Our last morning in Agnes Water and Andy was, as always, up with the Aussies at 6.30am and doing his daily 10km work out. Today was another hot one, with the morning temperature already hitting 29 degrees Celsius.

After the run was in the bag, there was just enough time for a quick dip in the hotel pool, before we packed up our stuff and got back on the road and returned to the Bruce Highway.

By 11am we had arrived at our first stop of the day, the beach suburb of Tannum Sands.

As we drove through Eurimbula National Park we came across regular signs and measures showing the level of flooding that occurs during the wet season, which in some instances rises by upwards of 1-2m, causing roads and communities to be cut off in monsoon season.

We’d been recommended to stop here, as it’s a serene beachside town ideal for swimming.

With the heat of the day rising to over 34 Celsius, we took shelter on the sands with regular visits to the ocean to cool off, along with visits to the nearby surf club for ice lollies and chilled water!

Tannum Sands has a neighbouring twin town called Boyne Island which we briefly visited as the two localities are separated only by the bridge over Boyne River.

As the beach in Boyne Island wasn’t a match, we decided to drive on the further 10 miles and check into our hotel on the outskirts of Gladstone.

Tonight we are staying at the hotel chain Mantra, which we’ve previously booked and where we’ve enjoyed great stays. Gladstone’s hotel is equally good, large room and an impressive hotel pool that sits at first floor above the hotel reception.

As we are staying close to Barney Point Beach, Andy decided to take a walk down to the stony and more rugged outcrop to check out the waters. It wasn’t anywhere near as appealing as Tannum Sands so he returned to the luxury of the hotel pool to finish his day in the sun.

Tonight we had a quiet dinner at the hotel and planned out tomorrow’s journey. First stop will be Emu Park and then Yeppoon, where we have booked to stay for 3 nights over the Australia Day long weekend.