Our next destination is a stopover: Rockhampton, about 500 km south, the second-largest city in the state of Queensland. We still managed to get there from ten to six. The speed limit on highways is 110 km/h, and often 100 km/h. There are good roadside amenities, including rest areas with toilets and drinking water, even though they're quite far from civilization.
A half-hour drive from Airlie Beach lies Proserpine, and below that, a large stretch of Australia's east coast is almost entirely uninhabited. There's little to see along the way. A village appears every half hour or so, and the first half is dominated by sugarcane fields. The last three hours are mainly arid land with scattered trees. The trees change from tropical palms to more common trees (as we know them), eucalyptus, and even conifers. From dense vegetation to savanna-like.
We saw several forest fires along the way. Google Maps indicated the highway was closed. Fortunately, that wasn't the case; the fires were well off the road. However, you often see large swaths of charred forest along the road. These were fires that day in the area we were driving through.
I also saw several campsites, which aren't nearly as common as in Europe, and are quite different. No tents, but there were car tents, mostly caravans with extra clearance, and surprisingly few campers (RVs). I expected more. Lots of these types of caravans:
The grounds are often more like a sandy plain than a landscaped park. Sometimes they have mobile homes or cabins on the same grounds, like those found on poor European campsites, with many regular guests.
Stopover at the botanical garden in McKay. Beautifully laid out, on the river, a great lunch spot, with our new acquisition: a foldable cooler bag.
The Bruce Highway is long—1,600 km!—and has some long, boring straight stretches. The risk of accidents due to fatigue lurks. Therefore, there are often edifying messages along the sidelines. For example:
- Break the drive, stay alive
- Stay alert: play trivia
- Next sign: Highest mountain in Queensland?
- Rest, or RIP (rest in peace)
As we arrive at the motel in Rockhampton, the birds in the palm trees call out to us. It's a regular sunset ritual.
Listen: