THURSDAY 14 MAY   TORQUAY TO ROCKHAMPTON   412kms

We had a very calm and uneventful final pack and departure.

Drove back to Howard, on the Bruce Highway, and then north. On to the next adventure! Had two refreshment breaks at roadside rest stops/picnic areas.

We did not find this a very spectacular part of the country – scrub, timbered country, cattle grazing mostly. There were some sugar cane areas and occasionally some ranges in the distance.

Rockhampton seems a pleasant enough city, though we will not be exploring it this time through.

We booked into the Southside Caravan Park. This Top Tourist park was easy to find. Our night here only cost $14.40. We were able to leave Truck and van hitched up, which was a bonus, on a grassed site.

We had not been there long when we were visited by some hopeful geese. They left unrewarded.

We took the bikes off their rack and cycled to the Botanical Gardens. These looked very attractive, but we did not have much time to dawdle there – another time. Cycled around some of the “posh” parts of South Rockhampton. It was only a short ride of 3kms, as dusk was not far off.

The caravan park is next to railway lines. We are amazed at the huge volume of railway traffic up here – it is great to see train transport being used. Enormously long coal trains go by at regular intervals, as well there were a number of general goods trains and even some passenger ones. This all made for interesting watching, as we sat outside the van. But it was rather noisy at night! Basically, there was a train going past every ten minutes or so! But that did not interfere with our sleep!

I made fried rice for tea.
We have now towed the van just over 4000kms. It does get easier!!