This happened on (Friday 24th April 2009)

(sorry I have not posted for a few days, I have been lucky enough to spend a few days in Singapore at the 2010 Formula 1 GP).

The Gap Year Gang Disappear Into Another Time and Place

A driving day with masses of Km’s to do so leaving the wonderful towns of Agnes Water and 1770 we hit the road. We headed out past Miriam Vale to Gladstone (it’s main claim to fame is a massive Aluminium works!)

We carried on up to Rockhampton where cow mania has arrived, we drove passed the giant statue of a Breman Bull (who apparently has spare bollocks so, that they can be replaced when they get stolen, you could not make this shit up could you!) In fact we saw cow statues all over the town, we pulled into a McDonalds with hopes of using the internet connection but it was not working.

On the way out of town we passed a statue of a giant Herefordshire bull. After Rockhampton there is nothing except cane fields for a very long way. We crossed over the Tropic of Capricorn.

We carried on up, going trough St Lawrence and Flaggy Rock. Finally we reached Sarina as the evening drew in, we headed to the beach front and booked into the Sandpiper Motel.

It was everything that the last motel wasn’t and that is not a compliment! Brown brick walls in the bedroom, concrete stairwells quite grim. We were right opposite the beach but our balcony overlooked the public toilets and surf club. After we were all booked in and our luggage dumped in the room we headed out to try and find some food.

The problem with Sarina beach is, it is actually a good few km’s from the actual town and the town it self feels more like a wild west town, the few eateries we spied all looked like they had, had a large collection of desperate looking characters in them, none of which we fancied sharing space with so, we drove on about 50 kms away to Mackay for food.

Mackay is basically not worth the effort and considering the size of the place, the lack of restaurants was enough to do much damage to my feeling that Australia has more than it’s fair share of very good eating, in desperation we ended up in an old friend, Hog’s Breath Cafe.  It was indicative of the town that we were very lucky to get a table at 7:00pm, we had effectively just one hour to eat and leave as we had not booked and they kindly just squeezed us in.

Hog’s Breath is good Steak and Ribs but the fact that it was booked solid shows what a dearth of options there was in Mackay.

The town also seemed to have an Irish bar with topless girls serving, Mackay, sophisticated it ain’t.

We drove back to Sarina beach and to bed.

(Due to the complete and utter dullness of the place we got to in Australia on todays post I have decided to post a picture from the 2010 Singapore F1GP  as a reminder of better days in much better places).

The Awesome Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore