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We woke today after a pleasant rainy night and decided to camp here an extra night in order to see the sights of Maryborough. Thursdays are market days and there is a town walk led by Mary Heritage who regales visitors with rollicking tales of the city’s past: the mid 1800’s to today. It is a town that reveres Marys since it was named after a Mary, and many Marys including Mary Poppins, whose author was born here, are registered at Proud Marys, an association for women all over the world whose name contains the name Mary. There is the Mary Train, Mary Steamboat and we even saw Mary Fairy at the market, all on the Mary River. The town hosts many galleries, memorials, public art works, museums, parks, and entertainment venues all staffed and monetarily built with donation of volunteers and town residents. For a town of 26,000 Maryborough is energetic. Pride in its history as the gateway to Australia for immigrants not convicts, plus serving as the center for forestry, commerce, engineering of trains, mining equipment and ship building continues with many people and companies working in these industries today.
4/14
Childers and Bund berg – short ride of 60km back roads and the M1 on a beautiful day. Got into Childers around 12:30, a quaint town known for a backpackers place, the Palace Hotel, which was destroyed by arson killing 23 people. The main drag has many turn-of-the-century 1900’s ornate buildings all blotted by new strip signs on the front of the walkway porches. Much to the town’s credit they have lots of art and sculpture pieces along the walks. One in particular described the early sugar cane harvesting by Polynesian slaves who were brought in from the islands to the north (Solomon Islands). The narrative read much like the experience of our slaves in the south harvesting cotton.
We rode out to the caravan park only to find it not very pleasant: red dirt parking lot for tents and a very dirty camp kitchen. We asked for our money back and found a great motel room in town. We bought some steaks, which we grilled on the Barbie accompanied by a large mixed salad and an Aussie wine. A neat TV show on the coffee bean industry and history provided after dinner entertainment.
Bundaberg, 60km over rolling hills and lots of sugar cane fields lead to the home of the Bundaberg Rum distillery. We toured the distillery and sugar factory learning that molasses is a by-product of cane processing. We had questions about how the cane is farmed because we had seen the fields burned in another country. They burn them to get rid of the vermin and brush. The cane is not hand cut here, harvested by machine only. We are slowly moving off the tourist track and looking at some long distances between accommodations. It looks like we will be doing some out in the bush camping soon.
4/15
Today was our longest daily mileage in Oz: 72M/118km. Another usually blue sky, hot sun and many applications of sunscreen. We rolled in to Marion vale very bushed. Into the Marion vale Hotel and Pub for a soft drink and exploration with the bar maid, Edith. They had cabins for $55 and a double for $35 upstairs in the hotel. We took the double in this 100 year old land mark, room with a balcony and French doors, ceiling fan and wonderful cross breeze over our bed. Bici found a covered area off the poolroom and slept soundly under his green tarp. We showered together in the bathroom down the hall marked his and hers with opposing shower stalls.
Later, beer on the upstairs balcony with a view across the park to the train station. Numerous trains powered by: one freight, one 18-car passenger and the six-car bullet “Tilt Train” blew their horns as they approached the station. Passengers boarded, others arrived to be greeted by family and friends. Judee asked Edith about laundry facilities and Edith took her to the new machine out back: wash and dry $4; and they actually cleaned the clothes which then smelled out this world.
Dinner downstairs at 6:30 and we sat at a table with another Aussie couple exploring politics of the world and how countries have treated their indigenous populations. We also got a low down on some problems Aussies are having with their immigrants. Muslim newcomers who seem to bring issues of their homeland with them.
On another note: a few days ago we ran into a German cycling couple who had spent four months touring New Zealand and the last ten days in Oz. They loved NZ but did not like Aussie land: traffic, distances and the sameness of the landscape since leaving Brisbane put them off. Over afternoon cocktail time we shared our travel experiences and our delight with OZ. The next morning they stopped by before leaving and it seems they were feeling better and had a more positive out look.
4/17
The wind changed today: it is blowing onto our right shoulder from the front! Of course, today we want to make 110km. Someone told us it was also flat, so of course it is uphill, too. The land is becoming drier, still laced with Eucalyptus trees, but fewer of them and in many areas the trunks are scorched from earlier fires. Eucalyptus trees do not die when burnt, because they naturally shed their bark, we’ve been told.
We also have seen very little wild life apart from a gorgeous pair of black Cockatoos leaving their tree with a lazy yet powerfully elegant flap of their huge wind. We had a few stops to refresh ourselves, service stations and pubs/hotels. Some hotels have accommodation and some don’t but they all have cool drinks and a bite to eat. We will see fewer of these stops over the next 700 kilometers as we face 100km days for a while.
To rest up and rejuvenate before heading further north we stopped in Rock Hampton: a 6town sliced in half by the Tropic of Capricorn. This is a cattle town with a wealthy heritage displayed by a vast number of beautiful of building and wide, shady streets. The beef cattle are now Bahamas, replacing the fat green grass grazed cattle of the more southern regions. The Bahamas seen to thrive on the scruffy brown grasslands found here and their tougher hides repel ticks.
Rockhampton is a on a river, like most large coastal towns but this tidal river is muddy and nestled in our campground next to it we are plagued by a minute insect that swarms in the afternoon around our legs and ankles. Ants: Australia is synonymous with ants. Big ones, little ones, red, black and green – some do bite!~ they crawl over our feet as we visit with people, crawl into our gear if there is any way in. Worse than flies! But, the weather is fab! We left the tent fly off last night, feeling the cooler evening air – not even needing a blanket until 4am. Then awoke to the sounds of many birds: one with a clear bell-like whistle, warbling, and the squawking of the Galas.
We try to Internet while we are stopping today, but there are no Internets to handle photos. It is always a shock to check with home. We are still having issues with credit card problems after the theft last October. One of the cards declines every other charge. Thank goodness our daughter-in-laws, Theresa has taken over receiving bills, talking to companies and handling difficulties for us.
We took a bus sightseeing tour to the Dreamtime Aboriginal Cultural Center where we learned a little about the pretty much lost culture from the younger guides as told to them by their ancestors. Australia had 100’s of clans, all with different languages and different diets and traditions based on their geographic region of settlement. We learned that Boomerangs were not necessarily a tool, but more like our Frisbee – used for recreation and competition. Inland from here, in the limestone plateau area, the aboriginal people, stenciled with liquefied ocher blown out of their mouths, like an airbrush, to create stenciled patterns around their hands and some implements (boomerangs). They also created complex images of nets using this same method. We passed an area in Patagonia, where past indigenous peoples also left these stenciled hands. It fascinates us how cultures of disparate areas demonstrate similar customs and artistic methods of expression.
1. Dreamland
2. J. throwing a boomerang
3. Interesting sign
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4-19
It is starting to feel like what I thought Australia would be like: hot, dry, windy with ranches far apart and big trucks in my rear view mirror! We spotted two deer, a second deer sighting in Oz. We were entertained at our coke break by several blue-eyed honey eaters and later beside our camp ground pool by Willie Wagtail and Jenny Wren: a small black and white bird who wiggles his tail, flitting about energetically catching bugs and his little brown, shy mate. We are ensconced in a quiet, unpretentious, country caravan park with a cool pool and interesting neighbors. After our hot 100+ km’s we are going to spoil ourselves with a meal at the campground restaurant. After all, we were knackered. At dinner, we were joined by Chris, the meter reader, who drove as much as 400km per day, much on dirt roads, who told us of not to miss spots he encounters on his routes. Today, he hit a kangaroo, wrecked his car in the bush and had to go 100’s of kilometers to get another vehicle to complete his rounds. To read meters, he is gone for a week at a time. Now that is what I call rural! He had a great appreciation for the beauty of the land and the animals that inhabit Oz, like so many locals we meet.
4-20
We awoke early for a special treat. The young lady working at the camp restaurant is picking us up at 7am and taking us to an animal rescue and breeding ranch. After a hair-raising ride over dirt road, through dry gullies, a gate was opened to a vast grassland ranch, a couple kilometers more and we approached a group of buildings and water storage tanks. We were shown around by the daughter, Jen, for part of the tour and her mom, Sue and dad, Pete for more explanations. Greeted in the living room by a roo spread out on the couch and hanging around the walls in cloth pouches were many wallaby and roos. Art was particularly captivated by the red roo waving her foot and batting eyelashes from the most beautiful face. Jen introduced us to the baby koala she is training for tourist handling (Rockhampton Zoo) and practiced transferring the sweet young thing from her shoulder to Judee’s, back to herself and then onto Art. The little Koala’s fur is soft but is thick and woven much like fine steel wool. Her claws, used to climb trees and grasp onto mama were long, sharp and dug into Judee’s skin. As we’re talking with Sue and Pete, learning about the Wallaby breeding programs they are conducting, roos, dogs and then, Wiggles, a wombat all appeared under our chairs and leg, looking for a pat. Our young chauffer took us back to the campground and we began our ride today at 9am.
It was hot and clear. We spotted a deer and a roo alongside the road today and many dead roos by the roadside, too. We’ve been told there are 700 roos to each of the twenty million inhabitants of Australia. At 5pm, after 104 km, we limped into Clairview campground and by 6 had showered and ingested a couple beers! Tomorrow we rest.
4-22
The rest day was outstanding. Well really just sitting on the edge of the beach, palms, coconuts and a constant breeze made up hours of reading and lounging. Hugs, signs, as we watched large sea turtles bob up out in front of us. Is life good?! The long in the saddle hot days took a toll on my behind (Art) so rest off the bike was the remedy. The campground/caravan park reminded me of the ones in upper Baja, Mexico, scattered along the Pacific coast (a bush turkey has just landed next to our table and is going to check out our tent) happy hour everyone congregates to smoke and tell tall tales or as here, gossip about the other citizens in this small coastal village. We played gin runny and once again Judee trounced me ten games to 6. No mercy for the wicked.
As we move further north, we are encountering more and more travelers who do their trip around Aussieland: years of exploring their own country and sharing with us their excitement and wonder; what we should not miss. We are constantly confronted by what we can and can’t see. We must choose carefully our direction and time and remind ourselves: we can’t see everything!
Tomorrow is Judee’s 61 birthday. These occasions pass gently while we are on the road…days running from one into the next almost without a beginning or end.
4/24
Yesterday’s birthday gift was three nights in a cabin! Our own little kitchen, a bed, table and chairs, a porch – all to ourselves! Wow! We went off to the market and bought out the store. We are going to rest. The short day into Mackay of about 50km was too much and we knew we were due for a longer break.
Graham and Liz, two people caravanning up the coast that we met several towns ago are also in our caravan park. They have spent the day chauffeuring us around to see the sights and to the library where we are attempting to catch up with our family and friends via Internet. We plan a few days here – even a tour or rent a car to get into the national park inland from Mackay. We enjoyed a lunch overlooking the Whitsunday Islands, which we plan to visit after we move more north. Australia is a place full of new friends, warm weather, clean, sparkling swimming pools (can’t swim in the sea here, deadly stinger/jellyfish season), and heaps of food! We are loving it.
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