We did our grocery shopping before leaving Ingham on Monday morning.  It was easier to do it there in the smaller town.  Less traffic and we decided Ingham probably needed our tourism dollar more than Townsville!  Plus I was keen to do a bit of cooking on Monday afternoon, which ended up spreading over the three days.  Every now and then I feel a need to get the Thermi out from under the bed and give it a whizz!  Most times I go a bit stupid and this time was no exception!  Two different icecreams made, a muesli slice, zucchini slice, some yummy passionfruit puddings and two lots of muffins.  Freezer stocked up now and maybe it will be the last big cook-up before we get home.  The last lot of icecream has lasted us six weeks.  All healthy recipes too!  I love the 'Recipe Book' App.  It is particularly good for the caravan.  Val and I typed up, and shared quite a few favourite recipes earlier in the year.  Townsville seemed pretty busy when we arrived, but now we have been here a few days, it really isn't that difficult to find your way around.   The city has a population of 190,000.  It is estimated that the population will exceed 200,000 by 2016 and if this does happen it will exceed Geelong and become the 10th largest populated city in Australia.  The layout of the city is very unique with 'Castle Hill', a giant pink granite monolith, standing proudly in the centre.  It is said that 1,000 locals run or walk up it each day and we did see quite a number on our trip to the top.  The road is not very wide and it would help if there was more provision for the walkers.  The 360 degree views are spectacular and one is definitely able to orientate themselves with the city from up on 'Castle Hill'.  The height of 'Castle Hill' is 286 metres.  'The Strand' along the foreshore is also very nice.  Of course Townsville being in the 'Wet Tropics' does help!  Shady evergreen trees everywhere.  We do believe that the 'City of Geraldton' based their foreshore development on what has been achieved in Townsville.  'The Strand' stretches for 2.5 kilometres along the foreshore, offering views across 'Cleveland Bay' to 'Magnetic Island'.   'The Strand' is also a favourite with walkers and the walkway continues all the way to 'Kissing Point'.  'Fort Kissing Point' is another scenic recreation area.  It was built as a fort in the late 1800's as a defence against the Russians.  During WW2  ammunition stores of re-inforced concrete with steel lined doors and window shutters, together with other buildings, were built.  Gun emplacements were also put there.  The 'Fort' ceased operation in 1945 as a new location had been chosen two years earlier for the defence of the town.  In 1968 the Fort was partially destroyed as it had become a hangout for vagrants. To us it looked as though there had been an upgrade to the area, and that it had taken place not very long ago.  Research on the internet has revealed that around 2000 it was proposed to sell the area to developers. There was a community campaign over several years which ensured the land was transferred over to Townsville City Council to become parkland.  It is said "The site has significant indigenous and military history and it was critical that this heritage was maintained throughout the site to ensure it would be appreciated for generations".

Swing Span used until 1925. Bridge closed 1975

  The major upgrade has only been completed during this year.  The 'Queensland Military Museum' is also out on the point and there are some barracks there as well.  They are called the 'Jezzine Barracks'.  There are two swimming lagoons on 'The Strand', one on either end.   The 'Rock Pool' at the bottom of 'Fort Kissing Point' is very nice.  The 'Ross River' also provides a riverway precinct for many recreational facilities.On Tuesday we spent a great deal of the day at the 'Museum of Tropical Queensland'.  The Museum of Tropical Queensland is the only branch of the Queensland Museum north of Brisbane.  The very impressive building was opened in 2000 after community raised $2 million dollars to partially fund a new Museum.  It has been built on the site of an earlier, smaller building and has new and modern displays.  The coral displays are quite something and I could have stayed there for hours pressing the buttons so I could see what colour each of the corals actually was.  Todays technology is truly amazing.    The star attraction and the reason the funds were raised by community is the 'HMS Pandora Gallery'.  The 'Pandora' was sent to catch the famous 'Bounty' and her mutinous crew. It sank  78 kms north east of Cooktown in 1791. The wreck was found in 1977.  In 1983 the Queensland Museum conducted its first archaeological excavation and there have now been nine excavations in total. Hundreds of amazing artefacts have been recovered from the wreck and are on display.On  Wednesday we visited the 'Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium'.  That added to our experience from Mission Beach.  So much coral and so many fish to see there.  It was well worth the $22.00 concession price and by the time we left at 11.15am there were lots of school children having guided tours.  The 2.5 million litre 'Coral Reef Exhibit' is the world's largest 'Living Coral Aquarium'.  We left at that time to be on the 11.30am Sealink Ferry to 'Magnetic Island'.  Magnetic Island is just 8 kms across the bay and has a resident population of 2,000.   It is within the 'World Heritage Marine Park'.  It is an Island of 'Beautiful Bays' and it is said one of the Island's greatest assets is it's rugged beauty.  It certainly had that.  We hired a little 'Topless Car' for $80.00.  It was a bit of fun and a little different to what Pete is used to driving.  He was fairly going through the gears to get 'The Little Girl' up the hills.  We had lunch at 'Horseshoe Bay'.  We found a nice cafe called 'Cafe Nourish - Food for Heart & Soul'.  I had a 'Lounge Lizard' fruit juice, made from apple, pineapple and kiwi fruit and we both had a spinach wrap of poached chicken and salad.  All delicious!Another interesting town on the Queensland coastline visited.  All we have heard on the sporting news over here is how the Townsville 'Cowboys' were playing the Brisbane 'Broncos' last weekend in the Rugby Semi Final.  This week it has been about their win, one player getting five weeks suspension, (I think it is that many weeks) and that they play the 'Roosters' this weekend.   You would have to think I know something about Rugby to be blogging about it!  But I haven't a clue.  But the 'Cowboys' are constantly in the news!  Some big wig has been in Townsville today talking about a new stadium being built closer to the CBD.  Their 'Leagues Club' is directly opposite the Visitor Information Centre, so I just had to have a snap.  'Go Cowboys' for this weekend.  You can beat the 'Roosters'!Also found the historic 'Victoria Bridge' at the back of the Info Centre.  The bridge was built in 1889 and the swing span only operated until 1925. The bridge was closed to vehicles in 1975.  It is the only bridge of its kind in Queensland and is one of only six swing bridges constructed in Australia.Townsville was named after Robert Towns.  A sculpture was tucked away under a tree near the Victoria Bridge and I found the write up about his life interesting.  In his early life he was a very successful business man, but in later years his actions were questioned!  The story is:  Robert Towns was a merchant and speculator.  He was a master of brig trading throughout the Mediterranean before he was 20.  He sailed his own vessel from England to Australia in 1827 and settled in Sydney, acquiring his own fleet and wharves.  His maritime business prospered.  His motto was to sail "to Hades and back if there was profit in it".  By the 1850's he was wealthy and influential.  He was Chairman of the Bank of New South Wales and a NSW Legislative Councillor.  Town's established Queensland's first cotton plantation at Logan river.  He contracted South Sea Island labourers, bringing several hundred to the colony.  By 1865 Town's northern interests totalled a million hectares of pastoral land.  Due to the pastoral recession, by 1870 he was on the verge of bankruptcy and liquidated his Townsville investments.  Historians are divided on whether Town's was a 'Visionary or a Villain'?  Controversy has plagued the name of Robert Towns both during and after his lifetime.  Critics called him "Godfather of the slave trade". 

Then to top off the story I found that the headstone from his grave was moved to the top of 'Castle Hill' from Sydney.  Not sure when, but the sculpture was only put there in 2005.  20 photos