Judy & Brian Tour Oz

  Mt Larcum Qld Saturday 27 August 2022 (375km) Another random pick for overnighting. Mt Larcom is tiny with only 300 odd residents. The  town is located in the bend of the Bruce, as its makes its way around a hill, not Mt Larcom, which is in the distance. This might be the oddest park we’ve been in. It has three tiers up the side of the hill. Instead of backing in next to a slab, you sidle in longways next to a narrow slab. We were on the top, third tier and it’s good job the slab in front of us was, and stayed, empty as its a really weird way to park a van. And the toilets are of course right down the bottom on the flat, two sets of dodgy stairs away in the dead of night. Nice to be high up and have a view, even if it is of the might Bruce and the continuous stream of traffic. Each slab, and every cabin, had the $45 table and two chairs from Bunnings. Odd, but a nice touch. Just in case you wondered, Mt Larcom was named bu Matthew Flinders as he sailed up the coast in 180...

Sarina Qld Friday 26 August 2022 (225km) Just for the record, the roadworks stared at Bowen and ran for at least 50km, all posted at 60 kph whether they had started any actual work or not. Sarina was picked out as an overnighter on our way back down the coast, but the town is close enough to Mackay for me to go in and do a Parkrun. I've done this one before and its quite pleasant as it follows the lagoon round and through the Botanical Gardens. Not that you’ve go time to stop and admire, still trying to get back under 40 minutes. Made it in 42 mins flat, so its not so bad. After Parkrun (which starts at 7am in Qld) we normally find ourselves looking for breakfast before we drive back to our van. This time we ended up back in Sarina, the only place open for food was the restaurant at the Motel, which proved to be quite good. Sarina also has a lovely heritage precinct that includes museum and a Sugar Shed, which is attached to the very much operational sugar mills. They run tour...

Bowen Qld Sunday 21 August 2022 435km Longish trip today, but each year the Bruce gets a bit more done to it and the drive gets a bit easier. As mentioned on the way up, the section through Townsville is pretty awful despite being a new superhighway, basically top speed 80kmh, lots and lots of traffic, and it lasts for 40km. We had stopped for coffee at Ingham, where as luck would have it, a big long parking spot was available right outside Maccas. We took a break at Ayr and found a lovely park one street back from the highway. We had sandwiches and cold drinks for lunch and a bit of a rest before heading out on the last leg to Bowen. The wind had sprung up by now and was pushing me about a bit, which apart from making the drive a lot more demanding, it was using up fuel at an alarming rate. We were down to the 80km warning sign and 60km to go when out of the blue, in the middle of nowhere, a service station popped up. Naturally we pulled in and topped up. Surprise! Cheapest fuel ...

  South Mission Beach Qld Tuesday 16 Aug 2022 Back on our own and back on the road. Strolled does to South Mission beach where we lucked into a good spot in the van park. Lots of roadworks between Cairns and Innisfail, but should be really good when they are done. Had to restock the van after its 10 days stay in the parking-lot and as I forgot to leave the fridge door open, there was a big mouldy mess to clean up as well. Not to worry, all good now and settled into the beach lifestyle. South Mission Beach Qld South Mission Beach Qld Drove up to town, Mission Beach proper, and it seems more deserted than ever. Had a coffee in a place on the corner that has live music rock and roll and blues. The lady assured us that there was an ‘international star’ coming through tomorrow and that we should book. So we did. We’ll see how that pans out!   The Blues Bar and Cafe panned out pretty well actually. The lady’s name was Millie Marx and she was a one woman show, in that she play...

  Cairns Qld Monday 15 August 2022 Up early, fed and ready to hit the tour at 7am, we all trooped don to the wharf to wait for the big ferry to take us to Horn Island. Horn Island was offering a guided tour of WWII gun emplacements and slit trenches and a museum. All the handiwork of Vanessa over a 27 year period. Horn Island is also where the airport is and a big bird to take us to Cairns, which as the day wore on, beckoned ever so strongly. And so we waited and waited. Word finally came that the big ferry hadn’t even left and didn’t look like it was ever going to anytime soon. This is Monday and a pile of people need to get to and from TI and Horn island, but hey, who cares? Fortunately the Outback Spirit credit card ruled the day and that Yellow School bus was hired to take us and anyone else who could cram on. At Horn, Vanessa and her bus finally turned up and took us to a hotel, which also houses her museum. After she fiddled about a bit we were off on our tour. We saw a ...

  Thursday Island Qld Sunday 14 August 2002 We departed at 7am from Bamaga, Seisia actually, on a private charter of the ferry, because, like most things here, it doesn’t normally open or work on Sunday. Departure lounge at Seisia Qld Free camp. Seisia Qld  We landed at Thursday Island and boarded a small bus, complete with tour guide. The bags were taken by ute the few hundred metres to the oldest (and possibly the only accommodation) hotel on TI (as its known) the Jardine Hotel.  That's it. That is Thursday Island Qld Thursday Island Qld Thursday Island Qld They had made a great song-and-dance out of this tour, so here we go. Now, TI is only the size of a large postage stamp, and came into existence in 1867 after the failure of Somerset Bay. It is the centre of Government administration for the Torres Strait Island and houses som 50 Government departments, although it is hard to see where except for a few fairly run-down looking buildings. Anyhow, The Tour. Straight...

  Bamaga - and "The Tip" - Qld Friday 12 Aug 2022 (2 nights) Friday   Left Moreton by 8am and headed up to Bramwell Junction. This is where you have to decide to either take the Old Telegraph track to Bamaga and run the very high risk of losing everything or at least doing major and very expensive damage, or the safe way, the south section bypass. We went with safe, although the road is so rough in places you wonder how the truck is going to stay in one piece.  Bramwell Junction. Cape York Qld Number Plate Tree. Bramwell Junction. Cape York Qld Decide to walk the Old Telegraph Track? Probably better than driving. Bramwell Junction. Cape York Qld We stopped at Camp 84, the site where Kennedy left 3 of his expedition, after one accidentally shot himself, to wait for his return while he and Jacky Jacky made a break for the tip. Only Jacky Jacky, Kennedy’s native guide and tracker, made it to the tip where the good ship Areil was waiting to rescue them. None of the ...