Today we have had a rather unspectacular day on the road between Hervey Bay and Gladstone. It is puzzling how the vegetation is changing along the way: In northern New South Wales, the landscape is dominated by banana plantations. In southern Queensland, sugar canes take over. Up here further north, it must have been very dry over the last couple of months: The crops along the road are golden. Occasionally you see a few cows, but hardly any farms any more. On the Pacific Highway, not far away in the Brisbane area a busy artery, only a single lane leads into either direction.
In the Gladstone area, one of Australia’s biggest ports for iron ore and coal, things change a bit, and the roads gets busier. We check out the marina to get an idea on parking facilities for the next few days: Cars and camper trailer can be locked away securely during our stay on Heron Island. Finally we leave the town again and soon after find a remote camping spot on a river. It strikes us how far north we have already come:
We are now in crocodile territory!
[Gladstone, Calliope River Rest Area, 19.-20. July]
