We packed the trailer and then had to wait around the caravan park for mail that had been forwarded on to us that hadn’t arrived as yet.

It was about 1.30pm before we finally left Mackay heading for Townsville. We called in for a quick visit with Steve who works at a butcher shop in Kutabul, three staff members had gone home ill so he didn’t have much time to stop and talk with us, which was probably just as well considering our late start.

At the recommendation of Paul the Ulyssean we met in Mackay we drove through Airlie Beach for a look. It reminded me of Byron Bay, Lorne or Noosa, a trendy beachside town swarming with tourists. We met a Ulysses member George, at the service station we pulled in to and he told us the best way to get to Bowen and also a café that was worth visiting when we get there.

On our way into Bowen we stopped at the tourist info centre and picked up a booklet with information about the town and a map and were given advice on where to find the caravan parks.

We set up the tent with the bare minimum of things to get us through one night, tomorrow we leave once again for Townsville. At the caravan park we met yet another Ulysses member, Gary, an ex Gold Coast Ulysses member.

After we packed up we went for a short ride to Flagstaff Hill lookout. From the lookout there are 360° views of the Bowen area, including a lighthouse on a small island off the coast.

We were on the road by about 9.30 travelling past many vegetable farms and many more sugar plantations. Bowen is one of the country’s greatest producers of vegetables, especially tomatoes. The sugar is interesting in that while there are many, many crops that are several metres tall, there are other fields full of newly planted crops. The sugar harvest begins in June, I’m looking forward to seeing it, the cane fields continue all the way up to Cairns I’ve been told.