Day 47: Fri 11 Aug 23 - Proserpine

Fri 11 Aug 23 - Proserpine

Weather: 13 Deg and clear, becoming cloudy and windy, then sunny with a light breeze and reaching 24 Deg in the afternoon.

A bit of activity today starting with some light stretching, followed by a walk, then a swim in the pool next door. It felt good to get back in the water, but gee it was hard going, and the arms felt heavy by the end of the day.  

After breakfast, we drove into town for our morning brew at a nice cafe (situated behind the 48hr RV Free Camp in town which was a bit cramped and full). After our brew, we drove 26km inland to the Peter Faust Dam otherwise known as Lake Proserpine. The wind had picked up by now, and I was pleased we weren't staying at the campground - it was quite exposed. The campground looked nice and spacious, but unless you are into fishing or just happy to sit and relax, there didn't look like a lot to do. 

We returned to the van for lunch, and a bit of a rest, then tried to secure an extra 2 -3 nights stay either at Airlie Beach or Hideaway Bay. Unfortunately every caravan park in the surrounding area is booked out for the next two weeks. I did book a site for 2-nites, and paid a deposit at Hideaway Bay, but the lady called me back, apologising that said had made a mistake, and there was in fact no availability - she was looking at the wrong date. So after getting a refund, we resigned to the fact that we will start heading south again on Sunday as planned. 

Mid afternoon, we drove out to Whitsunday Gold Coffee again to meet with Geoff and Sharon who were returning to Mt Ossa from a medical appointment in Townsville this morning. After an afternoon brew and a quick catch up,  Geoff and Sharon continued on their way while we returned to the van via the supermarket. I then set off on the bike for a very pleasant ride towards the Dam and back. By 4pm the wind and cloud disappeared and it became a beautiful sunny afternoon. The weather hasn't been the best over the past two weeks, but it is forecast to clear and become quite warm for the next 2 weeks, unfortunately we won't be around to enjoy it.


Peter Faust Dam - 26km inland from Proserpine, it took four years to build and was completed in Dec 1990. Peter Faust was a former mayor and the driving force behind getting the dam built.

Peter Faust Dam - Lakeside Camping is unpowered, quite well spread in a nice location but exposed to the wind. It has toilets and showers, and costs $10/person/night.

Peter Faust Dam, also known as Lake Proserpine, boasting the title of having the highest number of barramundi over one metre in length than any other  impoundment in Australia. These returning fishermen would have been happy to catch one Barra, regardless of size (the water is too cold apparently)


Peter Faust Dam covers a massive 43.25sq/km


Peter Faust Dam Wall


Peter Faust Dam - I can't be certain, but I reckon all the rock missing from this hill as now part of the dam wall across the road. It's bit hard to appreciate just how high the hill is from the photo.

I thought the Entertainment Centre was the flashest building in Proserpine - but I didn't notice the local Council Building which moves into first place.

Proserpine Council Building

Proserpine - Colour me Crazy. A local attraction in town with an eclectic range of very colourful things including pots, rugs, candles, crockery and gadgets. 

Afternoon visit to Whitsunday Gold Coffee - An Amazon Parrot eating a slice of tomato - not too gracefully

Afternoon visit back to Whitsunday Gold Coffee

Proserpine - Afternoon Ride. Newly planted cane, a very hardy, fast growing plant

Proserpine - Afternoon Ride. The recent rain has been good for new crops, but not so good for harvesting the mature crops. The refinery doesn't mind though, because it allows them to do maintenance on the equipment


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