Chapter 11 - Port Douglas Wedding

Day 95 – Monday 29 August – North from Yeppoon

It was a very busy start to the day. The caravan had to be packed up and put in storage. The fridge was clean and off and empty.

Port Douglas was 1162 km away, and we started that journey - without the caravan - around 9 am. We picked up Amanda and headed, first west, then north. We had a full tank of fuel, lollies to suck, water to drink, and (most importantly) our clothes for the wedding.

The 3-person Kelly road trip had commenced..................

The trip was 362 km for the day. Amanda drove the middle third and I drove the first and third section. Morning tea was at Marlborough, where Amanda took over the driving, and lunch was at Clairview - where we had a sandwich lunch overlooking the ocean - and I returned to the driving position.

While I was driving we had the music off my phone. When Amanda was driving we had her music. It worked well, not that we had much time to listen to music - with near-non-stop conversation.

Our first major stop was at Sarina where we visited the Sarina Sugar Shed. Amanda bought a tasting paddle of locally produced drinks - including a rum liqueur, butternut schnapps and Limecello. 

The ladies enjoyed the drinks while the driver looked on. An investment was made.

We drove the short distance to Mackay and checked in to our motel. Amanda and I had been counting caravans/campers/motorhomes and along the 250 km of road into Mackay we counted 150 tourist rigs.

After chilling out for a while we went for a drive and saw the sights of Mackay including Marina Beach - which was overcast and windy - and justification for a 'bad hair' day. Luckily I have not got much.

After a short break back at camp we headed to the Austral Hotel for a superb bistro dinner.

Day 96 – Tuesday 30 August – Mackay to Forrest Beach

Some photos, then some verse about yesterday and today.

Above: Vanilla Slice at Proserpine

Below: Amanda's interesting photo at Townsville

Lower: An indication of the poor weather

Even lower: Amanda's First Brolga in the wild

Bottom: Pizza for Amanda and me

Yesterday

We said good bye to Yeppoon
There are some places we need to see - and soon

At Sarina we did stop
For liqueur tasting at the Sugar Shop

At Mackay we made our bed
To first dine then rest our weary head

Today over 525 km

Proserpine had the great pie shop
For vanilla slices we did shop

Next stop was the beach at Bowen
Although a gale it was a blowin'

Amanda drove the next leg to Ayr
While I try to manage the navigator's chair

While Shirley knitted a bonnet
I was able to write this sonnet

We stopped for a pie at Ayr
While the rain quickly made a mess of our hair

Caravan after caravan we did see
As grey nomads from home they did flee

Much road work was the cause for delay
As a ruined schedule caused some dismay

The most common sight was sugar cane
Which would have been enjoying the widespread rain

We ended the day at Forrest Beach
The weather was so bad the beach we could not reach.

Twenty metres to the Bistro, we did walk
Over pizza and pasta we continued our talk.

Day 97– Wednesday 31 August – Forrest Beach to Port Douglas

The unit faced the beach to the east, so I was ready for sunrise. A look out the curtains looked promising. So I donned the bare minimum of clothes needed on the beach at 6:15 with a 21 degree temperature.

Alas my optimism was unjustified, as cloud ensured that the sun stayed hidden. As promised I did NOT wake Amanda. However I walked the 40 metres to the beach and took a photo.

We headed to Lucinda via Ingham to see the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere, at 5.7 km. It is long enough to bend with the contour of the earth. The following photos gives you an idea.  It is used to load raw sugar onto ships.

After that we headed north and had a coffee stop at Cardwell overlooking the ocean. Amanda took another beach selfie of the three of us.

We pressed on to Innisfail where we bought diesel - our first for 1200 km. Not a bad run - without the caravan. Amanda and I shared the driving as we moved north.

By now Amanda was an 'expert' in sugar cane.........

We arrived in Cairns in time for a look around before heading to the airport. Two additional passengers were added to the 'tribe' - Wooly & Bodo (names withheld to protect the 'innocent'). The car was packed such that one suitcase was added to the roof rack. Dan Murphy's was bypassed as there was no room for any purchases.

There was non-stop conversation for the next 65 km, and not much intake of the lovely scenery along the coastal road.

We arrived at our rental house in Port Douglas around 3pm and soon had coffee and cold drinks happening. 

It was a great place with lots of bedrooms, four fridges and one pool, and the occasional gecko.

Shopping happened for food and drinks. 

The pool was used. 

The BBQ was lit.

Father & Daughter in the Pool

I was so tired that the blog had to wait for 24 hours. We were in bed at 8:55 and I was asleep by 8:56. I think we had dinner in there somewhere.

Day 98– Thursday 1 September – Daintree & Cape Tribulation

The first day of Spring meant an early start as Amanda, Wooly & Bodo had booked a 9:15 am cruise on the Daintree River. So we departed Port Douglas at 8am and had them at the departure point on time. Shirley and I enjoyed a peaceful coffee at the Daintree Village while they looked for crocs.

Amanda, Wooly & Bodo were the only passengers on the cruise.

Above: A large croc that we could see from the departure point

Below: Amanda, Wooly & Bodo had a 'personal' tour - with on-lookers

We paid our $45 and had a ferry crossing over the Daintree River. 

Not long after we stopped at the Daintree Ice-Creamery and had the 'special'. The feedback was unanimous - Yum. We also admired the flowers and the local exotic fruit trees - that are used to make the ice-cream. Note the small pineapple.

On we pressed to Cape Tribulation and the obligatory photo on the beach - below the storm clouds.

Below L to R: Wooly, Bodo, Chris, Amanda & Shirley

The local wetlands & mangroves between the beach and the carpark contained many small crabs - around 5 to 8 cm across.

Our preferred place for lunch was closed so we tried the bistro at "PK's Jungle Village" and we all had superb seafood for lunch - burgers, fish n chips, seafood basket.

We headed home via the ferry, stopping to buy some cheap avocados at a roadside stall.

The drive home was just as noisy, arriving back at camp about 3:30 pm. It had been a long but enjoyable day. Shirley and I got a coffee. The others donned pool gear, got a grog and headed to the pool. I updated the blog.

We had a hamburger for dinner.

Again, it was not a late night. Again, I did not read.

Day 99– Friday 2 September – "The Wedding"

The day started with rain at 7am - not a good start with a beach wedding 8 hours away. I had my breakfast alone on the deck. Amanda was first to appear, just before 8am.

After breakfast we wandered around Port Douglas, did a bit of window shopping and had a look from the Lookout.

Word came though that the 3pm beach wedding had been changed to a 1:30 pm pool side wedding. We got dressed up and arrived in time to get a poolside seat at the "Pullman Sea Temple". It is a magnificent place.

The Kelly Gang in the wedding & reception area - pool in the background

We took our seats before time and took in the sights. The bride was fashionably 25 minutes late. It was a 'fun & entertaining' ceremony. 

There were group photos afterwards, as the rain started to fall. It was estimated that the 'bowls people' photo contained 65 to 75% of all guests. The 'Kelly Gang' also featured in the list of official photos - with the Bride & Groom. Hopefully I will get a copy. Phones and cameras were banned during the ceremony.

There was a two hour gap between photos and reception so the 'Kelly Gang' returned to our lodgings for coffee and stronger stuff.

We were back at the Pullman Sea Temple for the start of pre-dinner drinks and canapes at 5pm. We moved to the reception area at 6pm, for four hours of food, drinks, speeches and lots of fun. It was a balmy 26 degrees.

The bride and groom lead with the fun with perpetual broad smiles, sparking eyes and demonstrated skill at filling bubbly glasses.

Shirley and I visited the dance floor a couple of times - the inviting pool was only a pane of glass away.

Just after 10 pm, the reception moved to the 'after party' room about 10 metres away. Shirley and I stayed for a short time, then (like many our age) drifted to the car and home. We sat in our air conditioned lounge room before the bed became a better option.

The younger brigade stayed for an additional 90 minutes (or so) and then conned a ride home with one of the other guests. They claim that the only sound in the house, when they arrived home, was snoring.

Day 100 – Saturday 3 September – "The Day After the Wedding"

I was first to emerge around 8:30, and the first to cook bacon & egg on the BBQ. The others emerged over the next 90 minutes, with the BBQ being repeatedly turned on and off.

By mid morning we were ready for a walk on Four Mile Beach - with the sun shining. We walked to where the wedding would have been, had it not been raining.

It was then time for an ice-cream, in lieu of lunch. So that is what we did.

We decided to revisit the Lookout to get a photo with sunshine.

It was then back to base and a swim in the pool, so that is what we did.

Today was declared 'Father's Day' as Amanda gets dropped off at Cairns airport at 9am tomorrow. A table at Hemingway Brewery was booked for beers and drinks, for the 5 of us. The view was great, overlooking the Marina.

I tried a glass of "The Prospector" beer and it was excellent.

Dinner was Red Emperor and a glass of shiraz. Both were very good, particularly the fish.

We were home by 7 pm, in time to relax and do some early packing for our departure tomorrow. Our sole Collingwood supporter was not overly impressed with the football result. It was still 23 degrees at 7:30 pm.

Day 101 – Sunday 4 September – Heading South on Father's Day

It was the first time that I had ever driven 600+ km on Father's Day.

The car was packed, five people were strapped in, and we left Port Douglas at 8am. We had eaten the food and drank the grog but the car seemed to have less spare space - so the roof rack was employed for the trip to the airport.

Two little bits of trivia. First, my favourite dry biscuit is an Arnott's Savoy. Second, you cannot buy a Savoy in Queensland. So Amanda, Wooly and Bodo came to Queensland armed with packets of Savoys - for me. 

It is the little things that count.

Above: Fully loaded Prado
Below: Savoys packed into 'tool' storage

We had to stop and get a photo of the baby Eastern Ospreys on their nest - a nest that featured in my blog of last year.

Along the road to Cairns we had to stop and get a photo of the man-made cairns that were beside the road. Amanda took the opportunity to get the last daughter-father selfie of the trip.

It was a noisy drive to Cairns Airport as we dissected the last few days of fun and laughter. Amanda and Wooly headed into the terminal for their Melbourne flight, and Bodo was dropped at the Cairns Hilton - for a few extra days of warm sunshine.

At 9:15 Shirley and I left Cairns for our long drive back to Yeppoon.

We travelled a total of 615 km via Cairns, Innisfail (coffee), Tully, Cardwell, Ingham (diesel), Townsville (lunch) and Ayr (ice-cream). We had regular stops for caffeine & food intake - arriving in Bowen at 4:45 pm.

We sat and had a cold drink then went for a walk around the Queens Beach Tourist Park. I then headed to the beach and got the following sunset photo. 

We cooked our remaining bacon, egg, tomato and bread rolls on the BBQ for our dinner.

Day 102 – Monday 5 September – Back to Base (Wrap Up)

There is not much to report about today, apart from a wrap up of the last eight days. As Lennon & McCartney would say "Eight Days a Week".

Today we drove a mere 560 km from Bowen, through Proserpine (Vanilla slice purchase), Mackay, Sarina (some shopping), Clairview (beachside lunch) and Yeppoon. We departed at 7:50 am and drove into the Yeppoon caravan park around 3:15 pm. It did not take long to move the caravan from the storage area back to site 54.

We drove through maybe 20 road works sites, all had speed limits, a few had red lights, a couple were long enough for a nano-nap. A few seemed to have no work planned or in action.

Anyway we are back to base camp after a 2740 km, eight day, seven night family/wedding road trip. We slept in four different beds. We had three passengers, Amanda, Bodo and Wooly (the latter both called Lauren). Amanda was also a welcome co-driver.

We ate too much. We drank too much. We laughed a hellava lot. We told tall stories. We heard tall stories. 

We attended a wedding that would be hard to surpass. The bride and groom made sure that everyone had a ball (or their 'minders' did).

We stayed four night in one of our favourite Aussie holiday destinations - Port Douglas.

I had four ladies who made a fuss of me for Father's Day, plus a number of others who had electronic contacts to ensure my day was first class. I love them all.

The last eight days have been very busy and very tiring - but an extremely enjoyable time for Shirley and me.

We ended the day with Happy Hour with Kay and Darryl, before a rissole for dinner and an early night.

This chapter is complete.
We have 3 nights in Yeppoon then we point the caravan south. Maybe tomorrow/Tuesday we will discuss how quick we move and what route we will follow.

Last updated at 9:20 am on Wednesday 7 September.

Jump to the Next Chapter

Jump to the Previous Chapter

Open the Table of Contents

Chapter 10 - Yeppoon 2

Day 84 – Thursday 18 August – Yeppoon

The last day of our 12th week provided the best weather of our stay so far in Yeppoon. Although the forecast top was only 22 the lack of any cool breeze made for great holiday weather.

We celebrated with a walk on our fifth Yeppoon beach (this holiday) - this time it was the southern section of Farnborough Beach - which is around 17 km long.

Before we took the path to the beach we were warned of local snakes being active. This time they were active somewhere else.

As we stepped on the beach we were treated to a flock of red tailed black cockatoos - who were enjoying the nuts on a beach-side tree, or two. They are beautiful birds, and I never tire of trying to get a good photo.

On the second photo note the white spots on its head.

The walk on the beach was the icing on the cake. The following photo is looking south back to the Yeppoon township.

After our energetic start to the day we stopped at a beachside café and enjoyed their fare - Shirley with a cappuccino and me with a superb chocolate milkshake.

It was time for an investment so we drove to Coles and bought a few provisions.

Lunch was a healthy salad and afternoon tea was the leftover scones from yesterday. The good weather continued.

Just before 4:30 we wandered up to the camp kitchen to enjoy 90 minutes of music from Jo King. Jo sang a wide variety of songs with multiple selections from Tracy Chapman and John Denver and others. She finished with a fine version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.

Apparently Jo has a mother called Fay and a brother called Leigh - all with the same surname. Say each of those names and think about it.

Day 85 – Friday 19 August – Yeppoon

We had a rude awakening when the smoke alarm went off, while I was still in bed and Shirley had just put two feet on the floor. It was suggested that Shirley's speed generated so much heat that the alarm went off.

However we rejected that suggestion and tossed the alarm into the bin.

The morning somehow disappeared and it was time for lunch at the Keppel Bay Marina - for the four of us. It was a superb lunch. Shirley had Chiang Mai Curry and I had Vegetarian Malaysian Vegetable Laksa Curry. We did not need dessert.

After lunch we went to Bunnings and bought a new smoke alarm - then went home and installed it. It is so flash it has a 'Hush' button. Shirley wished she had one to install on me.

Just after 5pm I drove one km to the 'Causeway', a bridge over the joining of the waters of Mulambin Creek and the ocean. The bridge is also a weir wall that ensures that the Mulambin Creek forms an inland lake. I took the following photo of Mulambin Creek from under the Causeway bridge a few minutes before sunset, at 5:32 pm. Local 'burning off' caused the haze in the photo.

By the time I had returned to camp Darryl had made the mixture for dinner - pancakes - with banana, ice-cream and maple syrup. We did not need anything more substantial after our great lunch.

Day 86 – Saturday 20 August – Yeppoon

It was another magnificent start to the day. Full sun, no cloud, no wind. It was wasted on Shirley as she slept on. The washing was on the line at 7:30 am and I resisted the temptation to head for the beach, as breakfast beckoned.

Birds were chirping, kids were making noise, and Land Cruiser owners were out wiping the dew of their limousines. Bull bars would be polished as it was Saturday.

After morning coffee the beach called, so we headed around 5 km north of Yeppoon to the middle section of Farnborough Beach - our 6th different beach in and around Yeppoon. Sun, sand and surf - magic.

Shirley found a seat and stopped while I took a photo. Yes, her feet are a foot off the sand.

Around 3:45 I lit the hooded BBQ and at 4pm the roast pork started cooking. Around 6pm the four of us sat down to a feast. It was pretty good.

Day 87 – Sunday 21 August – Yeppoon

I was awake at the right time to get to Kemp Beach for a sunrise photo. Although the sun was above the horizon it was hidden by a small island. A lone walker appeared at the right time. A few minutes later the sun appeared.

We had a cooked breakfast outside and then drove the 11 km to the Emu Park monthly market. It was not overly impressive and our only purchase was some lemons.

The rest of the day was rest and relaxation, before Happy Hour and a couple of lamb-burgers for dinner.

Day 88 – Monday 22 August – Yeppoon

The sun came through a few clouds at sunrise (I could see through the window), but by the time I headed for a shower at 8am it was raining. By the time I had showered and dressed it was sunny.

By the time we had finished breakfast the sun had disappeared - again........

Walking was off the agenda so we drifted in to town and bought a new pack of mozzie coils - a product that has been needed of late.

After lunch I made a batch of pumpkin scones. However they did not last long enough to take a photo.

There was time for some relaxation before I headed off to Keppel Bay Marina for a sunset photo. It has not been a good trip for sunrise/sunset photos but I enjoy trying. The land mass in the photo below is the Yeppoon township.

I headed back towards camp and went past the turnoff to the Causeway. The sunset clouds were impressive and the pelicans enjoyed the solitude. 

Shirley conjured up some left over roast pork for dinner. Yum.

Day 89 – Tuesday 23 August – Yeppoon

No wind and clear skies - the perfect start to the day.

After morning coffee we headed to Emu Park. Shirley had a stroll on the beach while the local (female) Barber made my golden locks look suitable for the upcoming wedding. During the process she advised me that the local beach was recently visited by a crocodile.

I soon joined Shirley on that same beach. Before I could tell her about the croc she showed me a local snake. It was not very active, but seemed to be alive.

Right: Snake on beach

Below: Croc & snake infested beach at Emu Park

We chose the local bakery for our lunch and we both selected a "Ned Kelly" pie - which seems to be popular in Queensland. It contained chunky beef, bacon, egg, tomato, onions & potato. It was superb. We ate it while overlooking the beach in the photo above.

We admired some of the local (emu) art work near where we ate our lunch.

We relaxed for a while, had a Happy Hour, then headed inside for dinner.

Day 90 – Wednesday 24 August – Yeppoon

Strong winds were forecast and they arrived overnight, and continued throughout the day - with a few periods of respite.

Above: The Kelly Camp

We chose a walk along the beachfront promenade in Yeppoon and what a pleasant place it is to stroll though - and a great place in which the young can play.

We chilled out back at camp and did very little until a couple of Kookaburras encouraged me to get out of my chair. I never tire of Kookaburras.

Happy Hour came and went, as did a couple of lamb steaks.

Day 91 – Thursday 25 August – Yeppoon

It was our coolest night in Yeppoon and many heaters were on around the caravan park - including ours.

We had a casual drive into Rockhampton to pick up our daughter Amanda at the airport. Amanda is staying with a school-days mate who lives a mere 5 km from our caravan park (shorter if you can fly).

The three of us had lunch at the caravan park before a walk on our local beach.

Around mid afternoon I dropped Amanda at her mate's house.

For dinner we had a meal that significantly reduced the food in our freezer - a necessary action as we need to turn the fridge off for a week on Sunday. The last of the following formed part of dinner - sausages, onion, potato, pumpkin, capsicum and peas. We also had carrot.

 

Day 92 – Friday 26 August – Yeppoon

The start of our 14th week started chilly, but just got better and better. Two loads of washing were on the line by 8:15 - despite the first wash not getting a 'spin' cycle. However the entire lot was nearly dry by lunch time.

Lunch was at the Keppel Bay Marina restaurant "Waterline". In attendance were Kay & Darryl & their daughter, Sara, plus team Kelly consisting of Shirley, myself, our daughter Amanda and her mate, Carly. It was so enjoyable that I forget to get a photo. It is a lovely spot that serves great food.

The afternoon was lazy. Happy Hour preceded a snack dinner.

Day 93 – Saturday 27 August – Yeppoon

The overnight wind was so strong and loud that I thought it was raining. I got up to check outside and found that all was Ok - and no rain. I resisted the temptation to head to the beach for an early sunrise photo. Bed was more alluring.

In a further effort to reduce the food in the fridge we had bacon and eggs for breakfast. That was a good start to the day. Neither of us were motivated to do anything, so we didn't - for a while.

The strong wind continued all day and so did our lack of motivation. Some organisation for our trip next week happened in bits and pieces, as did some shopping.

It was a quiet evening.

Day 94 – Sunday 28 August – Yeppoon

The wind continued overnight, but eased into the morning. I went for a drive and took a photo of our local Mulambin beach - from beside the road from Yeppoon - looking south.

The main two activities for the day were getting the caravan ready for 7 days of storage - with the fridge off - and getting the car ready for a 1200 km road trip to Port Douglas. Wedding gear was folded and packed neatly and double checked. Space was made for the coffee machine + several boxes of pods.

The Engel fridge in the car was loaded with the necessary liquid and solid food stuffs - for the 3 day road trip and beyond.

The biggest single task of the day was cleaning the top of the awning. Twenty one days of bird and palm fruit residue made it a necessary and painful job.

We pick up Amanda around 9:30 tomorrow and head north. It will be interesting to have an eager relief driver - or will it?

Late afternoon clouds encouraged me to go for a drive and seek a sunset photo. The following is what I saw.

We relaxed in preparation for an interesting and busy week ahead of us.

This chapter is Complete.

Last updated at 3:20 pm on Sunday 28 August.

Jump to the Next Chapter 

Jump to the Previous Chapter

Open the Table of Contents