Rainbow Beach to Kroombit

Saturday 3rd September

We had to arise at 5.30 and were eating breakfast by 6. We were joined by two Sulphur Crested Cockatoos that seemed to have little fear of humans, in fact Paul was a bit reluctant to open the gate we had to go through in case the cockatoo bit him.

We were picked up at 6.30 and driven to the boat that took us across to Tin Can Bay to see the dolphins. Apparently, dolphins have been coming to Tin Can Bay since the mid 1950s when a wounded dolphin was fed by some fishermen. Once recovered, it kept bringing other members of its pod into the bay to be fed, and they have been coming in twice a day ever since. These are wild dolphins, but they don't mind humans, and they like the fish they are given! People are allowed in to the water with the dolphins, though they aren't allowed to touch them. So I duly got my socks and shoes off and got into the water. Only two dolphins came this morning; there can be up to four. They arrived very promptly at 8, obviously having reliable watches. They were quite happy to nose around the feet and ankles for a few minutes, anticipating their fish breakfast. There was a big queue of people anxious to pay 5 dollars to feed them a fish, and it was quite funny watching mothers and fathers trying to persuade small children to feed the fish to the dolphin - the child obviously being worried that the the dolphin might prefer a breakfast of small child to a breakfast of small fish!

There was also an enormous pelican which was anxious to have a fish breakfast too iand was menacing any small child who looked as if they might have a fish.

By 8.30 we had been picked up and were off on the next stage of our journey, a drive of about 600 kilometres. We drove through pine plantations and eucalyptus forests, and passed some wild horses grazing by the side of the road. As we went north, the forests gave way to more open country with grasslands and some cane fields. We turned inland a little south of Rockhampton, through a small town called Calliope, and started climbing into the hills. Here, we were surrounded by pasture land and cattle and some grain fields. Eventually, we turned towards Kroombit Park and Lochenbar Station, where we are staying. We were immediately supplied with hats and bandanas, which we are supposed to wear at all times -in spite of the fact that we already have our own silly hats.

This is yet another type of accommodation that will be of great interest to the friend with whom I shared some reasonably similar accommodation in Canada! I think you might call it a bunkhouse, we certainly have two bunks in it. They are very comfortable, so we slept very well.

After supper, there were various activities, like learning to crack a whip or riding the mechanical bull. We did not take part in the latter activity, thinking it would not do our backs any good. Our fellow tour participants were mostly thrown off after a few seconds. Paul has a sore arm from attempting, unsuccessfully, to get the whip to crack.