July 3 - Mackay, Airlie Beach

Today was a “bus day.” We really needed a break. The delegates are starting to feel the effects of non-stop touring. They are pushing to the limit, and frankly, some of them are exhausted. They hate to give up any time for rest because they don’t want to miss experiencing something. I can’t say that I blame them. There is so much to do, and it seems like precious little time to do it all. Last night, we got back late, and had to be ready to go this morning.

So, it was really quiet on the bus this morning. Most were sleeping and we have a couple who are feeling a little under the weather. It’s nothing major, just a bit of a stomach virus. The timing is great because we have a couple of travel days and they can sleep on the bus. By the time you read this, everyone should be feeling terrific again.

Traveling today, we passed through terrain that was truly kangaroo country. The grasses were higher and the area was “scruffy,” as Lauren called it. We saw quite a few dead kangaroos on the side of the road. Lauren calls them “wuzaroos.”
We stopped just outside of Mackay today to learn about sugar cane farming. While Farmer Brown (no joke!) took us around the field, we had a big piece of sugar cane to chew on. We got to see how it is harvested, learned how to tell when it’s ready to be harvested ( it tassels like corn), and tasted the juice of freshly harvested cane. It was so sweet! We also lunched there before heading further north.
We’re spending the night in Airlie Beach, the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. The town is a huge resort area. We stopped at the beach before we checked into the hotel. The water was crystal-clear blue, just like a postcard. The bay was filled with boat;, many of them sailboats , with their white sails shining against the bright blue sky. It’s a sight I won’t forget soon.

We are staying at the Club Crocodile, and it’s very tourist friendly. We’re all together at one end of the complex. There is a pool just for that end. The rooms are good sized, and have safes and locks on the cabinets to store valuables. They even had a room designated for our group to meet or hang out.

Tomorrow we’ll celebrate Independence Day by meeting with the government official and arriving at our farm stay. It’s another long travel day, but we’re up for it!