Woke up at 8am and packed our stuff away then went to MacDonald’s for breakfast then set off on our road trip. The drive was quite long and we stopped off a couple of time en-route to take turns at driving and visit the toilets etc.
The plan was to drive to Rockhampton which was about half the distance to Fraiser Island. When we got to Rockhampton we called in at the tourist information centre and Sam found out about a place near by called Emu Park. We were looking for somewhere a bit “non-tourist” to chill out for a few days and catch some rays. Emu Park sounded perfect as there had not been a backpacker place there until October last year. A new resort for back packers had been built then and it looked ideal.
The drive to Emu Park was only about 40 minutes from Rockhampton and when we got there it looked perfect. It was a small town and the accommodation was brand new and purpose built. Everything was so clean and spacious we couldn’t believe our luck, and for only $27 pppn.
We checked in and then went for an explore of the area and walked up to the main “town” if you can call it that. A lot of places were shut with it being Sunday but we saw there was a bakery, convenience store, takeaway and other shops. We had a walk along the sea front and then stopped at a small takeaway place for some fish an chips. We both had it grilled rather than battered, I opted for a fish called Red Admiral and Sam had Barramundi. It was lovely eating a great big piece of fresh fish without a load of batter. We then called at the convenience store and got some beans for tomorrow for breakfast.
After dinner we strolled back to the complex and watched TV in our room for a while. The room was a 4 bed dorm but was all single beds very spaced out and had a shared bathroom. Our room overlooked the pool which was in the centre of the complex.
We planned to do our own thing today which was good as it gives you some space and doesn’t put pressure on you to do things you don’t want to. Sam took the car to go and visit the local wildlife sanctuary and have a look at some of the beaches along the coast. I was just happy to relax by the pool having come from a wildlife sanctuary in Oz not long ago.
I had a swim and sunbathed and then got some lunch in the communal kitchen (beans on toast lol). It was nice and hot but also there was a breeze so it was bearable to sit in. Went on the internet for a bi and chatted to people and caught up on my emails and then when Sam got back we read for a bit with our feet in the water..bliss!
After a while we headed up to the town and walked along the beach paddling in the sea as it splashed in and out onto the beach. It felt so relaxing just walking in the sun with the warm sea splashing at your feet. We went to the convenience store and got supplies to make dinner as I was going to cook some pasta with a spicy red pepper sauce while Sam used the internet. We tag team quite well as she was happy to sort out the dishes and leave me to cook which is perfect for me as I love cooking and hate the dishes part lol.
After dinner we went into the bar and got chatting to the girl from behind the bar and her friend who cleans the rooms. They both seem really nice and friendly, the girl who cleaned the rooms was from Scarborough of all places lol. Later some Ozzy lads joined us as it was there last night. We noticed some frogs looking out of the holes in the barrels that we were using as tables. Apparently they tend to live in there in the water in the bottom. I couldn’t believe how bright green they were as one of the lads picked one up and then it didn’t want to leave lol. We took a few photos (as you do) and then it just pottered around the bar area minding its own business.
Went back to our room at 11:30pm and when we got to our room realised bed number 3 was occupied as there was stuff on the bed. There were only a couple of people still sat outside the bar so it must have been one of the girls from there. By the time we had washed up for bed the girl came in and we chatted for a while. I couldn’t tell you what her name was thought as I don’t think we did introductions.
Got to bed about midnight.
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