Mission Beach to Townsville

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Mission Beach to Townsville
Mission Beach is one of the few areas where the Wet Tropics meet the Great Barrier Reef. The reef is closer to the beach here than further north. Dunk Island is close and we could easterly see it from the beach.
Mission Beach was where important signatories made it their mission to save the reef.
A pleasant walk out on the beach in the light rain and we pushed on to Townsville at 0900hrs, odometer 95578, temperature 20 degrees Celsius. We needed to get to Townsville in good timeso to get the car computer problem repaired.
We travelled the Cassowary Coast which in a banana growing hub and centre of of the ultra-tropical fruit industry, growing mangoes, lychees, rambutans, guanabana and now cocoa.
On route we saw a cassowary hen and her chick near the roadside. Our first stop was Tully. At 0950hrs. Home of the iconic 'golden gumboot' The 7.9metre Gumboot sculpture the measurement of rainfall in 1950. The Tully region known for it's monsoon tropical wet season. Today no exception with light drizzling rain.
At Yabulu we fuelled up, cost $1.23 cents per litre
A bakery morning tea stop at Cardwell, the stepping off point for Hinchbrook Island, the largest island National Park in the Southern Hemisphere.
We visited the very interesting Cardwell information centre exhibit where we learnt about the region.
On going car troubles and we eventually made it to Townsville.
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland. It is in the dry tropics region, adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef

Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast with a 2014 population estimate of 180,000.
On arrival we set up in the Lakes caravan park and the Land Drover specialist unable to see us until 1700hrs now, we drove up the Castle Hill lookout and checked out 'The Strand' drive along the beach. temperature 25 degrees celsius. Nice views of Magnetic Island, which is a large mountainous island and popular tourist attraction, 8 km from Townsville's foreshore.
The kids and myself back at camp, Peter took the car to the workshop. We had a small ensuite rating of 7/10, which was at least private. A Take away Red Rooster dinner.
The Land Drover Specialist 'flashing' the computer system in the car, hopefully repairing the issue, we settled in for the night.

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