capricorn cowboys

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30 The Courier-Mail January 5-6, 2013 couriermail.com.au FRST SNAP TO CALL OF CAPRICORN TRAVEL MATE GETTING THERE: Rockhampton is about 600km north of Brisbane and about seven hours’ drive away. Qantas and Virginfly to Rockhampton from Brisbane and other regional centres. Most major car hire operators have an airport base. Queensland Rail runs the Tilt Train and others to Rockhampton. See queenslandrail.com.au for timetable and fares. STAYING THERE: Plenty of accommodation to suit all prices such as Emu’s Beach Resort with rates from $24 to $100 a night, see emusbeachresort.com. The Mercure Capricorn Resort in Yeppoon has rooms from $145 to $235 a night, see capricornresort.com.au. For more accommodation options see capricornholidays.com.au DOING THERE: Capricorn Caves visit, see capricorncaves.com.au for bookings. Prices start from $27 for adults and $14 for children. Accommodation is also available. Koorana Crocodile Farm is open daily, $27 for adults, $12 for under 16s and under 3s free. Last entry is at 2pm. See koorana.com.au. Fishing charters can be arranged through keppelbaymarina.com.au. You can try the rodeo at the Great Western Hotel, see greatwesternhotel.com.au. MORE INFO: capricornholidays.com.au The mid-north coast is captivating, writes Tristan Swanwick DIVERSE DELIGHTS: Resorts, rodeos and ridged-back monsters. ‘‘HOW many ambulances are usually needed at these rodeos?’’ I ask the cowboy. ‘‘Not many,’’ he assures me. ‘‘We only had three last week.’’ I’m sitting astride a 300kg beast in a Rockhampton rodeo arena, about to attempt a spot of bull riding. As the holding pen opens my earlier bravado now seems like immense folly. I’d arrived on the Capricorn Coast in central Queensland a few days earlier for the ultimate blokes’ weekend. Named after the Tropic of Capricorn, one of the Earth’s five major circles of latitude, the region has a multitude of recreational options. Our first stop was the Capricorn Caves, a spectacular system in a massive limestone ridge. Tours range from easy walking to wheelchair accessible and adventure caving tours. We opt for the adventurous tour and spend the next hour wriggling, slithering, and squeezing our way through a series of increasingly challenging passages. Decked out in headlamp, helmet and overalls to keep the dust off, we explore the caves, tunnels and shafts then emerge on the limestone ridge for spectacular, panoramic views. After a comfortable night at Emu’s Beach Resort overlooking the Great Keppel Islands we’re up before dawn for a spot of fishing. We’ve chartered the Keppeluna,a power catamaran skippered by Richard Wilson. We also have local fishing guru Graham Scot on board and it’s not long before we’re reeling in as much snapper, coral trout and red emperor as we can manage. On the way back Richard selects a peaceful bay on one of the numerous uninhabited Keppel Bay islands where we stop to snorkel. Before long Richard’s prepared a delicious lunch of fresh fish in the Keppeluna’s galley. Later that night we check into the Capricorn Resort in the picturesque coastal town of Yeppoon. The resort is a golfer’s paradise, with two full courses – a resort course and championship course, both set on 20km of pristine beach frontage. Golf pro Graham Sheppard takes us for a round on the Karl Litten- designed championship course, which winds its way through melaleuca bushland. Most shots are witnessed by a gallery of wallabies and peacocks and it’s hard to believe the laughing kookaburras aren’t reacting to our dodgy swings. Judging by the beautiful, swampy terrain it’s hard to believe the area isn’t teeming with crocodiles. Hole 15 is particularly infamous within golfing circles. It boasts no fewer than 15 sand traps over 475 metres as it curves its way around a long watercourse. Expect to get wet. After a night at the resort, including a Japanese feast at Tsuruya restaurant, we head for a special destination in the town of Coowonga, just east of Rockhampton. Koorana Crocodile Farm was established in 1981 as Queensland’s first commercial crocodile operation. Owners John and Lillian Lever have brought a meagre population of three captured crocodiles to 3000 today. The working farm doubles as a tourist attraction while supplying the insatiable demand for skins from European fashion houses. We chat to John while munching on the farm’s famous, and tasty, crocodile pies. The restaurant serves up every crocodile meat dish imaginable including steak, kebabs, pies, ribs and burgers – all delicious. After a brief but fascinating chat on all things crocodile he hands us over to son Adam and we begin our tour, seeing hundreds of crocs of every size and temperament while learning more about the great beasts. We even get to handle a baby croc with its jaws safely taped up. We’re famished, so we head to the 116-year-old Great Western Hotel for a mean steak you can eat while checking out the indoor rodeo arena. Every Wednesday and Friday nights trainee riders, some as young as five, do battle with recalcitrant bovines. If you speak to the right people and they deem you up to it, you can have a go yourself. I step up to the challenge and am paired with a young bull who I’m assured is one of the more sedate. Later I learn his name is WMD – Weapon of Mass Destruction. The gate flies open and in a matter of seconds I’m on the dirt with nothing but a bruised backside, wounded ego and fantastic memories. The writer travelled as a guest of Queensland Tourism travel 30 QUEENSLAND LIFE HOT: $4999 CRUISE The 18-day Halong Bay to Angkor Wat package includes a Mekong River cruise, a Halong Bay cruise and a visit to Angkor Wat. From $4999pp twin share for travel from August 3. worldwidecruisecentres.com.au

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30 The Courier-Mail January 5-6, 2013 couriermail.com.au FRST

SNAP TO CALLOF CAPRICORN

TRAVEL MATEGETTING THERE: Rockhampton isabout 600km north of Brisbane andabout seven hours’ drive away. Qantasand Virginfly to Rockhampton fromBrisbane and other regional centres.Most major car hire operators have anairport base. Queensland Rail runs theTilt Train and others to Rockhampton.See queenslandrail.com.au fortimetable and fares.

STAYING THERE: Plenty ofaccommodation to suit all prices suchas Emu’s Beach Resort with rates from$24 to $100 a night, seeemusbeachresort.com. The MercureCapricorn Resort in Yeppoon has roomsfrom $145 to $235 a night, seecapricornresort.com.au. For moreaccommodation options seecapricornholidays.com.au

DOING THERE: Capricorn Caves visit,see capricorncaves.com.au forbookings. Prices start from $27 foradults and $14 for children.Accommodation is also available.Koorana Crocodile Farm is open daily,$27 for adults, $12 for under 16s andunder 3s free. Last entry is at 2pm. Seekoorana.com.au. Fishing charters canbe arranged throughkeppelbaymarina.com.au. You can trythe rodeo at the Great Western Hotel,see greatwesternhotel.com.au.

MORE INFO: capricornholidays.com.au

The mid-north coast is captivating, writes Tristan Swanwick

DIVERSE DELIGHTS: Resorts,rodeos and ridged-back monsters.

‘‘HOW many ambulances are usuallyneeded at these rodeos?’’ I ask thecowboy.

‘‘Not many,’’ he assures me. ‘‘Weonly had three last week.’’

I’m sitting astride a 300kg beast ina Rockhampton rodeo arena, aboutto attempt a spot of bull riding.

As the holding pen opens myearlier bravado now seems likeimmense folly.

I’d arrived on the Capricorn Coastin central Queensland a few daysearlier for the ultimate blokes’weekend.

Named after the Tropic ofCapricorn, one of the Earth’s fivemajor circles of latitude, the regionhas a multitude of recreationaloptions.

Our first stop was the CapricornCaves, a spectacular system in amassive limestone ridge.

Tours range from easy walking towheelchair accessible and adventurecaving tours.

We opt for the adventurous tourand spend the next hour wriggling,slithering, and squeezing our waythrough a series of increasinglychallenging passages.

Decked out in headlamp, helmetand overalls to keep the dust off, weexplore the caves, tunnels and shaftsthen emerge on the limestone ridgefor spectacular, panoramic views.

After a comfortable night at Emu’sBeach Resort overlooking the GreatKeppel Islands we’re up before dawnfor a spot of fishing.

We’ve chartered the Keppeluna, apower catamaran skippered byRichard Wilson.

We also have local fishing guruGraham Scot on board and it’s notlong before we’re reeling in as muchsnapper, coral trout and red emperoras we can manage.

On the way back Richard selects apeaceful bay on one of the numerousuninhabited Keppel Bay islandswhere we stop to snorkel.

Before long Richard’s prepared adelicious lunch of fresh fish in theKeppeluna’s galley.

Later that night we check into theCapricorn Resort in the picturesquecoastal town of Yeppoon.

The resort is a golfer’s paradise,with two full courses – a resort courseand championship course, both set on20km of pristine beach frontage.

Golf pro Graham Sheppard takesus for a round on the Karl Litten-designed championship course,which winds its way throughmelaleuca bushland.

Most shots are witnessed by agallery of wallabies and peacocks andit’s hard to believe the laughingkookaburras aren’t reacting to ourdodgy swings.

Judging by the beautiful, swampyterrain it’s hard to believe the areaisn’t teeming with crocodiles.

Hole 15 is particularly infamouswithin golfing circles. It boasts nofewer than 15 sand traps over 475metres as it curves its way around along watercourse. Expect to get wet.

After a night at the resort,including a Japanese feast at Tsuruyarestaurant, we head for a specialdestination in the town of Coowonga,just east of Rockhampton.

Koorana Crocodile Farm wasestablished in 1981 as Queensland’sfirst commercial crocodile operation.Owners John and Lillian Lever havebrought a meagre population of threecaptured crocodiles to 3000 today.

The working farm doubles as atourist attraction while supplying theinsatiable demand for skins fromEuropean fashion houses.

We chat to John while munchingon the farm’s famous, and tasty,crocodile pies. The restaurant servesup every crocodile meat dishimaginable including steak, kebabs,pies, ribs and burgers – all delicious.

After a brief but fascinating chat onall things crocodile he hands us overto son Adam and we begin our tour,seeing hundreds of crocs of every size

and temperament while learningmore about the great beasts.

We even get to handle a baby crocwith its jaws safely taped up.

We’re famished, so we head to the116-year-old Great Western Hotel fora mean steak you can eat whilechecking out the indoor rodeo arena.

Every Wednesday and Fridaynights trainee riders, some as youngas five, do battle with recalcitrantbovines. If you speak to the rightpeople and they deem you up to it,you can have a go yourself.

I step up to the challenge and ampaired with a young bull who I’massured is one of the more sedate.

Later I learn his name is WMD –Weapon of Mass Destruction.

The gate flies open and in a matterof seconds I’m on the dirt withnothing but a bruised backside,wounded ego and fantastic memories.

The writer travelled as a guest ofQueensland Tourism

travel30 QUEENSLAND LIFE

HOT: $4999CRUISEThe 18-day Halong Bay to Angkor Wat package includes aMekong River cruise, a Halong Bay cruise and a visit to AngkorWat. From $4999pp twin share for travel from August 3.worldwidecruisecentres.com.au