Bound for the Coast

 From Julia Creek, we continued east along the Flinders Highway towards Richmond on what we can only describe as the worst road we've ever travelled, with damage on the left-hand side caused by the large B-double and triple trucks that use these roads. 

We stayed on the centre line whenever possible, provided we could see far enough ahead to avoid furrows created on these roads, which were never built to handle the weights of such trucks and their loads. These road conditions persisted for a further 114 kilometres until we reached Hughenden, where we camped at the free RV park — a large dirt car park the size of two football fields, with a dump point and town water. 

We had planned to spend two nights here, but one night was enough after walking around town and dealing with the swirling wind kicking up dust in the RV park.

The road condition heading east towards Charters Towers began to improve, making the 246-kilometre drive much more enjoyable. We stopped briefly here to refuel before continuing another twenty kilometres east to camp at a free site beside the Burdekin River at Macrossan Park, where toilets and rubbish bins are available. 

Again, the area was dirt, but we positioned ourselves near a large patch of grass, even though it was dry, which would help prevent us from being covered in dirt from wind and passing traffic. It was busy, likely due to the on-site toilets, and many of the permanent campsites appeared to have been in use for quite some time.

The old sandstone pylons have been replaced because the weight of trains carrying refined metals and mineral concentrate to the coast would be unable to support the additional loads.

The rest of our trip along the Flinders Highway was a pleasant drive as we headed towards the Bruce Highway. About thirty kilometres west of Townsville, at Woodstock, we turned onto a minor road that took us past properties with mango plantations. This saved us from having to travel an extra sixty kilometres.

Since leaving home in early June, the traffic has been light in the areas we've travelled through, so it was quite a shock to arrive at the Bruce Highway and be greeted by streams of traffic in both directions. The highway remained busy for the next one hundred and fifty-three kilometres until we reached Bowen. 

All the van parks were fully booked, even though the school holidays were nearly over, so we spent the next four nights at a farm stay twenty kilometres south-west of Bowen at Glen Erin Farmstay, costing twenty dollars a night, where bore water was available, along with a dump point, showers, and toilets.

We travelled to Airlie Beach and checked into a caravan park on Shute Harbour Road. It's been eight years since our last visit, and we were amazed by the growth here. New marinas and resorts have appeared, and the Airlie Beach Hotel has been transformed into a large accommodation complex. While here, we visited Proserpine to pre-poll for the voice referendum.

                                                                    

Airlie Beach and North Queensland have been our annual escapes from winter in Canberra, where we lived for over forty years, so we have seen many changes over time. We are booked into Bushtracker on Wednesday, the eighth of November, for a van service that will include replacing the wheel bearings.
 
We are currently organising timings and accommodation for the upcoming month, as it is about 1,000 kilometres from Airlie Beach to the factory at Kunda Park on the Sunshine Coast. After leaving Airlie Beach, it was just over fifty kilometres to our next four-night stop at Lake Proserpine. The only facilities here are a small kiosk selling essentials, showers, toilets, and rubbish bins. The campsite overlooks the lake, and the nightly charge is $10 per person.
 
Unfortunately, during our four days here, we experienced strong, gusty winds, and as often happens on our departure day, the winds have now eased.