And We’re Back
Right off the bat it’s worth pointing out that clearly the weather knew two Brits were planning a holiday in the sun as, for the most part, the weather was cloudy with heavy rain (which thankfully occurred overnight in general). It was so wet that apparently Townsville had one of the wettest days since the 1950’s during our stay so it wasn’t quite the “dry” season. Still we donned the typical British attitude and made the best of what we got and to be fair we got a pretty decent holiday out of it.
Our main activity over the week was walking and bar a few small trails we pretty much covered the whole island by foot. We hiked from Nelly Bay to Horseshoe Bay via the Forts, out to West Point (see picture), Picnic Bay to Nelly Bay and a loop from Horseshoe Bay including the bays. This allowed us to see some pretty amazing views along with the local wildlife. The rather cooler than normal weather aided this as if we got the weather we were hoping for we wouldn’t have done anywhere near the amount of walking we did.
But then again we were hoping to just kick back on the beach and relax. I know I was hoping to read a long outstanding book on my Kindle as well as doing some snorkelling. I know, I know, it’s a bit whiney but we’d both been looking forward to taking some time-out as we’ve both had a rough couple of months recently and Cat had worked flat-out since we got here. But that’s not to say we didn’t have a good time as we did. Other highlights include hugging a koala, stroking a crocodile and a snake and even finding a place selling deep-fried Mars bars! We even had an amusing visit from a possum, dubbed One-Eyed Willie (see The Goonies), who was intent in joining us for dinner. It’s also worth pointing out to those who are planning to visit to include in their trip the hiring of a Mini Moke as they’re an absolute giggle and definitely the only way to drive on the island.
I guess the best way to sum up the holiday is that while not what we planned it was a success. It also means we’ve got plenty of reasons to go back again and to be honest that’s not a bad thing as I really liked the Island. The people were friendly, the bus drivers were a law unto themselves (one refused standing passengers while the next one didn’t), the local wildlife made sure you knew they were there and the place had the relaxing vibe we were after. It’s a great place to go just next we want the weather to go with it!
