Karumba … fishing capital This morning we were woken early by rather strong winds. The caravan was filled with dust, and it took quite some time to do anything after our driving effort of the previous day. When we finally emerged from the cocoon, we explored Karumba, and found there really wasn’t much to this place. We booked a table at the Sunset Tavern for Anthony’s birthday. We went to the grocery store to restock the cupboards and found the prices to be between 50 – 100% more expensive than anything in Sydney. Makes me wonder how people could live up here full time. We did treat ourselves to a seafood meal at the fish market (Raptis & Co .. who control the majority of the commercial fishing in northern Australia … owned by the Musemeci ... read more

Undara Lava Tubes are only 190,000 years old – the result of the Undara volcano explosion. The lava ran for 160kms from the volcano across the plains. The tubes were created by the lava getting stuck in a river valley, and the upper lava hardened quicker than that which flowed below, essentially creating a tube. Undara Lava tubes are the longest in the world, and youngest (one of only 20 known lava tubes). The boys were enthralled with the information our tour guide provided. The great thing about the tour was there was only 9 of us on the ‘Active’ tour. With such a small group, the guide decided that we’d have time to explore a couple of extra tubes. We scrambled over logs and down into the ground. We saw these micro-bats and all sorts ... read more

The drive from Cairns to Port Douglas ranks as one of the great drives of Australia. Once you escape the roundabouts of Cairns, the road turns into this winding, coast hugging, scenic beauty. Every so often you get a visage of an idyllic beach that only hippies and surfies dare to camp along. Would love to come back here with a convertible Grande Tourer vehicle to wind through the curves and drink in the excitement. Port Douglas is a resort town, and a breath of fresh air. Anthony smiled as he said it reminded him of the markets and shopping strips of Balmain. We treated ourselves to the best coffee of the trip thus far (go to Café Ecco – it’s calling you). The Sunday markets were fun and were really a joy to walk amongst ... read more

August 9th Leaving Jourama Falls, we headed to Ingham for breakfast, and then to Mission Beach. The drive to Mission beach took us through the towns of Cardwell and Tully, both of which had been severe victims of Cyclone Yasi. Having driven past many state forests near Brisbane, I had expected to see rows of pine trees in perfect rows, much like soldiers on the parade grounds. However, the pine forests next to the Bruce Highway were bent in odd directions. Much of that wood would be unusable given the angles in which it had been blown. In addition to the trees at angles, many trees were uprooted and had careened into others around them. Quite a mess. This mess in the forest hadn’t prepared us for the devastation that was seen in the towns of ... read more

Today we departed from the beautiful Rollingstone Beach for an adventure in the bush. We hadn’t taken our caravan off the grid before, and wondered how the family would handle a night without power. Our adventure started in the Paluma Range National Park, in the ranges behind the mango plantations of the coastal plains. Before we climbed into the ranges, we treated ourselves to sweet treats at the world famous ‘Frosty Mango’. And yes, the mango ice cream was delicious. The road into Jourama Falls included 2 creek crossings and we set up camp in the corner of the campsite. We ventured forth into the walking tracks to see what wonders awaited. Similar to Carnarvon Gorge, the track wound and criss-crossed across the creek bed. We climbed up the hillside and were rewarded with a view ... read more