Capricornia

 After Carnarvon Gorge we headed east for the beaches of the Capricorn Coast, specifically Yeppoon about 50 km north west of Rockhampton. In doing so we crossed over the Tropic of Capricorn and formally entered the tropics. Along the way we stopped for lunch in Rockhampton, one of the larger towns found along the Queensland coastline and known as a major hub for the Australian cattle industry. We also started to see fields of sugar cane for the first time.

Like many towns along the Queensland coast, Rocky has a large river bisecting it, the Fitzroy. Unlike rivers in southern Queensland towns, the Fitzroy has a little surprise up its sleeve if you like the water. Crocodiles! With the tropics comes the presence of these sneaky, snappy little buggers, and we will have to keep them in mind until well after Alice Springs towards the end of our journey. As you can imagine this has become quite the conversation piece in the car with everybody of water that we pass.

So it was the Big 4 Caravan Park in Yeppoon for us for the week, where tides run big exposing large tracts of beach, a stunning rugged coastline, tropical islands and the southern fringes of the Great Barrier Reef. It has plenty of places to run and ride so we attempted to get into an exercise routine while we were there. There were also some great walks to be had and a National Parks to the north called Byfold National Park with some genuine tropical rain forest and great picnic spots. We also visited a little place called Nob Creek where there was superb pottery and arts centre just for something different.

Yeppoon Sunrise

One of the surreal things for us being on the road is the dramatic change that can occur from one place to the next in terms of the environment and character of places we find ourselves in, leaving you in a real spin. In the space of hours we can be in the serenity and wide-open spaces of Carnarvon Gorge, where there are few conveniences and the clientele wear khaki shorts and boots and stay for a short time before heading off for their next adventure. By days end we are shoe-horning our little caravan into a little piece of grass, in a jam packed, seaside caravan park in Yeppoon that is more like a “fun park” with cycles for rent, water slides, and jumping pillows. Despite these youthful attractions the clientele are vast numbers of “Grey Nomads” (senior retired folk travelling Australia by caravan), wearing striped polo shirts, long white socks and sneakers. Or if you catch them in the morning it’s terry toweling dressing gowns and slippers with a strong scent of Brut 33 coming from the men’s shower block. These grand grey nomads are going nowhere in a hurry and are settled in for months at a time. It’s all-good, it’s just a different accommodation experience and interesting to see what type of caravanning holiday appeals from one travelling group to the next. We are giving them all a sample.

 

Beach scribing, Yeppoon

By now we are starting to rack up some kilometers on the car. So much so that the Hyundai needs a service so I booked it in to the local dealer in Rocky and we spent the day in town. The sun was out and the day was warm it was going to be a great day to explore the town. Rocky has a sense of history about it with some great old buildings and architecture, but a little rough around the edges with a number of the pubs and other buildings boarded up. Men in cowboy hats are abundant in the main street. First stop was the town’s brand new library, to reconnect and catch up on a few things. It was the most well appointed library that I have been to and it wasn't hard to lose a couple of hours here. For lunch we decided to make our way out to the much-publicized Botanic Gardens.

Bangalee Beach, Yeppoon

Without a vehicle to get to the gardens we gave the local bus service a run. Taking public transport in another town or country is always an adventure, and it took a number of attempts (even after asking the locals) to find where and which bus to catch, but we got there in the end. The Botanic Gardens were absolutely superb. They are very old and well established and very well maintained and it comes with a free zoo. It was a lovely shady spot to spend the remainder of the day. With the car service complete we headed back to Yeppoon and began backing up the caravan preparing for another day on the road heading North towards Airlie Beach.

The next leg of the trip, between Rockhampton and Mackay is renowned for its emptiness. It is 330 km of unpopulated coastline, with very few services largely due to the extensive Shoalwater military reserve occupying the length of the coast. With a day to kill before we could check into Airlie Beach we decided to free camp in one of the very few spots you can access this remote part of the coastline at a place called Camila Beach. Services were limited with pit toilets, no showers and no water (you get what you pay for) but the setting was superbly wild and like nothing I had seen before down south. It was worth every bit of discomfort. This was beachfront camping at its best. You literally set up your caravan on a small raised dunette at the beaches edge where you could have the sea breeze run through your van and watch the sun come up over the water from your bed. It was a beach fishing paradise (not that I fish) but a handful of fishermen were set up in the beach, 10 to 15 metres away from their caravan. If this was roughing it then I can see more free camping nights ahead.

Free camping, Camila Beach

Next stop Airlie Beach.

Recommend at Rockhampton and Yeppoon

-       Rockhampton Botanic Gardens

-       Coffee at Stellarossa (Rocky)

-       Emu Park Pizza

-       A drive along Bangalee Beach