My Journal:

July 2010

I returned home a few days ago from my drive up North. Overall I did about 3,500 kms so my car was well overdue for a service by the time I got back.

My first stop after setting off was Hervey Bay, a short drive of 5 hours, where I spent the night with my youngest daughter. The next stage of my trip was a bit longer - about 10 hours - but not all driving. I made frequent stops and arrived in Nebo at 3.30pm. Nebo is a little town about 1 hours drive west of Mackay. The worst part of the trip was the old Maryborough/Sarina road, which although sealed is very rough. At the end of my 2 1/2 hours on that road I felt as though I had been horseriding for a full day! I spent 3 days in Nebo, staying with a very good friend, Lyn, who works in one of the mines in the area. Lyn is in her late 60s and she drives one of those huge trucks, with wheels larger than she is. On her days off, home is a caravan in a park at Nebo. While there, I met a few of the locals, sampled some juice from the 'in place' in that little place, and had a cook's tour of the area.

Before leaving home, I'd decided to begin a new diet I'd read about. It shouldn't be called a diet - its really a way of retraining in eating habits. (It's called the Dukan Diet and it involves 4 stages. If you want to know more, google "Dukan" and you'll find lots of information.) This involved me having to take my own food with me wherever I went, but it turned out to be easier than I'd thought. Unlike other times I'd driven long distances I didn't crave the fatty foods I'd been used to buying as I travelled, and I managed to stick to my eating plan, which was made easier because I wasn't ever in the least bit hungry.

After leaving Lyn at 10am, I drove up the coast to Townsville, a short hop of 5 hours. It would have been shorter but I missed the turn to take me north of Mackay so had to drive through the city traffic. I lost my way for a short time in Townsville too, the place has grown and changed so much. I found myself without any real problems though and arrived at my friend, Val's place, at 3.30pm. Val grew up in Lugarno, NSW, quite near my childhood home. I didn't remember her but she was a friend of my late partners, and we'd made contact many years before, when I lived in Perth, WA. Val was there on a visit from the UK, where she'd lived for many years. When my partner died, and I visited England, I stayed with her there for a few days. She relocated back to Australia a few years ago, when her marriage ended, and has lived in Townsville ever since. We have kept in touch over the years - just the occasional letter and a card every Christmas - but it was good to see her again.

Tully was my next stop. I managed to negotiate my way out of Townsville, timing my exit for after the commuter rush. I could have borrowed a GPS for my trip but decided against it, mainly because I like 'getting a bit lost' sometimes for it leads me through places I might not otherwise get to see. Also, I had borrowed a GPS on my last trip to Sydney, and it was not a good experience, sending me in the wrong direction the first time I used it. Of course, I later realised that this was my own fault - I'd hit a wrong button - but I still don't trust them.

One of my sisters lives in Tully with her cane-farming husband. It was raining, as it usually is in Tully, but warm. I stayed there for 2 nights before following her up to Cairns, where she had an appointment with the doctor. I'm so glad she was leading me because Cairns has changed out of sight and without her guidance it would have taken me some time to find the right roads. After she had seen the doctor, one of her daughters came into the city and we had a lovely lunch before Wendy had to return to Tully.

Leaving the city of Cairns, I followed my niece to her home at Freshwater. I noted quite a few changes there too, but not so many thankfully. Tracy and her husband have a lovely home, with views to the mountains and the sea. That first night her husband was home (he works 1 week away, 1 week at home) and we took their 2 boys up to the Tablelands, where we met up with Luc's brother and his family and then went to the Atherton show. It was a typical country show and appeared to be the same as those I remembered from years ago.

On returning to Freshwater, I left Tracy and family and drove a couple of streets away to my other niece's home, where I was to spend the night. This was a last minute arrangement; Cindy was driving up to Cooktown the following morning, leaving at 4am, which was a good chance for me to see it and to catch up with ex brother-in-law and friend from childhood, John. Cindy and her husband's business involves buying old homes, moving them to new locations, doing them up and selling them, and her trip to Cooktown was to see to the siting of one of these homes.

The road to Cooktown is sealed all the way now, vastly different from my last trips up that way, when it was a rough bush track at best. Cooktown itself is not much changed at all - still a sleepy little place set in a lovely bay of sparkling, clear blue water and white sand. Of course, there are still mangroves but these all add to the beauty of the place. We passed the house being moved, with its escorts, on the way, and got to the land it was to go on well in time to get everything ready for it. We met up with John there, and his trusty dog, Chad. (All John's dogs have been named "Chad", after Chad Morgan, the country singer.) John, Cindy and her sister Tracy, own much of the acreage around that area, and they are slowly developing it. There was already one home there - an old church Cindy and her husband had relocated and renovated - and another being built nearby. The 'new' old home duly arrived and was positioned ready to be moved onto stumps a day or so later. Cindy spent some time deciding exactly where it would go, at which angle, how much room to leave for a wide verandah, and so on. After she had marked the area, we adjourned to the Botanical Gardens Cafe, where we had a lovely lunch with John. It rained while we were there, which astounded me. When I lived in Cairns (from 1975-1986) it rarely rained in the dry months (June to November) but as I would learn as the weeks went on, this has changed for it rained almost every day I spent in the Cairns and its surrounds.

Back in Cairns, I settled in with Tracy for 4 or 5 days. By this time I'd lost about 6 kgs and my niece decided to try my 'diet' for herself. I spent my days exploring all the old places - the northern beaches, where we'd lived for the years my daughters went through school. I hardly recognised any of them, they are so built out now. There are high rise buildings everywhere and for me it is all spoilt. Nothing can remain the same and I am all for progress, but not at the expense of our lovely coastline. As far as I could see, it was all for the tourist dollar. I spent a couple of nights with Cindy and her family too, and we enjoyed a few lunches out. I only went into Cairns itself for one day; that was more than enough. I walked everywhere and recognised little. Eventually, I found an information centre and went in to beg a map. I was asked if they could direct me to anywhere in particular; I said, 'no thanks, I just need this because all my familar landmarks have gone!'

I said goodbye to my nieces and their families,(except to visit family maybe, I doubt that I'll ever go back) and drove down to Tully, where I spent another couple of days with my sister and her husband. We went to Mission Beach one day for lunch. I saw a few changes there, but nothing startling. We also went to Etty Beach and Flying Fish Point. For the rest of the time I just relaxed and enjoyed visiting with my sister.

I bypassed Townsville on my way south (there's a ring road around the city now so this was easy) and headed for Mackay. It was a long day. I left Tully at 8am and arrived in Mackay at 3.30pm. The next day was to be a long drive too so I decided to keep on travelling south in order to get out of the city for a quick start the next morning. At a little after 4 I was in Sarina and found a cabin in a caravan park there for the night, leaving at 6am the following day. I was heading for Hervey Bay but wanted to detour at Mirriam Vale to see Agnes Waters and the Town of 1770. (I know that I probably won't stay where I am now when it's time for me to stop travelling and so I'm always looking for places that might suit.) I'm happy I did see them but I doubt I'd ever 'retire' to either of them. They are an hour from any major services - Mirriam Vale to the west and Bundaberg to the south.

I stopped with my daughter and her husband in Hervey Bay for 2 nights and enjoyed some lovely walks on the beach, and dinner one night at a local restaurant. We had planned to go out and see the whales on the Saturday morning but the seas were rough (I'm a terrible sailor at the best of times) and as it's not yet the whale season, it was doubtful we'd see any, so we went fishing instead. Dave always catches a few but he always throws them back - he doesn't like eating fish.Go figure!

Gympie - just an hour and a half from Hervey Bay, was my next stop, where my sister, Lindy, and her husband live. They are only 3 1/2 hours from where I live but I don't get to see them all that often. After leaving there, I drove down to Brisbane. Not the way I like to go (I prefer the inland drive) but I wanted to see my eldest daughter and her partner so stayed the night with them before I finally returned home.

This little valley had had a little rain while I was away, enough to 'green' it up some but this green is nothing like the emerald, lush green of the north. But it was nice to be home, although not so nice to face the pile of mail that had built up. I arrived home 9 kgs lighter and at 60 kgs, near enough to my 'true weight' of 59 kgs for me. I'm now into stage 3 of my new eating regime and am feeling very well for it.

Before I left for my trip my old camera, one of the early digital models, died. I bought another for my trip - a cheapie - but I didn't take many pics. Most of the places I visited are in my memory as they were, and that's the way I'd like to keep them. The few I did take that are able to be shared with readers of my journal are to be found in my photo album which you can access from the home page.

Watch out now - here comes September - at the rate the year is going, it will be here before we can blink!