The goal of this section of the adventure was to complete the east coast of Australia.  Our last major trip we had only made it as far north as Fraser Island.  Therefore to close the gap, we were heading to Bundaberg to see how they made their rum!  As we headed south we dropped into Yeppoon and Rosslyn Bay.  We found a hidden walking track by the name of Bluff Point that took us on a 2.3km circuit around the cliff tops which looked over The Great Keppel Islands.  The breathtaking views also included the township, harbour and dotted in the ocean were boats cruising between each island.  It was a sight to see!  On the way down we were also lucky enough to spot turtles popping up for air around the cliff edges.  As the crocs weren’t residing in these areas we spent the arvo at the beach cooling off and Mark, like a big kid, played in the water park… by himself.

That night we slipped into Rockhampton for a rediculously cheap $5 steak with sides for only $1 each!  What a win!  Considering we were at the beef capital of Australia and after our recent experiences at The Brook, we thought it would be interesting to take the opportunity to visit the cattle Sale Yards.  As we wandered through the cattle yards we must of stood out like buggery.  It only took seconds before an old local farmer came up and had a good yarn to us explaining what everyone was yelling about at auction.  Basically, the farmers rely heavily on their experience and knowledge of cattle, as they guess the weight of the cows that they bid on ($/kg) and only after they win, do the cows get weighed.  You could easily see how a rookie could get lost in the game.

After delving further south we ended up overshooting Bundaberg for another family catchup on Mark’s side.  Aunty Kathy, uncle David and cousins Emma and Edie were also escaping the Melbourne winter and were in a peaceful, charming town by the name of Woodgate.  We spent the afternoon catching up and swapping stories over some beverages and then later enjoyed a meal at the bowls club.  With only a short but sweet visit, we were off in the morning after a delcious bacon and egg breakie.  Driving away toward Bundy it was still hard to realise where we were in this great country as snippets of family visits seem to disorientate the bearings.

Making it to Bundy, we were at the home of Bundaberg Rum!  Being here we couldn’t miss the distillary tour.  Even though distilling rum seems like a simple process, we found it was the small tricks along the way that made it incredibly interesting.  One of these, were the huge barrels that stored the rum.  They were built from oak and all hand made with no nails or glue.  The shape was created from timber and large steal rods were bent around the outside to stop it falling apart.  To hold the rum with no leaks, water was added and this allowed the timber to swell and clog any holes.  With only a two hour turn around, once there were no leaks, the water was replaced with rum and left to age for a minimum of two years.  The final and most rewarding section of the tour was the taste testings.  With only two samples each we took advantage and tasted top shelf rums with the most expensive being $140 per bottle!   Ensuring we were right to drive, we booted off to Agnes Water where the surfboards could finally come off the roofracks!

Arriving at Agnes Water late afternoon we struggled to find a site at the bush camp to take us, as school holidays were still in fine force.  We ended up grabbing a carpark at Cool Bananas (a local hostel) and enjoyed our delicious goon red with some fellow campers around the fire.  Before we knew it, it was 1:30am (this was damn late for us!)  Struggling out of the tent the next morning we made our way up to 1770, the point where Captain Cook had first landed in Australia.  Here we went on some slow strolls and made it to a lookout, where we marveled at some whales jumping out of the water nearby!  On our way back to Agnes, we popped into some markets and ended up back at the bush camp.  Luckily a caravan had just left!  We had a lazy afternoon from here, booking a few events for the weeks to come and taking out Brook to continue the work.  The bush turkeys loved the juicy fatty pieces!  We went for a swim as the sun set over the mainland and found some more courage to enjoy some more goon. 

Waking the next morning highlighted the depressing fact that the surf was non existent during our stay.  For the journey thus far, the boards were finding themselves still strapped to the roof!  This was sadly all the time we had at Agnes Water as we had to keep moving north to finish the loop and arrive in Townsville for a boat…