The night in the sugar cane fields was the best in a long time. I don't even
remember waking up in the middle of the night, sorting my bones. The sun was
just about to rise and so I relocated into the nearby located Cape Hillsborough
NP. There I spent most of the morning, taking pictures at the fantastic beach as
it was low tide at that time. I also took advantage of the campgrounds real
showers; I paid the 20 cents for a hot shower and enjoyed the great waterfall;
however, they did not specify how long the 20 cents would last - so after about
one minute I was there under a cold waterfall. Still, what a feeling.
On
the way further north I also had the great opportunity of spotting some exotic
birds and trees, very amazing indeed. This is a subtropical rainforest after
all, or at least it shyly begins here to get thicker more in the North. The
climate, this is for sure, is right - hot and sticky like Florida (Lee Hayes,
you would have loved it here). Note that I am still wearing my long pants to
save myself further pains.
Between
brief and heavy showers, in the town of Whitsunday I could witness the so far
bluest sea (unfortunately you don't get that much to see from the highway,
unlike in California where CA-1 basically follows the shore) and also what
happens to a town when it starts living off tourists. Not that much different
from Mediterran or Alpine villages - lots of shops, expensive goodies and the
mandatory hot women. Diving or sea tours were never on the schedule for this
trip, but I am now very certain I will come back, and be it for the diving's
sake. However, I hope the sea gets even more blue, because otherwise it would
still lose to the Scottish northern shore, which was as azure as only a computer
could paint it - but no diving there, of course.
Now
in Townsville, I have reached the most northern point of my voyage. I could go
to Cairns, only one easy day away, to see more of the rain forest, but I then
would have a hard time returning in time to Sydney. I just prepared a schedule
for the remaining 10 days and I must drive 240km each day on average, which is a
light schedule and allows for one day each in Brisbane and Sydney - enough since
I am trying to avoid cities in general. Since I yet have to see a Koala bear I
may follow my email friend Craig's advice and look for them in Brisbane, as I
sure won't make it to Adelaide. Still, as told beforehand by Aussies, this trip
is way too much driving in too little time, and that even though I dropped the
original ambitions.