When last we left our intrepid adventurers they were kicking back in Cairns seeing to some mundane affairs like getting Felix the Ford serviced and suffering debilitating bouts of gastro (Pauline that is, not Jude). On Monday the 23rd of January they put all this behind them and set their sights south.

One point worth making is that before we left I had to send my Canon SLR off for repairs as the auto flash had stopped working and although the rest of the camera worked fine it needed to be seen to while still under warranty. So with the camera heading to Adelaide and our photo-journalism restricted to my old Panasonic compact digital we made for Paronella Park just out of Innisfail.

On the way we stopped at The Boulders near Babinda where the crystal clear water was so inviting and cool but little Mr Jude cried 'Too cold!' and I had to carry him around while I just paddled. We went for a big walk along to the lookouts and I had to keep explaining to Jude why people were walking and swimming on the other side of the fence and down among the boulders when the signs clearly said danger and keep out! (Lots of people have died in this stretch of creek, the most recent only last year according to one local I spoke to but of course that doesn't stop a lot of folks from thinking they know better).

That night we made Paronella Park and for those of you who haven't heard of it there are happy snaps in the new album I will add - a definite must-do if you are ever up this way and for Jude and I a bargain because the admission charge includes 1 night at the caravan park (and of course Jude was free). The highlight for me was the fireflies we saw down on 'The Meadow' at the end of our night tour but Jude probably enjoyed feeding the fish, turtles and eels the most - he is such a boy.

Back into Innisfail for some shopping and a big chat with the lady in the tourist info while the rain bucketed down outside and ended up with a recommendation to stay at a place called Etty Bay only 15 minutes away and with practically a 100% chance of seeing a cassowary (the one north Queensland fauna I hadn't managed to see yet).

And it delivered, as we came down the hill and around the bend into town (and I use that term loosely, it is actually just a caravan park and a SLSC) we came up alongside a cassowary emu-bobbing its way down the road - aaahhhhhh. Of course some anguish was felt here for the lack of a decent camera as had also been the case at Paronella Park, but I can see it all clearly in my mind's eye even if I can't show you too clearly with my less than spectacular photos.

The cassowary was back again the next morning mooching around the caravan park and giving me my money's worth and allowing me to leave behind FNQ with a feeling of completion - Tree kangaroos, platypus, kingfishers, crocodiles, Ulysses butterflies, a dugong and now a cassowary. (plus many more mundane critters like wallabies and snakes.)

From Etty Bay we got only as far as Mission Beach where we drove the beaches before once again the rain set in and we resigned ourselves to an afternoon of watching DVDs in the van. This was where we discovered that Jude's DVD case had been left in Cairns and where, next morning, I ran over and snapped in two his brand new dump truck that had been sheltering under the van overnight - ooops! My son being the trooper that he is though just accepted my apology and assurance that I would buy him another one and with no sign of tears merely asked if the next one could be yellow.

We left Mission Beach in good time and to bright blue skies and drove through Tully and onto Tully Gorge where Jude did his usual trick of falling asleep just before we got there so long walking trails were out of the question but I did get to see the river and take some snaps and he woke up just in time to see the beautiful view from the road that was better than from the national park anyway.

Mission Beach, Tully and Cardwell, our next stop, are where you really began to see the damage still un-fixed that Cyclone Yasi caused this time last year.

We met an old man on the beach in Cardwell who lived 3 houses back from the beach and who stayed on during the cyclone but who assured me in no uncertain terms that he would never do it again. He also pointed out a green-grassed block on the beachfront that used to be a house and the lower part of a 2-storey house that is now just ground floor.

Nature has pulled herself back together though, where there was not a shred of foliage left there are now fresh green leaves covering the scars.

Next stop - Wallaman Falls. A long, winding, steep drive up to the top of the mountain and as for the Fall itself - well just go and look at the photo - 'nuff said.

As we returned to Ingham my friend Shane, whose hospitality we had enjoyed in Cairns, rolled into town bearing gifts of DVD case and rego papers (that had taken a week and a half to make their way from the Gold Coast - onya Australia Post). What a mate - thanks Shane!!

Next morning we visited the Tyto Wetlands and saw many beautiful small birds - finches and wrens - on our way to the lagoon which bore the ubiquitous 'Achtung - Crocodiles' sign. After a long, hot walk we were happy to drive on to Big Crystal Creek where we went swimming with 50 other Saturday picnickers and for once the water temperature was to Jude's liking. Another long drive up another big mountain and we passed Little Crystal Creek and got to Paluma 'town in the clouds' and swirling clouds there were but once again the little man had succumbed to sleep and missed the lot and visions of rainforest walks soon left my mind as I hadn't the heart to wake him.

Down, down, down and finally we reached Townsville.

Sunday was spent lazing around the caravan park (apart from a walk to church in the morning) and swimming in the pool which was as warm as…..well I'll leave that up to your imagination. A decided lack of shade cloth over the pools around here which really would make all the difference. Never mind. On Monday we visited Reef HQ - the huge aquarium here which kept us entertained for so long that by the time we left Jude fell asleep in my arms waiting at the bus stop.

The rain had really left us behind for the last few days but it caught up with us in Townsville but never too heavy until yesterday when, after a drive up Castle Hill to have a look over the whole city, I took Jude down to The Strand to visit the 'water playground'. As luck would have it the water park is open 'EVERY' day of the week except for Tuesdays and Wednesdays - that does not qualify as every day to me. Of course I had one sad little boy on my hands cos he had been looking forward to this since we had seen it in the brochure and then driven past on the bus the day before. Fear not though - God loves us so much that as soon as we entered the 'regular' playground next door he opened up the heavens and Jude and I got absolutely soaked playing in our very own 'water playground'. And fortunately there was another mum there with a son the same age as Jude who didn't mind him getting wet and soon the two of them were rolling in the puddles together and having a thoroughly good time. Praise the Lord!

On the subject of water, we had been having awful trouble with the pump tap in our sink - sometimes having to pump for 5 minutes to get any water to come out and lots coming out where it shouldn't and drowning the bench top. Yesterday arvo I took the bull by the horns and visited a spare parts place and bought a new tap and after $40 and 5 minutes of Pauline power we have a beautiful new tap that brings up water first time every time - and I had been putting it off because I thought it would be too hard!

Soon we head off to Charters Towers with an open road before us but still closed to Mt Isa - what adventures we may have with flooded roads is yet to be seen but as long as we stay safe it is all just part of the journey!