June 26 - 28 (Day 147-149) Townsville to Rollingstone, and back to Townsville!

Friday 26 June

Thursday packing up had taken a long time so we decided to give ourselves a bit more time and head off Friday once we had finished. It would also give Greg some time to go out and get the other laptop and set it up while we weren't travelling.

Finally after packing up we had some lunch and then headed off to fill up with fuel and then to find a spot to camp. Wikicamps has been so useful with all sorts of information about locations and what facilities they might have and possible costs if any.



We travelled for about an hour and a half before pulling off to have a look at a free camp ground in Rollingstone. We started down a road that had an overhead sign saying 2.4 max height (this is the height of our carport so we thought we would be fine) as we approached a lady stopped nearby and said there was no way that we would get under the second bit so we decided to back out and tried another road which looked like it could take us there. We found another road that looked like it would take us to the campground but discovered that we had gone past so had to turn around. (Unfortunately this sometimes happens when the phone takes a while to update our location. 😏) Then it looked like we needed to go down a dirt track. We started down the dirt track but then Greg thought it best to take a walk and check it out first. Thankfully he did as it was quite a deep creek with rocks and then a steepish incline coming out of the creek.
So we backed out of the track and came back to where the 2.4 sign was and Greg said if it says this we should be fine as this is the height of our carport. Then another person came past and said the same thing about not being able to fit through but now there were others coming up behind us so we drove on and I hopped out to make sure we would clear. All was good then we came to the other bridge which did look quite low but it was still only 2.4 so I hopped out again and we cleared that so we headed off to the camp ground. It looked quite busy but a nice enough spot for the next few nights.

Saturday 27 June

When in Townsville we had asked a few others what were some good spots to visit around the area and on the way up to Cairns and Paluma national park was on the list so we had breakfast and did the morning Samuel reading then gathered some snacks and lunch things and headed off.

Here's the highlights of our day!

First stop was the Paraside pool. It's a really lovely spot. Well worth the visit. There was no-one there so we enjoyed a lovely swim all to ourselves.

After swimming for a while we headed off to see what the natural rock waterslides were all about.
What fun! The first slide the kids were able to go down fairly easily but Greg and I being a bit heavier we had to push ourselves down.
We then climbed up the next set of stairs to another lot of water slides and swimming areas. This time is was a lot easier to slide for all of us. We all had great fun.

We then had a picnic lunch near the carpark and watched a wasp flying nearby creating is own mud nest.

On our way back we saw a sign that said the Frosty Mango so went to see what delights they had to offer. There were plenty of flavours to chose from but we chose mango sorbet, banana, tiramisu, cookies and cream and one other.

We then headed back to the van. Greg and I really felt like a cuppa by now but Jude wanted to go for another swim. (He obviously hadn't had enough time to swim today.) Jude and Matt got changed and we headed to the nearby creek while Bek took a book to occupy herself while the boys swam.

Sunday 28 June

Greg went for a run around the block this morning and then came back to collect Jude and they went for a swim. They jumped off a nearby bridge which we had seen others jumping off the day before.

We'd got most of the jobs on the car done before we left Adelaide, and here and there along the way, but the transfer case fluid needed to be changed in the next 8000km. We had also missed seeing some friends of Greg's brother Peter's who live in Townsville, who happen to be motor mechanics. So over a coffee we worked out our plans and decided we would go back to Townsville after we had done our own meeting and Sunday School rather than rushing through breakfast and packing up. Greg phoned Jonathan C, who were delighted to have us, and discussed what work needed to be done on the car and what oil and other bits and pieces we needed.

Greg then did a Sunday school lesson with the kids and we then did our meeting on Isa 53.
We then packed everything up and headed back into town to Townsville. On our way there we needed to get some oil and a fuel filter before the shops shut. We got there with half an hour to spare.
After we popped into the food shops quickly to pick up a few bits and pieces before making our way to their house.
We arrived around 5.30pm and were greeted by a gathering of cute kids.

Upon arriving closer to the house we then met Jonathan and Maxanne C and their 4 children, and also Damian S and his wife Elizabeth and their 4 children who Greg and I knew from years ago! Not long after chatting another car arrived and we met Jonathan's brother Joshua and his wife Jessica and their 2 small children.

After setting up the van we shared dinner and chatted long into the evening. It was lovely to meet this family after so many years - Peter has visited here many times and told us many stories of them so it was nice to put faces to names.

-- Mim