Rockhampton - Hervey Bay

So we left Airlie Beach the next morning and headed out towards our next stop which was Rockhampton. The landscape is still quite 'mountainous' with many many sugar cane fields. So much farm land here. Also Pineapple and Banana plantations. The weather was cloudy and sunny and we ran into a couple heavy rain storms, thankfully they were brief.
We went to a mall in Rockhampton and spent an uneventful evening recounting our wonderful experience at Reefworld.

sunset at Rockhampton


The next morning we headed off to Hervey Bay..




feeding the turtles at Hervey Bay Big 4



Beach at Hervey Bay


Now we are off to Gold Coast in the morning. We are stopping at Steve Irwin's - Australia Zoo - in Beerwah on the way.  Thanks for following xoxo

FantaSea Reefworld

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We got up at 6:00ish and got ourselves ready to go. We only had a cup of tea because we knew we'd be having 'tea' on the boat.... We caught the bus and headed off to Shute Harbour. We got on the fast cat and headed out for Hamilton Island first, and then out to Hardy Reef - Reefworld. The wind was up and the water was pretty rough going the 25 minutes to Hamilton Island... We then set off out between Hook Island and Hamilton Island and had our tea and toast...
Now, we left the relative shelter of the islands and started east towards the great beyond, commonly known as the Great Barrier Reef. It started with some high rollers and it was almost a bit fun at first.... Then it started to get just downright ugly.... Seriously...... The waves were around 10 - 15 feet high.... Honestly...... Mark stayed out on the back of the boat for the first hour or so and I was inside, on the top level, near the front, and the barf fest began.... Good Grief Charlie Brown!!!!!!! Barfarama!!!!!!!!!  I had to look either outside at the crashing 10 foot waves and hold on tight for the next crash of the boat against the waves, or look to my side or front or rear and listen and see numerous people heaving their breakfast that they shouldn't have had as we were all warned about the wave height situation.. We both took the anti-seasickness pills.... They worked really well... Only about 30 of the 130 on the boat were puking.... It was pretty bad...

rough seas to Reefworld

people snorkelling within the guide ropes on Hardy Reef

FantaSea Reefworld floating complex


Anyway, after another hour and a half, we finally reached the sanctuary of Reefworld... Tucked in between two reefs like the banks of a river.
We signed up the for the scuba dive lessons and I was really afraid... We got off the boat and headed right into the lessons. We had to gear up with stinger suits, wet suits, buoyancy compensation vest and tank and weight belt.... I could hardly stand up.... lol... seriously.... Then down to the ("moon pool" a platform on the under side of the reef world floating complex It is a grated submerged platform sitting in 4 feet of water with an access point to the depths beyond.) we went for our lessons.... I was $%^&&ing my pants..... We did the lessons and went under the moon pool and I knew I was doomed. I was close to panic and I knew I could not finish the dive... The guided tried to calm me down and he helped me go through all the lessons and then brought me down to the guide rope underneath Reefworld and left me there to get Mark and the two Chinese girls organized for their dive..... As I hung out on the rope, I was slowly going into a state of panic..... I decided to look around before I bailed on the whole thing... What I saw was truly surreal... And we weren't allowed a camera on this 'introductory dive'.... I saw Jackfish stacked up in rows just like a funnel formation or a staircase.... It was absolutely incredible... And then a Grouper or two happen by and make it even more wonderful... The backdrop was a wall of creamy white that made the fish even more surreal.. I don't think my words can justify how incredibly beautiful it all was.... Then the guide showed up and I gave him the signal that I couldn't do it anymore and he took me back to the moon pool and continued on with the rest of the group....  Mark did the dive and I saw him underneath me after I headed back up on deck and decided to go snorkelling on the ropes they provided. It was so cool..... I am so proud of Mark for being able to do the dive... I know we'll try it again... I just need more then 7 minutes in rushed instructions before I can do it again..
   When Mark was done his dive, we found each other and snorkelled on the reef itself which was only about 3 - 4 feet deep and it was so awesome... All sorts of fish were coming up to us and checking us out and we saw all sorts of fish that anyone would see on tv when they show reefs. It was truly a special and incredible experience.. Totally dude!!!!

Susan snorkelling on Hardy Reef

Parrot Fish on the reef -  so beautiful!!

various corals on the reef
 

?? fish swimming with the snorkellers just off the swim grid on Reefworld

Mark on the reef getting his picture taken with Nemo.. See the little fellow near the top of the anemone?

Airlie Beach

The drive down to Airlie Beach from Townsville this morning was brutal..... The winds were ridiculous and we were all over our lane trying to keep it straight.... Mark did a great job and got us here safely though...... Lucky for him!!  lol.....
The landscape was again sugar cane fields.... Mountains and sugar cane dominate the land up here.... Must be big money.....

Airlie Beach is a small town we guess... We don't know for sure because the caravan park is about 5kms out of town and we haven't gone into see what is there.... We won't know until tomorrow/Friday when we get picked up and go on our way to our Great Barrier Reef snorkel tour.... They are picking us up at 6:55am outside the park and then it's 2 1/2 hours on the fast cat out to the reef... It's called the Great Barrier Reef Experience, FantaSea Reefworld (look it up) is where we are going, to Hardy Reef... No worries cuz the waves are apparently only going to be 3 1/2 metres high tomorrow until we get into the reef itself..... gulp!!!!! Good thing I don't get sea sick.. I'll just barf here at the motor home first thing in the morning and then I'll be right as rain for the crossing... ha ha ha.... gulp!!!!!
Anyway, that's the scoop for now...
Thanks for following...
xoxoxo

Townsville Qld

So we left Cairns and all it's beauty..... The road is winding and a bit hilly as it's in a mountain landscape... We were quite surprised about all the mountains up here.... Lot's of sugar cane farms.... Lots.... Banana plantations and sugar cane dominate this end of the country... The weather is still very very hot...

Banana plantation

Sugar Cane field

Fantastic... It's wearing on our nerves a bit and we/me are starting to tire from the burden of it all..... Mark does most of the driving... He loves it and has almost mastered the art of starting from a stop in first gear.... ha ha ha..... It's quite true........ lol
So now we find ourselves in Townsville...... We weren't sure if we liked it or not until we got downtown and then to The Strand.... The street right on the ocean.... It's very nice and one could live here as well as in Cairns...  We spent the first afternoon walking the beach walkway and wondering at the beauty of the ocean and the culture of this city...

 Leaving the fast cat ferry terminal.

 On our way from Townsville to Maggie..

 The mountain in Townsville, from the backside of our hotel.

 The fast cat that took us from Townsville to Maggie..

Looking back at Townsville from a beach on Maggie....

The next day we went to Magnetic Island, (look it up)... Absolutely brilliant!!!! We weren't too sure what we were going to do all day on this island as we boarded the ferry this morning... Once we got there and picked up our Moke, pronounced Moke, we drove along the narrow roads and just started enjoying the day and the island and the beaches and especially the water.... It was the most fantastic day, and our first in the Coral Sea... We swam at Horseshoe Bay, Alma Bay, and Picnic Bay... There were stinger nets out in two of the bays and we abandoned all regard and went with the locals and thoroughly enjoyed the waves at Alma Bay like a couple of kids... Laughing and giggling like a couple of teenagers. Too much fun!!!

Mark in the Moke on Maggie

Susan enjoying the waters in Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island

Stinger advisory at Alma Bay on Magnetic Island... total fun... regardless!!


Townsville was so much more than we had expected.... It was a first class town and we loved it... Maggie is well worth seeing and the weather was so fantastic!!!
Tomorrow, Thursday, we head off for Airlie Beach Qld where we will be snorkelling or diving off the Whitsunday Islands on Friday, look it up....
Thanks for following... xoxo

Hartley's crocodile adventure farm

    45 minutes north of Cairns lies Hartley bay. There is a crocodile farm there worth the trip. They have a large property with a good zoo like set up. We did the walk through of the zoo area and did a boat ride in a crocodile filled swamp. pictures may do it justice.

Croc

Cassowary

Green Tree Python

Cutest Koala ever

holding a year old Caiman

on the crocodile cruise

Cairns

 Cairns, or Cahns, or Kens.... you choose.....
We made our way up the coast past Townsville and headed for Cairns. We weren't sure what to expect when we got there but were really pleasantly surprised when we pulled into the Cairns Coconut Holiday Park.. It had everything!!! So beautiful.... Exotic palms, spotless amenities, bike rentals, convenience shop, pools galore, well, 2 of them anyway.... Everything to keep the kids happy, and thank goodness, it was Easter weekend and the park was full of kids... And I mean full!! We were blown away at how beautiful this park was... Gorgeous!!! We initially were going to stay two nights but it was so nice that we decided to stay a third night just to take in the full relaxation of it all.... And to hopefully have a day without so many kids, on Monday..... It was great....
                                                                                   




kids water park at Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort

One of the Big Kids

Our motor home in our site
 

Infestation of Green Ants

 The caretaker is spraying them, they have a very nasty bite. But not poisonous.

The pool for grown ups.... and big kids

A fruit bat that landed in a palm tree right next to our motor home... They are so beautiful.

This was taken at the Hartley Crocodile Adventure Farm - Kookaburra - such a beautiful bird.


On Sunday we took the free shuttle from the park downtown to walk around and see the sites..... I have to say that if I could choose a town to live in, Cairns would be on the top of the list... Beautiful city.... Well laid out and very classy... It's a tourist town but that would not take away from the beauty of it if the tourists stopped showing up. They can't swim in the harbour as it is shite and full of stingers most of the year... They have ingeniously built this water park for the townspeople to enjoy,,, Words can't really describe how truly awesome it is...

Water park in downtown Cairns

view from the boardwalk around the park

messy harbour area in Cairns


The next day we went to Hartley's Crocodile Adventure Park about 60kms north of Cairns.....Amazing....

Charters Towers

We left Mt Isa and headed east towards our first pit stop of the day, Cloncurry. The sun was shining of course and it was hot. The countryside is more hilly and rocky in this are. I suppose that's why they have a mine here. Here are some of the things we saw along the way...

Lots of road trains.

What a long and winding road, without the winding part!!!! The road less travelled.. The worst road on our trek so far... Holy Hanna Banana..... From Cloncurry to Hughenden, about 150 klicks, it was the most boingy boingy boingy road and we almost trashed the entire motorhome... ridiculous!!! Raised culverts over flood prone farm land, like hitting a series of speed bumps at 120kms. Batten down the hatches, cuz Susie's behind the wheel!! lol, Mark said to put that in.... brat!!!  It was awful... Mark got whiplash while sleeping and his head snapped forward when I hit one of the raised culverts at a speed not conducive to the conditions of the road... Sorry!!!!  lol... Anyway, we eventually arrived in Charters Towers with a couple of screws loose, which we will repair as soon as we can... yikes!

smoother part of the road

The weather is still really awesome and it's still about 34 - 37 each day...

And now, for the next in the series, "Did I Mention It Was Dark Out?".

  So, we arrive in CT around dinner time. It has been a grueling day on the road and we are both pretty much bagged... We decide to have dinner and then just chill for the night. In and around that time, we remembered that we hadn't dumped the "black water" tank (chemical toilet). So we said we'd do it after dinner, when it was dark, when no one could see us and identify the 2 crazy Canadians hauling a bucket full of,,,,, ummmmm, down the road to the dump point......... Oh ya, did I mention it was dark?  So we finished dinner and decided to dump the tank... Off we go.... It was dark, Mark had a headlamp on and I had mine shut off... Not sure why I even wore the darn thing.... doh!  Anyway....... we're walking down the road in between camp sites and we are gawking left and right at the wide array of various styles of camping units they have down here... Now I'm pretty sure by now I've mentioned it was dark, so, as we are walking and minding our own business, I happen to look straight ahead of me and see a stick on the ground about 6 feet ahead of me..... Just at that moment, Mark turns his head in the forward direction, and there in the middle of the bloody road, isn't a stick.... It's not even a dead skunk in the middle of the road... It's a three foot Carpet Python!!!!!  Minding his own business..... Well.... It became a Mexican standoff pretty quick...lol.... (I wasn't laughing at the time).... So we all three of us just stopped... I think we all figured that if nobody moved, then nobody got hurt.... lol.... The snake was the bravest in the end because he eventually started to slither across the road into the bushes and we just stood there and watched in awe.... He was beautiful... Totally harmless, to us..... We didn't know that at the time..... But he was a gorgeous looking snake.... That's our story and we are sticking to it...
Ok, so now we've dumped the tank and are sitting quietly enjoying the evening and all of a sudden the sky started to fill with Flying Foxes, Fruit Bats, hundreds and hundreds of them... Going from their forest   roosts where they sleep all day, to the palm trees where they feed. It was such an awe inspiring sight..... We have never witnessed anything so cool like that before... Awesome!!!
The next morning, we left for Cairns...

Fruit Bat highlighted by the moon....