So we got an early bus from Cairns to Townsville and hopped straight on the ferry to Magnetic Island ($26). The short sunny ferry trip landed us in the port where Mel took around 4 seconds to hire a pink barbie car with pink heart seat covers and pink steering wheel cover, pink mirrors and pink cover!

The island is only 12km across but a pink car was absolutely (un)essential. We drove around the island appreciating its beauty and the fact that we could see kangaroos, cockatoos, koalas, parakeets, and kookaburras in the wild. We were staying at Bungalow bay which was brilliant - very eco-friendly.

We did the walk up to the forts and managed to see 2 koalas (obviously we saw the one meant for ems and steve!). We had a nice picnic os seafood salad at Alma Bay and then having said goodbye to the car, "Icey Jane" we walked back around from the forts round Radical bay to Horseshoe bay where we were staying (about 8km).

That night we entered the quiz - and were a close second until the final round (being 2 days out on Australia Day and Stu not being able to write the answer he did actually know!). We were helped by Stu knowing Pi to 5 decimal places - what a useful fact to know!

This morning we did the bush tucker Brunch where we got guava champagne and sat in the wildlife sanctuary where animals came to join us while we sat and ate lots of food. Mel got to hold a koala and Stu stroked a snake!

After the ferry back to Townsville we flopped very hot into the nearest hostel and headed to the markets. There were lovely silk paintings of turtles but we decided not to get one and have since lost the email address in the last hour so probably will never get one!

We walked along the Strand to Kissing Point and then made our own ice cream with boysenberry, choc chips and skittles!

Love from the country that puts its possums in zoos not squashes them on the road!

Mel and stu x