Australian Adventures

Arriving in Australia, our first stop was Mackay. A short walk and a bus ride from the marina and we were in the town. Not a typical tourist town, but a real town with everyday folk going about their day to day lives.

We spent a pleasant afternoon strolling through the streets and completing the town art trail. The art work had all been chosen to represent an element of the history of the area. Some that we spotted were…

Yellow Brick Road – Elton John’s visit to the area led to this mural.

Local Wildlife – eight sculptures of young wildlife carved from a tree cut down on one of the early homesteads. The sculptures commemorate Mackay’s 150th anniversary of European settlement.

Fishbones – this large and striking sculpture honours the memories of Mackay’s maritime history and the many people who have died in this industry

Sugar Cubes – towers of cubes represent the importance of the sugar industry. The cubes bear the names and thumb prints of South Sea Islanders, acknowledging the historical importance of them in the development of Mackay.

Yellow Brick Road

Local Wildlife

Fishbones

Sugar Cubes

Australian South Sea Islanders

Wanting to explore a little further, we hired a car for a trip inland to Eungella National Park. Here we had a gentle walk through the forest to a waterfall. Not a secluded one like we have experienced on the Pacific Islands, but a popular location for a family afternoon swim – so many other people! (Managed to hide them in the photo!)

The area is well known for observing platypus in the wild. No luck for us though – a sculpture at the Visitor Information Centre was the closest we got to seeing one.

After the walk, a lunch stop was in order. The Eungella Chalet was built in 1933 and was originally a guest house for ´people requiring clear mountain air’. Now, with its stunning views across the Pioneer Valley towards the sea, it provides the perfect backdrop for a tasty lunch and cold beer.

We spent a few more days settling back into the land based world, before setting sail once more. Heading north, we sailed along the East Coast of Queensland towards Airlie Beach. We had a leisurely passage with several day sails of 60-80nm, stopping at some of the Whitsunday Islands en route.

The islands along this coast are all very similar. They are mainly uninhabited national parks with small bays, rocky beaches and tree covered slopes. At most places, we managed a hike, or scramble, to a viewpoint to be rewarded by panoramic views across the islands. Several of the islands had what used to be luxury resorts, now abandoned after financial collapse or cyclone damage.

Just sharing a few of our favourite images…

Keswick Island – a viewpoint walk with Escapade in the background and Connie’s Beach for a quick swim.