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We realized how pleasant it is to wake up to the sounds of nature (birds and critters) in contrast to the sounds of trains and garbage trucks as we did in Cairns. After a brief electric scooter ride down to Horseshoe beach, we took the ferry back to Townsville where we checked in at our Oaks M on Palmer holiday apartment, which was a very sharp contrast to the rustic bungalows we'd stayed in the prior two nights. With premium amenities like a washer/dryer, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, stove, HD tv, and scenic balcony, we felt very spoiled. Since we couldn't take all our luggage out to Magnetic Island, we spent a good chunk of time reorganizing all our clothes and supplies (as well as getting some laundry done)…which for Anne and I, felt very stress-relieving. Once we found out that there was a weight-room available at the hotel, we were off to the races. After a nice iron-pumping session, we grabbed our cameras and water bottles and headed towards Castle Rock. We had heard that Castle Rock provided the best view of Townsville and Magnetic Island, so we were anticipating a tourist spot with a handful of others hiking. What we found was quite different. Apparently, Castle Rock is where all the locals go to get their workouts in. We encountered hundreds of people of all ages and athletic abilities walking, jogging, and even sprinting up and down the mountain. Adorned in their Nike gear and iPods, we found the whole experience hard to believe and actually felt out of place as tourists. We walked up 1350 rock stairs to get to the 360-degree view. It was breathtaking.
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