From Bowen to Mission Beach and Port Douglas

We found a little shabby camp site just off the highway north where there was an in-house possum. It appeared at night as did two younger possums scampering up a tree branch, in front of us on the beach, as we were talking to two young Australian boys who were checking out the mines for work. It was a delightful find. The owner fed them apparently. He also fed the local rainbow lorikeets at about 8.30 in the morning. They made a fabulous blast of colour as they blocked overhead.The wildlife is abundant and exciting when you manage to see it, although I did not much appreciate the dead cane toad in the cigarette tray outside the ladies toilets, or the dead cockroach on the path nearby.

On Wednesday 28th May we we relieved to be leaving Bowen. This was a dead town with wide streets and few people. We had done our blogs in the library and then asked for a tourist map. It turned out that this town had been used by Baz Lerhman to film 'Old Darwin' for his epic, 'Australia" film. It was one of the oldest towns and the film-makers had simply covered the streets in red dust. I hope to recognise the pub when the film comes out.

We joined the highway north again. I saw my first flock of emus in the field to my right. The grass was golden and there was 60% sky with huge white clouds. It reminded me of the early American west. There was a huge dust trail made by a massive road train at the roadhouse. Along the roadside there was a plaque dedicated to all women who had had to endure violence. This is one of the visible signs of human communities like the yellow safe needle disposal tubs on the wall of every toilet that I have been into, even in the outback, the lengthy skid marks down the centre of the highways all over Australia, violence help phone lines on the doors in ladies toilets and the gambling warnings in every tote bar. You see no evidence of these but they are obviously issues. There were more fields of sugar cane and a huge refinery, providing much-needed employment to one small town. Apparently, in June, when the crops are cut and crushed, a whole network of railways comes to life and they take precedence over road vehicles. Fortunately for us we were a bit too early!
A little further on there was livestock handling one side and a huge mine on the other.

Our next stop was Mission Beach where the small pocket of Cassowarys could sometimes be seen. The site was extremely beautiful, planted with so much colour and shape in fabulous tropical trees and bushes. It had been caught in the cyclone a few years earlier and this had devastated the flora and fauna of the area. It had recovered well. We did not see a cassowary but the notice not to feed themif they appeared on the camp, was wasted on me, since they are like emus with attitude. If it wanted it the bird could have it. I was not going to risk being chased by one of those things.

When we heard on the news that storms were currently battering Noosa Heads and Brisbane and that trees had been blown over in Hervey Bay we were shocked, and a little sad, because it had been wonderfully sunny when we had been there a week or two before.

We left this area with regret.

We set out for the final places on the east coast with great hope. I was going to go out on the reef again but I was told that it was cloudy at Port Douglas because of the recent rain!!!! The town was very manicured but full of pretension. We could not wait to leave and head inland for Alice and Ayers.