26th February 2008 Today we left Yungaburra to go to Cairns Airport to catch a plane to Darwin in Northern Territory. The weather was overcast and it had been forecast for showers. Whilst packing our things in the motel this morning a very large dog wandered into the room. The motel owner had never seen the dog before so he could have been a stray but was very friendly. After breakfast we paused briefly at the platypus viewing platform in the hope of catching a glimpse of these creatures but the creek was still swollen after the rain in the night making the visibility very poor. We did see some activity near the nest site but didn't actually see a platypus. It was a pleasant drive along the Gillies range of hills and down to the ... read more

24th February 2008 Today we left the Rainforest Motel in Atherston after saying goodbye to the receptionist and her roo dog Wally. A roo dog is used when they hunt kangeroos as they can sniff out the carcasses in the long grass so that the hunters can find the ones they have shot. Wally was across between a greyhound and a mastiff. Very big! We drove up to Yungaburra and had breakfast then continued up the Giles Highway towards Lake Barrine. On the way we stopped to look at the Curtain Fig which could be a 1,000 years old which is mind boggling. The fig seed is dropped by birds in the top branches of a tree and grows aerial roots which go down to the ground. Gradually over many years the fig strangles the original ... read more

22st February 2008 When we got up this morning it had stopped raining, although it had rained most of the night, but this is what you would expect in a rainforest in the wet season. Everything was dripping and sparkling in the morning sun. We went for breakfast and looked down into Coopers Creek to watch the turtles and Black Spotted Jungle Perch swimming in the creek below us. Whilst we were having our breakfast Dinah kept rushing off to photograph the Musky Rat Kangeroos (the smallest of the kangaroo family) who were playing in the jungle just beside the restaurant. After breakfast Dinah disappeared whilst I had a second cup of coffee, I then spotted her wading up Coopers creek in an attempt to get a close up picture of the turtles we had seen ... read more

20th February 2008 Our first day for some time with no rain. We managed to book a trip to the Great Barrier Reef for today at the last minute late last night. We were picked up at our motel at 7.45 am and taken to the port to catch one of the Quicksilver company,s boats, Quicksilver Sonic, to the outer reef. The weather was forecast for showers but we started in watery sunshine on our very modern dive boat. Complimentary tea ,coffee and savoury buns and cake made a great breakfast and we spent about 1 hour 30 minutes speeding out to Agincourt Ribbon Reef which is right on the edge of the continental shelf. The clouds looked magnificent if a bit threatening over the hills on the coast. When we approached the first dive sight ... read more

18th February 2008 Woke up on Long Island to more torrental rain and wind. today We left the island with regrets that we hadn't seen it at its best. However it had been a great chaance to catch up with Jo after three years and to meet Alan. We really enjoyed their company and hearing of their plans for the future. They told us all about life in Moranbah and the mine where Alan works in the office and Jo drives one of the buses which collect the miners after work and delivers them for their shifts. Jo told us about her property in Maloola which sounds idyllic and we really hope to come back and visit when they get back there in a few years time. Jo and I caught up with all the family ... read more