Cape Hillsborough (6 - 7 May)

---

We set off from Rockhampton on our 400 km or so trip up to Cape Hillsborough National Park, situated on the coast about 50 km north of Mackay. We wondered how we would go as we had not done such a long leg for ages. However, we started listening to 'The Key to Rhondo' by Emily Rodda on spoken word and time flew by. We stopped for lunch at Clairview, a small coastal village located midway along our route. We heated up our Bratwurst (smoked German) sausages that we had bought back in Maryborough and some onion on the BBQ, which we ate with sauce and mustard in a roll. The Clairview Community Centre is located at the rest stop and we bought some more jars of home made chutney and relishes there, an unexpected but pleasant find.

We camped at Smalleys Beach in Cape Hillsborough National Park with Annelies and Thomas spending the rest of the afternoon making sand sculptures and clay mud balls.

On Thursday we drove out to the Cape where we did the 2.5 km reasonably steep walk to Andrews Point. We also did the short Mangrove Boardwalk on the way there. Back at Smalleys Creek, Annelies and Thomas made a 'waterway' (or 'mini creeks') in the sand, which was being filled by the water at low tide. It was peaceful being camped just near the shore, with water lapping on the shore with the evening incoming tide lulling us to sleep.

On Friday we headed north to Townsville.

---