We pack up this morning with rain threatening, and are ready to leave before 8:00am [ office opening hour for return of Toilet block keys – $20.00 Deposit paid], so off to town for a coffee.
Tony & Michael return after 8:00am to hand over keys and get refund. They note that the park manager had approx 6 keys returned by early leavers, through the slot, without having to provide refunds…..not a bad cash income lurk.
We head off to Townsville some 3 hours away and pass a cassowary wandering just outside the thick rainforest edge. Further on we pass the the unique Licuana palms, as we encounter some passing showers.
Tully [Home of the big Gum-Boot] is by-passed and we come to the town of Cardwell which was close to the centre of Cyclone Yazi’s impact on the coast. There is BIG Mud Crab on display. As we head south we turn into the Port of Hinchinbrook…..a suburb of very flash houses backing onto canals, along with expensive boats parked out back or at the marina. Hinchinbrook Island is just off the coast.
Outside Cardwell the highway passes though some Pine forests remnants on either side of the road……the 30 – 40 feet high trees have either been snapped in half or have been totally shredded of any foliage by Cyclone Yazi.
We stop for a break at Ingham and another coffee……We pass the hotel which had first the poem and then the song …”Pub with no beer” written. This related to an incident when troops on their way north in WW11, called in on a hot day and drank the pub dry, much to the angst of the locals.
We pass wetlands, with many waterlilies in flower, along with ducks, herons and brolgas outside Ingham. The countryside is very easy on the eye.
We arrive in Townsville around midday and check in to Rydges or as our GPS has it to Rudges!!!! Townsville, like all the towns on the way, is rather quite with nothing open due to the Public Holiday in Qld. We come to understand why the locals up on the Cassowary Coast, where it is so green, call Townsville – “Brownsville”….it is much drier looking as it is in a rain shadow area.
Following this we all wander around the nearby food places in Palmer Street, we find some lunch which in most cases is over filling. Tony then off for the usual [nano nap] and Dot & Michael take a walk around parts of the nearby entertainment precinct to check out options for the next couple of days.
Very light tea for all then back to rooms by 7:00pm for a cup of tea and some reading and blog work!!
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