Sunday, July 11, 2010

Emu Park, Hervey Bay, Tweed Heads & Sawtell.

















Yet another early start as many more miles to eat up en route to Emu Park. Now Emu Park is the coastal closest to Rockhampton. Rockhampton claims to be the beef capital of Oz, with rodeos, ranches and of course many “steers” or cows to you and me.

The run down went well, with a splendid lunch stop where we were invaded by lorikeets who shared our lunch. Well that was until a gang of cockatoos flew over (who are obviously the bosses) as then lorikeets cleared off sharpish as soon as they heard them!! It didn’t last and they were soon back after the cockatoos had flown away.

We arrived at Emu Park late afternoon and we had a super room. Obviously not been built long but very nice and spacious. We had a walk into town and bought a beer like you do and found a splendid ship shaped wind chime to the memory of yes him again – Captain James Cook. It was quite a spectacle and also very noisy.

We wandered back to the digs and on the way back we had our first sightings of the flying foxes (huge fruit bats) which come out at dusk to feed. Boy are they big and is there plenty of them. There is a small note in the lonely planet about these guys in Sydney in their thousands so we will report later.

After a good nights kip we were up and off again, we are now nearing the end and these few days are really just moving on and passing through towards Sydney, all one nighters.

Hervey Bay was a big sprawling place and the coast not too spectacular. We were staying at a YHA place and it wasn’t very good. Thankfully it was only one night. The room was small and no where to put anything. After a wander round the harbour we went back and had a drink before getting off to bed. Not much to say about Hervey Bay. The only point of note was that the following day was Anzac Day – remembrance for Galipoli and all would be closed the following day so we had to stock up.

Travelling the next day to Tweed Heads was quite a pleasure, no-one on the roads due to public holiday. That was until we made the mistake of trying to follow the non motorway road down the gold coast – big mistake as it was chocker with folks and surfing types. We managed to get back onto the motorway and eventually to Tweed Heads.

Lovely motel with a bracingly cool swimming pool. Set at the mouth of a river at the bottom of the gold coast, quite pretty. Another evening stroll around the harbour area took us up to sleeping time.

Reasonably short drive today to Sawtell. Sawtell is the less popular neighbour to Coffs Harbour which is very posy, busy and upmarket. Having said that the little town of Sawtell was lovely and the beach was Mrs Ds fave of all we’ve seen so far!! Couldn’t get her off it. Apart from a few surfers it was so quiet, long, sandy and peaceful. In fact it was so good we had to get up early the following day so we could go there again before we set off!! Digs were OK, another nice motel with another bracing pool. Another quiet evening in our digs with an Indian takeaway for a change, not up to Bradford standards but not bad. The next stop was a two nighter in Port Macquarie which we are told is a Koala haven so we will no doubt be getting another koala fix.

Pix are - Mrs D feeding the lorikeets, Captain Cook memorial at Emu Park, digs at Emu Park, us at the memorial and Mrs D's fave beach at Sawtell.

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