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Down in the jungle
If you could have only smelt the insect repellant! So we left you about to head to Bondi beach, before jetting off to Cairns in NW Oz. Since then we've spent time in the rain forests of Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation, said our goodbyes to Jo's family as they head back home and then rented ourselves a campervan to begin our 8 week trek around Oz. We've got about 700km through a 8,500km route thus far.
Our arrival in Cairns was bumpy. We've done about 20 flights now but this was the first one that in landing we both prayed (normally its just me). It was raining hard when we came down so the pilot apparently has to come in hard to ensure grip on the tarmac. I think with the speed he came down he almost went under the runway. Still, we were safely at our home for the next few days. Cairns is a tourist town kind of at the edge of the dense rain forests of North West Oz. We had booked to do a 3 day tour with Jos mum and dad, starting with a balloon ride over the forests and then champagne breakfast. Now Im not one for heights as a rule and
The Falls
There were some advantages to the recent rains...like HUGE waterfalls! neither is Jos dad, so when the two of us had to get up at 3.45am to catch a balloon we weren't neccessarily bouncing out of the room. Still, we sat at the back of the coach on the way there trying to muster the courage that was needed to get us out of the seats we were in, let alone into a basket under a balloon. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the site we were told it was too windy to go up that day. To be honest, though Pete and I expressed how gutted we were while secretly a little relieved for ourselves, we were upset for Jo and Judy who were really looking forward to it. Still, we then made the best of the rest of the tour that day, a rain forest walk, a visit to a massive waterfall at Baron Gorge, and then just when we thought we had escaped anything involving heights, we took a cable car ride over the rain forest for a few kilometres (Had I mentioned the ballon ride was cancelled because of winds - everyone told me it wasnt that windy in the cable car but every breeze felt like
The Crocodile
Know the difference between my mother-in-law and a Crocodile? About four feet in this shot! a cyclone to me then...little did i know.....)
The next day was pretty much all about the rainforests and mangroves around Daintree and Cape Tribulation, and included a trip up a river in an open boat looking for crocodiles. The pilot told us that croc attacks were rare, the last in the river being a couple in a canoe a few years back. Now stopping there you'd think they were mad enough, going in a canoe into a river with 3-400 of the largets crocs in the world. But oh no, their madness apparently knew no bounds as we were told they were dragging a piece of meat behind the canoe to get a good croc photo.....the end result being natural selection at its best i think.
Anyways, the last day of the tour was for me the best. We went out in a boat for our first encounter with the great barrier reef. While Peter and Judy had their first snorkelling experience, Jo and I went for three dives. The water was great, and saw some seriously great fish and coral. It was really choppy on the hour journey out, even more so on the way back
Blue ringed spider
This didnt look half as cool when it was earlier on my arm! and we had been visited by the rain that had been almost constant since our landing in Cairns. We'd been told that it was supposed to have been the end of the rainy season, and then on the boat on the way back learnt that there was a cyclone going north of us that was bringing in the wind and rain.
After a trip back to Cairns after the tour and a day spent shopping and the like, we then bid our farewells to Peter, Judy, Chris, Sandy and the boys. They were flying off to Singapore for a bit of retail therapy before going back to the UK. We have to both admit to being pretty upset to see them go as it had been a great break after 3 months of travelling to be around family for a few weeks. We'd had this time set in our minds as a sort of mid-way point in our travels, and with them gone we know we have a fair while left now until we get to see you all again........still, did i mention how hot it is today? I guess we'll survive a few more months:-)
So, we
A nice cup of tea
Our lounge/bedroom/kitchen then picked up our home for the next two months, a campervan we have christened Percy. It's amazing how much you start to appreciate things after 3 1/2 months of hotels, guest houses, restaurants and cafes. Things like being able to unpack and hang up your clothes, go to a supermarket, cook for yourselves and even doing the washing up. There are a few downsides, like the morning trip to empty the chemical toilet, but they are far outweighed by the freedom and fun we are having on our grand road trip so far.
We have gone 800k down the coast, popping in to see one of Jo's university friends, Julie and her husband James, now living in Oz. We then drove onto a ferry yesterday to take us out to 'Magnetic island', a really beautiful and relaxing place where we have also finally found some Ozzie sunshine! We are gonna stay here two more days, with a dive to the Yongala Shipwreck on Wednesday, apparently rated the 3rd best wreck dive in the world. Then Thursday we head off again, down to the Whitsundays where we are hoping to park Percy for a few days while we try
A dream come true
I explained to Jo the benfits of having only a three foot walk from the kitchen to the bedroom. our hand at a sailing trip for a few days.
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Margaret Logan
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Cyclone watch
Hi Jo and Dave Sara sent me your blog address so I can follow your travels. I was wondering how you were getting on with Cyclone Monica. Glad you finally got some sunshine and are enjoying your motorhome. Paul, Ben, Miranda and I are off to the UK next Monday for the big UK celebration - sorry you will miss it, but we will send photos. regards, Margaret