Capricorn Cowboys

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

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