The island itself is beautiful and the beaches of which there are 17 boast pristine white powdery sand lapped by turquoise waters, but the neglect is evident. We walked to the top of Mount Wyndham, then ventured to Long Beach on the south side of the Island. We had an enjoyable morning walking on our own followed by some chill time on the beach and a drink at a local shop before the ferry took us back to the mainland. Walking adventures and beaches are what we crave and came to Great Keppel Island to experience, but hopefully a low impact resolution for the resort can be resolved in the not too distant future so that more people can experience this island getaway in Central Queensland.
Driving into the city of Rockhampton you come across astonishing amounts of cow statues, just to remind you that it’s the beef capital of Australia. Not a vegan café in site here. Rockhampton was founded in 1858 making it one of the oldest cities in Northern Australia. At a population of 80665, Rockhampton is the industrial and agricultural hub of North Queensland.
Exploring around the city of Rockhampton we noticed some gorgeous Victorian architecture, which expresses a thriving history of Mount Morgan’s Gold rush era in the 1880’s. We took a run around the botanical gardens, which was just down the road from the caravan park; it was full of rich bird and plant life with a nice stretch of lake on the side. Kershaw Gardens over the other side of the Fitzroy River is another solid effort of Floristry, even under half construction. Being the beef capital of Australia, we thought it would be best to go to Ribs and Rumps and try a steak, a meal you can’t go wrong with in Rockhampton. To be honest we were pretty keen to get to the beaches in Yeppoon, so we didn’t tick all of Rockhampton’s “to do list” but the gardens and architecture were quite a charm. A few too many Bunnings, Stocklands and new property developments spoil the country town feel, but a good feed of steak just reminds you that its still there. Only a short 270 kilometre road trip along the Capricorn Highway to our next destination, Rockhampton, the beef capital of Australia, passing through the coal mining townships of Blackwater and Bluff.
The 416km stretch of the Capricorn Highway that runs parallel with the Tropic of Capricorn had us passing through the towns of Ilfracombe, Barcaldine, Jericho and Alpha to reach our destination of Emerald. At Ilfracombe we were enticed to stop and wander the Machinery Mile, which included a 1917 Ruston Kerosene Tractor the precursor to the Caterpillar Tractor, one of only three in the World. It was used in the construction of the Longreach to Winton railway line in 1925. In 1891 under the 'Tree of Knowledge' a Eucalyptus Tree the Australian Labour Party was first formed, emerging from industrial action taken by the men and women of the Shearing industry who rallied for better working conditions. The Henry Lawson poem, 'Freedom on the Wallaby' was written during this time in commemoration of the strike. The 'Tree of knowledge' is located outside of the railway station at Barcaldine a beautiful town, well worth the visit.
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The JourneyChoose Curiosity The Catalogue
November 2023
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