Year 2, Week 5 - Caravan Australia: A Mermaid Moment, a Birthday Bash & a New Base in Gladstone
This week began with salt in the air, sand in our toes, and a long-awaited rockpool dream finally coming true.
Elliot Heads Rockpool
We kicked things off in Elliot Heads, just south of Bundaberg — a sleepy little coastal town with white sand, blue water, and the kind of charm that only small-town beaches can offer. It was a bit breezy, but that didn’t stop us from heading down the beach at low tide to explore.
The rockpools were incredible — crystal clear water and zebra fish swimming right at our feet. Rachael has been dreaming of swimming in rockpools since leaving WA back in November… and finally, the tides aligned, King Triton granted permission, and she got to live her best salty mermaid life. A bit too chilly for Ryan, but hey, that just made him the perfect personal photographer!
We soaked up the serenity (we had the rockpools all to ourselves!), then spent the afternoon back at the caravan doing the usual weekly reset — groceries, cleaning, all the glamorous stuff — before heading to the local bowls club for dinner.
From there, we hit the road and made our way to Agnes Water, staying at Southern Cross Travellers Retreat. Once a backpackers hostel, it now offers campsites and a great shared space with a pool, pool table, showers and toilets.
We’d heard so many good things about Agnes Water and 1770… but we reckon we’ve been a bit spoilt by WA’s coastline. It just didn’t quite live up to the hype for us — though to be fair, we did explore on a pretty dreary day. First stop was the beach in Agnes Water, which was surprisingly hard to access. After a bit of searching, we found a spot to park and wandered down to take a look. Then it was on to 1770, where we walked out to the Captain Cook Memorial (fun fact: Ryan is distantly related to the man himself!), and then to the Seafarers Memorial. Sadly, the walking trail beyond that was closed due to works — a little disappointing in peak tourist season.
The next day was Ryan’s birthday, and we did it his way — starting with a sleep-in, followed by lunch at the Agnes Water Tavern, and finishing the day around the fire with a killer steak sandwich and birthday s’mores.
We gave 1770 one more shot the next day, this time with sunshine. It definitely looked prettier in the sun, and Ryan even got the drone up for a few shots. Still not our favourite stop of the trip, but glad we gave it a second chance.
From there, it was time to move on to Gladstone — our next base for a month of work. We arrived and spent a day prepping for the week ahead, then decided to explore while we had the chance. First stop was the marina, where we caught up with old friends from Port Hedland now living on a boat. Sunshine, good chats, and familiar faces.
We may have lost track of time and had to rush back to the van to get changed for dinner — we had plans to catch up with more friends at the Gladstone Yacht Club. Live music, delicious food, and lots of laughs made for the perfect way to end the week.
A little note from us this week:
Living in such a small space isn’t always sunshine and beaches — sometimes you just need time apart to breathe and reset. It’s okay to take space when you need it.
Hit the road 🎵 — we’ve got places to be. – R&R
