Horseshoe Bay-Bowen
29/8/06. Packed up and moved to Alva beach 104km south of Townsville via Ayr, Alva Beach caravan park is very Tropical with Coconut trees and Hibiscus hedges separating each site, and a brand new very large swimming pool, it will be a pleasure to spend a week here.
On the way back down the coast we will cross over the Silver Bridge, this (new) bridge has been in use over the Burdekin river since the 1940s, previous bridge's have been swept away in Flood's, the bridge is longer than the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
2/9/06. Last night it rained for the first time in many months the rain washed the car and van they are now looking a lot cleaner. Sad news today our old Friend Graeme Gettens is in palliative Care and it doesn't look good.
5/9/06. The awning roller locking pin on the caravan is broken and I can't get the darn thing down, I have rung a repair guy in Ayr to see if he can come out and fix the bloody thing, but he is to busy or he cant be bothered ?.
Robin Gettins has rung to say that Graeme has passed away, we are saddened by this news - he will be missed by us all.
A couple of campers next to us were very helpful and have fixed the locking pin we are grateful to them, as we can now move on down the coast tomorrow.
7/9/06. Moved down to Bowen , a beautiful beach is just at the back of the van park with a good pool to swim in, there are Marine Stinger Nets on the beach but we will not chance getting stung, we will stick to the pool. This part of Queensland is famous for Mango's - The Bowen Mango - but we are to early in the growing season to try some of this great fruit.
9/9/06. Drove into Bowen to look at the town and then to the Harbour to see the boats and fishing Trawlers, the town is typical of a lot of town's in North Q.L.D., wide streets not much traffic and friendly people, you can buy most of your needs here, after our stroll around town we drove out to Horseshoe Bay for a swim, what a fantastic place, the Ocean is the most spectacular colour of light blue with Coral close to shore.
Today we have have gone on a drive out to Collinsville-90km west of Bowen, this is another mining town and like so many others it has a sad tale to tell, the local memorial club has an exhibition called The Coalface Experience, which is in memory of 19 Miner's who lost there lives down in the Pit, it was well worth the drive out here to see, the Town and Miners did it tough in the mid 1800s as most mining communities did in those days. C0al was discovered here in Colinsville in 1866, Draught Horses were used in the mines and they new exactly when Knock of time came, and would start to head backup the mine (half a mile) with the Miners hanging on to there Tails ,if there helmet lights went out. The heat was so bad in the mines that the miners would where there Wives or Mothers Nickers and if they were not available they would wear there Mother in Law's, some days it was so hot that they went Naked except for there boots which when taken off the sweat would pour out. It was sad to see a Movie on there time down in the mine and it bought a tear to Sandra's eyes.
Back at camp we have had Happy Hour with our new friends Marg & Noel they come from Red Cliff near Brisbane, later that night San came outside the caravan to see who I was talking to, it was a woman of about 31 and when she saw San she asked if she worked out as you have Great Muscles and if she did a lot of manual labour? she started to Freak Sandra out so to get out of her face San walked of up to the toilets and was followed by this nut , I walked up there also to make sure that San was not in any trouble from this person, whilst they were in there she told San some strange stories about her life, San was glad to see me when she came out and told me she must be on Heroine as she was high on some type of drug.
15/9/06 Our no1 Grandson Robert is 21 today.
16/9/06 Benny is 14 today we rang both boys for there Birthdays.
We went for another drive up to the Don River it is the second fastest flowing river in the southern hemisphere it would be great to see if only it had some water in it, it is bone dry.
We have hit the road again and are going south to O'Connell River 20km south of Proserpine.
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