Still on The List

If I made a list of my favourite places in Australia, Fraser Island would be so near the top. To me, it epitomises so much of what I love....sunshine, freedom, splendid scenery, beach living, 4 wheel driving, swimming, simple living, camping and adventure.

We've just spent 3 nights on the island with our parents...both sets!!...and Kirsty's sister, husband and 3 of our nieces and nephews. Perfect weather - sunshine and cooling breeze. Well-timed early afternoon low tides. 2 cars bogged....not the Nav (of course!) The worms were biting and the pippys were almost jumping into the bucket. Dolphins were playing in the south and sea eagles spread their majestic wings in the north. And the best bits - Lake McKenzie, Central Station, Eli Creek, Ocean Lake, the Maheno and all the beaches - were showing themselves off to full advantage.

Sadly, we couldn't get all the way up to Sandy Cape as they've closed a couple of tracks due to severe beach erosion, but there was still plenty to see and do to the south.

I absolutely love camping on the beachfront...despite the south easterly winds and sand blowing every which way....so it was great to have 2 nights camped on the dunes. And it was fun building sand cars and damming the creeks and playing tennis ball golf and all the other fun bits that go along with camping with kids.

Thanks everyone for a great time....and cheers! to the Tenacious Terracan, the Dominating Defender and the Courageous Colorado. You gave the Mighty Navara good competition but just weren't quite up to the mark. Maybe next time!

We've Done It!

In one sense I guess you could say our round Australia adventure is over. We have completed the lap, arriving in Biloela where it all began way back in February. BUT we are NOT done yet!

Grandma is shocked? dismayed? bamboozled? by Jon's post-lap analysis. Grandfather thinks it's a great story.

Not quite the finished product as we plan to keep on driving. But if you look really closely you can see where the mighty Navara has taken us since February....south, west, north, south, west, north, east, north, south.....all over really! 37 000+ km.

And the best bits.....definitely July-September which was spent across the top of WA, NT and QLD hitting all the 4WD 'Big Ticket' items like: The Kimberleys, Gulf, Cape York. Tassie and the Victorian High Country still rate a mention in the 'best bits' list.

We get to go back to Fraser Island next week.....wonder where it will rate?

Blackdown Tableland

Once again we have found a little piece of magic....right in our own backyard. Just a few hours north-west of Gladstone is Blackdown Tableland NP where you can: 4WD the loop track; bushwalk amongst wattles, palms and eucalypts; swim in a clear cold pool at the base of a waterfall; sit back, relax and watch the birds and butterflies; camp amongst the big trees in the well set out NP campground and soak up breathtaking views from the escarpment lookouts. God's creation is awesome! And we had a great couple of days checking it out and enjoying it last week.

Travelin' South

Since leaving the awesome Cape York Peninsula, we have ventured south....way south. Here's a few of the sights and delights we have enjoyed over the past 2000 km.

Big Crystal Creek swimming hole is about 1/2 an hour north of Townsville. It offered a welcome cool down on a hot day and despite the dust haze and a nearby bushfire billowing smoke, we had a great dip and picnic lunch here.

Jon's new best friends. Actually there were four cute kookaburras who swooped in and stole half of his sandwich straight out of his hand near Finch Hatton Gorge (an hour from Mackay). As you can probably guess, Kirsty was the only one who thought they were cute.

We really liked the two swimming holes in the gorge, especially Wheel of Fire at the end of the walking track. But this place does rate as 'winner' for having the coldest water we have swum in during the whole of our trip. FREEZING! It was fun to sit on the warm rocks after our quick plunge and watch everyone else's face as they either tentatively dipped their toe in the water or unsuspectingly, dove straight in...only to surface spluttering and sprinting back to the edge to make a quick exit.

Eungella National Park.....home of the elusive platypus. Sadly, they were so elusive you'll just have to enjoy these little critters instead. Plenty of turtles, lizards, birds and goannas....but NOT even a ripple in the platypus pond. Which has done absolutely nothing to help me in my quest to prove to Jon that Ornithorincus anatinus are not just a figment of peoples' imaginations.....they DO exist. Really!

That dust haze was becoming a real bore after 5 days traveling in it. But this view down through the Pioneer Valley from the campground at the top of the Eungella range was still pretty special. For an even better one make sure you check out www.eungella.com.au You'll even find a platypus pic there too.

You just gotta love Queensland!

How'd ya be?

Isn't it ironic?

We have travelled 36 000 km+ on all sorts of road surfaces.......dirt, sand, gibber rock, gravel, bitumen....

We have passed thousands of vehicles (and had a handful pass us)....road trains, camper vans, 4WDs, family sedans, motorbikes.....

And some of those vehicles have thrown rocks our way.

BUT it wasn't until we took a drive through Mossman, north of Cairns, on a quiet afternoon in a 50 km zone that we copped a big chip in the windscreen that has now become........