Set off from Balyana just turned 8am and drove south towards Cardwell where I stopped to view the waterfront, been there many times but it still enchants me. Then on towards Ingham turning off at the Lucinda and Halifax sign. Lucinda's main claim to fame is the extended conveyor belt taking sugar out to the shipping loading port.

It is so long that the curvature of the earth had to be calculated into it's design and it is one of the longest of it's kind in the world. So the cane trains come and deposit the cane and it ends up transferred into sugar and gets loaded after making the long trip to the waiting ships. I have been told that if you buy a meal and a beer you can camp behind the pub at Lucinda otherwise it is the caravan park.

You have to go through Halifax to get to Lucinda and I have often thought of driving to see Halifax because I was born and brought up in Halifax. It was a different Halifax that I knew belching smoke from the textile industry well before controls came in to curb emissions. I remember the washing getting put out to dry and coming in with black soot all over.

On to Taylors Beach am much prettier option but again no camping signs are around, I was told by a camper that you can park overnight on the gravel road along the sea front and there are toilets available but I had lunch then took off for Ingham and on to Bushy Parker Reserve north of Townsville. My favourite group of free camps starts at Bushy Parker and finishes at Saunders Beach, Balgal, Toomulla and Bluewater.

It will be a while before I continue my travels south, fully expecting to be able to camp within the group for a couple of weeks. Have set up fully and intend to remain here until Monday morning, don't need the shower tent it was hot enough to use the outside cold shower. Thinking about those still around country Victoria and hoping for warm weather for you.      John