Bramston Beach

We bought a new book called Australia Wide Camps 4 after feeling somewhat frustrated at always finding the free camps and low cost parks after we had booked into one of the larger more commercial parks. After Wonga Beach we wanted to find more coastal parks and found Bramston Beach in the book. It was the best park we have stayed in yet and very casual. Run by the council the only draw back was we didn’t have any power or phone coverage so it was to be a bit of a test run to see how long we could manage without. We booked in initially for two nights and the caretaker told us to ‘go wherever you like’ so we helped ourselves to a beach front site on grass about 40 yards from the beach, if you don’t mind! There were only a few others there so we spread out a bit and decided we needed more time, extending to five nights. When we arrived the sun was shining and it pretty much couldn’t have been better. We sat out on the grass reading and I sewed for the afternoon. We also went for a long walk along the beach and saw some of the trees uprooted during Cyclone Larry. The park was closed for six weeks after the cyclone as it was very difficult to get man power to clear the area.
On Tuesday we awoke to less than perfect weather and decided to go into Innisfail and visit Paronella Park which had been recommended to us. It is really hard to describe but perhaps the best description is that it was the first theme park in Australia I think, having been opened to the public by Jose Paronella in 1935. It is a Spanish themed castle which had a ballroom, tennis courts, refreshment rooms swimming pools, waterfalls, tortoise and fish ponds and so much more. Check it out on www.paronellapark.com.au . It was a great experience and something we might not have done if we hadn’t met a lovely family at Undara and chatted to them about where they had been.
Wednesday was not particularly sunny but lovely nonetheless and we relaxed for the day only interrupting our reading and sewing to go for another walk.
On Thursday the sun was back and so we took advantage of the opportunity to wash off the red dust and dirt from the van and car which had caked itself on after the last wash in Mt. Isa. We started at about 9 o’clock and by the time we had finished the car and van nearly everyone else in the park was doing the same thing. We started a trend, then sat back for the rest of the day and watched everyone else!
Bramston Beach is about 20 minutes from Innisfail and one place we will return to for at least the same amount of time and we managed really well without power too!
Friday morning off to Townsville and picking up mail, thanks to our very efficient secretary Katie.