Monday 16th September - Giru
15.9 over night and 28.2 during the day. We're off to another free camp today at a place called Giru. This rest stop is about 38km north of Ayr, so Clive has done another 'big' drive. The co-ordinates are put into Jeeves and off we go. We turn off the Bruce highway and I'm thinking - oh no, here we go again. We're back in the middle of cane fields and again down to a narrow bitumen road. Still just wide enough for two cars. In the distance I see some smoke that later I find out is coming from the sugar mill. Then we come into the town of Giru. Maybe it's not as bad as I thought. Jeeves leads us to a grassy rest area where there are already about a dozen vans but it's not too cramped as there is plenty of space. Still at least we get to see some small country towns. The Invicta Sugar Mill was dismantled in 1918 in Bundaberg and relocated to Giru. The population is around 350 people and the town was named in 1916 derived from "goru", a type name for a species of sugarcane from New Guinea which was successfully experimented with and widely grown in the district. Clive helped a couple reverse in, that parked next to us, as they were going back and forth for about 5 minutes. The husband and wife were having 'a difference of opinion it seems'. With Clive's help it got them safely parked up and all is good again on the home front. We are about 100m from some train lines and they blow their horns just about where we are camped. Seems there is a train crossing up from us. Hopefully there will not be too many trains tonight. Still it's peaceful once you get used to the trains clickity clack. Clive rang to confirm the next van park in Townsville and all good except don't turn up before 11am!! Toasted sandwiches for tea tonight.