Day 43 – Tuesday 31 August 2021 –208 Km

During the night it started to rain.  Today is moving day, we packed up in the rain and left Mena Creek around 9.30am. We wended our way slowly through the cane fields & banana plantations in sometimes heavy rain, crossing lots of sugar tram tracks, sometimes on corners. The mountains are covered in mist and hidden at times by rain. We have decided to miss seeing Wallaman Falls, too wet & most likely shrouded in cloud.  We turn south onto the Bruce Highway towards Townsville, our next destination. There is a lot of traffic heading north, the other way, including lots of caravans. The rains alternate between heavy & light, we drive slowly in these conditions. It seems that others are doing the same, when we get to overtaking lanes they stay well behind us.  We stop a couple of times at roadworks and eat our lunch whilst waiting in the queue at the traffic control lights.

We reach Bushland Beach, just north of Townsville, around 1.30pm & park in our friend’s front yard. They have a lovely house on the beach with direct beach access through the back gate past the pool. Sitting in the lounge room downstairs you can see the ocean rolling in over the sand. The main upstairs bedroom looks directly out to sea whilst lying in bed through wide full length windows, glorious views.

We unpack our car into the garage & spend the rest of the afternoon catching up before being cooked a delicious baked dinner, then hot showers & bed, we were tired. Another great day.