MacKay to Bundaberg

The primary purpose of our stop in Mackay was to visit Lynda's cousin and her family. We were feeling rather somber, but we were happy to have some company, and the distraction of a busy household. We are very grateful to Julie, Mike, Jordan and Mason for making us feel welcome and feeding us so well.

The road heading south from Mackay is a long, long, straight stretch that runs through coastal cattle country. Numerous Aussies we met along the way informed us that there was nothing to see between Mackay and Rockhampton. It is not surprising that many drivers fall asleep on this road out of sheer boredom.

For the first time on this journey, Craig had to put in a full day's work. So much time in the campa forced him to design his own version of Aussie Cruise control as a way of preventing a severe case of heal numbing. And to think we were going to throw away our 2007 issue of the Mackay phone book on our way out of town!

Our travels south have taken us away from the protected waters behind the Great Barrier Reef. We finally found some surf at Agnes Water. People, young and old, are at the beach at 6am trying to catch a wave. We do not envision ourselves out there, but it is fun to watch, and we plan to pick up some boogie boards when we see them cheap enough.

We arrived in Bundaberg and stopped by another world famous sugar mill where they have found a creative use for their primary waste product - molasses. We had a very informative and tour with our host, Drop Bear. Then it was on to Elliott Heads, about fifteen minutes outside of town. After spending several hours on the beach we experienced a bizarre phenomenon. A clear, tasteless liquid fell from the sky (apparently for the first time in three months.) It was delivered with great crashes and flashing lights. It sent everyone scurrying for their campers.

We will recuperate here for another day and then head down to Rainbow Beach. We are hoping to find a reasonable trip to Fraser Island, since our little campa does not have the 4 wheel drive capability needed to traverse that terrain.

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