Cheney Caravan of Courage: Day 265. Townsville to Bowen

Lights, Camera, Action....

This morning we left Townsville and headed south towards Bowen. Unfortunately, Townsville wasn't what we expected; and it felt like we left with a bad taste in our mouths...I guess it was just being back in suburbia again (with the traffic and smog etc). It was just too much for us after spending so much time in the 'Outback'. I guess along the way somewhere we've changed, as we are both originally from Sydney - Australia's largest and most populated city! Oh well, it's part of the travelling experience I guess...

The damaged windscreen - the cack is about 3 inches wide

We were on the road by 9am, and cruising down the hwy through cane field after cane field. There was a lot of road works along the way, and we felt like we were stopping more than we were cruising. Problem with road works is that there are lots of dirt, rocks, and large trucks. Unfortunately, this became norm, and before we knew what was happening we were awoken from our stop start driving daze as a large rock (about the size of a tennis ball), smashed into our windscreen. It's left a massive star crack in the middle of the windscreen, and I'm afraid we're going to have to get it fixed. BUGGER! It was only a matter of time, as everyone we have met along the way have all done a windscreen at some stage. At least now we're in a populated area, where we can get it fixed.

30 minutes later we pulled into Ayr, and while Bec and Scarlett went into McDonald's, I went across the road to visit 'Windscreens O'Briens' for a quote on a repair or replacement windscreen. Well it turns out that it needs replacing ($325 to fit a new one) as its too far damaged, but they couldn't fit us in until Monday! So I've decided to wear the damage for the time being until we reach a larger city, where I can get the windscreen replaced at a more convienient time.

Bowen's main street

We continued onto Bowen, and found a caravan park to stay at for the night. The original plan was to spend the next 3 days here, but on closer inspection there really isn't a lot here in town - and the van park we're at is almost empty. With Halloween is just around the corner, and Scarlett dying to go Trick-or-Treating, we've decided to move on in to Airlie Beach a couple of days early in the hope that there will be more kids around to make Scarlett's Halloween a little more exciting!

The 'Grandview Hotel', aka: The 'Territory Hotel' in the movie "Australia"

Bec and Scarlett enjoying the pool...

This afternoon we enjoyed a relaxing swim in the parks pool, where the three of us played and swam for ages. It was 'good therapy', as we were all in need of a good laugh and smile after the last few days of bad luck that we have experienced!

After our swim, we went for a self guided tour of Bowen, where we saw a couple of the buildings that were used in Baz Lurhmann's epic movie "Australia". The old Dept of Transport building which was transformed into the 'Carney Cattle Co', building. And the Grandview Hotel which was transformed into the 'Territory Hotel', also a main focal point in the movie. Obviously the movie magic was applied to make both these buildings appear different, but you can see the 'character' behind the buildings still.

The Bowen Dept Of Transport building transformed into
the Carney Cattle Co Headquarters for the movie
'Australia'

For the movie, Bowen was transformed into World War II Darwin, and tonnes of red dirt were shipped in to help create the scene. A multitude of tempaoray buildings were also constructed, but have since been dismantled and removed. All that remains is a vacant block across the road from the hotel.

Bec and Scarlett outside the same building
as it stands today...

We enjoyed a quiet beer inside the 'Territory Hotel', while admiring all the film's photo's adorning the walls. They create a montage of the set during filming, which both Bec and I thoroughly enjoyed. Even Scarlett liked looking at all the pictures of cattle being 'mustered down the main straight of Bowen, and out onto the wharf for the film.