Rollingstone – great life

Really truly, the weather is warmer. Today is sunny again and 28. We are staying at Cardwell with Lyn’s sister for a few days but inside a garage – the price is great but the view of the tropical garden can only be captured if we bend over to look out the front window. Anyway, better start this post from where we left off at Airlie Beach.

We did fall in love with Airlie Beach last week and has become the pick of spots to make a booking for a couple of weeks next year. The touristy feel is evident but everything is clean and organized. True, it would normally be packed with backpackers with a non-Australian accent but Mr Covid has prevented that. We rode around the marina and noticed a super luxury yacht with a guy in a blue shirt and grey hair wandering the deck. Lyn googled the name of the yacht and came up finding it had a $10million price tag with the owner being Clive Palmer. We mentioned the fact to some young people nearby and they asked “Who’s Clive Palmer?” Oh dear, his campaigning has meant a “naught” for effectiveness.

We headed north some more and found a “pub on the side of the road” with free camping in the back and the main railway out the front. Gumlu is a quaint little town with hardly any houses but the school has an electronic announcement board out the front inviting us to attend the grandparents day “next Friday morning”. We declined the offer, but enjoyed an $8 dish for the main course at the pub. At least we heard when each train went through the village – such a quiet place after hours.

Beyond Gumlu was the turnoff to Rollingstone Beach Resort where we had tried to book for a 5 nights stay but could only manage to book 2 nights, but what a view; right on the waters edge looking out to the ocean and the many islands of the Coral Sea. The caravan park is now on the list to spend a month at, next year. Anyone want to join us?

When we were positioning the motor home, the neighbors came out to greet us, as often happens. (We must be attractive or something) Swapping town names was interesting. Lyn asked “and where are you from?” The response, “you wouldn’t have heard of our small town in Victoria, Yarra Junction,” she said in a quiet voice. “Oh! I had a shop there for 27 years, I know it well. I owned the travel agency there,” was Lyn’s reply. “Oh, are you Lyn? You did our travel to the UK 10 years ago.” You just never know who’s following you around this big country. The location, looking out to the islands, provided some great “this is my office for the day” views.

Towns along the Cassowary Coast, all have histories of cyclonic damage. Our next town of Cardwell was obliterated by Yasi in 2011 and then again by Marci in 2015 and Debbie in 2017. However, council, with the benefit of government and Australia-wide community gifts, have rebuilt the foreshore to an attractive and a great stopping resting spot for those using the Bruce Highway. Real Estate is cheap but comes with a high rate of insurance. Some properties are attracting amounts of $11,000 per year.