Around Gladstone
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Queensland Alumina Ltd (QAL):  Gladstone lookout from south-east (QAL) to north-east:      Tondoon Botanical Gardens:    Back at Benaraby and a stroll at dusk down to the Boyne River:  and on the way back found a sign warning of crocodiles:  |
Another sunny, warm day dawned. We got through the morning routine, I made
yet one more trip to the clothes line, bringing much of the washing back
with me and after storing it away, we set off. As I was fully refreshed, I
took the first drive for the day and headed for Gladstone.
Following the GPS instructions and his maps, Bruce soon directed me to a
look-out site not far from the huge Queensland Aluminium Company’s
operation. Bruce took many photos of the vast and pleasantly rust-coloured
establishment while I read all about it on the conveniently situated sign.
Next, Bruce directed me to a second look-out where we could see the harbour
and the coal-loading jetty about which there has been much discussion in the
media. We had tried to drive closer to it, but we found we could not enter
the area and had to be content with a long distance view. The look-out was
on a headland, attractively set out for tourists, but it had a curved road
where we wished to park and as I did not yet feel capable of manouvering the
large awkward vehicle into a tight spot between two other cars beside a
curved gutter, I decided it would be prudent to let Bruce attend to that
task.
We bought soft drinks and took a stroll around the neatly kept tropical
gardens, all part of the look-out area, and making a lovely frame for the
view of the harbour beyond. Purple bougainvillea was rampant among the palm
trees and small plants clambered over garden rocks. Bruce took many photos
of the harbour with the coal-loading jetty jutting out into it. The Bay is
wide and protected by several small islands, making it a very safe waterway
for industry.
We were now hungry and headed into town to find food. Again the challenge
of parking our large vehicle in busy city streets bothered Bruce so we
finally settled on leaving it beside a pleasant park some distance from the
shops and walked back. We trooped around and around, searching for a
suitable food. Eventually, having fully investigated what was available, we
settled for huge ‘Subway’ rolls and walked back to the park, sitting in the
shade of a large tree near the van to eat. With time to take in our
surroundings, we noticed the row of old Queenslander-style houses nearby.
Many had huge mango trees in their gardens, and these were now topped with
masses of deep brownish-pink blossom . The sight of the old homes and the
mango trees soon had Bruce telling nostalgic stories of his childhood. He
was clearly pleased to be here.
By this time, we felt we needed a rest and decided to return to the caravan
park. But on the way, we noticed a sign pointing to the ‘Tondoon’ Botanic
Gardens and decided we should look there first, despite our fatigue. The
Gardens were carefully set out to allow visitors to select different natural
environments to explore. We chose the rainforest area and enjoyed a short
walk through all sorts of palms, macrozamias, huge philodendrons, fig trees
and vines before realising sadly that our energy really had run out and that
we simply had to get some rest. We returned at last to the caravan park.
We sat at our table set up outside the van with refreshments, got out our
books and settled down to a delightful, if brief period of relaxation. I
began at last to read the book Ros had given me months before, William
McInnes' 'That’d Be Right'. Being a story by a boy from Redcliffe,
Queensland, about Queensland in his boyhood, sport and politics, and being a
most entertaining read, making me chortle and guffaw so much that even Bruce
became curious, it was just perfect for the occasion.
But I had not forgotten reality entirely and headed off to fetch the last
of the washing, now quite dry. On returning to the van, I suggested to
Bruce that we take a short walk as it would soon be evening. The two of us
strolled down to the Boyne River, just behind the caravan park and stood
there quite close to its edge watching other people fishing further
upstream. We were in a relaxed mood by this time, but as we walked back
using a slightly different route, we came upon a sign warning visitors to
beware of crocodiles and not to get into the water. We laughed at the irony
of finding it after we’d been so close to the water and decided the sign
could have been better placed. . .
The rest of the evening passed quietly. I chatted briefly to the owner of
a huge and immaculate caravan and equally immaculate 4-wheel drive vehicle
he used to pull it, asking if it were new and noticing that he, too, was
immaculate in his casual gear. He was surprised at my comment and assured
me that as he owned it and as it had been his home for 18 months, he
felt it was essential to take care of it. I walked away, pondering what it
would be like to be on the road like that for so long. But eventually, even
if I’d wished the pleasant day to keep going, we had to retire, for the next
day we were on our way again, this time to Rockhampton.