Day 059, Wednesday, 27 May 2009

 

Distance travelled – 73.9 km
Avg speed – 21.2 kph
Max speed – 44.9 kph

Proserpine, Bowen

Started the day’s riding with an apple slice at the local bakery. The original purpose for stopping was to buy some bread rolls for lunch, as there is nowhere to buy food between Proserpine and Bowen. I should never go into these shops.

As we left Proserpine we came across a coffee plantation and stopped for a photo. Just around the corner we came across a new warning sign for our collection of signs. It would not be out of place in the ACT, see photo.

About half way to Bowen Denise and I became temporarily separated by a set of traffic lights controlling traffic flow through road works. I passed the lights, as they just turned orange. We have not yet worked out how these are controlled, timer or sensors as you pass, so we always try to get through them as fast as we can. Also not knowing the distance between the two ends leaves us imagining a big B-Double heading straight towards us because the other end went green before we got through. The speed limit was 40kph and I was able to maintain 30kph slip streaming a small truck until I thought better of it. We are both feeling fitter than when we started.

We found a good lunch spot 19 km south of Bowen. It was a complex of stockyards near the Intaburra railway siding. Lots of interesting bits and pieces to photograph.

We stopped at the Big Mango, just 5km south of Bowen. Our second big thing since the Big Banana. Personally I think it looks more like a badly painted egg than a mango, see photo. They paid $90k for this. Whatchafink? It was surprising there were no mango products available.

We left the Big Mango with directions to Woolies and our destination – Harbour Lights Caravan Park.

As I waited outside Woolies for Denise I found myself talking to an elderly gentleman. He was waiting for the RACQ to get his car going. It always amazes me the conversations we have with complete strangers. It came out in our conversation that he was 85 and when he was 15 he started work in the Collinsville Coal Mine. He worked the pit ponies before serving an ‘apprenticeship’ with his father and brothers and eventually working his way up to the position of head shot firer. This was in the days before mechanisation when the miners did everything by hand. He was in the mine on 13 October 1954 when there was a gas outburst that killed 7 miners. At the time he had two children and his wife stopped him going down the mine again. Overnight he went from the highest paid job to the lowest paid job in the mine. We arranged to meet tomorrow so we could record his story.

The caravan park is on Front Beach, which is undergoing a $12 Million upgrade due for completion in June. It looks like it has only just got started so it will not be finished in June 2009. I suspect June 2010. Bowen was used to film many of the 1930 Darwin scenes in the film ‘Australia’ and the redevelopment will include links to this part of Bowen’s history as well. Now we have been to Bowen perhaps we should take the time to see the film.

Zoom into the map and use the 'Satellite' layer to see our new location.

 

"Training Circuit" sign just outside Proserpine on Bruce Highway to Bowen.

Koolachu Road at intersection with Bruce Highway. Looking away from Bruce Highway.

Emu Creek between Proserpine and Bowen. Denise catches up after having to wait for red traffic light at road works.

#1 Photo from our lunch stop at Intaburra siding, corner Miowera Road and Bruce Highway.

#2 Photo from our lunch stop at Intaburra siding, corner Miowera Road and Bruce Highway.

#3 Photo from our lunch stop at Intaburra siding, corner Miowera Road and Bruce Highway.

#4 Photo from our lunch stop at Intaburra siding, corner Miowera Road and Bruce Highway.

#5 Photo from our lunch stop at Intaburra siding, corner Miowera Road and Bruce Highway.

#6 Photo from our lunch stop at Intaburra siding, corner Miowera Road and Bruce Highway.

#7 Photo from our lunch stop at Intaburra siding, corner Miowera Road and Bruce Highway.

# 8 Photo from our lunch stop at Intaburra siding, corner Miowera Road and Bruce Highway.

#9 Photo from our lunch stop at Intaburra siding, corner Miowera Road and Bruce Highway.

#10 Photo from our lunch stop at Intaburra siding, corner Miowera Road and Bruce Highway.

The Big Mango!

The Big Mango!

 

Previous Report

Next Report

Top

 

Photography by Multilocus - A Division of Multilocus Interactive Pty Ltd
Home | Daily Reports | About | Contact Us | Merchandise | Site Map
© 2008 Mark Arundel