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Sorry this took a long time to put together due to one too many single malt whiskeys, all will be revealed.
On leaving Airlie Beach we decide to free camp at Home Hill - a much recommended site, we had heard so much about it. The camp site, or to be more precise, camp street, runs parallel with the Bruce Highway on one side and the railway line on the other, how peaceful! Not really anything to do after visiting the Tourist Information Centre and having a 5 minute stroll down the street, but we decided to go out for dinner at the pub across the road. After eating slightly overdone fish with chips in the hotel courtyard we retired to the bar for a swift roady. The lady chef came and sat with us and we discover that she is from Birkdale (Ricketts Rd)!! We then got chatting to the landlord and the subject of single malt whiskey came up. With that he disappeared and returned with several bottles of Johnnie Walker and offered us a glass free of charge, the bottles had been presents and he doesn’t drink it “strange”! Debby being Debby went for the most expensive, Blue
Label, where as Steve went for the 18 year old (whiskey that is).
Away from Home Hill at first light and over the Silverlink bridge (see pic) to Charters Towers. The camp site is great, just a kilometre from town, on a lovely grassy site. Quick history lesson, Charters Towers was built on gold - literally. Some say that a rich vein of gold runs beneath the town. Lots of historic buildings, museums, Old Miners Cottage where we learned how to pan for gold, an open air cinema (the films showing were not to our taste), a trip to the Pioneers Graveyard and lunch at Burdekin Weir went half way to making our stay here very enjoyable. The other half came in the form of Bill & Denise and their friends Dave & Jan. On our first evening we were invited to join them at 5pm in the camp kitchen, just 5 strides from our door. We accepted. We had planned on going to town to the Irish bar, we never made it! As we went our separate ways Bill suggested the same the following night, with the promise of some single malt whiskey to be tasted (again, another owner
of whiskey that doesn’t drink it “strange”!) At 5pm prompt, armed with bread and dips, and some wine we arrive at the camp kitchen, to be greeted by Bill armed with half a bottle of 18 year old Glenfiddich, a bottle of vodka and some fresh orange. Bill pours us all 3 fingers and we enjoy the next couple of hours chatting. Then Bill & Denise share their evening meal and the rest of the whiskey and wine is drunk. Needless to say we got lost twice on the way home………
We arrived in Townsville early on Monday morning to be greeted by cloudy rain filled skies. We had jobs to do (car oil change, collect part from Post Office to mend previously mentioned broken toilet). Exhausted from such stress we visited Molly Malones Irish bar for a glass of red wine (made up for missing out in Charters Towers…). Townsville gets a big tick. We went up Castle Hill (see pic for view), visited the very nice Palmetum (Botanical Gardens), walked The Strand (Townsville’s beachfront) and spent a day on Magnetic Island.
Magnetic Island is beautiful. We went on the foot ferry and bought a day bus pass. First
stop Horseshoe Bay. We decide to walk to Balding Bay for our picnic (well climb to be more accurate). Just before the bay Debby spots a sign that said Nude Beach written on a fallen branch in felt pen, we thought it was a joke. The first sight of the bay is a beautiful sandy beach with turquoise blue water lapping the golden sand, the second sight is of a little fat naked man in a straw hat strutting his stuff. Hey it’s been a long hilly walk and we’re not going to let one naked (oh my god no, 2 more appear from behind the rocks), ok three naked men stop us from sunbathing, swimming and having our picnic. Time for a swim, when in Balding Bay do you keep your modesty or do as the Romans do? Sorry, we’re not telling. What a great day out on a great island, a must do from us.
On our last evening we returned to Molly’s for a meal and drinks with Ian & Krissy (ex-Veolia Drivers). We had a great night out, and a great four days in Townsville.
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Nora Herbert
non-member comment
Nude
WELL did you