There was such a great collective sigh of relief throughout the land as our children and grandchildren returned to school after two weeks of school holidays.
With those holiday and childminding memories quickly fading I find myself once again back on the road traveling this great land of ours.
I am most fortunate in that my childminding duties have positioned me on the fabulous Capricorn Coast just 45km from Rockhampton in central Queensland from where I will soon depart for Longreach.
If you’re looking for a holiday destination minus the crowds, minus shopping malls and high-rises and don’t mind having a beach all to yourself, then allow me to briefly introduce you to the Capricorn Coast, as I know it well.
From Rockhampton you can drive to the Capricorn Coast either via Yeppoon at the northern end or via Emu Park (no emus) at its southern end. Both take around 30 minutes.
Yeppoon now boasts a shopping mall so you can indulge in limited retail therapy if need be, but why would you want to when you can take long walks on usually-deserted pristine beaches — just you and your soulmate. Have no fear — no crocodiles or stingers here.
Take the scenic route from Yeppoon to Emu Park. It’s probably one of the most beautiful and accessible coastal routes in Australia as the road hugs the coastline much of the way and enjoy the breath-taking ocean vistas, dotted with deserted tropical islands.
It’s possible to stop the car and walk out on to any of the beaches along the way. Most come with carparks (usually deserted) picnic shelters and toilets. Remember, the Capricorn Coast is a tranquil place so prepare yourself for the very limited human presence and chatter. Most people who call this their home are either local retirees or professionals who commute daily into Rockhampton.
There’s plenty of accommodation with perhaps caravan parks being the most popular option. These parks are all well located facing the beaches with one located by an estuary. Two years ago I rented a beach-front holiday house from a local agent on Kinka Beach on a monthly basis (no lease) for the same rental price you would pay for a permanent lease in a big town. I ended up staying three months and only left because the owner wanted to use it for his holiday.
There are also holiday apartments in Yeppoon, Emu Park and scattered along the coast, but no high-rise developments except one or two in Yeppoon.
You can see Great Keppel Island from most beaches and villages and there are daily boat transfers from Roslyn Harbour to the island. I treated myself with a day trip to the island and I’m so glad I did. Here again it’s all about peaceful nature and glorious scenery. Swimming on the island’s leeward side is like swimming in a giant, calm, clear, salt water pool, so it’s not really suitable for those who like the rough and tumble of the surf, as there isn’t any!
There’s a very pleasant café-restaurant on the island and a well-priced cabin-style resort. When I was there I saw a notice asking for a few hours help in the resort in return for free cabin accommodation.
The phone reception is surprisingly very strong and whilst sitting in the café over a smooth latte and gazing wistfully out to sea I simply couldn’t help myself from posting photo after photo of my new-found island hideaway to my friends at work and to my kids. How mean am I?
Emu Park, at the southern end is a delightful little town. It too has a beach-side caravan park, holiday houses and apartments. It’s even got an IGA supermarket and not one, but two ATMs, two excellent fish and chip shops, two bakeries and a brand new, shiny, upmarket café for those coffee addicts hiding amongst us.
Rockhampton, Australia’s beef capital is also full of pleasant surprises. It’s known as a real man’s place even though all the buses here are painted pink.
Its botanic garden, which is located by a large billabong is, in my opinion, the best regional botanic garden in Australia. Here you will see huge, magnificent trees from many parts of the world — including the African Sausage tree that is currently fully laden with large sausage-shaped pods weighing 1-2kg. Be careful of falling sausages here.
Few realise Rockhampton, which is located on the Fitzroy River, was once a busy inland port city, and along the riverside all the original warehouses, agent depots and custom houses dating back to the mid-1800s have all been lovingly restored to their former glory.
No visit to this waterfront strip is complete without a visit to the majestic Criterion Hotel where I have stayed on occasions. Here I was delighted to read how our Queen, the Rolling Stones and a host of other people of notoriety have also rested their crowned or hallowed heads too.
Rockhampton is well serviced by excellent roads, a daily fast-speed Tilt Train service from Brisbane and a growing regional airport.
Next time you are traveling the Bruch Highway allocate time for a stopover in both Rockhampton and the nearby Capricorn Coast.