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Published: January 10th 2010
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The first day of 2010 dawned beautiful and sultry as every other day so far. Unfortunately the New Years day races idea failed to materialise (we would have to wait patiently 3 weeks more until Australia day on January 26th 2010 to wear our fascinators and zinced noses!).
So with some leftover fatigue and food from the night before, I enthusiastically mustered up a modest crew of 2 and we headed for a picnic down by the creek at Plantation park. As you can tell the wildlife is remarkably large, and tame at that such that Olly’s bigger cousin from Billabong sanctuary would allow us to ‘ride’ him, if we could capture him to start with. Adulthood is just another phase of childhood after all, is that not what Sigmund Freud would say???
In fact he evidently said…….
“What a distressing contrast there is between the radiant intelligence of the child and the feeble mentality of the average adult” (Sigmund Freud)
Or from Einstein……….
“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed”
Here here.
So, after a hot luncheon and dipping toes
in the rising Burdekin river, we retired and no doubt slept and relaxed, contemplating that new years resolution that may not quite get off the ground, depending on your gut intentions!
Another productive week at work over, and little random contact with stalker man, I felt the need to get out of town. Cabin fever had truly set in and who knows when the rivers will rise! Bowen, about 100km away, is in the Northern Whitsunday region. Touted as the mango capital (Ayr would surely be a close 2nd!!) of Queensland and boasting an improved esplanade and ‘award winning’ beaches, I expected this utopia of Whitehaven beach proportions. The award winners stood proud (Queens, Rose, Murray), but I was only impressed with the petite Horseshoe Bay (almost an identikit of Alma bay, Magnetic Island) and the coastal walkway that passes World war one relics and incredible views out to the Coral Sea.
The fire of late 2009 left it’s scars on the land, with some foliage only just regenerating. A few joggers and hikers were also out and climbing Mother Beddock, and I felt at one with the hills again - oh give me hills any day! This
town was also the home of filming for ‘Australia - the movie’ and gave quite a run down on how the transformation took place along with WW2 history and long standing shipping of coal. Alas, unimpressed with the backpackers and dead quiet and tidal town centre I planned to stay in, I made it a day outing with a late finish.
On which I state word of warning - contrary to previous experiences by bike and vehicle, QLD drivers are mad. Returning to Ayr, this guy raced me on the right side of the road (double lines mean nothing!) in facing an oncoming fully laden 2 trailer truck. I honked, thinking he may not have been aware, following which he raced and intimidated me to pull left to the shoulder of the road. He then passed and slammed on the anchors, slowing me down, and pulling hard left before racing back in the other direction. Perhaps they were high on ‘P’, or it was recompense for nearly hitting a wallaby who was so blinded by the headlights that stopping was the only way to allow them time to bounce on off into the snake embellished shrubbery 5 km before
this occurrence. One thing for sure, an evening picnic at Queens Bay 100km from Ayr after a nice evening swim will not be my agenda again.
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