Two months in Townsville.

[drron]

To the next week and mrsdrron joined me again on the Friday.We went to our favourite restaurant in Townsville-GYO.
Started with salmon sashimi and grilled scallops.both excellent.

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Then suikiyaki.It is done a little differently with some veggies and meat put in before the liquid is added.However it works and very nice.

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Saturday and back to Wild rice.I tried my favourite Khao soi-however this was the Laotian recipe.Different but very nice.

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Then salt and pepper prawns and ginger pork.both very nice.

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[drron]

Sunday and mrsdrron's birthday.Had to be a little more upmarket.Unfortunately looking at the recommended "fine"dining restaurants seem to be on a chilli fix at the moment and mrsdrron doesn't do chilli.
I swallowed my politics and booked at the Watermark-part owned by Graham Richardson.The menu was wide ranging and looked like a pub menu.some of these though can be very good.They asked if it was a celebration so I said it was mrsdrron's birthday.Absolutely no acknowledgement of that-as I expected.
So to the food.Mrsdrron ordered the mussels as she was assured she could have them without chilli-

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Those red bits are chilli.She sent it back and on the second try got them without chilli.I had the octopus which was good but slightly chewy.

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For mains mrsdrron had garlic prawns which came in 2 dishes.The one on the left was typical spanish style and very nice.The other seemed to have a commercial garlic paste smothered in oil and was quite bland.

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I had the coral trout which was very good and not overcooked.

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Mrsdrron then got a comped dessert for the mistake with her mussels.She had the brulee and I had bread and butter pudding.

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Both were quite bland.
The service was also quite haphazard.Certainly great cultural diversity but all but 1 older supervisor were back packers or recent arrivals none of whom we talked to had any hospitality experience.
So not on our recommended list on service cost and quality problems.

 

[drron]

After dinner we went for a little walk along the waterfront.Townsville can be quite a pretty place at night.

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The building changing colours is the Casino.
The fig tress along the strand are magnificent even at night.

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[drron]

Monday night we went to Thai Smiles restaurant which gets good reviews on TA.I thought I had pics but cant find them.We shared a masuman curry-tasted all right but meat tough and chewy.pad thai-no bean shoots or peanuts.Ok taste.And Ginger pork.Bland and again the meat chewy.Not recommended.

Tuesday and we decided to hit the high life.

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I found out I could get a year's senior membership at the Cowboys for $6.60.And you get 10% of food and drinks.

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The oysters were nice but small.A lot cheaper than the Watermark.For mains mrsdrron had the garlic prawns.a bit disappointing but only $14.90.The same price for my pork belly and scallops.Pork juicy and tasty and the scallops near perfect.

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Again we had a little walk outside.Looks good at night.

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[drron]

We decide to give my club another visit.This time mrsdrron went with the pork belly and I had the lamb Wellington-it was really good.

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Thursday was mrsdrron's last night in Townsville so it was back to GYO.Probably our best meal there.A highlight was kishukatsu-crumbed beef on a stick.beautiful meat.

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Our go to dishes including the scallops.

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Another new dish to us was their version of yakitori.Quite nice.

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[drron]

Friday night I was alone again so decided on a change of office to meet a few locals.

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The locals.

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A couple of brave fellows.

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The 2 teams came out for some pre match warm ups.JT finished with a few practis shots.

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Fortunately that was the last he missed that night.
Just before they went back to the locker room.

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[drron]

I had planned to have dinner prior to kick off.So I went down to the food area about 40 minutes before the match started.Obvious I would not be served in time so back to my seat.Went back about 4 minutes before half time and beat the rush.Ordered fish and chips from Rock,Paper,Scissors.Same quality as their outlets around time and same price.They did however give me the prawns and chips pack-seeing that should have been $2 dearer I didn't complain.Prawns were not over cooked.
But there were some pre match fireworks.

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A guard of honour for JT's final home match.he came out first with his 2 daughters.

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And the match is on.

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Fittingly JT set up the first try and kicked the first of his 8 gaols.

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I had a very good seat right on the try line.

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[drron]

When I went for my food on half time the local drums were putting on a show under the grandstand.

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Half time display was a tribute to JT.

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When the teams came back for the second half they had picked people from the crowd that were wearing their cowboy hats.

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The highlight for Parramatta came when one of their players was sin binned.

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They scored their only try when he was missing.Not as much action in the second half.The game is over.

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[drron]

Then after the interviews there was a highlights package of JTs career with messages from former team mates.Sam Thaiday's contribution was a scream.

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Did the lap of honour with his 2 daughters.The one with the pom poms was a scream often waving them in front of dad's face.

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[drron]

Saturday and due to a colleagues illness another day on duty.As was often the case an early morning serenade.

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I finished in time for a late lunch so headed back to the Cowboys.I tried the jambalaya which turned out to be a good paella.

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I decided to walk around a bit of the CBD.The foot was playing up a bit so a slow walk.

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[drron]

More old buildings.

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Down to the Ross River.

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Setting up for a wedding.Already a guest but probably not invited-a homeless fellow you might just notice lying on a seat at the right edge of the pic.

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[drron]

The old court house now a theatre.

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Federation house.

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[drron]

So if you want a butterfly to pose go into town.This one took a liking to a nail salon.

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It was just after 5 so I popped back into the club and had a cowboys burger for dinner.

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[drron]

Sunday and off duty so time to put on my walking shoes,take my new walking pole and head off to a National Park.This time Paluma.About 60KM north of Townsville to the turnoff.The first part of the Paluma road is flat and through canefields.

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My destination is in the distance.There is then ~ 20Km of narrow winding road.Met several large SUVs towing boats and campervans coming fast downhill on the wrong side of the road.I was going slow enough to give me time to get out of the way.Approx. half way up an old bridge with many taking advantage of the creek and it's rockpools.

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A view from the road towards the top of the range.

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It is cane harvest time and many use fire pre-harvest hence the smoke.It was also an unusually cloudy day.As you approach Paluma it is a short detour to McClelland's lookout.An easy 200 metre path to an open area with covered seating,BBqs and toilets.

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[drron]

I now headed off on a 2.5Km return walk toWitt's lookout.A very good track with the steeper bits covered in recycled plastic.

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Although you hear lots of birds very few were seen and then just fleetingly.At one stage I heard a cassowary-have heard them before.It seemed to be travelling parallel to me.Then large crashing sounds coming towards me.I really didn't want to come face to face with a cassowary when walking by myself with only my walking pole for protection.Fortunately it was a wallaby that hopped across the path about 5 metres in front of me.
Nice greenery with lots of staghorns.

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Also funghi but rather dull.

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The lookout was worth it with some slight parting of the clouds.views up to Lucinda and on a clear day you would see Hinchinbrook island.

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Looking down to Crystal creek.there was a track down to crystal Creek and it's waterfalls.Only 1km but it was listed as steep,rocky and uneven so not for me now.

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[drron]

On the way back and a good example of a strangler fig.

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It was then to a 1.7Km walk through bushland.But then you have to walk back to your car as the track finishes on the main road.Called H track.You can download maps from the QLD National Parks site.
The track started with a steep downhill section.crosses a few dry creek beds and some interesting spring foliage.

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It turns back towards the main road.Just as I was thinking it was a little boring you come to this delightful little area.

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The creek even had running water.

 

[drron]

I now headed west towards the Paluma dam.just before the turnoff there is a lookout facing south towards the Hervey range.

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From the main road it is 20Km to the dam.it is unsealed but the first 4 Km are good.then it is very variable with some rough and narrow sections as well as being winding.About 8Km you come to the car park for the Birthday creek falls.A good track just under 1Km.

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You come to the top of the falls-a pleasant spot.

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I got as close to the top as I dared.i looked at the path to the bottom and it was steep and rocky.Once again discretion prevailed.There were a lot of insect eating birds attending a smorgasbord at the top of the falls.i attempted some pics but only got bush.

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[drron]

So to the Paluma dam.You can camp out here and looks a good place for those that like that.

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The camping area is behind the bushes and fronts the little bay.

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You were at one time allowed to drive across the bridge and go further.

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Now described as a forestry road on the other side.

 

[drron]

Looking the other way.

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The spillway.

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[drron]

Now I headed off towards Hervey Range road.Didn't look far on google maps.The first bit of the road was sealed to lull you into a false sense of security.You pass an Eco-resort at Hidden valley.not very welcoming with a sign resort guests only.Then the road deteriorates.Single lane,rough and lots of creek crossings.Not very welcoming land owners either with signs-no fisshing,no hunting,no camping and no stopping.
The road reminded me of the Rob Sitch program-A River Somewhere.They went fishing an isolated river in NZ with the road only suitable for $WDs.A cut away and-we have the next best thing-a rental.Only met 1 other car-a swift coming the other way and obviously a rental.We waved to each other.
Now this road was meant to meet the Hervey Range road.however it ended at a sealed road not on google maps.looked like it was sealed not long ago.

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Nice outback scenery.Unfortunately once again didn't make the tea rooms on time reaching the turn off at 3.55pm.Oh well-next time.