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Walking Land's End to John o'Groats with Mark Moxon

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Valerie

Subject: Townsville, Queensland
Posted: 25 Oct 2004 3:07 am


Mr Moxon, perhaps a letter in your name should be substituted -- what a pathetic, incredibly narrow view written re Townsville (back in 1997) - which I have just stumbled upon! Sorry to say it is also so typically what I would expect from a British traveler, come writer???
Truly Mr. Moxon -- you obviously spent about two days there -- ventured into one of the less attractive areas - Flinders Mall -- and made a premature decision equal to one of my favourite life's sayings -- 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing'.
I lived in Townsville for eight years following 13 years in Sydney... I was one of the key organizers for the Vietnam Veterans Reunion and many other fine nationally acclaimed events in that tropical 'town'. Townsville is full of beauty if you look beyond a failing pedestrian mall -- and I often miss its beauty with every inch of my being....did you venture to Pallarenda...Belgian Gardens...North Ward...???
Did you visit The Strand??? Did you climb Castle Hill for a breathless experience in beauty and stamina??
Did you meet any of the locals and visit their beautiful homes with lush tropical gardens despite the dry heat 70% of the year....
did you take the ferry to Magnetic Island and be greeted by the wild wallabies...did you see the native koalas in the forests there...did you swim in the clear pristine waters of Florence and Radical Bay...
if any of these were your experiences and you can still feel justified to write such crap, I can only pity you...
Wallow in your British homeland and call yourself a traveler....for all that you have written I can only offer up this contrast -- I went to England and amdist the grey on grey, saw what beauty there is...I have traveled the world too Mr. Moxon, and now back in the USA after 21 years in Australia, I even manage to find the beauty on Long Island despite the rude New Yorkers and consumer frenzy... perhaps you need to stay put and first self examine -- perhaps you will find that beauty is a different thing in many different places and with many, many faces.
And by the way, it is known as the sugar shaker, not lipstick.
Get a life.

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Mark Moxon

Subject: Townsville
Posted: 25 Oct 2004 3:50 pm


Hi Valerie.

I'm sorry that you didn't like my piece on Townsville, but you're right, I'm not exactly complimentary about it. It is, though, an honest appraisal: I genuinely didn't think much of the place, and that put me off wanting to explore any further. My decision to leave wasn't premature, but it was swift: I didn't like Townsville, and whether you disagree with my opinion or not, it's still my opinion.

I did visit quite a few places that you mention, including the Strand and Castle Hill (you're right, the view is good). I also visited the most impressive ones on your list, but they were on Magnetic Island, not in Townsville: 'did you take the ferry to Magnetic Island and be greeted by the wild wallabies...did you see the native koalas in the forests there...did you swim in the clear pristine waters of Florence and Radical Bay...' - yes, I did! See my piece on Magnetic Island for the details, where I'm terribly nice about the place. But Magnetic Island is most definitely not Townsville, which is why I've got two very different pieces on the two places.

I should point out, though, that if you're trying to persuade me that Townsville is in fact a great place, then posting a message that's rude ('perhaps a letter in your name should be substituted'😉, xenophobic ('so typically what I would expect from a British traveler'😉, patronising ('if any of these were your experiences and you can still feel justified to write such crap, I can only pity you'😉 and plain bizarre ('Wallow in your British homeland and call yourself a traveler'😉, is perhaps the wrong way to go about it. I don't mind debating the issue, but could you make it less aggressive? Many thanks.

Best wishes,

Mark

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