With close to 750 km before we were due to turn right at Rockhampton, we decided to break the trip into rough thirds. Sam had a taste of life in the front seat as Kris slept the trip away in the back having picked up a nasty viral infection in Townsville.

The Big Mango at Bowen!

First stop was a farm stay just outside Bowen – Glen Erin. This is run by a pleasant enough ‘older lady’ who cooks delicious damper each night for “happy hour”, but clearly had an aversion to guests young enough to still have their own teeth. We stayed three nights, and spent both days at Horseshoe Bay in Bowen.

A picture perfect sheltered bay of azure water, with views out to the Whitsundays. The boys swam, snorkelled, played on the beach and generally revelled in all things coastal. I think the threats from both parents to enjoy the beach before the endless horrors of the desolate interior may have helped.

This was also our one and only opportunity to find the cover photo of our Readers Digest travel guide ‘Making The Most Of Your Journey’. This is a 399 page tome that advertises itself as ‘the ultimate road trip companion’. The cover photo, a road beside a beach, has always had a seductive appeal.

Turns out it’s Grays Bay. Just round the corner from Horseshoe Beach in Bowen. Tick!