Today I took a little detour through the area that was worst hit by Cyclone Yasi.
All the houses on the beachfront were gutted, and it was obvious that most were still unoccupied. A couple had tradesmen working on them.
From Innisfail south the trees for miles and miles have been stripped of their foliage, but it's encouraging to see the new growth coming through. And the bananas are growing! Almost ready for harvest! Sugar cane is being harvested too.
It seems a lot of sheds have dissapeared...I could see where they had been...and some sheds are still there but bent and twisted out of shape.
By the way, I had planned to camp at Hull Heads but it would have cost $13 just for me. The sign says $13 for a family of 4, but the caretaker said the council changed it. I know the money would go to a good cause, but as a pensioner, that just wasn't in the budget.
Still, I could see that both would have been beautiful areas to camp, particularly Hull Heads. The river mouth looked so picturesque.
Happywanderer said
05:52 PM Jul 11, 2011
So where did you end up camping Beth??
You are having a lovely time aren't you.
Beth54 said
06:00 PM Jul 11, 2011
Yes, I certainly am Marj!
I'm now at Bilyana rest area, 22kms south of Tully. Number 28 in Camps 6. It's actually a driver reviver stop.
It's okay...plenty of people, sheltered tables, toilets...but right on the highway, and I've since realised there's a bl***y train line behind it! Two trains have passed through and blown the whistles!
I sure know how to pick 'em!
Ear plugs might be the go tonight.
Happywanderer said
06:02 PM Jul 11, 2011
Haha!! You are not in between a rock and a hard place, You are in between a highway and a railway line. Hope you get some sleep.
Cruising Granny said
06:32 PM Jul 11, 2011
They stick caravan parks and parking bays in the silliest places. I stayed at a caravan park somewhere between the 'Gong and Sydney, right between the highway and the rail line. Lesson learned. Have any of these communities received any disaster relief from the funds? As around. I'd be interested to learn what's going on. It's a worry. The victims of these disasters have to fight the insurance and the elements and local authorities to rebuild their lives.
Dreamcaster51 said
07:25 PM Jul 11, 2011
Hi Beth, We stayed there in Oct last year. It was ok but the toilets were a mess. There was a sign on the loo that said if loo needs attention ring this number. Yeah right, i rang and got a lady in Townsville who said she would get right on it. 30 mins later a truck rolls up, toilets were unblocked, cleaned and refilled with paper etc. And an apology from the two gents. You could have knocked me down, i said a big thankyou to the guys and rang the lady back and said thanks to her. What a pleasent suprise.
Beth54 said
07:58 PM Jul 11, 2011
Cruising Granny wrote:
They stick caravan parks and parking bays in the silliest places. I stayed at a caravan park somewhere between the 'Gong and Sydney, right between the highway and the rail line. Lesson learned. Have any of these communities received any disaster relief from the funds? As around. I'd be interested to learn what's going on. It's a worry. The victims of these disasters have to fight the insurance and the elements and local authorities to rebuild their lives.
I haven't asked CG, but someone on here said he'd asked around and no, they hadn't. The powers that be need to extract a digit, me thinks.
Beth54 said
08:00 PM Jul 11, 2011
Dreamcaster51 wrote:
Hi Beth, We stayed there in Oct last year. It was ok but the toilets were a mess. There was a sign on the loo that said if loo needs attention ring this number. Yeah right, i rang and got a lady in Townsville who said she would get right on it. 30 mins later a truck rolls up, toilets were unblocked, cleaned and refilled with paper etc. And an apology from the two gents. You could have knocked me down, i said a big thankyou to the guys and rang the lady back and said thanks to her. What a pleasent suprise.
Wow! That's impressive! They're clean enough at the moment, but a whole lot of people have pulled in now, so may not be so good by morning.
Beth54 said
08:05 PM Jul 11, 2011
Another awful stop was somewhere between Charters Towers and The Lynd. It was just a truck pull over spot, no toilets or anything, but boy was it disgusting! Toilet paper, rubbish, even some bones of I-don't-know-what!
A road train of cattle pulled in in the middle of the night and we listened to tap dancing cattle all night!
It all makes for good stories to tell though!
Wombat 280 said
08:48 PM Jul 11, 2011
Dreamcaster51 wrote:
Hi Beth, We stayed there in Oct last year. It was ok but the toilets were a mess. There was a sign on the loo that said if loo needs attention ring this number. Yeah right, i rang and got a lady in Townsville who said she would get right on it. 30 mins later a truck rolls up, toilets were unblocked, cleaned and refilled with paper etc. And an apology from the two gents. You could have knocked me down, i said a big thankyou to the guys and rang the lady back and said thanks to her. What a pleasent suprise.
Now that's service with a smile Can't ask for better
Today I took a little detour through the area that was worst hit by Cyclone Yasi.
All the houses on the beachfront were gutted, and it was obvious that most were still unoccupied. A couple had tradesmen working on them.
From Innisfail south the trees for miles and miles have been stripped of their foliage, but it's encouraging to see the new growth coming through. And the bananas are growing! Almost ready for harvest! Sugar cane is being harvested too.
It seems a lot of sheds have dissapeared...I could see where they had been...and some sheds are still there but bent and twisted out of shape.
By the way, I had planned to camp at Hull Heads but it would have cost $13 just for me. The sign says $13 for a family of 4, but the caretaker said the council changed it. I know the money would go to a good cause, but as a pensioner, that just wasn't in the budget.
Still, I could see that both would have been beautiful areas to camp, particularly Hull Heads. The river mouth looked so picturesque.
You are having a lovely time aren't you.
Yes, I certainly am Marj!
I'm now at Bilyana rest area, 22kms south of Tully. Number 28 in Camps 6. It's actually a driver reviver stop.
It's okay...plenty of people, sheltered tables, toilets...but right on the highway, and I've since realised there's a bl***y train line behind it! Two trains have passed through and blown the whistles!
I sure know how to pick 'em!
Ear plugs might be the go tonight.
I stayed at a caravan park somewhere between the 'Gong and Sydney, right between the highway and the rail line.
Lesson learned.
Have any of these communities received any disaster relief from the funds?
As around. I'd be interested to learn what's going on.
It's a worry. The victims of these disasters have to fight the insurance and the elements and local authorities to rebuild their lives.
We stayed there in Oct last year. It was ok but the toilets were a mess. There was a sign on the loo that said if loo needs attention ring this number. Yeah right, i rang and got a lady in Townsville who said she would get right on it. 30 mins later a truck rolls up, toilets were unblocked, cleaned and refilled with paper etc. And an apology from the two gents. You could have knocked me down, i said a big thankyou to the guys and rang the lady back and said thanks to her.
What a pleasent suprise.
I haven't asked CG, but someone on here said he'd asked around and no, they hadn't. The powers that be need to extract a digit, me thinks.
Wow! That's impressive! They're clean enough at the moment, but a whole lot of people have pulled in now, so may not be so good by morning.
Another awful stop was somewhere between Charters Towers and The Lynd. It was just a truck pull over spot, no toilets or anything, but boy was it disgusting! Toilet paper, rubbish, even some bones of I-don't-know-what!
A road train of cattle pulled in in the middle of the night and we listened to tap dancing cattle all night!
It all makes for good stories to tell though!
Now that's service with a smile Can't ask for better