Day 70 Friday 25th August

We decided to check out a few of the sights around Townsville today. Our first stop was the “Palmetum”, a botanic garden that mainly featured palms. It was a very enjoyable experience, walking through tropical rain-forest areas and savannah rainforest areas. Rob was very pleased to find an unusual and exceptional palm that we had seen in several places during our journeys. He described the leaves as looking like fireworks and this was probably a good description. We found a whole stand of them! There was also a beautiful memorial to 15 RAAF officers who were killed when 2 black-hawk helicopters collided and crashed near Townsville in 1996. We stopped for a coffee in the tea-rooms in the gardens. From here we drove to the Castle Hill look-out for a magnificent view of Townsville and Magnetic Island. We then proceeded down to The Strand where we found a pleasant spot on the seafront to have lunch. Close by was a new, fantastic water-park designed for both children and adults. Following lunch I decided to walk the entire distance of the Strand. Rob wasn’t quite so keen and sat and enjoyed the views. He then drove down to the other end of the Strand to pick me up.
























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