Waiting Out a Pandemic in the Whitsundays - 2020
2020 turned out to be one hell of a year. We were extremely lucky to manage a trip to Antarctica in January before the world shut down due to COVID-19. We didn’t mind the subsequent months in lockdown at home. We had a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and no fear of losing our jobs because we are retired. In fact, it was rather nice to slow down and attend to things we don’t usually have time for. The only negative for us was not seeing our family. As Queensland got on top of the virus and travel restrictions within the state were eased we headed to Proserpine to visit family, especially my mum who is in a nursing home here. We ended up staying a lot longer than expected and making quite a few short trips of interest - Townsville, a Reef Flight, Bowen and Collinsville, Crocodile Safari, Hamilton and Dent Islands. (Click on the names to read more detail on each and see more photos.)
Mum recently broke her hip, and this has greatly restricted her mobility. I know how isolated she feels, so it has been nice to visit regularly. And she was thrilled to see her grandchildren who cheered her up no end. Tawa came up with us for a few days, and Tali flew up later to visit.
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We spent a great many days visiting Airlie Beach for a walk, or a meal, or to go to the Saturday markets, or just to relax in the brilliant sunshine and admire the view. It is only a 20 minute drive from Proserpine, and at this time of year the weather is glorious. We explored many local spots such as doing the Great Whitsunday Walk, and tried to support local companies by taking local tours. Some highlights were a Proserpine River Crocodile Safari and a Reef Flight. You can read more about these by clicking on their names to see the link.
We tried to walk early each morning around Proserpine, and invariably would end up having coffee at the bakery, where we would sit at an outdoor table and people watch. We also enjoyed digging up history at the local museum.
We interspersed our time in Proserpine with a few short trips away - Townsville, Bowen and Collinsville, Mackay, Dent and Hamilton Islands, and a jaunt a little further west to Ravenswood, Ravenshoe and Almaden, Charters Towers, Chillagoe, the Atherton Tablelands, and the Cassowary Coast. Click on each place to read more of our travels. All spots are well worth a visit. We loved every minute, meeting quirky locals and many kind souls, always ready with advice and a friendly smile.
It was lovely having Tali and Morgan visit for a while. This was Morgan’s first trip this far north and I think she fell in love with the Whitsundays. They got to see the reef from above and below on a reef flight and a sailing trek, then got another bird’s eye view after doing the Hummingbird Walk above Airlie. It is an easy part of the world to fall in love with.
One very pleasant local resort was a great discovery. Northerlies is situated in a hidden spot not far from Airlie Beach. The lovely open decked bar and restaurant provided a cool escape as the weather warmed up. The gardens sweeping down to the beach are attractive and the place is especially popular on weekends.
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Our trip up north somehow turned into five months, and a lovely five months it was. We were lucky to be in a safe and very beautiful place, free to explore the surrounds and enjoy family who live here. We were also lucky that many of our “away” family found time to visit and this gave us an opportunity to explore the area even deeper. Sadly, my mum passed away at the beginning of December, so I was grateful to have been able to spend those last five months of her life with her. We said our sad farewells and headed back home to be with our Brisbane family and friends for Christmas.