Here We Go Again - Chapter 25 - Mackay to Airlie Beach

Another warm to hot night. I need to reconsider the sleeping apparel as I am waking through the night needing to throw off bed clothes.

I waken to many texts on my phone after I had sent friends a recounting of the barra incident. One in particular, from the best man at my wedding to Robyn, askes why we were in waist deep waters in such crocodile infested areas. Thinking back I wonder to myself why we were, where we were, so vulnerable and so far from any form of “safety”. I suppose, I was relying on the local knowledge of my cousin is the true answer. He is very knowledgeable about matters “fishing” in these parts.

But thats behind us. Now we need to get onward, so that means another bug out. Last night we did only a basic bug in and to get ready for departure is a relatively simple task. Robyn feels stressed as I have gotten up early, gone to the beach for a look, returned, showered and done a few of the simple clean up things already. I dig out some sausages that have seemed to be in the fridge a while and throw them on. I cannot find the small fry pan, and I dont want to turn the gas on to be able to use the big one, so I dig out a suitable saucepan and throw the sausages in to cook

A picture of them and the beach hits Facebook with comments flying back and forth.

My friends on the Pyrenees, docked at Roslyn Bay or thereabouts, return fire with their breakfast snaps, but directly to my phone.

Forbsy has not made it into the park, taking extra time with his friends as much as possible. They had enough room to park his van so it became a no-brainer (and I suspect there may have been some crian cells murdered as a result of not having to drive out from there to where we were.

So its Silver Leader and I, readying vans for departure. I am way ahead of them, but only because I started ridiculously early (according to Robyn). My attention is turned to the mud (from Wallie’s farm excursion) and brake dust on the rims of the Cruiser and Van. I have purchased some cleaning fluids to attack this problem – well it was more to try and get the bull bar clean of the dirt and grime it has accumulated. The directions are spray on, wait 60 seconds, rinse off and then wipe any excess with it.

Not expecting miracles I am very surprised at the initial result, and then when I rub the rims with a cloth, all remaining stains are removed, and easily too. I like this stuff. The wheels look new again!

Out we head, south for a start and then eventually north. Sugar cane and more sugar cane is what greets us. There are from time to time areas of harvesting, the first we have seen. There are harvesters, there are trucks and trailers and eventually cane train engines to take the product to market. We have been crossing train tracks all along the highway of late and we are yet to have to stop for one. Today is no different.

For the first time we see “mid growth” cane. The grass-like plant grows so fast it seems that all we ever see is ploughed land or matured sugar cane. It’s not the case of course in reality, but perception sometimes leads to incorrect assumptions. Sugar can because it is like a grass, grows again after harvest. Speaking to some growers, seven to eight times before replanting is required. Darryl spoke of a farm he worked on growing a different strain that was able to re0-generate some 25 times before they had to replace it.

All of a sudden, midday along our trip the cane disappears and we are left with large savannah-like paddocks with cattle in them. The cane soon returns which suggests the soil in that particular area must have been substandard in some way. 

Just into Proserpine we turn right towards our destination, and soon the township of Airlie Beach presents itself. Its a bustling haven of shops, marinas and dwellings. Ours, and Silver Leaders GPS appear lost, and to add insult to injury the brake alert is back annoying us.

We head down a street towards the water (but we are still some 5 kilometres from our goal). Silver Leader shrieks on the radio that we better chuck a U Turn around this roundabout lest we have wet feet. As soon as the U Turn is made the GPS starts making sense again. A blocked off roundabout in the town centre skew whiffed the GPS and we are soon heading out of town, further east. 

We stop alongside the airport at the entrance to the van park. It take some time to register and I catch up on some calls before we look to set up. This park is compact. Compact is not a word you really want to hear with a long van on the back. Both Silver Leader and I struggle to back the vans into their designated sites. We might set up chairs and sell tickets for wehen Forbsy arrives later and attempts to slot his van between the 2 of ours.

Once in, the set up is a breeze. For an eco-friendly van park there is an awful lot of concrete. For us, it makes parking and set up much easier. The front of the van though needs  both blocks of wood under the jockey wheel to have even close to the right amount of height to keep the van level, lest we bonk our heads on the bed head all night as gravity takes over.

There were lots of messages that come up on the internal screen during the drive and now its time to return some calls. There are lots of issues to deal with and with a little bit of time, they are dealt with in a timely manner.

Time to explore. Forbsy won’t be in the park until after about 4.00 so we are only four as we head back into Airlie Beach. First we check out the sailing club at the marina. Here we watch a person back a massive trimaran across the  boat area and down the boat ramp. Done to perfection, although we are worried it will drag the vehicle in with it, the job is done, the vehicle and tri-wheeled trailer parked from whenst it came, and the driver, his libation stash and crew were off.

We went off as well to check out the shopping district. We walk around the man made lagoon. We muse we might “swim” there during the week. Its a very family friendly area. We all chuckle at a sign on the life savers stand. The “Ool” is here for everyone. Notice there is no “P” in the name and please have no P in the water.

Forbsy should be wandering past shortly. It is agreed to head back to one of the many pubs (there is even one here called “The Pub”) and clap him as they go past. We find a suitable spot and order drinks, but Forbsy never comes. His GPS takes him the way we should have gone and not the trip through the centre of the town, including the roundabout now cut off. One of the bug bears of the purchase of all the Cruisers, each one has an old version of Google Maps, not even close to being up to date. Many times we have been “bush” because the GPS has no idea of new roads  being built.

Unhappy Forbsy didn’t go past we placate our disappointment with gelato. Robyn has found some Turkish Delight flavoured and she acquires me the obligatory chocolate version. There is quite some tome  before the noise of conversation continues as the ice cream is devoured.

Back at the park Forbsy has arrived and has managed to negotiate the parking. Its the birthday of his late wife who would have been 60 today, and he has a  bottle of champagne to celebrate.  Its not morbid, in fact quite a positive night over the bottle of expensive plonk. Robyn and I toast to Annette, a friend not met.

In the distance there is the sound of park entertainment for the night. Probably best heard at the distance we are hearing it. Roy Orbison, Neil Diamond and many other entertainers are murdered, I mean covered and from a distance ,  not too badly. It wont go past 8.00pm according to the park bulletin

We have a kilo of prawns for dinner. Robyn tried to acquire some seafood sauce to no avail, but I am sure they will go down well anyway. Tonight the air conditioner will keep the van cool until we go to bed and a change in bed clothes might see a better night’s sleep. My ankles are and have been quite expanded. During the foray into Airlie Beach I purchased a couple of ice packs which I will wrap around them whilst elevated prior to bed.