so throw those curtains wide....

We left Home Hill Town early  and got straight back on the A1 Bruce Highway (can't wait until we reach the Shiela Highway). our next stop was a town called Bowen – the location of the Baz Lurmann film Australia – which I have not seen & is also known for the best mango sorbet – which I am not keen on. So not a great start. However the ladies at the tourist information were really helpful & after a long chat we did a whistle stop tour of Bowen  & back on the highway to Airlie Beach. The ladies had recommended a detour en route to a hidden beach that not many knew about, which I thought strange as it was v well signposted. We stopped for a drink overlooking the beautiful white Sandy beach and clear blue waters of the sea. Mr L was unimpressed & didn't think the 50k detour, a large part of which was on unmade roads, was worth it. He may have had a point but  just as we were leaving a kangaroo jumped out & crossed the road in front of us, & that for me made it all worth while. Our campsite, just outside town was our best yet & we stayed 3 days – mainly because the trip we had booked to the Whitsunday Islands got cancelled & we had to rearrange it for another day, but also because we wanted to relax – this is after all meant to be a holiday! When we arrived at the site we were told Saturday was music night. Fabulous. So after we had eaten we joined others around the campfire – which was completely unnecessary given the  temperature but added to the authenticity -  to listen to one man and his guitar. Not particularly tuneful but our $10 for 4L box of wine helped to numb the ear drums .
Our trip to the Whitsunday Islands coincided, again, with one of those overcast & wet days so the dazzling crystal clear blue waters & bright white sands of Whitehaven Beach – reputedly one of the best beaches in the world - was not quite as we would have liked but it was still pretty breathtaking. We walked along the wide expanse of beach to the sea & had a swim but the current was quite strong. The weather still hadn't improved when later we went to another small island to snorkel but once under the water, you are completely unaware of it. We snorkelled off  the beach & the coral was  just a few feet out & a few feet below so you were close, too close at times to it but it was fascinating to see and there were plenty of beautiful fish just below us.
As we left the campsite the following day we clocked up our first 1000km in the Hippee Camper.  Our next destination was Cape Hillsborough a very quiet site, tucked away by a long deserted stretch of Beach. We walked along the beach & were completely alone save for  2 men walking their dog who were, like us looking at all the tiny crabs, marching like soldiers in huge battalions along the beach. As we walked around the mud flats on the edge of the beach, I turned around to see Mr L attempting to rescue his foot & flipflop that had got stuck in the mud. In doing so he managed to get his hand/arm in it & drop his phone too as he struggled to get up. He regained his balance and his property but there were some choice words! As we left the beach & climbed Andrews point to look out over the bay we could hear the 2 men we had seen laughing & when the trees cleared on the path we could see one had fallen into the mud flats & the other, trying to help him had also slipped & fallen in.  They were in hysterics & started throwing it at each other, then  gave in and just rolled in the mud. It was v funny to watch. We walked for nearly 2 hrs then back at the campsite as we sat reading, a kangaroo appeared on a patch grass near us. It attracted a lot of attention from other campers but it seemed unfazed by it.  The following morning we got up at sunrise and walked onto the beach to see what we had come to see – a family of kangaroos gathered on the beach, foraging for food. It was so beautiful to watch them with the sun coming up over the sea and felt really special. We hoped our luck would last on animal sightings as we headed off to Finch Hatton Gorge, part of a National Park, where the leaflets promised we would see Platypus. I don't think I've ever seen one – in the zoo or otherwise & given that I seem to be acquiring new animal/insect phobias on a daily basis I'm, not sure why we were looking for them. The walk to the gorge was a couple of km, in hot sunshine along a very scenic trail. Mr L usually walks ahead just in case there are any close encounters but for some reason I was ahead & so was first to see the HUGE lizard that was basking in the sun on the path, blocking our way & in no hurry to move. We edged past & Mr L led the way for the rest of the walk. At the Gorge, whilst the waterfalls & huge boulders were impressive, there was no sign of the platypus.  Perhaps it was for the best.