My favourite beach is Chinamans, just down the road, just a quick drive and park right at the beach. Provided the tide is not too high, it's a delightful walk, and before 730 in the morning, deserted.
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| One set of feet out, and the same ones back. Chinamans Beach, Agnes Water |
Or if you are early and can take the time to sit and play with your camera, you can amuse yourself trying to get the sun through the waves as they crash upon the rocks
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| Chinamans Beach, Agnes Water Qld |
But it's not all beaches, one other little spot is the Reedy Creek paperbark forest walk The first year we saw this, 2016, there was a heap of water which made the stepping stones fun. Since then it's been dry, not bone dry obviously or it all would dead, especially the wild maiden hair ferns that are climbing all over everything.
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| The stepping stones are still fun, even if a misstep isn't going to end in a great photo. paperbark walk,. Agnes Water Qld |
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| Judy in one of her favourite places, Reedy Creek Paperbark forest trail, Agnes Water Qld |
Apart from walking along the beach, or swimming in the ocean, there's a range of coffee shops a short walk away (provided you desperately need a change from the excellent Holiday Cafe in the van park itself). As a diversion this year, to satisfy my need to collect Parkrun Tourist kudos, and because the nearest one to Agnes Water is in Bundaberg some 125km away, we went into town on Friday night and stayed at a motel, chosen as being close to the said Parkrun and described as 'the best in town'. Later, while checking for the location of Parkrun, we discovered that there are two in Bundaberg, the one near us and the other at Bargara Beach, Bundaberg's closest beach, about 12km to the east. After an inspection of the nearby track, we went over the Bargara Beach, which also happens to be the site of the main caravan park and the best cafes, and had a look at their track.
Sorry lovely Bundy Parkrun people, it's a no brainer: runs three times around a gravel / dirt / grass / hilly, confusing track in an uninspiring scrubby park, or run one lap out along the esplanade path toward the north, turn around, come back and go the same sort of distance out the other way with the ocean and views to one side, on nice proper paths and boardwalks, enjoying the sea-breeze and scenery? Our only gripe was that if we had been more thorough in our search, we would have stayed in one of the several hotels overlooking the ocean and beaches.....
Highlight of our big night out was the 2-day charity craft extravaganza held in the Bundaberg community centre. As its was for a good cause I tagged along and spent a half hour or so as we wandered past stall after stall of the same stuff: candles, essential oils, knitted this, crocheted that, ad infinitum (it's a big hall). One thing that amused me was that all the stall holders must have been to the same two courses: one to teach them how to open up a sales pitch: 'oh what a lovely dress / handbag / husband' and the other was obviously macrame, as they all had some, the theme this year was door curtains, similar in style to the lurid blue plastic one we had in our first flat in Hornsby. And of course every conceivable accessory for your pampered pooch, a must have at any show/ market.
We went in search of dinner, and after being left speechless while stopped at the red light when one of the local hoons drove past at highspeed using the right-turn only lane to pass us and drove straight through the red light, we settled for the 'Spotted Dog' tavern, just over the railway tracks from our motel. (Did I mention the many trains that all blast their horn at the crossing, or the groaning loo plumbing?) The Spotted Dog appears to be an exercise in eat-in fast-food. Its busy, packed actually, and your food arrives before you've sat down and cleared away the moment you put your cutlery side-by-side on your plate. It had zero atmosphere in its lurid green plastic interior and the obvious intention was to get you out and another punter in as soon as possible.
Back at our own little piece of paradise, we shouted ourselves to dinner at the 1770 hotel for Fathers' Day, where we have eaten before, but this time it was not so good: Expensive (note the capital 'E') and in the case of the barramundi, almost in need of a second helping to get a feed. Very disappointing.
Undeterred, and mainly because its such a lovely place, we went back to the pub the next night to drink wine on the balcony bar and watch the sunset.
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| Sunset. Town of 1770, Qld |
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| Sunset. Town of 1770, Qld |
Fortunately for us, the van park has adopted a new 'grace' policy, which means you can keep your spot for the next year even if you won't be there. But only the once. The upshot is that 2021 is booked, yeah, can't wait.
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