292 kms @ 15.9 litres/100kms and 340 kms @16.1 litres/100kms
From Cairns we followed the ‘Cassowary Coast’ (still no sight of any cassowaries) along the Bruce Highway part of Highway 1, stopped off for lunch at the pretty esplanade in Cardwell and then free-camped overnight at Toomulla Beach. Jan asked two kids who were fishing with a line and a net what they had caught. ‘Nothin’’ the young lad replied. Jan then asked, ‘What were you trying to catch?’ ‘Everythin’’ was the reply as they waded up the tidal river with big bucket in tow.
The next day we passed through historic Townsville, Queensland’s oldest town still blessed with lovely old buildings in the main street, before having lunch at Bowen, where there was a big powerboat festival at the waterfront. Bowen’s most recent claim to fame is that much of the film ‘Australia’ was filmed in the town. They also served yummy frozen mangoes at the Information Centre, where you can sit and enjoy the view of the giant mango. Onto Airlie Beach to Flametree Park on the outskirts of town. Apart from a period in the afternoon when very noisy helicopters and planes were landing and taking off, and the accompanying pungent smell of aviation fuel hung in the air, we were pleased with the spacious shady site we nabbed as we hadn’t booked and this was the height of the tourist season. Always look at the half-empty glass as half-full!
We walked around pretty Airlie Beach as dusk approached and enjoyed the natural beauty of the place, ignoring the many in-your-face tourist businesses that lined the main street and apartments that scarred the lovely hillside. We ended the night with a tasty seafood laksa and coral trout dinner at Shipwrecked restaurant with beautiful sea views across to the beach.
Before we left Arlie Beach, we stopped in and chatted with Gabrielle at Queensland Yacht Charters to dream about our next adventure – cruising through the Whitsundays.
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