Bowen to Proserpine

Bowen to Prosperpine = 64km

Cummulative total = 5261km

Woo hoo! we did have a headwind today - it was more of a cross wind and in the end it became a tailwind as we got closer to Proserpine.

But we woke today and it was a very warm sultry morning almost humid but with no rain. Although there was forecasted rain none came in the end. But that was okay. Looking at the surrounding area it does look like they need rain as it is very dry.

We were actually away before 8am this morning and next door to the information center which is about 5km on the Bruce Highway before Bowen there was a giant mango.

Crikey look at the tan line on my arm! I don't know why they have a giant mango as I saw no mango farm trees ... but there are heaps of tomato farms so maybe a fiant tomato is more appropriate for Bowen ... actually a giant mango is more suited to Ayr as they have heaps of Mango farms up there.

It was a cloudy and muggy day to ride today but with a cross or tail wind it was far better than what we have been getting. I would say the first 30km is rolling - there are lots of creeks so the road goes down to them and then up from them.

The traffic was quite heavy but we had a fair shoulder nearly all day and although it was a little bumpy in places it did give us a fair bit of protection from the traffic. At one point a cop car overtook us and then pulled over and I thought oh he is going to growl at us as at that point the highway had very little shoulder and we were riding out on the road, but he didn't he turned around and went back from where he came from ... I blew a sigh of relief and I don't know why!!!

We took a cuppa alongside some truck pull over and just watching the traffic we saw a huge truck following behind an 'L' plater and he was about 1.5m behind her - tail gating trying to intimidate her but looking at her I don't think she worried as she was a more mature aged 'L' plater and I suppose she knows what truckies are like ... basically they have a very bad attitude to ALL drivers on the Bruce highway - it is unbelievable to watch what some of them do and the speeds they go at. We chatted to one at the rest area at Guthalungra the other day and we have to say his attitude to driving on the Bruce highway was just terrible and dangerous for all on the roads.

As we passed one of the turnoffs to Airlie Beach we came across this sign ... I don't know why it is there as I am sure all drivers just ignore it and are not cautious!

And just around the corner from this photo you can see the huge smoke plume coming from the sugar refinery at Proserpine.

In the town itself you can smell the sickly sweet smell of the sugar refinery and at first it made my tummy churn but I have become use to it now!

Proserpine itself seems to have grown and has a supa IGA and a small woolies - the IGA is really expensive so we will get our supplies from woolies. We are at the council caravan park again and the last 2 times I/we were here we stayed here - they have moved the unpowered section to behind the swimming pool (which is free for us) it is expensive to camp $23 but I suppose they get alot of campers/caravaners who opt to stay here instead of the expensive Airlie Beach. We won't be going to Airlie Beach - I went there 15 years ago and it was pretty touristy and looking at the huge billboards along the roadside today it looks like even more development has gone on and it just looks to crowded for us!

We will stay here tomorrow and we have decided to go inland from Calen which is 70km south of here - we kept getting conflicting information about whether the road was sealed between Collinsvale and Elphinstone so rather than run the risk of getting there and it is not sealed and having to back track 130km! we decided to go in from Calen!