Day Two Maryborough to Bundaberg

It's always a bit of a challenge when you're on unfamiliar territory to find somewhere decent for breakfast - especially when the cafe which has come as 'highly recommended' is closed.  We drove around Maryborough looking, looking, looking, and chanced upon the Cockatoo Cafe.  We enjoyed everything about here and couldn't believe our luck that we had found it. 

There was no luck involved in finding our next stop.  When I'd been doing research into Bundaberg, the stand-out "new" attraction was the Cistern Chapel.  It has been featured on a couple of television programs - I think "Sunrise" was mentioned by one of the volunteers on site - and has welcomed a steady stream of visitors since it was opened in May last year.  I had not told Sooz about it so she would be surprised when she walked in - and she was.  Almost as surprised when she had finished her tour of the facilities when I had stopped a French woman - she and her husband are currently touring Australia - so she could converse with her in French.

  

Next up was a tour around Maryborough to see what we could see.  It was good that we found the "Fragrant Goat" - not to be confused with the "Fraser Coast" - which is what Sooz had done when she misread a sign - we did go past it fairly quickly - on the way into the area.  It will go into our vocabulary - "You remember the time we went to the Fragrant Goat?"  The area is rife with different types of art - and we found some minions along the way as well. 

What was that? We could hear Bundaberg calling.  It was only a short drive (1.5 hours) and was uneventful except for the display in Ravi which had decided it wanted to go dim.  It had done it yesterday but I thought I had fixed it.  I was wrong.  It's really hard to stick with the speed limit if you can't see it on the read-out.  I did fiddle with it (thanks YouTube) and it was bearable, but I'm going to have to have another go at it. 

We are staying at the Best Western in Bundaberg and are very happy with it - it's a huge room with plenty of room for us, our luggage, and our picnic table so we could eat together (at the same table) this evening - rather than at the bench.  They could have fitted a table in but the two-seater lounge is good too.

 

While Sooz stayed at the motel, I went sight-seeing - to the 90-metre Hummock which gives a sweeping view of the surrounding area.  It didn't let me see the circus which is apparently in Bundaberg at the moment though, but I will keep looking for it.

Did I mention that on the way to the Hummock I stopped in at the Bundaberg Rum Distillery - just their gift shop, it seemed a waste to go on the tour since we don't really drink rum - but we are planning to do the Bundaberg Barrel tour - home of Bundaberg Brewed softdrinks tomorrow. 

Bundaberg has wonderful Botanic Gardens - home of the Hinkler Aviation attraction, Fairymeadow House and the Sugarcane Railway - but you know it was the birds I wanted to see.