Road trip to the coast

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Leaving three ways road house we turn left on to the Overlander's Way, a road that links Three ways with Townsville. The distances between filling stations and places of habitation vary but tend to equal to about 200ks.The roads on this stretch of the journey can be boring and monotonous save for the occasional road kill being feasted upon by a variety of birds like crows,kites and the elusive eagle.Traffic is also light on this stretch although several road trains pass us going in the opposite direction,( road trains can be enormous often over 55 metres long with more than 56 wheels).We fill with diesel at Barkley Homestead Wayside Inn before pushing on,it pays to keep your tank as full as possible,the next filling station could be out of fuel or even closed.We continue our journey passing through Camooweal, a small town again immortalized by Slim Dusty in a song he wrote. We telephone ahead to secure a site in Mt Isa but all the caravan parks are full,there is a major rodeo in town for the week end so no place for us'We will return.We continued on to Cloncurry but not before filling up again.

The scenery is changing the further east we travel,there are now hills and long bends to negotiate and as we approach Mt Isa the huge chimneys protruding skyward remind you that you are approaching civilization and with it changing road conditions and traffic.Passing through Mt Isa we remind ourselves that we will return shortly with friends we have planned to meet in a few weeks.Following our long drive we decide to stay in Cloncurry for a couple of days and chill out.The "Curry " as Cloncurry is affectionately known to the locals has a significant place in Australia being the birthplace of the flying doctor service and the destination of the first Qantas flight.

Continuing on toward Hughenden we pass through small sparsely populated towns,Julia Creek,Nelia,Richmond, all with their own story to tell of better long gone days.We are now in Dinosaur country and over 3,000 Fossil specimens from the cretaceous period have been found in this area.Many exhibitions abound around this part of Australia and the Dinosaur trail is a well traveled trail offering the visitor many of the unique experiences only available here.Although we wandered around the town and took in the local history we gave the Dinosaur exhibitions a miss saving these for our next visit shortly with friends.Charters Towers was to be our next destination, a city built on Gold which was first discovered in 1871, at it's peak it was home to 25'000 people, it's still a thriving city with a rich cultural past and attracts visitors from all over the globe.Our final destination on this leg of our journey is only a short drive away.

We are heading for Townsville on the coast the third largest city in Queensland and a garrison town being host to both the ARMY and the RAAF. A thoughtful and well planned war memorial to those who lost their lives in past conflicts stands at one end of the strand. The city is well laid out and easy to get around with lots to see and do for the visitor,a visit to the information centre arms us with the essential brochures to help us explore this city and area.A drive up Castle hill on the edge of town gives us a 360 deg view of the city and surrounds including a glimpse of Magnetic island just of the mainland,a place we plan to visit.The strand is a 2k walkway which hugs the waterline with numerous beaches on the edge of the city,a favorite with locals and visitors alike, featuring childrens play area's, bar b q's, bars and restaurants. It's here on the strand that we watch the final flypast of the Black Hawk helicopters based here in Townsville before they are relocated to Sydney, a magnificent sight to see these much loved aircraft in fly past formation and watched by a large number of spectators,the fly past was timed for late afternoon so that school children would be out of school and able to watch with their parents.

We have settled into a caravan park about 8ks out of the city but an easy drive in.Our days are spent leisurely with trips into the city and walks along the strand stopping for an occasional beverage as we soak up the views.The beaches are pristine but sparsely populated I suppose it still is winter even though the daily temperature is in the mid 20s.Having been to the top of Castle hill for a 360deg view of the city we venture further afield and drive to Mt Stuart which rises some 584mt above sea level on top of which is a broadcasting mast and various satellite dishes.The view across the savanna toward Townsville is breathtaking and clearly outlines the many hills and mountain ranges that surround the city.A short walk around the base of the mast with illustrations on information boards introduces the variety of fauna and flora found on the mountain.The mountain is also home to mountain bike tracks many of which can be seen running along the side of the road,no bikers were on the mountain the day we visited.We varied our itinerary during our stay here between visits to the city and drives out to many of the local attractions within an easy drive of our camp site.One such day out was to Paluma a village nestled among the misty clouds at 1,000m above sea level and home to some luxurious mountain retreats as well as camp sites and log cabins for rent.The road up the mountain which is in the Mount Spec National Park is full of twists and bends and care is required while negotiating this road which has a speed limit of 40k per hr.The road offers an opportunity to see a changing variety of fauna and flora from thick vegetation to open woodland and with a hint of wet tropics,this is at the southern most tip of the tropical world heritage area.Driving up the Paluma range for about 11k we encounter Little Crystal creek an historic stone built bridge which spans Crystal creek.A favorite spot for locals and visitors to cool off on a warm day in the large waterhole fed by cascading waterfalls. Picnic tables are provided around the area and toilets facilities are nearby.Further up the mountain there are opportunities to glimpse toward the coast and catch a view of the open farmlands below.The small village offers facilities for those wishing to stay longer than a day, day visitors are also catered for with craft shops and a tea room.Walking tracks lead out of the village to various locations and vantage points ranging in length and difficulty.A peaceful place to stay awhile.On our way back to Townsville we stop at one of the many small beach hamlets dotted along this part of the coast. Bagal beach situated 5k of the main highway is a fisherman's heaven with boat access to the sea via a well constructed boat ramp.A small hamlet were life seems to centre around fishing and the fisherman's cafe' which serves light meals and drinks.A small free camp with about 20 camp sites is situation alongside the beach with a time limit of 48hrs and was full when we were there.

Several museums including a military museum, a quarantine station, Jezzine barracks,the Reef Aquarium are among the attractions open to visitors and locals to enjoy providing days of enjoyment for the whole family,open parkland with sports facilities and swimming lagoons are featured along the Ross river close to the CBD. Townsville has a lot to offer the visitor and holidaymaker and is also the gateway to Magnetic Island. We elected to visit the island on a day trip by ferry and bus.The ferry leaves Townsville at regular intervals for the 20min crossing, a vehicle ferry also has regular crossings to the island. Ferry's are met by the local bus company which offer a hop on and hop off service around the island but only on the tarmac roads there exists many more unmade roads on the island leading to hidden coves and beaches perhaps we will come back to explore these at a later date.Our day out took us to Horseshoe bay at one end of the island and to Picnic bay at the other end.Both these bays are stunning with beautiful clear water and pristine beaches.All manner of water sports are on offer from jet-ski hire to sailing and of course diving and snorkeling.With both of us recovering from viral infections we did not enter the water or engage in any strenuous activities however the day was pleasant with sunshine and a temperature in the mid 20s. The island boasts 320 days of sunshine per year with the average temp of 28.8 c and little rainfall this is a holiday island.Being mostly a national park the island has much to offer the tourist with a wide variety of pastimes available for young and the not so young.

Back on the mainland we a are privileged to witness a march past of the local army third brigade consisting of eight army units together with a fly past of helicopters marking the city of Townsville giving the battalion the freedom of entry the city, a spectacular sight to see over 1500 men and women proudly marching down the strand with bands playing as they also celebrate the forming of the brigade a hundred years ago.

Are days here are coming to an end as we prepare to move on and meet friends for a visit to interior Queensland and the famous Birdsvill pub but not before we visit the local caravan show taking place this week end.Leaving Townsville we head for Winton where we will meet up with friends who are on a short camping holiday

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Photos

Hughenden
Iconic Australian windmill

Hughenden
Sculptures of prehistoric creatures around the town remind you are now in dinosaur country

Hughenden
Tribute to the role these windmills played in the outback

Hughenden
Life size statue

As we head for the coast the scenery starts to change

Townsville
Our first glimpse of magnetic island just off the mainland

Townsville
Castle Hill

Townsville
The view from Castle hill

Townsville
A view from the top of Castle Hill

Townsville
War memorial

Townsville
Peaceful boat harbour

Townsville
You can take a joy ride on this plane around the city and local islands

Townsville
Local swimming pool and Bar b q area on the strand

Comments

[Steve McNulty]

Latest Blog
Hi Dad Hi Jackie great blog as always.. Why no photos of the black Hawks need some if you have any, why is the island called Magnetic Island come full story please. Looks great should publish a guide when you arrive back!!!! See you on skype soon i will lucy look at it later xx

[marian]

Thanks for the blog Bill, I will have to visit Townsville one day

[marian]

Thanks for the blog Bill, I will have to visit Townsville one day

[marian]

Thanks for the blog Bill, I will have to visit Townsville one day