Haliday Bay north of Mackay

 We shopped in Proserpine before heading south to spend time camping at Haliday Bay north of Mackay. We've never ventured off the highway in this part of the world, and we were so glad we did. Talk about a little slice of paradise with a small campground with powered and unpowered sites. Of course, we chose the unpowered area. The site is suited to fully self-contained caravans and motorhomes.

The on-site bar and restaurant were closed during our visit because of the reduced numbers now travelling so late in the season.

Twenty-seven dollars per night unpowered with water available, a dump point and a lovely beach with a swimming enclosure to keep the stingers at bay. There's even a nine-hole golf course, but unfortunately, my golf clubs are at home, and the hired clubs leave much to be desired.

Initially, our four-night stay has grown to a sixteen as the area is so peaceful and quiet, but then, of course, it's late in the tourist season with fewer people travelling.

The past weekend was busy with people from Mackay camping here, but now that it's Monday morning, we almost have the place to ourselves.

Spearfishermen and snorkelers reported that the area around the rocks on the point out from the swimming enclosure had many sea snakes.

Another small community at Seaforth, ten kilometres north of here, sells fuel. It has a small shop and a bowling club, where we enjoyed lunch on one of our days.

With six hundred kilometres from Halliday Bay to Agnes Waters, we decided to break up the drive and stay behind the pub at Marlborough, where you can camp for free, provided you frequent the pub, so we both enjoyed our lunch and a beer.