The drive was through cane field after cane field for most of the way , till we got further north and got closer to the mountains , then it turned back to cattle grazing for a short period , then back to you guessed it - sugar cane again . The mountains were a pleasure to watch - they shoot up out of the ground , the sides so steep , it is amazing how the trees & greenery can actually grow .
Soon , there were also mountains to the right as well as left of us - Conway National Park was appearing on our right as we gradually started turning inland a little . Conway National Park is right on the side of the Whitsunday Islands and runs from Airlie Beach to Conway Beach . It is quite a mountainous park with dense forests going all the way down to the turquoise waters of the Whitsundays .
We arrived at Proserpine at 11:30 and went to the information centre . Lyn expertly reversed the RV into position , ( with a little instruction ) , without any problems in two goes - not too bad considering when we drove in there was no where to do a U turn !!!
Armed with brochures and maps , we went back to the ute and made a call to the van park , before driving round there - 5 mins away . They were waiting for us and let us in , then guided us down to a site and let us set up before going to check in . The van park is council owned and is right beside the swimming pool - staying here gives you free access to the swimming pool - Bonus !!
We had our honeymoon at Airlie Beach some 30 years ago , so we were both a little excited to be here - lunch completed , we headed out there . We expected it to have grown , and heard that it has been taken over by backpackers . Shute Harbour was where you went to go out to the reef or islands , not anymore though - now there is The Port Of Airlie !!!! sounds a bit" la te da " and also Abel Point Marina . Shute Harbour jetty is like a ghost town now , although there are a lot of yachts etc moored there now .
Airlie Beach is now a bustling holiday / travel hub , with a large amount of tourists - mainly younger backpackers from all over the world - they all seem to travel in wicked campers or the like , commonly nicknamed "whizz bangers " ( from the sliding door on the side of the van , for those that didn't know ). There are a large number of restaurants , coffee shops , bars and accommodation options - even McDonalds arrgh !!! Resorts and multi storey units are built much further up the hill now also . All of our memories lie broken in the gutter !!!!! The changes are so much further than anything we had expected . There is a nice little beach there now and a water park lagoon beside a walkway that goes for about three and a half kms back to Cannonvale Beach .
Memories are still there , the reality of now is still biting , so we headed back to Proserpine and the RV .
Lyn went for a swim while I read some brochures and the sun gradually set - another nice sunset - photos taken at the golf course -100m down the road .
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