Midges, Fish and Maggie

At Smalleys Beach, the fish finally bit more often than the insects.

That is maybe the simplest way to describe Cape Hillsborough for us. The campground was beautiful, the beach was different from the white sandy beaches further south, the tides were huge, and the midges and mosquitoes were very active. We liked the place a lot, but we also learnt quickly that some parts of the day were better spent behind a fly screen.

We had come from The Leap, which had been safe but noisy. Cape Hillsborough put us back into national park mode. Bush campsite, no commercial caravan park rows, beach close by, and enough space to feel like we were back in the rhythm we prefer.

The only issue was that sitting outside without protection was not really an option for long.

Smalleys Beach

We stayed at Smalleys Beach campground in Cape Hillsborough National Park.

It is a small bush campground behind the beach, and from the start it felt much better than the highway stop the night before. The campsite had a good natural feeling, but it also had a lot of midges and mosquitoes, so we set up the mosquito screen tent straight away.

That screen tent takes up a lot of space in the car, but in places like this it justifies itself in a few minutes. Without it, the evenings would have been far less enjoyable.

The beach was very pretty, but not in the classic white-sand-postcard way. The colour of the sand, the rocks, the mangroves and the big tidal flats made it feel more northern. It was also croc country, so we did not go for a swim. The beach may still look calm and inviting, but once you have crossed a certain point up the coast, swimming decisions become different.

The tide difference was probably the most noticeable feature. At low tide the water pulled back a long way and exposed a huge flat area. At high tide the whole place changed again. We had seen bigger tides already around Burrum Heads, but here it felt even more connected to how the place worked.

After a walk along the beach, we spent the afternoon reading, planning and playing cards. It was not a big activity day. It was a camp day, and that was fine.

The next morning was more interesting.

Fish for Breakfast

Tuesday started with a small success that felt much bigger than it probably looked from the outside.

I caught a whiting and a yellowfin bream.

Not exactly enough for a full meal, but progress. Together with scrambled eggs and avocado, it became a very good breakfast. We were still fairly helpless with the whole process of handling fish, but we were getting better. Slowly.

The important thing seemed to be timing. Around two to three hours before high tide, there was much more fish activity. You could see fish jumping and bubbles in the water. I used prawn as bait, and it worked.

I also lost a couple of hooks because of the stones. That part was less ideal. At low tide I was able to retrieve some of them again, which made me feel better. I do not like the idea of leaving hooks in the water. Some loss is probably part of fishing, but it still does not feel good and is likely a danger to marine life.

After that successful morning we went for a walk.

The Andrew Point track starts near the campground and gives you views over the coastline, islands and beaches around Cape Hillsborough. We continued towards Wedge Island, which you can only reach at low tide. That makes the walk feel a bit more connected to the conditions. You are not just following a track. You also need to pay attention to the water.

Back at camp, the insects reminded us again that the place had terms and conditions. Dusk was not our time. Screen tent time came early.

A Proper Fish Meal

Wednesday followed a similar pattern.

Getting out of the tent was not that pleasant because the mosquitoes and midges were waiting. It felt like a welcome committee, just not the kind you want.

After coffee I waited for the incoming tide and started fishing again. Within a few minutes I caught my first whiting of the day. Steph was not even properly ready yet. She was still in the tent, and I already needed support with killing and cleaning the fish.

Shortly after that I caught my biggest fish so far: a 30 centimetre flathead. That felt like another level.

A fellow traveller, also called Matt, gave us another whiting as well. So for the first time we had something close to a proper fish meal, and almost all of it was self-caught. I’ll count that as success.

We were still not elegant with the whole process. There was still a lot of uncertainty around the best way to handle, kill, clean and fillet the fish. But it was becoming less theoretical. We were learning by doing, which is often the only way with these things.

Back at camp we used the shower tent. A camp shower remains one of the best pieces of comfort equipment we carry. Especially after fishing, salt, heat and insects.

There was also an unpleasant story from the campground. A young German backpacker couple told us that someone had stolen their table, chairs and shoes. That felt very wrong in such a peaceful place. Campsites mostly work because people trust each other to leave things alone. When that trust gets broken, even in a small way, it changes the feeling.

We stayed at camp for the rest of the day. I used the time to work on the journal blog site and finally got some of the AI bots working. Not exactly a pure bush-camp day, but that is also part of the trip. Even on the road, there are projects and admin tasks that need attention.

Not Quite the Kangaroo Sunrise

Thursday started early.

We drove to Casuarina Beach because it is known for sunrise with kangaroos on the beach. There were already quite a few people there when we arrived, which should maybe have been a clue that the animals may have made other plans.

We did see one kangaroo.

So technically the promise was fulfilled, but not quite in the way we had imagined. It was still a nice sunrise, and we had a walk along the beach. Sometimes the expected highlight becomes a normal morning and that is okay.

After that we had coffee at Haliday Bay Beach, which was a good stop, then started the drive towards Townsville.

That was the plan for the day.

We did not make it to Townsville.

First we stopped at the Big Mango near Bowen. Australia has a thing for big things, and the Big Mango is one of them. It does not need much analysis. You stop, look at the oversized fruit, maybe take a photo, and then continue.

Because we were already close, we decided we might as well drive through Bowen and look at Horseshoe Bay.

We did not expect much.

Horseshoe Bay changed that quickly.

Bowen Instead of Townsville

Horseshoe Bay was beautiful.

Apparently it has been rated as one of the best beaches in northern Queensland. Whether or not rankings like that mean much, the beach itself was excellent. Clearer water, rocks around the bay, a relaxed atmosphere, and for once it even felt like a place where you could go for a swim.

We debated back and forth for a while, because the plan had been to continue to Townsville. But staying felt very tempting. It was already a nice place, we had time, and there was no real reason to force the drive.

So we booked a night at NRMA Bowen Beachfront Holiday Park.

It was a commercial campground, but in a very good location, with decent facilities and a good overall feeling. We enjoyed it much more than expected.

We did the washing, which is never enjoyable but always necessary. Then we stocked up for the next few days. After a late lunch picnic, we checked out the 50 metre pool, which was free. How good.

Back at the caravan park we talked to our neighbours, an older German couple travelling through the country. Later we watched a spectacular sunset, cooked dinner and met a young English couple.

It is always good to share stories with people on the road, but there is also a funny side to it. When you meet strangers, you often tell the same story again and again: where you started, where you are going, how long you are travelling, what the setup is, why you are doing it. It gets boring for us quite quickly, so we tend to change how we tell it depending on the mood.

Morning at Horseshoe Bay

The next morning we watched sunrise from a lookout point above Horseshoe Bay.

After the unexpected stay, it felt like the right way to leave. The bay looked excellent again in the early light, and we were both glad we had not pushed on the day before.

Then it was time to finally head towards Townsville.

The target was the 10:30am ferry to Magnetic Island. We wanted to explore the island for the day, then come back to the mainland in the evening.

Magnetic Island, or Maggie as everyone seems to call it, sits just off Townsville and is known for beaches, granite boulders, walking tracks and a large wild koala population. Based on that reputation, I expected nothing less than a dozen koalas.

Koala spotting is hard.

I walked a lot of the Forts Walk continuously looking up into the trees. It is not the most relaxed way to hike, and it is also not the best way to watch where you are stepping. For quite a while we saw nothing.

Then, near the highest lookout on the Forts Walk, we noticed people gathered around and looking into a tree. Our first wild koala since leaving home.

I love these animals. They sit there looking half asleep and completely unbothered. We had seen many signs, many trees that could have held koalas, and many hopeful tourists looking up. Finally seeing one felt very good.

Maggie

The walk itself was also excellent, not only because of the koala.

We walked from the Forts area towards Horseshoe Bay via Florence Bay. It was the second day in a row that a great beach was called Horseshoe Bay.

The track moved through bush and patches of greener vegetation, with views across the island and out over the water. The granite boulders give Magnetic Island a very specific look. It does not feel like just another beach stop. There is enough height and rock around to make every bay feel a little separated from the next one.

Florence Bay was beautiful. Horseshoe Bay was also a good place to arrive, especially because by then we had earned a cold beer.

After that we made our way to a brewery on the other side at Picnic Bay.

The bus became part of the day. A public transport day pass was one dollar, which is almost suspiciously cheap. The bus driver was singing, and that became one of the highlights. Not because it was a major event, but because it matched the island feeling: not rushed, not too serious, just moving along.

At a bus stop on the way back, a random older guy told us a bit about living on Maggie. According to him, Maggie time means you show up when you feel like it and people should not rush you. He also said crime was basically zero and the lifestyle was peaceful and relaxed.

He added that as a man you get offers quickly because there are far more elderly women than men on the island. I have no data to verify this, but he seemed confident.

We timed the ferry back close to sunset.

Townsville

When we arrived back in Townsville, we went for pizza at Armati’s Wood Fired Pizzas.

The pizzas were unexpectedly good. That was welcome after a long day of walking, buses, ferries and koala spotting.

Townsville itself made an interesting impression. I am still not fully sure how to describe it. It felt like a mix of laid-back beach town and mining city. There is the waterfront and island access on one side, but also a more industrial and regional economy feeling in the background.

There was a rugby game on that night, and we learnt quickly that Townsville is a passionate rugby city. The energy around town was different because of it. People were out, the pubs were busier, and the city felt more active than I had expected.

We stayed at Townsville Tourist & Lifestyle Village. It was okay for one night. Nothing really to report, and I am not sure we would stay there again, but it did the job.

By the time we checked into the caravan park, we were tired.

The evening itself was simple: rugby noise around town and a basic caravan park that was fine for one night.