Mackay out and about

From a transient boating perspective.

It's a beautiful day sitting here in the cockpit of the boat with breeze floating gently in the air. The storms have passed and still enough cloud cover to keep the temperature down.

This marina is situated beautifully between a beach and the 480 odd birth marina. The beach offers patrolled swimming with the surf life saving club, two covered playgrounds and at this stage of it's development a small walking/bicycle track and modern new housing development. There is a huge breakwater wall/road that you can drive out on and fish from with a good view out to all the oil containers Mackay has secured just out off her shores.

Facilities here at this marina are good offering small yacht club and further down the picturesque walkway are the Clarion hotel with fine restaurants, takeouts, further down hotel bar with live music every weekend, fish n ships, ice cream confection shop, chandlery and local grocery (although over priced.) We are about 15 min drive from Mackay town centre and local buses do run from the marina, however very limited about every 2 hours.

This really is a cute quant little place to spend some time with 2 major shopping centres, the city area one being the largest, 2 cinema complexes, and small art gallery, local library in which you can purchase a temporary membership for about $30 you get returned to you when you bring back your books. Mackay can be very expensive for a small place due to the money that the mines bring to the area and so businesses feel they can charge more. This makes it very expensive for locals that do not have family working in the mines. I nearly fell over when I asked to get a price for my hair done here, I got quoted $230 for quarter head of foils with toner and wash and blow-dry. Not even a cut was included. I have resorted to doing it myself and retouching my grey at home with a store bought pack. Not my ideal but will do until we sail back up to Cairns where I know I can get it done for quarter the price.