Arlie Beach to Coffs Harbour

After leaving Bowen we proceeded with a short trip further down the Bruce Highway to Airlie Beach and booked into a nice Van Park right down by the water. They had a huge Community open swim pool there, which was open to the public. Most of the North Queensland coast is a little hazard’s because of the stingers (box jellies) in the coastal waters, so it pays to avoid swimming in the ocean. Airlie Beach is also a point where you can go by Boat Charter to the Whitsunday Islands.
After 4 days in the area we proceeded down to Mackay, a nice coastal town with plenty to offer. I will say at this point in the article, Hinterland country follows the coast; it’s a relative short trip to drive up to these areas and get a little Country traveling whilst you’re in the “Cruzin mode”, just leave your Van at the coastal Van Park and spend a day in the Hinterland areas.

After 3 days we proceeded down to Rockhampton, “Beef City” as it’s referred to, a must here is investing in a decent “T Bone” steak. A trip to Emu Park around to Yepoon is well worth it, the scenery is magnificent. If you feel in the mood, a boat trip to Great Kepple Island is nice, don’t do what I did and do that trip, indulge in the Smorgasbord at the Island Hotel, return in the boat, saying “What a Bargain”, when finding out the Smorgasbord was for the VIP’s that flew in by Quantas and NOT for the rabble, “Us”. (I think from memory we got the whole trip including the smorgasbord, for around $45 p.p.)

By this time the wife was getting a little “home-sick”, so I thought we would skip Gladstone and Bunderburg and opt it for Hervey Bay, well, I’m glad I did go to Hervey Bay, it’s a nice coastal town, we stayed at a Top Tourist Park, it should be mentioned that we became members to both “Top Tourist” and “Big 4” parks before we did the trip, knowing that we would stay at a lot of Van Parks on our route. With a saving of 10% at each park, we saved a considerable amount. In hindsight, now with the Generator and long range water tanks, we would do more Bush Camping, which would save even more dollars.
Whilst in Hervey Bay we did a trip to Frazer Island, I was going to ship the Challenger over, but glad I didn’t, the roads were “deep tracked” sand tracks, the 4X4 Ockkas had really churned up the tracks and only excessive high clearance vehicles were capable of traversing the roads on the Island, besides, the Island excursion was reasonably priced and they used their (specially designed) 4X4 Okka Busses. The streams there have so much clarity, there doesn’t appear to have water running in them, the sand on the inland beach is as fine as talc.

Leaving Frazer Island we proceeded down to Tewantin (ha, bet you never heard of that one), it’s just behind Noosa, on the Sunshine coast. More Round-a-Bouts here than any other town (of that size) in Australia. The river system is very pleasing and there is a large ECO park system on the point. The beach is popular and the Queensland stingers don’t seem to frequent this stretch of coastline. The shopping here is good and a small Industrial site will cater for allot of those commodities that one seeks for Caravan repairs. The hinterland of the area is interesting and one can follow the coastal line down through Coolum, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba to Caloundra with a variety of Beaches, Shopping complexes and Adventure fun.

Just a Hop-Step & Jump to Brisbane where we stayed a week at the Brisbane Caravan Village at Aspley, a handy Big 4 park on the Northern approach to the City and just off the Bruce Highway. We toured Brisbane for about 4 days and took in the sights of the City and its’ surroundings up as far as Ipswich.

Leaving Brisbane we proceeded down to the Gold Coast and booked into a popular Van Park, right on the Estuary at Broad Beach, which, I may add, was central to Surfers Paradise, Southport, Burleigh Heads, Coolangatta and Tweed Heads. We booked in here for about five days, for there was allot to cover in this area. Again, a trip to the hinterland is recommended, Mount Tamborine would be the highlight of that trip, where the quaint little village has various alfresco eating and a Cuckoo Clock shop. The expanse of the Gold Coast is unbelievable, with high rise apartments that stagger the imagine.

Leaving the Gold Coast behind, we crossed the Qld/NSW boarder and lay-rest in the coastal township of Byron Bay, made our way to a sleepy little Van park at Suffolk Park. We stayed here for a few days, chatting to some old friends that we hadn’t seen in 40 years. A trip in the Vehicle up to Nimbin was a good experience, a real country town in the hinterland, where it’s occupants were mainly Hippies, and drugs were openly bought and sold on the street.

After moving on from the Byron Bay area, we took a short trip with the Van to Lennox Head, being so nice there with the Van Park nestled between the coastal beach and a Tea Tree colored lake, a few days there and we again moved on through Ballina, Evans Head, Grafton to the town of Coffs Harbour, where we made out way down to a nice “Top Tourist Park” on the beach. Again having friends there we stayed a while, (4 days), of which a trip up to the hinterland area covering Bellingen Dorrigo, very nice country in that “Neck of the woods” , again, the use of the four wheel drive came in handy when exploring some of the areas amidst the Mountain range.