Imagine a place where buses only run three times a day, where the only attraction is a school artwork gallery, where the only restaurant is a Mcdonalds. Imagine hell. Imagine Mackay.

Yes, we've actually found a place thats worse than Telford, and we spent two long nights there! Magazine articles & guide books billed it as as an up and coming tourist friendly town that had a lot to offer. Magazine articles and guide books lied! We wanted to leave after two hours nevermind two nights but thankfully there was a saving grace, our hostel and its owners. Bob and Wanda were the two nicest people we may ever have met, picked us up from the airport out of hours, offered us free food and alcohol and then took us to the bus station on the day we left.

If anyone feels compelled to go to the most rubbish town in the world, stay at Larrikin Lodge Backpackers, it'll make it much better. Our one full day in Mackay was spent trying to get to the beach and then trying to get away from the beach given that bus services are rarer than giant pandas! When we did get to the beach it had been destroyed by the recent freak weather, but I suppose we can't blame that on the locals.

Sufficed to say the 12:20 out of Mackay to Airlie Beach was the highlight of our stay.

P.S. We're in Airlie Beach at the moment and its ACE, so all is not lost! more soon...