1st August 2011
We packed up the camp and headed off towards Bowan and arrived at the Bowan Palms Caravan Park at about 11.30am as it was only a about a 50 minute drive north from Airlie Beach. After setting up the new campsite without the annex as we will only be here for a couple of days, we drove into town to get a prescription filled, and then went on to Rose Bay to look at the prize winning beach which was actually for being a clean beach. When we had a one day trip to Bowan with the grandkids and Richard we were not particularly impressed with the town but the beach front was reasonable Having now discovered the available walks our overall view of the place is much improved and Herbert Street (the main road through town is okay) but the street off the side leave a bit to be desired. At rose Bay we took a walk which was mainly uphill plus more than 200 man-made steps and more rough rock steps to Mother Beddock Rock. From here we had the option of returning to the car or walking down another track to Murray Bay and then along to Horseshoe Bay (another award winning beach), but we took the first option and started to return home, but called into a vet on the way as Foxy has had a problem with her front left foot for a few days. She was then booked in for a sedated inspection tomorrow.
2nd August 2011
We took a drug drowsy Foxy into the Vet at 10.00am and left her for her treatment and drove out to Horseshoe Bay and took the walk to Murray Beach via a Lions Lookout which offers rather special views but was very windy, and then having climbed down from there we climbed up another track to a WW2 radar station site which was just as windy, and had very little to show for itself, other than a few eyebolts set into the rock and a few pipes sticking out of the rock. After the descent from there, we continued on to Murray Bay. As you approach the beach in Murray Bay you can see a resort with neat tended lawns and Private Property signs which seemed a bit strange and also appeared deserted. Further along the beach we passed what appeared to be a mermaid washed up on the beach and then met another elderly couple sitting on the beach. The man was actually sitting on a cocoa nut and appeared to be trying to hatch it but was more able to inform us that the resort had been this way for at least 5 years. We continued on our way to Mother Beddock Rock passing another mermaid and then met a fisherman who informed us that it had been bought by Gina Rinehart for $15 million, to use as offices and accommodation for staff when she puts a rail line through from her coal mines in the Bowan Basin. At a junction in the track we had the option of climbing up to the Mother Beddock Rock and down the other side to Rose Bay (1.3km), back the way we came past all the mermaids again (1.1km) or another track with nothing to indicate where it went. Probably because of the mermaids, Merry insisted we took the last option and it quickly brought us out in the car park behind the resort which we had explored yesterday, so we knew that by walking along the road it would return us to the main road to Horseshoe Bay at Queens Bay. From there we walked along the beachfront back past Greys Beach to the car at Horseshoe Bay and then returned to Queens Bay which is a lovely quiet spot, and had our picnic lunch. After lunch we phoned the vet and was informed that Foxy was ready to be collected so we drove back to the vet on the way home and discovered they had uncovered a prickle in her foot that had caused an abscess between her toes and worked its way over the top of her toe to cause a second abscess. In the process of flushing out both abscesses the prickle also came out and fortunately saved her from a small operation on her foot and us from a big operation on our finances. The walks have changed our view of Bowan quite considerably despite the town needing a bit of refining although it does look like they have realise this and are starting to do something about it.
3rd August 2011
We packed up the camp and moved on to Home Hill which offers a 48 hour free camping virtually in the middle of town alongside the old railway station.
On the other side of the road are excellent toilet/shower facilities. We left the caravan and drove out to another WW2 radar site which had a couple of concrete bunkers called igloos and then on to a lions lookout which confirmed our opinion that the area is very flat with a few distant hills and explains why it has flooded so many times during the rainy season, or after cyclones and destroying the rail line many times. The new ‘Silver Link’ metal bridge which is much higher maintains the connection with Ayr for both rail and road.
The railway station still operates in a fashion as the ‘Tilt train’ stops here, which provided a photographic shoot of a bullet shaped train that can reach 160kph with externally decorative carriages. The name ‘Tilt Train’ is because the carriages are mechanically tilted to lean into bends by up to 8 degrees, but normally 6 degrees, to allow for the speed, a bit like motorbikes but not to the same degree. However it did derail in 2004 and was then restricted to 100kph until 2007 whilst track conditions were improved. This track from Brisbane to Cairns seems to be quite busy, including through the night, although it isn’t too noisy. Foxy’s foot has improving quite well since the vet treatment.
On the other side of the road are excellent toilet/shower facilities. We left the caravan and drove out to another WW2 radar site which had a couple of concrete bunkers called igloos and then on to a lions lookout which confirmed our opinion that the area is very flat with a few distant hills and explains why it has flooded so many times during the rainy season, or after cyclones and destroying the rail line many times. The new ‘Silver Link’ metal bridge which is much higher maintains the connection with Ayr for both rail and road. 
The railway station still operates in a fashion as the ‘Tilt train’ stops here, which provided a photographic shoot of a bullet shaped train that can reach 160kph with externally decorative carriages. The name ‘Tilt Train’ is because the carriages are mechanically tilted to lean into bends by up to 8 degrees, but normally 6 degrees, to allow for the speed, a bit like motorbikes but not to the same degree. However it did derail in 2004 and was then restricted to 100kph until 2007 whilst track conditions were improved. This track from Brisbane to Cairns seems to be quite busy, including through the night, although it isn’t too noisy. Foxy’s foot has improving quite well since the vet treatment. 5th August 2011
As the Home Hill Comfort Stop is a 48 hour arrangement we packed up to move on to Alva Beach, about 17km from Ayr, but as we were not in any particular hurry we did the town’s heritage walk first. We actually bypassed Ayr town centre on the way to our destination and arrived a bit before noon and spotted the neighbours that we had in Airlie who invited us over for a cuppa as soon as the van is in position on our allotted bay. After the cuppa and a chat we set up the camp site which included a modification to the outside TV bracket to gain more downward angle. Later in the afternoon we took a walk with Barry and Val (yes another Barry) to the beach which took us past a tree that had been adopted by a Male and female red-tailed black-cockatoos, but unfortunately they wouldn’t open their tails for us except in flight which was too quick for a photo. As previously arranged during our chat, we picked up Barry and Val and headed into Ayr with all eyes trying to spot where cane was being burnt. In the Mackay region they don’t burn the cane prior to harvesting but in this region they do. This gets rid of the unwanted leaves and flower stems which the Mackay region either ploughs back in, or produce mulch and fertiliser. We had been advised that the cane burning is quite spectacular and worth seeking out. We turned towards Townsville and drove for a while without a glimpse, but on the way back saw promising signs. We turned down the heavy-truck town bypass and then crossed the railway to the right and turned immediately right again. This took us up to the edge of some cane fields and turned into a dirt track alongside the cane and soon met an intersecting track to the left, along which we could see them burning off about 150 metres down the track. Everybody got out for their photo shoot, except Barry (1) who moved the car to a safer area and walked back to join in the fun.
Merry and Barry (1) then walked back to the car for their tripod to improve the night photos, and found that the view was better from the top of the car. Whilst on the car, the other couple came and joined the elevated view and by sheer luck they torched the corner of the field we had originally stopped at, so it was fortunate that we had all moved, but now had a grandstand view and was close enough to feel the heat. As the fire started to die down a harvester arrived ready to start cutting the cane through the night and get it on its way. The experience was great and visually was quite a spectacle as informed, and we feel lucky to have found the opportunity on our first attempt.
Merry and Barry (1) then walked back to the car for their tripod to improve the night photos, and found that the view was better from the top of the car. Whilst on the car, the other couple came and joined the elevated view and by sheer luck they torched the corner of the field we had originally stopped at, so it was fortunate that we had all moved, but now had a grandstand view and was close enough to feel the heat. As the fire started to die down a harvester arrived ready to start cutting the cane through the night and get it on its way. The experience was great and visually was quite a spectacle as informed, and we feel lucky to have found the opportunity on our first attempt.
6th August 2011
We spent some time downloading photos to computers and watching last night’s videos in HD on the TV. Val’s camera only takes stills, but with a tripod they should be okay but she wasn’t game to show them to us after watching the videos with sound, but not the heat.
7th August 2011
We now have new neighbours next to us, who like so many here, are fishing types as that is all there is to do here but this one has a pet bird that has been taught to continuously and repetitively whistle pointless tunes. Add to this irritation another camper near us who is both loud and foul mouthed, the park is not as good as first thought, with the addition of coconut trees that threaten to bomb your car at any moment. There will not be a return visit once we leave here. Queensland is covered palm trees which we don’t like particularly, and has guaranteed that the one we inherited in our Geraldton home garden will go as soon as we return to live there.
8th August 2011
In the afternoon we drove the short distance into Brandon and noticed that the field we filmed being burnt off a few nights ago is now a freshly ploughed field ready to start all over again. Brandon is a very small village 6.5km north of Ayr, and we found that its only points of interest are an old wooden church and the war memorial which used to be a WW1 canon that went missing During WW2, but more recently an artist produced a statue of a WW1 Aussie soldier to replace it. There are several stories as to where the original cannon went, such as the Federal government removed all gun from north Queensland, another suggests it found its way into the local iron foundry and another claims no-one knows what happened to it. However, the current statue is a welcome change from the few regular variations on a theme. We then drove back into Ayr and found a few points of interest to photograph, but despite being a reasonable size town it doesn’t offer much.
10th August 2011
We hadn’t actually done a proper tour of Ayr other than a quick drive through for shopping so we had a more serious look around and found the Mason’s Temple and then went back towards Bowan to Plantation Creek Park.
This has very long Snake totem pole near the entrance, a visitors centre, a picnic area and an open air chapel for weddings, etc and at the back of the park is a sacred aboriginal cultural and interpretive walk which suffered badly in the last cyclone and is still being cleaned up, by anyone but aborigines. From here we drove to the Burdekin Theatre to view the sculptures that adorn the front entrance to both the theatre and the library. On our return to the caravan park we did a lap of honour to find some more people that had camped near us in Airlie Beach and spent the remains of the afternoon with Neil and Linda and their enormous dog. Barry (2) and Val joined us and we planned to meet up again in a couple of days at Ravenswood Showgrounds so that we can visit the Burdekin Falls Dam and also Charters Towers.
This has very long Snake totem pole near the entrance, a visitors centre, a picnic area and an open air chapel for weddings, etc and at the back of the park is a sacred aboriginal cultural and interpretive walk which suffered badly in the last cyclone and is still being cleaned up, by anyone but aborigines. From here we drove to the Burdekin Theatre to view the sculptures that adorn the front entrance to both the theatre and the library. On our return to the caravan park we did a lap of honour to find some more people that had camped near us in Airlie Beach and spent the remains of the afternoon with Neil and Linda and their enormous dog. Barry (2) and Val joined us and we planned to meet up again in a couple of days at Ravenswood Showgrounds so that we can visit the Burdekin Falls Dam and also Charters Towers. 
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