Mackay, Qld

When heading north up the Bruce (highway, that is) you’ll quickly realise that you’ve arrived in the wet tropics when you step out of the car in Mackay. The city of Mackay is a port town for the shipping of coal and sugar. The Hay Point coal terminal has a lookout where you can watch the coal handling and shipping activities. Tootle out of town though and you’ll find a few hidden surprises.

Hidden is the operative word for the General Gordon Hotel at Sandiford. Hidden amongst acres of tall sugar cane this rollicking pub offers camping and gives you all the crazy, quirky and cosy that you’ll need along with muso’s and bevvies.

Only a short drive away on the Peak Downs Highway is Greenmount Homestead. Greenmount was a cattle property, and the homestead was built in 1915. Volunteers provide exceptionally good, inexpensive tours and it is such a bonus to see a ‘Queenslander style’ house like this on the inside. It certainly gives we southerners an understanding of how the verandas and windows work to cool the house. Check out www.mackay.qld.gov.au for more info.

Dame Nellie Melba’s house. Huh, wasn’t she from Melbourne? Now this is one that we’ve passed several times, and I wish that we had visited. Before opera diva Dame Nellie Melba hit the big time, she was Helen Mitchell, daughter of David Mitchell builder of many of Melbourne’s grandest buildings*. The Mitchell family were living in Mackay while David constructed a sugar mill at Marian. Helen met and married the manager of the mill, Charles Armstrong. They settled in the house at Marian. Settled is probably not the right word as the humidity and heavy tropical rain saw Helen scurry home to mild Melbourne in 1883 after only a year of marriage. I should note that pianos don’t succumb to mildew in Melbourne either. Back on the stage, Helen or now Nellie went on to charm opera goers the world over. Nellie’s house is now a museum in the sugar town of Marian.

*David Mitchell’s best-known constructions were the World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. (Source: Wikipedia)

Pioneer Valley. The Pioneer River has a charming valley dotted with small villages and farms growing tropical produce. Visitors should keep an eye out for farm gate sales for the freshest of fruit and vegetables. Keep plenty of gold coins handy.

Finch Hatton Gorge National Park. With waterfalls gushing through the rocks, Finch Hatton is a delight for bushwalkers and nature lovers. With easy drives and walks you’ll quickly be immersed in the filtered light of the rainforest and the sound of whip birds whipping and cracking. Did you know that the male whipbird calls the ‘whiiiip’, and the female answers almost immediately with the quick ‘carr choo!’. Incredible teamwork.

At the head of the valley, the Finch Hatton Showgrounds are spacious with loads of room for campers and nearby there’s a small area for riverside free camping. During the dry season sugar cane is loaded beside the showgrounds and they start early in the morning, but hey it’s a fascinating operation and that’s what travel is all about. The Criterion pub is also beside the showgrounds and that is a plus.

It’s a steep (no caravan) drive to Eungella (pronounced young gulla) at the top of the Great Dividing Range, but the views from the top are fabulous. Platypus can also be seen in the creek up there, but I’ll have to take others’ word for it. Maybe we’re just too noisy but we’ve never seen one in the wild. Yet.

Can you believe that most people rush through Mackay in a hurry to get somewhere else and miss all of this?

Our hearts go out to all Australians affected by this week’s terrorist attack on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

WE ARE ONE.