After spending the previous week exploring North Queensland in an older model camper van, I thought a shiny new SUV with automatic transmission would feel easy but the ‘bells and whistles’ of this modern car got me all turned around and I became disoriented and thought I was on the wrong side of the road, even though I wasn’t.
Merging south to highway A1, I panicked and threw the car into reverse. Just then, another car drove up behind me and I completely froze.
Aussies are such polite drivers. Everyone stopped and stared at me. They didn’t honk or yell. They just sat waiting for me to figure it out.
I awoke from my fear-induced trance to find I was in the driver seat (literally and figuratively), and had better start driving…. forward… on the left side of the road where I belong.
I was given two nights and three days to reposition this rental car 1,175 kilometers from Cairns to Gladstone for Thrifty Car Rentals. I only had to pay for gas (and $70 for the extra night I kept it).
My first destination of Townsville being only 4.5 hours away gave time sightseeing. So when a road sign alerted me to the Babinda Boulders with an enticing photo gorgeous swimming holes, I turned inland. Stopping at the local bakery for breakfast, I then headed inland to the river for some exercise walking the trails and overlooks.
On the way out I stopped at a tourist information center where they recommended I visit Mamu Tropical Skywalk, a boardwalk on stilts with a birds-eye view over the jungle canopy. It was a bit out of the way but offered a gorgeous perspective over the vast jungle scape.
The scenic route from Mamu back to the A1 meandered through lush back roads of cane fields, small towns and waterfalls. It was lovely but took a lot of time. It was getting late in the day by then and I already had drivers fatigue with the bulk of the distance yet to cover.
I made one more stop in the tiny town of Mission Beach. It reminded me of a Mexican beach village with its enclave of sandy ramshackle buildings and a few salty and weathered locals shuffling about in the heat. After a stroll around it was time to get serious about covering some kilometers. I bought a pile of bananas and got on the road.
Pulling into Townsville in the dark, I was exhausted. It’s easy to start driving on automatic when you’re tired, so this time I actually did it – I drove on the wrong side of the road.
I was following Google maps to my Airbnb and needed to make a right hand turn. So I pulled into the right hand lane to make a right hand turn, right?
Wrong!
As I reached the corner a car was pulling around it facing me head-on. Luckily we both braked in time. Again, no honking. No yelling. Everyone just stopped and stared at me.
Maybe Aussies are such patient drivers because they have more space and less population, or maybe they’re somewhat accustomed to confused foreigners and drive accordingly. I could’ve killed us both, so she had every right to be furious.
With my tail between my legs, I reversed and moved over to the left lane to make a right hand turn across traffic. When I reached my Airbnb, a gorgeous Queenslander – a breezy wooden house on stilts – I was rattled and just wanted to relax.
But my Airbnb hosts were animated and ready to talk – a lot. People choose to be Airbnb hosts for various reasons. Extra money primarily, but in Australia, some clearly do it as a social outlet. Such was the case with these hosts. They wanted me to listen to them talk.
Being welcomed into a local home while traveling is a gift, but sometimes you just need rest and down time. These hosts poured themselves red wine and drank it in front of me, becoming increasingly animated. It was clear I’d have to leave the premises until their buzz wore off.
With the excuse of needing dinner (even though I wasn’t hungry) I got back into the car, the last place I wanted to be. After an uneventful meal, I got lost heading back and was ready to collapse by the time I found the house. Luckily my hosts were ready for bed too.
In the morning I explored Townsville and walked the entire oceanfront esplanade. I enjoyed the town and would’ve stayed longer if I hadn’t become sunburned and over-heated.
Queensland is the melanoma capital of the world. I try to remember daily sunscreen but had forgotten that day.
I was back on the highway by 2 pm with a three hour drive ahead to Airlie Beach, a bustling tourist town and ferry port to the Whitsunday Islands.
Airlie Beach is somewhat isolated. The surrounding terrain is pristine and as close-to-perfect paradise as I’ve ever seen. I fell in love with the lush, spacious landscape.
Arriving at sunset, I familiarized myself with the marina in preparation for an early morning ferry ride, then drove to my Airbnb which was so comfortable and familiar. They had a super sweet female pit-bull named Bruiser who welcomed me at the door and kept me company during my stay.
At 6 in the morning, my Airbnb host drove me down to the ferry dock and made my way into the terminal. As the ferry pulled away from the shore, the sun was already ablaze and I searched for a seat in the shade. We arrived at Whitehaven “the worlds most beautiful beach” before any other tours arrived. I walked to the far end and had the white powder and electric blue all to myself. Unfortunately, the threat of box jellyfish took the fun out of swimming.
I stayed at Whitehaven for 3 hours, then boarded another ferry to Hamilton Island arriving at noon. I was hungry, so made a ‘B-line’ for the restaurants to beat the crowds.
Cockatoos hang around the marina much like seagulls in California. A group of them surrounded my outdoor table, eye-balling my salad. I watched them. They watched me.
One bold little guy hopped from the railing and waddled across the table toward my plate. I grabbed the small sign which read “Don’t Feed the Birds” and shoved it in front of his beak.
He tried to maneuverer around it. I repositioned. We went back and forth.
Then he pulled a ninja and made off with a fat piece of lettuce. Admittedly, I wasn’t committed to stopping him, only pretending to follow the rules.
After lunch, I visited the cockatoos around the marina then caught a shuttle over to the resorts with the aim of using their swimming pools. When I arrived the pool-bar scene didn’t appeal, so I caught another shuttle up to “One Tree Hill” for a look around.
I wound up spending the rest of the day up there enjoying the views, the breeze, and a couple of passion fruit drinks cocktails. Toward the end of the day, I strolled downhill exploring the neighborhoods and found my way back to the marina. With 45 min. to spare before the last ferry, I did some grocery shopping and used the marina showers to wash off the sand, salt, and sunscreen.
It was dusk when the ferry docked back at Airlie Beach. I walked back to my room in the “Jubilee Pocket” neighborhood to hang out with Bruiser and prepare for tomorrows long journey.