We couldn’t yet head west, but we could head away for our first nights in our new home. The caravan needed a shakedown and 1000km on the road before its first service. It was an excuse to head north and test things out.
We chose a short stay in Bowen for our first two nights travelling. Bowen was the first place we visited in our first van, so it was fitting that we stopped there. We like Bowen, it has some pretty beaches, amazing views and is a great place to relax. We took the kids to Horseshoe Bay for a few sessions of boulder scrambling and to just enjoy the views. The Cape Edgecumbe Walking Track also starts at Horseshoe Bay. It was a pretty walk, up to a spectacular view from a couple of lookouts before heading down to the more remote Murray Bay, before returning through the bush. If did result in a protest or two from the unfit girls though. Otherwise we just took it easy, explored the local sites and spent some time getting acquainted with our new home.
It was then on to Townsville to catch up with some friends, cram in some more home school and keep adding the driving kilometers. We also wanted to finish fitting the van out with some more storage and other little bits and pieces. We had planned a walk in the Cape area, but replaced it with Castle Hill and the Cowboys match instead. The caravan park had plenty to do so the girls made the most of it, including a winter water slide for Hannah.
