Two months in Townsville.

[parsonstrish]

Hi, have you been to The Palmetum, Townsvill? I haven’t been to the tea room next to it, unsure what it’s like.
I work in Charters Towers at local hospital, nice community.
Lots of southern visitors winter weather as you saw at the Fletcher.

 

[drron]

Well we sent you a patient today parsonstrish.
I was here 4 years ago for 2 months.But it was jan/feb so I did all the gardens then.Had to go to places where you could get to your car quickly when it started to pour.
Depends on how my foot goes.Going to give it a little test tomorrow but if problems the back up plan is strolling slowly through the Townsville parks.

 

[jastel]

Bad luck on the fall...
From memory the track is pretty steep...must go do it again.

 

[drron]

The last lookout on the way back to the unit.

.

.

.

.
And crossing the creek going back to Ingham.

.
Arrived back about 1830.After sitting in the car for 2 hours my quads had seized up.This was when I would have loved a soak in a warm bath.A shower doesn't cut it.Fortunately I always have a crepe bandage on hand so able to support my foot.Sunday was a day for doing nothing.Monday-a prominent limp but could get around.By Wednesday no limp and today virtually no pain and the swelling starting to ease.
So will try some light exercise over the weekend.

 

[Straubs]

Hope your foot is improving, drron! It's not easy negotiating those long ward corridors with an injury.

 

[drron]

The ward corridors are no problem.going down stairs was a problem.going up though no worries.
I did give the foot a bit of a light workout today doing a couple of kms along the Alligator creek track.Held up well so a bit longer walk for tomorrow.

 

[Straubs]

That's a great track! Have stopped at coughatoo Creek for lunch and a swim about a month ago, but not ventured further yet. Will be a hike with the kids the whole way but we figure we better get to it in the next month or two or it'll be off for another year due to the heat!

 

[drron]

So just a look at the suburban bird life.These fellows are quite literally in the middle of the hospital.

.

.

.

.

 

[drron]

So today after a sleep in it was a quick run down to Ayr.impressed that the memorial in the main street is due to one of the original newcomers.

.

.
The old cop shop.

.
The new theatre.
..

.

.
I prefer the older lines of the movie theatre and post office.

.

.

 

[Muppet501st]

If you're up for dinner, I'm up there next week ( every fortnight) with work.

 

[drron]

No problems.Any night except Friday as I am on for the weekend.

 

[drron]

As you probably realise my taste in architecture leans to older styles though not necessarily very old.

.

.
The council's effort to help tourists-

.

.
Then the quick tun to Home hill and their Magnificent old cop shop.
..
Although a lot of Italians settled in FNQ others from the Mediterranean also came.

.

.
Although much smaller than Ayr they have their share of hotels.

.
And on the north edge of town is the sugar mill.

.

 

[drron]

I now went back over the Burdekin river.Stopping off at a nondescipt little park off the south bound Bruce highway.Drive down to the bridge and there are stairs up to a walkway across the bridge-a little lower than the road or rail bridge.Goopd views of the river,old bridges and the sugar mill.

.

.

.

.

.

.
An even older bridge.

.
And the old railway bridge.

.

 

[drron]

The last from the bridge.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.
On the other side of the bridge is a cane farm.

.

.

 

[OATEK]

Enjoyed the industrial archaeology - especially the old railway trestles.

 

[drron]

Some different ibis near the bridge.

.

.
Then moved on to Plantation Park a short drive up the road.

.

.
..

.
Even the pee wees are not afraid of you here.

.
An open air chapel.

.

.
Nice place for a picnic this time of year.

 

[drron]

An old mango plantation next to the park.

.
Back to the buildings of Ayr.

.

.

.

.

.

Time for a bit of nourishment.Wanted some comfort food so picked Coutts hotel.Lambs fry and bacon + a sweet for $12 for seniors.

.

.

.
Just OK.

 

[drron]

Time to leave Ayr and drive back towards Townsville.About 20 Km south of Townsville I turned off to the Bowling Green NP and Alligator Creek.

.

.

.
Again the brush turkeys have little fear.

.

.
A great spot for a picnic though on the Saturday it was quite crowded.A large group with their boom box at top decibels.Ah the serenity.

.

.

 

[drron]

I now climbed up to the viewing platform.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.
Though there was this warning but up at the lookout not down near the water.

.

 

[drron]

A little higher up the kapok trees were in flower.

.

.
I felt OK going up to the lookout,I had an ankle guard on and my walking pole so I decided to go on.The track is well formed.

.

.

.
And some nice views.

.

.

.

.
I guess I got about halfway to coughatoo creek so felt I should respect my right foot but happy I had managed a 3 Km walk by the time I got back to the car.