ROCKHAMPTON AND YEPPOON

We arrived in Rockhampton Monday. It felt like the burbs after spending the last few weeks in small country towns. Ugh! The caravan park was a sardine tin located between a major road bridge and a railway bridge over the Fitzroy River, so as you can imagine, very noisy. The fact that our sites backed onto a large tidal river was a slightly redeeming feature. We had booked three nights as Brian was flying in from Yarrawonga late Wednesday afternoon and I was picking him up. When I got up Tuesday morning after a sleepless night listening to the clatter of trucks and trains I decided that didn't work for me. Yeppoon, where Brian's daughter lives is on the coast less than an hour away, so I suggested to Karen we go for a drive and check out the camping availability.

Mount Archer was on the way so we drove to the lookout to take in the views over the city. Very pretty! It was lunchtime when we arrived at Emu Park 17 km south of Yeppoon on the Capricorn Coast. It's a gorgeous spot. After a walk on the beach we checked out the caravan park which, aside from being another sardine can, was apparently fully booked.

It was Karen's birthday which clearly meant 'bubbles required'. We sat in the park eating the largest pieces of fish I've ever been served accompanied by chips and potato cakes and sipping on Prosecco. Yum! While in the area we took a wander up the hill to the Singing Ship monument which commemorates the exploration of the bay in 1770. It's meant to look like the sail of a ship and is designed to sing in the wind. We didn't hear it.

On the few occasions Brian and I have visited Nat and the family while carravanning we have stayed at The Causeway. It's halfway between Emu Park and Yeppoon backing on to an estuary lake with the beach across the road. I took Karen for a look and she was sold. Yay! The large unpowered grassy area right beside the water was almost empty, so we booked to arrive the next morning. We would forfeit $33 each on our pre-paid third night at Rocky but at least I would have to endure only one more sleepless night. Well before midday Wednesday we were all set up at Cool Waters Caravan Park and I was much more chilled.

Next morning after enjoying a big brekky at the Keppel Marina, James, Ellie, Karen, Brian and I explored the fairly recently developed Yeppoon foreshore area. OMG....the endless pool complex is awesome. The views out over the Keppel Island group are stunning from every vantage point on the surrounding coastline.

Over the next few days we enjoyed walks with the dogs on the beaches, scenic drives, delicious dinners, big communal open fires at night and even had our precious Rubyvale sapphires evaluated (Karen and I were a bit excited). Karen had discovered that the local lapidary club met in Yeppoon Saturday mornings, so with our stash ready to flash we eagerly presented ourselves at the clubrooms. First, I proudly passed my 53ct beauty to the head honcho. He rolled it around in his hands, gave it a full 10 second examination through his special glasses before throwing it down on the table and exclaiming "rubbish"! As for the rest of my collection..."gravel". Karen got pretty much the same brutally dismissive response. Bugger! And, to rub salt into our wounds, one of the club members watching our humiliation, was only too happy to share that he sold sapphires like ours to the fossicking places for $10 per kilo. It then went into buckets of dirt for fools like us to pay $20 for to find. Dreams shattered!

Saint Bernards Boys College held their annual rodeo event on Saturday night and given Karen and I enjoyed the Capella Rodeo so much the previous weekend we decided to go. Brian had never been to one and I thought he'd love it. While it did have the odd highlight it was, unfortunately, not a patch on Capella. Bugger!

Sunday was the last day Karen and Ellie would spend with James and myself for some time. I had always planned to go further north knowing that Karen would have to eventually head back towards home and that time had come. The four of us had shared some amazing experiences and heaps of fun. James and I will miss them until we catch up down the track.

After a Father's Day breakfast with Nat, Scott, Isla and Halle, Brian and I hit the road north to a favorite haunt, Carmila Beach.