I’ll pick you up in the Rolls

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Blog Day 1009

The Alarm rudely went off at 4.00am and I shot out of bed, I had had the most god awful nights sleep and I was glad to get up and be out of bed, you know those nights when you felt you have just been so busy instead of peaceful sleep.

Caroline had packed most of our stuff into a single case, all our travelling has taught us, how to pack light, no fuss, no bother, me a single pair of trusted hiking boots and a pair of thongs, a couple of pairs of shorts and a couple of tee shirts, Tooth brush for one, bits and pieces and bobs your uncle.

Caroline’s packing arrangements are similar but very slightly more complicated.

We decided to book a cab to the airport from home, hell $45 bucks each way, just possibly outweighs the parking cost, of leaving the truck for a week.

The Taxi dropped us off at the airport at 05.15, I needed to pick up a book for my week of relaxing, whilst Caroline, months in advance, had a book ready to read.

We are both lucky enough to be Qantas club members (through our work) so we headed up to the Qantas club lounge for a complimentary breakfast, and a read of their newspapers. The lounge is significantly quieter on Saturday mornings than the usual hubbub of a weekday.

Our first flight “Hop” was Canberra to Brisbane, then Brisbane to Townsville, where we waited an hour before catching the 12.55 to Maggie (Magnetic Island).

We are in Northern Queensland, at about the 2 O’clock position on the clock face, and Magnetic Island is just a short ferry ride away.

We needed a holiday, Caroline more than me, I think as she has had a fight her way back to full health, after her appendicitis, what with that and being ridiculously busy at work, she found out yesterday (Friday) that she had had a bought of glandular fever, and was deficient in Vitamin D (Sun Light) and Iron, and never knew about it, apart from feeling rough generally.

So our little holiday break could not come quick enough. We were looking at Cradle Mountain in Tasmania, but Caroline needed the sunshine, thus our trip up north.

Me having been on Christmas Island for the last month, really did feel like my own private holiday, don’t get any fancy idea’s I work my backside off when I’m there but It’s just a beautiful place, which I love.

Anyway, the plane touches down in Townsville, we get in to the baggage arrival hall and collect our single case, which is Caroline’s great big pink Roxy bag that you just cannot fail to see, when all the luggage is going around on the Carousel.

We grab the bag, then stock up on some cash from the ATM, then go and grab a cab from the rank to take us to the ferry terminal.

As we drive we see places we recognise from when we were last in town nearly two years ago, The Strand, Juliette’s the great ice cream place and Castle Hill, I even bet Caroline can remember the Massive and I say Massive hang over she had when we were both here last, she has only just started to drink red wine again.

We get to the ferry it is only about ten minutes Taxi ride, we pay the fare and go into the terminal.

Two tickets to Magnetic Island were $58.00dollars return, which is not too bad, we arrived at 11.35, just missing a ferry and we will have to wait until 12.55 for the next one, so we grab a stop of lunch. Lunch was welcome considering our day started so early and we only had snacks on the flight which was not really sustaining.

The day was beautiful and warm, we sat outside in the shade and watched the small boats and the world go by.

Soon the ferry terminal was awash with people (a lot of back packers!) all waiting to go over to M.I, some Sealink employee’s opened the passenger gate and the hordes all hop on the ferry.

It was exactly 12.55 when the ferry pulled out, bang on time, and we cruised at harbour speed for 5 minutes passing massive ships, being loaded and unloaded from other parts of the globe.

We passed one huge ship that was just been nudged in to position by two tiny tugs, which have immense power.

Into open water the throttles were pushed forwards and the ferry was at maximum speed and within 10 minutes was slowing down as we approached our “Holiday” destination.

When the ferry had come to a full stop, the walkway was lowered and everyone disembarked, it was about 20 past 1 and so warm and lovely, the warmth of the sun immediately making a difference to general well being.

Within minutes the hordes of people vanished and we sat and waited for a taxi to take us to our hotel, Magnetic Island resort.

A taxi turned up, it was a Toyota Hiace, minibus, and it put 1 person in and said he would be back in 15 Minutes-why? If M.I was supposed to be “going so green” why didn’t they fill it full of people and drop them off like a bus does?

Anyway as we sat in the shade at the Taxi rank, a Green Rolls Royce rounded the corner and stopped, to collect four travellers, in gold letters it said Arcadia Resort, and we realised it was their courtesy car, we laughed our socks off as it looked so out of place here.

I am no Rolls Royce expert, nor interested in cars really, but I reckon this was an early 1970’s Silver Shadow, the paint work was shabby with the Lacquer peeling off it. It had a huge dent in the back and it was probably running about a 7 litre engine. (very eco friendly). I guess there are not that many Rolls Royce dealers on Magnetic Island!

What made us chuckle though was, and we are only imagining this, when the travellers made their booking, the hotel people said, “Just wait at the ferry terminal and we will collect you in the Rolls.

As the car passed us we were hysterical with laughter.

Another Taxi (Minibus) pulled up, we told him were we were staying and jumped in, someone else asked if he could share the cab, so he piled in as well.

We were dropped off at our destination, and the check in process was well underway.

The lady was very pleasant, possibly over the top, but hey, she asked us if we were here for a special occasion and we said it was our 21st Wedding Anniversary, which she congratulated us on. “I need more than congratulating on that madam, a medal would not go amiss.”

The lady said that we don’t look old enough to be married for 21 years, but I tell her we were married when we were both 12 years old.

We wander off to our room, I haven’t seen a Koala yet, “why?” I ask Caroline, “you promised me Koala’s.”

All in good time she tells me, “Good Time” is not my time, “My Time” is now.

We get in our room, it is cosy, though a little bit dated, we do not care, we are away from the stresses of work and the phones, we are together, and it is sunny and warm. The whole plan, is to rest our tired bodies, read and settle our souls.

I would honestly say that our lives are busier than our old lives back home, in the UK.

I know it is unsustainable, but it won’t be for ever. We can tell you that our journey has been truly amazing, and sadly at this point in time we have only told you 2/3rds of it.

We throw our bags in side and both fall sleep on the bed, Caroline never does this, she is not an afternoon napper like me, so it’s an indicator to me just how tired she is.

We wake to a tapping on the window, and we look outside, it’s a Bush Stone Curlew, tapping on the window, maybe it is tapping at is reflection, it is amusing to watch, as we open the net curtains, and look at it, it seems embarrassed, and walks away.

The “over the top lady” told us about the bird feeding at 5.30pm on the veranda by the bar, it’s not to be missed she told us.

We shower and get ready for dinner, we have booked a table at the resort as we know we did not want to go too far, as it would be early to bed for us, after such an early start.

Slipping my feet in to my thongs, we head up to the Veranda at 5.30, and Jesus, it’s like an Avery, so may Rainbow Lorikeets sitting on ledges, all chirping that they want some food, Blue Winged Kookaburra’s sit nonchalantly on their Steel column, a little way off pretending not to care as they always do, but as soon as the lady took some strips of steak and waved them around, the Kookaburra’s took off like missiles and head for their prize.

With the strips of steak in their beaks, the Kookaburras bashed it on the walls where they were sitting just to make sure it was dead, it’s so comical to watch.

A white bellied sea eagle swooped in for its strip of meat and its quite incredible how accurate these creatures are, they fly in so fast, grab and go, without any hesitation, thank god I am not a mouse, when you see them descend, with their talons extended, it’s quite a sight.

Caroline in busily clicking away with her camera, it’s great to see her enjoying this time to relax again. While she is busy clicking away I wander into the bar and grab a drink for the both of us, I know what she will want, a long G&T.

We were impressed with the bird feeding it was fun, and great to see all the birds, what we find even more amazing is with all the people there, the Stone Bush Curlews, just wander in and out of the people as if it just an everyday occurrence, they are not fazed by the people at all, yet out in the wild these birds could not be any more shy if they tried.

I ask the lady how long the birds have been coming to be fed, and she tells me over 30 Years, these are the latest generations of birds that have been coming for years and years.

We finish our drinks and go and get our table for dinner, its great to be here with CWT (Caroline) just to have time to talk and enjoy our dinner together.

The dinner was superb, nothing too fancy, but really good, our eyes are hanging out of our heads and its only 8.00pm.

We wander back to our room and slide in to bed, there is no such time as getting into bed to early, if you’re tired, you’re tired and that’s it.

We both get our books out and give them some time, certainly until I cannot read any longer, I surrender, put my book down and turn my light off, and within minutes Caroline does the same.

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Photos

Home James....
... and don't spare the horses!

Waiting for Maggie Ferry
Blogging to help pass the time away

Ferry to Maggie
20 minutes to paradise!

Bye bye Townsville...
.... see you in a week!

Inbound Rainbow Lorikeet
... getting ready for feeding time.

Bush Stone Curlew
... shy bird, but happy to stick around for feeding

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Another great blog
I always enjoy the bird pictures. We laughed at your Rolls Story. Glad you got some needed rest. Keep blogging

[kangaroojack]

Thanks
Hi Both, Thanks for your comment, it was nice to have a break and tiptap again, feeling rejuvinated about the blog. Andy