More Townsville

Townsville has lots of other delights. The Strand is a long, elegantly landscaped beachfront that is enjoyed for walks and views.  No-one swims on the beach, except in the stinger enclosures. The Strand is dotted with pools, playgrounds and cafes.  This one is CBar,  looking over to Magnetic Island. They did great cake and coffee.

This is the Rockpool, a huge enclosed seawater pool, near which is at the foot of a lookout called Kissing Point. Wonder how many Townsvillagers have plighted their troth around here...

We visited the Museum of Tropical Queensland which has a very well presented display on the wreck in 1791 of HMS Pandora. This frigate had been sent to retrieve the Bounty and bring its crew to justice, those that were still in Tahiti.  Incredibly enough, despite the shipwreck some survived and three were later hanged in London.

Townsville's architecture is a real mixed bag. Lots of dubious modern stuff, bit of a pistache, we say. There are a few lovely old buildings like this one, but many of those that stand are in poor repair and are being used for unsuitable purposes, like nightclubs.  Imagine what thumping music and pounding feet must do to the fabric of these old places. Even this one, the MTQ building, has smashed windows and peeling paint, up close.

Townsville's inner city delights feature such lost cultural practices as the Wet T-Shirt competition and live Air Guitar.

We visited the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery where there was a good portrait exhibition.  

This one was my favourite, by local indigenous artist Donna Ives. Her life story is writtten on the surface of her self portrait. Powerful stuff.

After all that art, we needed a drink.  This is a riverside bar, Monsoon, looking over the Ross River.

There is a bird watching "mecca" called the town common, about 6 Km from the CBD. We were hoping to see brolgas and jacana, but had to be satisfied with pelicans, magpie geese and some stalking black neck storks, plus a little black snake. No good photos, guess why? David's camera did its thing. Click, click, clunk. Flat battery, no warning.  Just "that's it, I'm resting now!" It was a fast trip back as these local wildlife places are gated and shut at 6.30pm.  This is evidently a reflection on the locals' tendency to go there in 4WDs after dark and drink and be silly. It does my head in, the ranger at Alligator Creek told us. 

Final treat yesterday was a movie. Haven't managed much cinema on this trip, but Townsville had "Money Never Sleeps" which was pretty good. We enjoyed it on a Friday night in a gigantic, truly cavernous, well appointed airconditioned theatre, along with half a dozen other souls. Bit of a change from Canberra Dendy on Friday night where you need to book ahead to get in!