Central Qld 2021 – Day 5 – Town of 1770, home of the original poor bustard

Agnes Water and Town of 1770 are between Gladstone and Bundaberg. Agnes Water coastline is noted for being the most northerly proper surf beach on the Queensland coast receiving oceanic swells north of Fraser Island but south of the Great Barrier Reef.

The Town of 1770 was named after a stopover point from Cook’s Voyage of Exploration up the east coast of Australia. A sad bit of history for Australian wildlife is that this was where one of Cook’s crew shot a bustard which led to the naming of Bustard Bay and Bustard Head. Poor bustard!

The road into Eurimbula National Park is mostly good gravel but does have some soft sandy sections.

Tall trees at the Ganoonga Noonga carpark

Ganoonga Noonga Track – I am very wary of cliff edges but I am taking steps to avoid them.

This is an easy walk with 31 metres elevation gain to a lookout.

The view east from Ganoonga Noonga Lookout

The low heath was recently burnt.

Round Hill from Ganoonga Noonga Lookout

Little kurrajong (Brachychiton bidwilli) near the lookout.

Wave Lookout at Joseph Banks Conservation Park

Wave Lookout.

Bustard Bay Lookout track

Littoral rainforest vegetation

Figs and ferns

Headland at Joseph Banks Conservation Park

The return track

Round Hill Creek inlet

Cabbage palm (Livistona decora) fruiting

Stunted Grevillea banksii on the headland

Both colour forms of Grevillea banksii grow here

The anchor of the Countess Russell that sank off the coast here in 1873. The anchor was uncovered by cyclonic activity in the early 1970s and restored. The anchors whereabouts was unknown for nearly a century that puzzled researchers. When it was found, it was a weight off their minds.