AUSTRALIA DAY 2020

We didn't have big plans for Australia Day....
We had church in the morning and we didn't want to miss it as we hadn't been for quite a while because we had been away.

We decided to go to the drive to the beach for lunch.
We headed down to Emu Park and as we didn't really have any concrete plans decided to turn off the Emu Park Road and expore Keppel Sands....

What a great little community.  It has been years since we have been there and not a lot has changed but the beach there was really lovely...

Keppel Sands Beach

Flying the flag...

 Whilst heading into Keppel Sands we also checked out Joskaleigh...  It is so different, I honestly didn't recognise any of it.   I must admit though it was lovely and green.  There were quite a few salt flats around here also.

By now it was close to 1pm and we were both feeling quite hungry so decided to head straight to the fish and chip shop across from the Surf Lifesaving Club at Emu Park...
As we turned off to head there we noticed the wonderful murals near the post office so I was keen for Steve to stop so that I could get a photo of them...

Murals outside of the Post Office in Emu Park...

 It was straight on to pick up some lunch then...
We thought we would find a picnic table right on the beach at Emu Park...
Fortunately there were quite  a few spare ones, mostly though they were out in the full sun.   We managed to find one under some shade..

The weather was perfect today,  beautiful ocean and gorgeous blue skies with quite a breeze which managed to keep us cool and comfortable...

We even had the right colours on for Australia Day

Stunning Day on the beach at Emu Park

Steve at Emu Park

 Enjoying a feed of fish and chips for lunch...

Lunch on Australia Day

Yum

 After lunch we decided to do the scenic drive from Emu Park to Yeppoon to check out the Australia Day celebrations...We took a drive down to the jetty and boat ramp near Fishermen's beach in Emu Park...

Every time we come down here there are more improvements.  This time we noticed that the amenities in Emu Park it self have also now been painted.  They ahe done an awesome job.

Fisherman's Beach - Emu Park...

 From here we headed towards Yeppoon and when we got to the "Ritamada" turnoff, Steve decided that it might be nice to pop in and check out the school property.  We used to stay down there quite often before children and when the children were quite young.

There is a real history to Ritamada.  It was left to the school by an "old boy" a Mr. Robert Brown.  It was left to him by his father but as he had no family he bequeathed it to the Grammar School unpon his death...

“Ritamada” was a stately home that stood on 33 hectares of land on the uppermost northerly aspect of Tanby Point, overlooking Shoal Bay and Kinka Beach.  It was built as a seaside retreat by Rockhampton solicitor, Robert Gamble Brown.  Construction was undertaken in stages, commencing around 1905.  When completed the chalet style mansion boasted six bedrooms, each opening onto a palatial verandah with expansive ocean views from the entire north wing. 

Robert Brown died in 1918 and his home was bought by a syndicate of four Rockhampton businessmen who shared it as a holiday retreat. One of the owners, Robert Cecil Boland, later purchased the property outright.   

In the 1920s ownership passed to Adam Boyd, general manager of the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Company.  It was Boyd who gave the property the name “Ritamada”, a combination of his late wife’s name and his own spelt backwards.  Boyd used “Ritamada” as his personal retreat for many years until his retirement in 1935 when he went to live there permanently.  Boyd used his skills as an engineer to make the house self-sufficient in solar hot water, probably one of the first homes in Central Queensland thus equipped.   The system employed a series of glass roof panels, galvanised water pipes, and a storage tank.

When Adam Boyd died in 1948, “Ritamada” was sold to Mrs Ernie Coleman and converted for use as a holiday guest house.  It was sold again in 1962, this time to Robert Mackay Brown, son of the original owner.


The Later Years 
In 1971 the property was presented to the Rockhampton Grammar School which continues to use it as a life skills education centre and has added new facilities.  The original “Ritamada” building has been demolished due to structural deterioration, probably the result of salt present in its concrete.

As it had been many years since we had been down there and as Steve has planned to retire in the next few months we thought we would pay the place one last visit as we have lots of wonderful memories of our times down there, especially when we used to stay in the old home before it was demolished...

One of the things that really stands out about "Ritamada" are the most amazing views as you drive into the property... 

Views from the top of the hill overlooking the beaches and Tanby Point...

What a transformation  since we had last been down here...
The grounds were immaculate and so green.
It was a picture of beauty today with the white dusted clouds against the vivid blue sky and then the golden sands on the beach and the lush green grass and vegetation of the grounds at "Ritamada".  It looked so beautiful.... Wish we would have come down more often...

A chance to play chess or draughts outdoors...

Stunning views over the ocean...

The conference centre..

The conference centre is has been used by the school for exams.  The seniors were bused down there to sit their CST exams.  Such a quite and peaceful place to do them.

The only thing left of the original homestead were the steps leading down into the courtyard.  Oh the memories.  I am pleased that there is something of the original homestead still there.....

We decided to walk down the steps to the beach and check out the lower level of the property..

 Since the development and renovations of "Ritamad" they have included a high ropes course which is used when they hold their leadership and teambuilding camps down here... It is quite impressive...

 After leaving "Ritamada" we headed through to Yeppoon to check out the Australia Day Celebrations... They certainly weren't as big as some of the previous ones we had been down here for... and we didn't end up getting out of the car as we wanted to head back into town and go to a movie...

We got back into town with an hour to spare before our movie started so decided to head to Gelissamo's ice cream.  Steve had a double one but I just had a child size serve...  This ice cream is made on site and is actually really delicious.

Yum

We ducked across to the cinema's and picked up our tickets to go see "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"..  It was quite a good movie..

It was a lovely day out...
No work at all...
Just enjoying each other's company and the beauty around us...