Queensland: Mackay

Decided to do a long drive, 800km, to break the back of the journey up to Gt Barrier Reef (GBR). Driving was easyand interesting - all of the drive was on single carriageway road, but we didn't see any vehicles going our way for hours. Speed limit 100k but you could go as fast as radar traps permit. I hve come to the conclusion that the only 'roos in this country are dead ones, 'cos thats all we see. You can't imagine driving 800km on small roads in the UK, it would be impossible. The scenery north of Hervey Bay is no where as nice as that between Brisbane & Hervey, that stretch is spectacular. The countryside goes from big forest to savannah and sugar cane is very pre-dominant. We have gone all tropical having crossed Capricorn and th humidity is rising noticably. The trucks are something here you get artics, semis for US readers, which have big trailers attached to the back, and these buggers are not content with you sticking to the speed limit, they tailgate you and pass you on single carriageway roads going 125kph, it put the willies up Linda.

 

Because of the long run we arrived late in Mackay anticipating no problem getting a motel room - wrong! Everything No Vancancy. Mackay is very much a working town rather than a resort place. Sugar cane, chemical works, port and lots of coal mines. There was some type of business show on and all the rooms were taken by business types. We eventually found "The Whit", a no star hotel in the center of town. You get an idea of what it was like if you saw the big iron gates on the staircase and the "No Work Boots, No Overalls" sign in the lobby. The room was pretty knackered having seen its best days in the 70's, a bit Bates Motel except that Vivian would have been OK - she would have never gone in our shower! It was such a contrast with our last place, the Pialba Motor Inn. Anyway we survived it and the good breakfast redeemed it a bit.

 

Speaking of tucker we ate out at an Italian. Interesting - we had bruscetta as a start. How can I describe it, It was cold, not hot, the bread was Swedish crisp bread, you know the sort of thing, and the topping was diced cold tomatoes and fried onion. It was more like a smorgasbord and salsa dip. Vive La Difference. I had a prawn pasta and it came up with sweet potato, mash potato, carrot and broccolli???? Nice tho'.