Got out of bed around 6:15am after a night of restless sleep die to the trucks going by!!! Also Boo needed to go to the toilet at 3:30am, so we are all a bit weary but hopefully the next rest stop is off the road a bit.
The plan is to do another big drive today to reach Home Hill rest stop around 3pm. We packed up and swapped contact details with the young couple we met and were on the road at 7:30am.
The drive to Mackay was wonderful with the scenery changing all the time. One minute it was dry beef cattle country, then sugar can fields then on the horizon there were rolling hills of the national parks. Also the weather is awesome. One minute it's dark clouds a a bit of an iccassional drizzle and just as you get set that it's going to be xrap weather, the sun is shining with blue skies. Also the clouds are brilliant!! There different from back in Vic, there fluffy and really low in the sky.
As we were driving into Mackay there was a sweetness in the air, it was beautiful. It was from all the sugar cane fields, then we went past a sugar mill, that was disgusting!! Anyway all l can say is l craved a lollipop for a while from smelling all that sugar in the air!!!
After Mackay the next major town was Bowen. At this stage we had done several toilet stops for the girls and had lunch. The girls weren't travelling the best with being grumpy and whinging all the time. Don't know whether back to back days in the car were a good idea? Oh well it had to be done so we can start our Cape York adventure and besides, not much to see that is worth camping for a few nights. Anyway, by the time we got to Bowen it was time for a treat, macca's soft serves.
Home hill rest stop wasn't too far away and it was only 2:00pm so Marty and l decided to push onto Alligator Creek rest stop. Arrived at destination at 4:30pm, we set up and had a long overdue shower, it was awesome. Had a burger and chips for tea and retired early. Was going to toilet before heading to bed and first a bloody frog jumped on my foot and l leaped up startled. I got over that and lifted to toilet set wheel find another frog in the bowl!!! Frightened the s*** out of me, didn't know what to flulike flushed the toilet. It had gone but was so scared to sit down in case it came back and leaped up!! Finally got the courage but was trying to go really quickly as was crapping my dacks!!!! Thankgod it didn't come back! Anyway, my heartrace settled down eventually and we settled in for the night. It had been another long day in the car, we did 664kms in 8-9hrs!!!
Tomorrow it's not going to be as bad, only 370kms to Cairns. Have pushed our stay forward a night seeing we've made good ground.
Fingers crossed we have a better nights sleep tonight!! Somehow don't like our chances, close to the highway and there is s refrigerator truck with a generator going at the moment, very noisy!!
Bell Xx