Day 30 - Townsville

Inner Pilot
Jan 8, 2011
4 min read

Updated: Dec 11, 2024

Townsville at Sunset

Something happened today. I stayed still. Even when I was in Sydney, I was covering a lot of ground. Today felt good. I needed it. And I like Townsville, very much.

There was a Sunday market in the downtown area. Everyone was walking peacefully, usually eating something they just purchased and seemingly with not a care in the world. This appears to be the way of life in Queensland. I had a bag of dried pineapple.

TAB Area of The Cowboys League Club

Remember the workers club I found in Lithgow (Day 7)? I found someplace similar in downtown Townsville. It's call the Cowboys League Club, and I was told it supports the local rugby organization. There’s a large banquet room surrounded by what they call a “TAB” area (that’s where they watch horse and dog races – I’ve seen these at almost all bars), pokies (i.e. slot machines), daycare for the kiddies, a bar, and a food serving area. TVs playing sports were all over. I noticed one TV dedicated to an American football game: Seahawks vs. Saints. I didn’t know they cared about American football.

Townsville has an esplanade (i.e. a walk) along the ocean, similar to Cairns. But the one in Townsville is somehow more enclosed, broken-up, personal. I was reading there, and all of a sudden something fell from the sky. It was a paraglider bringing in a client, landing on the beach. They looked excited.

The sun heats the land. The land heats the air. The air rises and gives birth to thunderstorms. To replace the risen air, more air moves in from the ocean. It’s called an on-shore breeze. It was strong today (the on-shore breeze and the thunderstorms). I got a photo of lightning last night.

The town seemed empty after the rain. It is a Sunday afternoon. Still, it feels unexpected (but nice) that a city this size (160,000) would go to sleep during daylight.

As I was strolling the empty streets, barely watching where I was going, a man started talking to me. His name is John, and I quickly realized he is homeless (but doing well). I could tell he just needed some company, so I let him talk and lead me. I told him (and told him again each time he asked again) that I was looking for a bathroom. We were soon off for a tour of the town. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed that perhaps our final destination might actually be a bathroom.

John Showing Me a Sleeping Spot

John taught me some street smarts, pointing out a good place to sleep. We passed a woman named Sharon (whom John had never met), and John asked if she had met Erik (me) before. “No”, replied Sharon, turning her smile towards me. I smiled back and Sharon and I shook hands. John was delighted I was from Alaska because he had seen a movie once – “North to Alaska” or something like that. He couldn’t remember the main actor, so he asked Sharon. She couldn’t remember either.

John told me where to go for a good (free) breakfast, where to shower, and the art of running a crosswalk with a red light (including what excuse to use if the police catch you, which is (with emphasis) “It’s an emergency - I have to go to the bathroom!”).

Well, John finally did lead me to a bathroom, which was at the lobby of a very nice hotel. I was about to say, ‘oh, that’s okay’. But then I thought, ‘well, I’ve come this far’. So in we went. Everything John did and talked about with Sharon earlier, he also did and talked about with David (the unimpressed-looking counter man of the hotel). David didn’t know the lead actor in the movie North to Alaska either, and I got the impression by David’s face that he’d run into John before. Visiting the bathroom was a natural way of parting from John, and we bid each other farewell (three times). When I returned from the bathroom I thanked David, and we gave each other a warm and understanding smile.

You can swim at the beach if they have a jellyfish net out. They did (have a net out), and I did (swim). The water temperature was 30C.

An American muscle car (a 60s vintage Z28) was in town. I heard it before I saw it, and when I saw it, it was a long way away. But I knew to get my camera out because I knew what was coming. It even had the steering column on the left. Sweet!