DAY 4 | It was stime to leave Airlie Beach with no idea where our next stop would be, just heading North! the landscape has definitely changed and there is the rise of the tropical feeling. Our first stop was Bowen, home of the big Mango. Actually there were a few big mangoes around the town. Bowen is a retty two surrounded by some beautiful beaches. There is a great lookout, Flagstaff Hill but it is still a victim of Cyclone Debbie. When down at the surrounding beaches we stopped at Horseshoe Bay. This is a great little stop for a quick walk up to the lookout through the boulders and then a pause for lunch with a view.
After lunch we headed north again and finally came to a stop at Ayr staying at the Cascade Caravan Park, swagging it again! We have a general rule when travelling with no plan, pulll up by 2pm and kick up the feet. The fantastic things about camping is all the peopleyou meet and the stories you share. Ayr is definitely a sugar cane town and it is the crushing season so there are lots of people around town.
D A Y 5 | This morning we woke to smoke everywhere! After a bit of enquiry we found out it is from the burning of the cane. It creates a haze everywhere. Before we left Ayr we had a little look around. There are beautiful buildings and it is quite a busy town, obviously due to the cane crushing season. So it was back on the Bruce and north we went again with the cane fields leading the way! It was not far to our next destination, Townsville. We arrived early enough to spend the day exploring Townsville. This is Anthony’s first time here. First stop was to have a coffee at Juliette’s on The Strand, I love this coffee shop. After here we went for a walk down Flinders Street. This seems to be a place in transition. There is like a growing up occurring in the city. There are some beautiful buildings and the introduction of some funky laneways like City Lane. Next stop was Castle Hill to look at Townsville from the top. This is a great Lookout to get a good perspective of the city. We could see the construction of the Townsville 500 racetrack for next weekend. We are property viewers, so we then went for a drive along the streets on the cliff side to see the amazing homes! It was then time to check into Rowe’s Bay Holiday Park...we have opted for a cabin here firstly, as we are here for a few days and secondly, the weather is not great, very overcast with rain on the way! For the arvo we went for a 5k walk along the waterfront. Again another great walk with lots to look at on the foreshore. A great day checking out Townsville.