They’d want to be very good to beat the ones we had in Babinda, which were possibly as much as a short half head behind Mourilyan.
I’d had Babinda down as a place that was worth a visit since I started work on my Hughesy’s North Queensland project, and started gathering data about places and people around the North. queenslandplaces.com.au had revealed the town gained a government owned sugar mill in 1915 and “benefited from the reformist Ryan Labor government's price control and state enterprise policies, and became a largely government town: residential and business sites were occupied under government lease, the freehold hotel was closed ... and the State Hotel established, the sole manifestation of a short-lived Labor policy to monopolise and eventually end liquor supply in the state. The hotel, the sole government enterprise established during this period of Labor government to turn a profit, is listed on the Queensland heritage register and boasts one of the longest bars in Queensland.”
On that basis, you’d have to reckon the place was worth a look, and after breakfast we took a lap around the main street, past the State Hotel, which is certainly an impressive structure. When we’d finished the loop we figured we might as well head out to The Boulders, the swimming spot at the foot of the Bellenden Ker Range with a reputation as a trap for unsuspecting swimmers.
A cat nap while the drizzle mizzled after we’d taken a walk around the area killed a bit more time, but we were back on the highway around ten-thirty, looking to stop in Innisfail after Madam discovered an issue with the footwear that had spent the last fortnight tucked away in the car.
Innisfail’s shoe shops failed to deliver what was desired, but the process of looking killed a little more time and we were pulling into the cat park at the shopping centre at Wongaling Beach around a quarter to twelve, figuring there might be something suitable there.
And, in any case, we could probably handle some lunch.
Cafe RicKenJacs looked after that department quite adequately, and by the time we were finished a leisurely lunch it was around time to ring and check if the accommodation was ready for us.