Ahh the proximity

Standing in Anzac Park and looking west












Looking east out to Maggie Island











One of the things we have been loving about Townsville is the proximity. There is really nothing that is more than five minutes away from anything else, and many things are even closer than that.

For example, one of my favourite peaceful spots is the Anzac Memorial Park, which is kept in lush and immaculate condition (probably) because of the army base here. I love the cool stillness of the massive strangler figs, and the bougainvillea and the memorials kind of somehow suggest South-East Asia to me. From the Anzac park, you can look out past the marina to Magnetic Island; and on Wednesdays it is a tradition amongst the local boat-owners to sail out to Maggie Island and get as drunk as possible on the way. Accordingly, on Wednesday afternoons shortly after knock-off time, you can see all sorts of watercraft chugging out of the harbour, with many a sailor already swaying on deck.

On Wednesday last week we joined Hayden’s landlubber workmates down that way – not at the marina, but at the bowls club which is right next to the Anzac park (and across the road from the ‘Cri’ which host to Australia’s longest-running wet t-shirt competition. I promised Hayden we could go, one time only, as a sort of anthropological research experiment. It can’t be that bad, can it? At least it’s known as the Cri, and not the Crite like the one in Brisbane).

We had a great night at bowls. For $10, we got a game of bowls, with tuition and advice from a local expert, and a barbied sausage wrapped in white bread. Beers were an extra $3.






Looking south to the Bowls Club and the Cri