The weather had deteriorated and we needed to pick up mail and get the computer attended to so we went to Townsville. We booked the mac in for service and went looking for somewhere to stay.
The caravan parks is town were pretty full but we got the last space in a park in Rowes Bay. It was OK but expensive and pretty crowded.
On Saturday, we spent the afternoon at the Town Common. This is a very large wetland next to the airport which, even in the middle of the dry season, has an extraordinary population of birds. We saw Jabiru, Brolga, all of the Cormorants, all of the Egrets, White-faced and Pacific Heron, Pied Geese, several kinds of ducks as well as raptors of several species and Rainbow Bee-eater. A wonderful afternoon for birdwatchers.
We elected to find a cheaper caravan park and ended up in far south Townsville on the road to Ayr.
Needing to dump the black water, there being no dump stations anywhere in Townsville, we headed off down the road to the purification plant. There were large numbers or raptors hunting in the fields along the road and suddenly we came upon a rare sight, an Australian Bustard, the bird made famous by Galapagos Duck in the album Endangered Species.
On Sunday we went to the market in Flinders Mall to get some things Jean had passed over last time we were here. We ran into the Sheree Brown and family, complete with Grandfather Brown, so we spent a pleasant hour with them having coffee and chatting.
During the week we shopped and checked for the mail and did nothing much.
One day we visited the Palmetum but the kiosk was closed so we couldn't get lunch there. One day we went up Mount Stuart but the air was very hazy so the view was less than impressive. We got the computer back with no fault found!!
Our stay in Townsville had been restful but a bit frustrating.