Bundaberg, Childers, Burrum Heads, Gympie

Friday 23rd September 2011: Bundaberg is the birth place of Bert Hinkler, who in his brief lifetime of forty years, became one of the world's greatest pioneer aviators.
As Bundaberg is relatively flat, the city's water supply gains pressure from large water towers. The most interesting of these is the East Water Tower (built in 1902). It is a masterpiece of bricklaying with walls up to 1.4 metres thick in places.
The city and North Bundaberg is divided by the Burnett River. The district produces a significent percentage of Queensland's sugar crop most of which is raw sugar that is shipped from the Port of Bundaberg. The port is 9klms east. At the Bundaberg Distillery the famous Bundaberg Rum is made from a sticky black syrup called mollasses (a by product of sugar milling).

The impressive bridge over the Burnett River

A water fountain on one corner of the main street
and

a memorial on the other corner

The Post Office

East Bundaberg Water Tower......

this tower is now out of service and is Heritage listed on the State Register
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The Bundaberg Distillery............................................
The Bundaberg Distilling Company was born in 1888

when a band of sugar millers turned a horrendous molasses surplus into fine rum!

'Spring Hill House'

This sugar plantation house

which has been restored, now houses a museum, souvenir store and bar.
This car, with advertisement, was parked in the car park!!!

Me......with the world's biggest rum bottle

There is to be a launch of a new rum matured in barrells used to make port.

The bottles are numbered.

These people are in line to be first to get a low numbered bottle - some have been camped outside the distillery for over three weeks! You have to be joking!!

The new rum.......not released till Sunday 25th September 2011
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The beautiful countryside around Bundaberg.....................
Sugar cane plantations, Macadamia plantations, green crops, red fertile soil and blue sky - very picturesque!

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Childers:
A quaint town with many well restored old buildings........
In 1902 a disastrous fire destroyed much of childers but the subsequent rebuilding has givern the town an amazing variety of asrchitectural styles still largely intact today.

The Grand Hotel

The original Grand Hotel was moved in from Horton to its current site

The Palace Building.........

Today is the Visitor Information Centre on the ground floor. Upstairs an art gallery and backpacker memorial.

Post Office built in 1887 has been maintained in its original form.

Chris resting on the seat out the front
The RSL Club was built in 1901 for the CBC Bank.

Childer's Cannon.........story below.........

Click on Photo to enlarge and read about the Childer's Cannon.

The Soldiers Room Memorial.....

is in the former Isis Shire Chambers opened in 1926
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Burrum Heads....
A picturesque holiday coastal village for swimming, fishing and water sports.

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Another beautiful camp spot on the Mary River at Tiaro...............

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Gympie:

The Historical Railway Hotel

Historic Gympie Railway Station C 1860's...........

today they have Steam Train tours from Gympie through the scenic Mary Valley

Mackay down the Queensland Coast to Bundaberg

Thursday 22nd September 2011: Well a week has past since I last blogged!
The last week we have travelled from Mackay to Bundaberg, arriving in Bundaberg late today so will spend tomorrow exploring Bundy! Along with sightseeing we have visited two nephews and caught up again with my cousin Kathy, from Ravenshoe.
Arrived in Mackay on Wednesday 14th September. Whilst in Mackay camped on the lawn of my nephew Gerard's property. We had a lovely few days sightseeing around the area and was treated to his speciality cooking - Green Thai Chicken and Rice........very delicious and very hot! Then we went to Grassstree Beach and camped on the lawn of nephew Dom and his wife Claudia and four children. Once again the hospitality was warm and welcoming. The first night Dom cooked a bar-b-que and the second evening Claudia cooked a scrumptious Chicken Roast. This day being my birthday (18th September) Claudia cooked a choc birthday cake and they all sang 'Happy Birthday'. I had a lovely day celebrating another "O" birthday! I received calls from my children, grandchildren, sisters, cousins and friends. Thanks everyone!!

The two birthday cards specially made by my nephew's eight year old and six year old.

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Travelling onto Gladstone we again met up with my cousin Kathy (from Ravenshoe) who was visiting her two daughters and five grandchildren. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at 'Spinnaker Park' near the Gladstone Marina. It was a great spot for the litte ones to run and play.Travelling down the coast we've enjoyed sightseeing the many bays and inlets. Around Mackay - Eimeo, Seaforth, Cape Hillsborough Nat.Park. The headlands at Slade Point where we watched a whale and its calf, close to the point, travelling south. Around Rockhampton visiting Yeppoon and Rosslyn Bay, camping along the riverbank at Calliope. Another great camp spot.Today we enjoyed the 'town 1770', Agnes Waters, Burnett Heads and Bundaberg Port.

Slade Point

Double Click on photo........
to see whale and calf migrating south. Slade PointEimeo Beach

The landscape travelling along the coast.......I love the cane fields
so lush and prosperous looking!

Cape Hillsborough Nat Park

The pool area at the Cape Hillsborough Nat Park Nature Resort

Boardwalk through the mango swamp.........Cape Hillsborough Nat Park

View from Wreck Point Lookout Yeppoon

Keppel Bay Marina - Rockhampton

Kele Park - The Singing Ship

'The Singing Ship'

This structure was built to honour Lieutenant Capt James Cook who

discovered and named Keppel Bay 26th -28th May 1770Camping along the riverbank at Calliope............

Chris cooked a scrumptious baked dinner in his camp oven.
Camped along the riverbank at Calliope

The Town of Seventeen Seventy.....On Wednesday 24th May 1770 - Lieutenant James Cook anchored The Endeavour about 3klms off this part of the coast

Ayr, Home Hill, Bowen

Sunday 11th - Wednesday 14th September 2011: Enjoying our stay near Charters Towers at Macrossan Park on the banks of the Burdekin River we stayed an extra day relaxing. Then back to the east coast travelling south through picturesque green landscapes, defined by the maturity and variety of the sugar cane crops, onto Ayr and Home Hill. These two towns are 12klm apart and are connected by the landmark Burdekin Bridge (known as the 'Silver Link') construction being completed in 1957. The bridge is longer than The Sydney Harbour Bridge, Brisbane's Storey Bridge and NSW's Hawkesbury Bridge. We stayed the night at the Home Hill Comfort Spot a very popular free camp spot with travellers. We arrived around lunch time and ventured to one of the local pubs for a counter lunch (roast beef and vegies). In the evening enjoyed sundowners with other campers. In total there were 32 campers that night!
The town of Ayr sticks in my memory - In the 60's I boarded at St Joseph's College Lochinvar near Maitland in NSW. The winters were extremely cold and a nun who suffered the winter ill of chilblains was sent to Ayr to teach - at the time it was remarkable. I'm not sure if the Josephite order from Lochinvar NSW (the orders home base) was connected to the Ayr order in Qld. but the nun was sent to Ayr because of the warmer climate. Shannon, you were at Lochinvar at this time - maybe you remember who the nun was!
Before leaving Home Hill we visited the heritage-listed Charlies Hill - the site was once a World War 11 RAAF radar station and includes a real war bunker.
September 13 Chris celebrated another birthday - receiving birthday wishes from our children, 2 granddaughters as well as neices, nephews and friends.
Bowen - a town surrounded by pristine beaches and bays, however I'm still to find beaches that better our own around our home town of Newcastle NSW.
Front Beach (the foreshore) has recently under gone a major development - A soundshell, an area commemorating the Catalinas which were stationed in Bowen during WW11 - Chris believes his dad was in one of the squadrons here in WW11 and a display that depicts the town's role in the making of the movie 'Australia'. The vista from Flagstaff Hill Lookout is spectacular.
Bowen is widely known for its 25 murals displayed throughout the towns streets. We seeked out two murals painted by mural artist Frances Rowland. Frances and her husband Colin travelled with us on our Kimberley Camping Adventure from Broome along the Gibb River Road to Kununurra.
We drove out to Airlie Beach bringing back memories from a previous visit when we took a boat out to The Great Barrieer Reef and snorkled over the coral reef and another visit when we sailed with friends for a week around the Whitsunday Islands.
After passing Proserpine we went out to Midge Point and Laguna Quays (the resort we stayed at the time we snorkled out on the reef).
Onto Mackay where we are parked on the front lawn of our nephew's home. Thanks Gerard. We will spend the next couple of days taking in the sights of Mackay.

Central Business District of Ayr
Ayr Town Clock
Unveiled in 1930 as a memorial to sugar industry pioneer John Drysdale
who built Inkerman Mill in Home Hill
Inkermann Mill

Gubullamunda - the 60m carpet snake is the totem of the Juru people, the traditional owners of this area, before European settlers.

The mighty Burdekin Bridge (known as the 'Silver Link')

connecting the twin towns of Ayr and Home Hill

Old Home Hill Courthouse -The first Courthouse was established in 1923 in a timber building. The current brick building was completed in 1937. The courthouse was closed in 1991. It is now the home of local radio station Sweet FM 97.1

The Home Hill Comfort Spot was a great place for train spotting..................

day

and......................................

night

One of two igloos on heritage listed Charlies Hill - WW11 RAAF Radar Station

Travelling through Sugar Cane Plantations

The movie 'Australia' was filmed in Bowen

Outdoor amphitheatre

In WW11 Catalinas were maintained and serviced before being deployed

Bowen's Jetty Precinct
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Spectacular views from Bowen's Flagstaff Hill Lookout............................................................

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Murals painted by mural artist Frances Rowland.................

Federation of Port

Goat Cart