls at the waterfall

           
                                                             Mother and son    

     
The return trip to the bitumen was just as exciting and fortunately, without mishap. What a fantastic day! By the time we got back to the van at around 4pm our friends, Jo and Doc had arrived and had their van set up beside ours. We lit a fire and kicked back to enjoy a great evening.

Monday we caught up with our Melbourne mate, Greg. He was in Rockhampton for a couple of days on business. Some reckon he has the best job in the world. He sells Airvans and has to fly around Australia doing demos for potential customers. What a bugger eh! We left Yeppoon around midday after the normal morning of chores, work, coffee and a walk for James, who was not given the option of joining us. It was only 40 minutes or so drive down to Rocky. After picking Greg up at the Rockhampton Aero Club we headed into the CBD to find an eating spot on the Fitzroy River. We decided on the Heritage Hotel. It had outdoor seating opposite the river so we could enjoy the beautiful Queensland weather. The hotel itself was lovely inside, with big windows that opened out onto the footpath. I love that! We enjoyed a good lunch, a glass of wine (not for Greg - he had to fly later in the day), and a long chat. It was really nice to catch up with a friend from home.

It was close to 4pm by the time we got back to the van. James was very happy to see us. I took him for a long walk on one of the bush tracks that form part of the 150 acre Coolwaters park. I was surprised at how remote it felt. Several tracks meandered through the dense scrub and after walking for a while I started to wonder if I would ever find my way back to the van. There were fine spider webs across the trail and I was constantly walking into them - yuk! We came across a lovely little stream and a wooden footbridge. It lead to a place called 'The Chapel'. It was a little glade with a small pulpit-type thing made of stone and several semi-circles of roughly hewn seating benches facing it. Not far beyond, the track led out of the bush, so we weren't lost at all. Excellent!

The Beast was booked in for its 20,000 km service at 8.30 Tuesday in Rocky, so we were up and out early. After a walk to the beautiful Causeway Lake that backs onto Coolwaters, James spent another day - home alone. We had five hours to kill while waiting for the service, so after breaky and a bit of shopping nearby, we walked to Kershaw Gardens. We had driven by them the day before and they looked magnificent. They were! Stretching for a kilometer or so, the network of pathways meandered through beautifully landscaped gardens and shady lawned areas with a variety of features dotted throughout. The standout of these was the waterfall and rock escarpment - apparently inspired by the unique natural features of Carnarvon Gorge and Blackdown Tablelands located inland from Rockhampton.

                                      View of The Causeway Lake from the caravan park
                                         
Brian's long-time friend and resident of Rocky, Leslie, met us at Kershaw and entertained us with tales of her experiences in some of her flying jobs in Australia and various other parts of the world. A spirited 72 year old with a wicked sense of humour, she still works full time flying out of Rocky. After a walk through the length of the park we sat and enjoyed the waterfalls, the beautiful weather and the vibrant company.

It was getting on for 3pm by the time we arrived back at the van. James got lots of well-deserved cuddles and a walk. Scott, Nat and the kids came over for dinner - fish and chips by the fire. Jo and Doc joined us as did a neighbouring couple, Julie and Rob with their cute Schnauzer, Holly. Isla and Halle had a lesson from me on blogging.....I hope you enjoyed their contribution to our blog!

Wednesday was fantastic. Scott took us out to Great Keppel Island in his boat.

In perfect weather we headed out of Rosslyn Harbour around 11am in his 470F Haines Hunter half cabin. The sea outside the harbour was fairly rough and the bow bounced and slapped as we covered the 15 km across to the island. James sat on my knee in the back seat and despite all my reassurances he was a shivering, blithering mess until the noise and violent lurching stopped. I fully expected him to deliver a technicolour yawn, but fortunately he didn't. I would hate him to have done that in Scott's beautiful boat. I loved the ride over and the views out to the island as we approached.

Great Keppel is the largest of the eighteen islands in the Keppel Group and covers an area of more than 14.5 km². It is quite hilly and mostly composed of natural bushland. There are 17 pristine, white sandy beaches, coral reefs and stunning crystal clear, blue waters. Since the Resort went belly up a few years ago it has become fairly quiet. There is some accommodation and a ferry service, but it isn't very commercialized. Scott said he has never seen many people there. That was nice for us!

We anchored close into the beach and went for a walk along the fine, squeaky sand. James' recovery was instantaneous. He bounded along, racing into the water as it lapped the shore. Doggy heaven.....and Noellie heaven too! The tide was going out and Scott couldn't leave the boat, so we didn't stay too long on the beach. Also, we did need to fish. We cruised around to the South end of the island, past rocky headlands and more beautiful beaches, till we found a likely spot. Scott dropped the anchor, baited a line and threw it in. It had hardly sunk to the bottom before he had a bite and pulled in a Spotted Cod. It was a bit small so went back. We fished for a couple of hours in several different spots but only managed to hook another small Cod. No fish for dinner....bugger!

The wind came up in the afternoon so the ride back to the Capricorn Coast was much bumpier. Scott and Brian standing at the bow end got really thrown around, while I clung tightly to James in the back as he tried to escape my knee and hurl himself into the sea. It must have seemed a reasonable option to him at the time. He did survive however...and without throwing up. Excellent. Once again, I loved it. For me bumpy equals good fun.

                                         Heading back into the marina at Rosslyn Harbour

When we arrived at Yeppoon on July 31st. our plan was to stay a week. It just wasn't long enough. We extended two days, then another two days - so Sunday ended up the proposed departure day. I wondered if that would happen. It is such a beautiful place we could stay forever.

After 8 days of socializing we needed a quiet day on Thursday. We had a very leisurely start and by mid-morning were ready for a wander on the beach opposite the caravan park. It was another typical Capricorn Coast winter's day - warm and sunny - just lovely. The tide was going out and the sun glistened on the water as several fishermen cast their lines from the shore.

Next a drive to Emu Park, 8km South and a photo shoot at the Singing Ship. The sculpture sits atop a headland set against the spectacular coastal vista. Built in honour of Captain James Cook to commemorate his visit to the area in 1770, the monument produces a musical sound as the sea breeze blows through the flutes pipes.

We did a tour of the area starting with a wander through the idyllic seaside village then a drive to check out the local real estate, the golf course, the private airstrip and the next town South, Zilzie. The entire 30 km coastal strip from Farnborough Beach through to Zilzie with its beautiful beaches, rocky headlands, azure waters and views out over the islands is simply stunning. So far on our travels around Oz it ranks as number one on the 'livability scale'.

Back at Coolwaters we were visited by one of the locals - a meter long Monitor. Around 5 pm Rob came over and invited us to Happy Hour at his and Julie's van. We sat and chatted for an hour or so with them and some other neighbours, Harvey and Trish. They had a poodle named Grace with them, James sat with us and of course Holly the host Schnauzer made up the party of nine. It was a lovely evening.

After a coffee with Scott and Nat on the Esplanade at Yeppoon Friday morning we headed off to golf. Having played the front nine at the public course the previous Friday, we decided to do the back nine to give us a complete round.

The weather, as usual, was perfect. We had a great game, Scott beating Brian by five strokes and me coming in with a few more - bugger! I really wanted to win. Next time we visit Yeppoon we'll play one of the courses at the Capricorn Resort. Nat works there and can get us a good deal. We spent an hour or so at the nineteenth. What a decadent life!

Brian had a fair bit of work on so he spent the afternoon on the phone and laptop. James and I went for an hour-long brisk walk along the Scenic Highway toward Emu Park. The views along the ocean-side stretch of road were lovely.

Our day ended with a family dinner at the pub. Nice eh!

Saturday was our last day at Yeppoon. We spent pretty much the whole day doing chores and re-stocking our supplies. First thing Sunday we were planning to head North to Stanage.

We went around to Nat and Scott's place for a farewell dinner, where we were treated to a fashion show. Isla and Halle dressed James up in a series of costumes, parading him in front of us after each change. It was hilarious! I'm not too sure he saw the funny side, though he did love his parting gift - a 'tug of war' rope made by Halle - with the assistance of the rest of the family.

It was a great night and lovely way to end our stay in Yeppoon.