Under the windmill
22 November 10
Our next stop was under the spinning blades of an old windmill situated in the botanic gardens at Emerald. We only found the location by accident, but it was comfortable enough to entice us to stay for a couple nights.


We did let the girls play in the water pouring out of its pipe however. It was a bit cold, but the girls dress in their wetsuits and manage to enjoy playing in all sorts of weather!







We didn’t see much wildlife in the park — it’s in the middle of town — but I did manage to catch this with the camera. (Some funny squeaking caught my attention — it was the frog complaining about being bitten.)


This park was memorable for us because of a number of special features.




Before we arrived in the central Queensland town of Emerald, I didn’t really know much about this part of Queensland that has been made prosperous by the mining boom. As multi-national companies increase their profits by stripping the Australian soil of its natural resources, everyone tries to cash in on the winnings.
But we liked walking around Emerald, shopping for some essentials and talking to the locals. We visited electronics stores in search of walky-talkies (we don’t want those girls getting lost again!) and stopped in at all the op shops.
One morning, we wandered past a playgroup operating out of an Anglican church hall, and because we so clearly fit the demographic, we were invited in! I was pleased to sit down for a while with a cup of tea while the girls played indoors.
In Emerald, we also bought a mobile broadband dongle so I could start updating the blog on the road. At the same computer store, the girls were given superceded mobile phone models. (I was bold enough to ask if there were any lying around because we’ve had such success with it in the past.)

It was a great place to stop. We really enjoyed the relaxed camping and spending time with other transients who also used the facilities at the botanic gardens.
All the same, this is probably the furthest west and north in Queensland we’ll travel on this trip. We’ve been speaking to Woodoo who needs some more help back in Grafton. He’s been sifting through his possessions after the house fire, and we’ll start making our way back south to him.
1 · Lorna · 26 November 2010, 21:23
We must be close to you- we are in Yepoon tonight.
2 · Carolyn · 28 November 2010, 09:48
I actually applied to work in Emerald for 6 months 5 years ago, but the paperwork didn’t go through.