Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Queensland wandering boots: Day 3 off to Airlie Beach



By the numbers

15.94kms

21271 steps

 

The day started off early as I wanted to checkout before anything happened and in case they had to check the room to see if I had used the food and drinks in the mini bar. I hadn’t as I knew those would cost me. As I had no problems getting away, I headed to the bus stop with sandwiches in tow as I had found some food along the way as I tend to do, but without the coffee. The first bus to arrive was the Greyhound, but that wasn’t mine as I was waiting for the Premier and he wasn’t far behind. It was meant to be a 2 hour trip into Airlie Beach and I was watching the clouds darken the further north we went. By the time we reached Proserpine it was raining and I was realising that I might have a wet day.

We followed the weather into Airlie Beach and I was sniggering at the bus driver telling someone that if the rest of his group isn’t there in the next couple of minutes, then he would leave without them. I don’t know how people can be late for the bus when the rules tell you to be there around 20 mins before it arrives. It was windy and the clouds were hovering around Airlie Beach. I used my map to send me in the right direction to Airlie Beach township as I had been doped off at Airlie Port.It looked as though the whole town had been rebuilt and it probably had since I was last there 18 years ago when the Nokia were a huge deal over every other phone. No internet on your phone back then. I still have the same phone number too. I found the hostel and being before 10am and totally before check in at 2pm, I was able to get my room there and then. This made me happy as I could then drop my bags off and do whatever I wanted.

 

The whatever I wanted was a quick walk around the block while looking for tours that I wanted to do on my birthday, I ended up choosing the boat tour as I couldn’t do the flight as it was booked out and it would mean Thursday on the plane when I want to visit Hamilton Island. I think I am going to try snorkling, so that will be fun me actually swimming. Before long I stopped at Maccas and realising they had a coffee maker problem. Their coffee maker went home and the girl left behind didn’t know what to do, so a manager came around 5 mins later. This was my first coffee and it was around 11am, at least I relaxed while drinking it at a seat before moving off. I soon found there were paths in the local town that I never knew existed that took me all the way to Cannonvale along the beach to and from the marina. I didn’t mean to end up in Cannonvale, but I went that far and since I was hungry, I found the shopping centre and got two sausage rolls before starting my journey back.

The walk back was rerouted to going up the hill instead of around the marina, so I was walking uphill so that I could get a good view of Airlie Beach on the way up and down the hill. I wanted decent pictures of the blue ocean waters, but everything was a little windswept and cloudy. But the deeper water meant that there was that stunning blue I was looking for. I wandered through town stopping to look at Hogsbreath thinking of steak dinner for Wednesday before stopping at the hostel to cool off in my hostel room that was a single room with balcony facing the road. I even have the drive through bottle shop across the road. After an hour or so reading a book just relaxing in the air con for a little bit, I decided on another walk.

The reason for this walk was to find where I had to meet up for my boat trip in the morning, but I wanted to have breakfast there while waiting, so then I can have my morning coffee. The clouds were threatening rain and I walked over to where I had caught the bus as I was wondering if I had found an actual ferry terminal to the islands. I still have no idea, but think I would rather get the bus to Shute Harbour anyway. The rain was actually really want to do what rain does and I didn’t want to get wet on the way back to the room. I made it as far as getting pizza and back to my room before it started raining just on dark. I got a small pizza and that made me happy unlike when I eat a normal size pizza.

Still I was keeping up with the news about what was happening and I think I should be alright with the lockdown in Townsville as that ends on Friday and I get there Friday afternoon and it will have ended by 6pm Friday night, so we shall see what happens. At the moment everything is positive and I have a seat on a bus that is still running north. The world is doing strange things and I make sure I am keeping up with everything.

 

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