Rockhampton to Agnes Water Qld 27 Aug 2107

Finally, we had to leave the Big4 Adventure Airlie Beach and head down to Rockhampton. We weren't looking forward to this drive as apart from Mackay, about 140 km from Airlie Beach, there’s not much else on this 480km run down the coast. First there is Sarina, which is 20km south of Mackay, but its too soon to stop and we don't need fuel yet. So we push on through a raft of places that are not on the map and barely exist in the flesh; they are mostly off the road toward the coast. 

Last year we stopped at Camila for fuel and a cuppa, but forwent it this time and pushed on. After 300km I was starting to get a bit weary and hungry, so the signs for an up coming roadhouse looked enticing, but, it was closed and has been replaced with two self-help pumps attached to a container which I suppose holds the tanks. We didn't stop and headed for St Lawrence 20km further on, except it’s 6km off the road and once you get there its not a much to look at. It had a campground on the outskirts, which was surprising full, and a tired and mostly dead-looking swimming pool and toilets on the other side of town. We parked under a tree and had a drink and rest. We did one lap of the one street and were impressed by just how run down building could be and still be used, such as the pub, which might have once been a shearing shed or some other farm type building.

Back on the road we headed for Marlborough which itself is off the road somewhere, but did have a fuel stop, so we did just that, stopped and fuelled, the car, not us, we could wait until Rockhampton rolled around.

Which it did in due course, just 6 hours or so after we left Airlie Beach. I have to say, having reread previous things I’ve said about this trip that today was fairly pleasant by comparison; not one roadwork to be seen almost no traffic, probably because it’s Sunday.

I had another look at our dodgy van brakes, and finally found the broken wire that just had to be there; right in the exact middle of the van and hidden behind the chassis member. I tossed the connector away and soldered the three wires together, let’s hope that helps things in the braking department.

A park on the south side of Rockhampton, right near the van park. Rockhampton Qld

No rush to get going this morning, but soon enough we are back out on the Bruce and right into roadworks! The traffic was heavy as can be and we crawled along. We resigned ourselves to a long day to cover the 200 odd kilometres and just drove with the flow. Surprisingly, the roadworks only went for about 20km, but the traffic got worse if anything. The problem turned out to be this pair of clowns taking a load of new caravans from the recent show in Rockhampton back to wherever they had come from. One was a truck with van on the tray and another hooked on the back, the second vehicle was another smaller truck towing a medium sized van, but they were doing 80kph flat out except up the hills, and they left exactly no space between them. Needless to say, the string of six other caravanners behind them had no chance to overtake and the few cars showed no inclination either.

Finally I let it rip up one of the overtaking lanes, no more Mr Nice Guy and letting cars passed - we finally got clear of these two idiots and frankly they should be ashamed of themselves. Later on even their mates from the show were talking about them on the radio...

Anyhow, we turned off and stopped for a cuppa at Miriamvale as does everyone, before heading down to Agnes Water proper. We were a bit nervous about what to expect, even though you book, you never know. But or fears were unfounded and here we are settled in. *Sigh* It's tough, but someone has to do it.

Our spot. Agnes Water, Qld