Townsville

 Tropical trees on Townsville sea front

Townsville harbour with Castle Hill behind

Faces of Townsville exhibition

Time for a haircut? Not yet

Airlie Beach to Townsville about 5 hours driving with great scenery. Ayr a surprisingly big town in the sugar fields with lots of shops and few eating places. Into Townsville through new houses on lakesides then into city centre which looks very 70s. (reminds Dave of Joburg and we are later told the main part of the town has moved west.

One of many helicopters over Townsville

Top tourist campsite is run by a guy from Niddrie. Fighter jests flying overhead from air base next door. Drive to Strand for a dodgy greek dinner and stroll then back to campground to be buzzed by helicopters until 11pm ish. Good morning Vietnam. When the helicopters disappear we can hear trucks on the highway next to us all night. Shocking.

Knackered we decide to leave Townsville after climbing Castle Hill. On the way Youngmi sees a campsite sign and says lets check it out. Rowles Bay. Really nice and next to the ocean and only $2 per night more than noise HQ. Walk along sea front to Seagulls Resort. An oasis like Bali. Have lunch next to a pool in beautiful gardens.

Pill box on Castle Hill

Further along the sea front to a patrolled beach. Having read that the killer jelly fish should have gone in May Dave takes the plunge. 24 degs. So nice.
Dinner at the campground with good aussie characters who talk a lot about fishun.

Rock Pool swimming pool

Beware of Killer jelly fish

Commando training

Day 2 walk along the Strand. Water park with a big tipping bucket. Library in town with free internet and Age newspapers. Lunch in Herbers Hotel with more characters from Housos. Clim up the goat track to castle hill 286m above the town and collect a free hat and t shirt. Long walk down, quick swim in Rock Pool. Try to find the theatre in the evening but arrive 30 minutes after play started. Chat to a theatre lady who has moved from Adelaide.

Ferry to Magnetic Island takes 20 mins. Decline Youngmi's suggestion of lunch in a graveyard (she didnt notice the graves at first).Walk from Nellys Bay to Arcadia is 6kms of delight. Rainforest then up onto a mountain ridge with palms and gum trees. View to Horeshoe Bay and out to sea. So thirsty when we reach the beach but a bottle of coke zero revives us. Snorkel trail doesn't look too inviting particularly as we don't have snorkels. Said to be coral and fish to be seen.

Ferry back is a good ride in the breeze. Big sugar handling facilities at Townsville docks. Drive to Dan Murphys for Friday night wine tasting, quick hungry Jacks Burger then to the riverside arts centre to watch the Crucible. 3 hours of intense theatre about the Salem with trials in 1692. Excellent and we have seats on the front row. The stage is at floor level so we are right in the action. The 300 seat theatre is full and all performances really good especially John Proctor who is eventually hanged. Youngmi said she wanted to run into the play and bash the judge as he was so stupid.

Saturday morning more sun and we are back at the arts centre as you can use the NBN for free. It seems to work well.