Croydon Club Hotel, Queensland, AustraliaUp with the sparrows, or corellas as it was, to go fishing with Mick who was picking us up beside the boat ramp down on the point at 6:45. His boat was sitting just off shore when we got down there. Technology is so great now. Mick had one of those little 'square' devices that I was able to use to pay. It was $170 each for four hours but we ended up being out for closer to four and a half. Mick doesn’t have a website. His number is 0477 803 576.We let Mick know straight away that whatever we caught (wishful thinking) was his as we would be back on the road as soon as we got back.
We both wish we'd worn our thongs. We thought we'd get wet feet getting on to the boat and had left them on the car but we wouldn't have due to Mick just lowering the bow ramp. The rubber matting Mick had in the boat eventually got very uncomfortable on our feet.
Rod's and bait are of course provided and Mick re-baited our hooks most of the time. Neither of us had any issue with baiting up but he had to do something. We eventually told him he should get a line in as well.
You can see the matting in a couple of the pictures. Great for keeping your footing, not for standing on with bare feet..Al started the morning with a little trevally (maybe) that Mick kept for bait. He caught another 11! I managed eight I think that ranged from a few grunter about 20cm up to one just under legal size. It was maybe 36cm. I only missed one decent fish that Mick thought would have been another salmon.
The biggest fish landed was a blue salmon that Mich hooked. Al did a great job landing it as Mick had to net it. Mick blooded each keeper and then chucked them in his cold box.
It was a terrific morning and we had a great time. No idea how many gay couples Mick has taken out but he was a really nice guy and was totally ok with us.
We had lunch at the cafe across the road from our motel https://ashsholidayunits.com.au/ashs-the-point-cafe.html. It was an excellent barra burger. If you hadn’t noticed, we ate a lot of barra.
Then we headed off for Croydon, for the third time. There were less brolgas and sarun cranes on the way back but saying that we did see plenty. 
Before we checked into the Club Hotel https://www.croydonclubhotel.com.au/accommodation/ we called into the visitor centre as we had a relative of a friend of some note to research. Our friend’s research indicated he was born in Croydon but the records at the centre showed he was Georgetown born. The lady in the centre was amazingly generous with her time but I suppose visitors are few and far between.
Al’s highlight was learning about housing pavers. Ant mounds were/are crushed into sand, ants included, and water added inside a timber frame. They harden like concrete. The crushed ants add acid to the mix.
The visitor centre has an interesting sculpture garden, some house replicas, and bits of the original trains that they are slowly piecing together. One is now in nearly full form.
Across the road is a heritage walk through a number of old buildings that have been nicely restored/rescued. In the courthouse is a cool little audio presentation that replicates a court case of a woman charged with being drunk and disorderly. It’s both interesting and funny.
It was finally time for a cold beer at the only pub in town. I parked out the back and went in to check in. I was told our room number and presumed it must have the key in the door but when we walked over it wasn’t. Back to the bar again.
Our room was yet again gigantic, and definitely one of only two that had been completely rebuilt (renovated doesn't go close). The rooms are in two blocks behind the hotel. The rest of the rooms, in the same building and one other, looked very original. From our block you just walk straight across the grass to the pool.
We sat outside in the heat and watched not much. There’s so little traffic. I’d guess even in the middle of winter it would hardly be busy.
Before dinner we had a swim in the leaf filled pool. Did our best to clear a few out but it was a lost cause being surrounded by trees.
Our options for dinner were the pub and, well, nothing. The pub is the only dinner option in Croydon.
The wet season is so close. There was another huge bank of storm clouds rolling across the savannah. Again no rain, but some distant lightning and thunder. It’s these dry storms, and what they call dry lightning, that cause the fires that precede the wet.
It was the raffle night for the local RFS. We bought piles of tickets but came up blank. We would have got them to redraw in any case. Not much we could have done with a meat tray or a chook
Dinner was barra, again, and it was fresh and delicious. Not sure why on earth we also bought a bowl of gravy covered fries. Delicious but unnecessary. We ate about one quarter of them.
2025-05-23