Robert and Judith's Gap Year: 14/8/11

We arrived in Townsville and stayed the first night at the Coral Coast Caravan Park - one night too many. It was like camping on the third runway of the airport, or the median strip of the highway. We searched the internet and found an unadvertised camping ground at the Seventh Day Adventist Conference Centre. It was quiet, uncrowded, close to town and good value. We happily stayed there for 4 nights.

Our car and van at the Seventh Day Adventist camping ground

The riverside parkland adjacent to the park

Big beautiful trees in the camping ground

The "office" at the camping ground

We really liked Townsville - especially The Strand, which is the road that runs along side the beachfront. It is a great place to just go and enjoy at any time. Nice sandy beach, green grass foreshore, playgrounds, coffee shops, ice-cream shops and lots of people similarly enjoying themselves.

The Rock Pool - a sea water swimming pool at the end/start of The Strand

The pretty foreshore of Townsville

Our poor elderly dog gets carried in her make-shift doggy bag

Princess making friends with a dugong

Princess making friends with a turtle

Lots of activities and people enjoying the foreshore

Princess on The Strand

An exciting waterpark for the kids

I met up with Margaret, a work colleague from AST Consulting days, and enjoyed a night out at a restaurant with a great group of people from James Cook University.

We went across to Magnetic Island on the ferry. We took the car so we could drive around and also so that Princess could come with. Otherwise we would have had to muzzle her for the trip! We thought Magnetic Island was lovely; some of the nicest beaches that we've seen so far. The island is promoted as an island of bays, which is very accurate.