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Tropic of Capricorn
We crossed over in Rockhampton, QLD. We decided when we started this trip that we wouldn't drive more than 250 km a day but sometimes those kilometers seem twice as long. We haven't been impressed with the roads in Queensland in general. These bitumen roads aren't smooth and quiet like the pavement we know and love at home. It doesn't help that we have our entire home on our backs, so to speak, so the pebble-like roads have the whole motor home (and every blinkin' fork and spoon and clothes hangar) rattling and banging. Often we'll pass road construction and the new road is no smoother than the old road!
After we passed over the Tropic of Capicorn into Rockhampton we started seeing fields of what look like Brahma cattle. That part of Australia is known as the Beef Capital of Australia. The foliage started to look lusher and the grass greener as we went north into the Tropics. We just can't believe how much sugar cane is grown here. From Bundaberg north, probably to Cairns (we haven't quite got that far yet) there are sugar cane fields as far as the eye can see on both sides of the road. I'd love to see some
Cane in Full Bloom
North of Airlie Beach, QLD. actual thrashing but we always seem to just miss the actual cutting of the cane. It's maturing now and some fields are newly harvested while others are lush and full of pink blooms like pampas grass. Barry pulled the motorhome over beside one field and the cane plants reached well over the ten-foot MH.
We're in Cardwell now, two hours south of Cairns and we've driven through sugar cane for days! We also see pineapple fields (one roadside stand sold them 6 for $5), citrus trees, mango and papaya trees, nut trees and root vegetables like sweet potatoes and squash (called pumpkins here). I love the roadside markets that sell mango melons, papayas, watermelons, passionfruit and all fresh vegetables, all grown locally. Sadly, the grape season is over - grapes are one of my favourites and I managed to enjoy a lot of them the first two months we were here.
We're also on the coast so there is lots of seafood. Today we stopped at a roadside stand and bought oysters, huge prawns and 'bug's which are like a small lobster/crayfish. Barry cooked them in the camp kitchen in our caravan park tonight - Yum.
A Bug
It tastes a lot like lobster! We spent two nights at Airlie Beach waiting for a couple of cloudy days to pass so we could go snorkeling again. This time we went for just an afternoon but we enjoyed it as much as the day trip we did a week ago. There were only eleven people on the really-fast boat that took us for the forty-minute ride to the coral reef. This time we all had to wear very stylish 'stinger' suits, including hoods and full mittens. The jelly-fish season is almost over but, until it is, swimmers have to be really careful. The tenticles of the creatures can kill people by sending them into anaphalactic shock. We took the guides word for it. I wonder, though, maybe they just make all tourists look silly then laugh when they've all gone home. This time the colourful fish weren't as plentiful but the coral was out-of-this-world. The tide was out and the reef we were at was so high to the surface we had to be careful not to run into it. I just floated for the longest time watching the soft corals billow in the current.
As we passed through Townsville we went to the
Stylish Stinger Suits
At least they gave ME the pink one. Reef Aquarium. The aquarium is filled with 2.5 million litres of salt water. The coral and fish exhibits are amazingly real (and we know that because of snorkeling at the reef. We really enjoyed our two hours there. The whole aquarium is run by computers so the coral and fishes have the optimum conditions in which to live.
We're sure enjoying the hot days because we know what it's like at home (not hot). The nights cool down to 17C but the days are lovely at 27. The caravan park owner last night shook her head when Barry said he was going to swim in their pool. She thinks it's way too cold! She said that in summer (Dec. and Jan.) the temperature is only a bit warmer at 31C but the humidity is 99%. The humidity now is about 78% so she feels the 'cold'.
Tomorrow we're going to Cairns. We only have two weeks left before our flight back to Vancouver so we're going to spend the time there. There will be lots to do and see and it's still beside the Great Barrier Reef if we decide to snorkel again. It's hard not to think
about home, though. We've been away a long time. Cam and Jen are excited about their up-coming wedding and we'll be happy to hear all their plans and share in the excitement.
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Ron
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Amazingggg
I think that Great Barrier Reef is an amazing place, I did last year a Great Barrier Reef tours an it was an incredible experience!