30th March

You know that feeling you get at the start of the second week of your two week summer holiday - the end is in sight and the bulk of the holiday is behind you? Well we've been feeling a bit like that the last few days. It has been an amazing experience for us all and we have done and seen so many wonderful things, so many adventures to look back on, memories which will last a lifetime. Still a few more days to squeeze every last drop out of though. Speaking of drops - there has been lots over the last 24 hours - some the size of golf balls - honestly - as we have reached the most Northerly point of our trip in the tropical rainforests of Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation and the rain has been torrential - more of that later.

Last week we left the mainland and took the van on a barge over to Magnetic Island, 8km off the coast of Townsville. We left on a bright sunny day and approached what looked a bit like 'Tracey Island' not knowing what to expect. The Island was so named by Captain Cook when he first sailed these waters and the island made his compass do funny things so he named it 'Magnetical Island' which was subsequently shortened to Magnetic Island and is affectionately known by the locals as 'Maggie'. The majority of the island is national park and there is only about 15 km of sealed roads. We headed for the one campground on the island called Bungalow Bay which is also the backpacker destination so we were sharing the camp with mostly 20 somethings on their overseas experience. It was a very relaxed atmosphere and had the first pool we have come across that didn't have a long list of rules next to it. As the tempertaure was in the low 30's for our entire visit we spent a good deal of time in the pool, I actually think the children would have been happy if we did nothing else. Around the pool were hammocks to chill out in which Rosie and Isla loved whilst Meg and Connie grew wrinkly in the pool, practiced snorkelling, and we all loved watching Meg's confidence in the water reach epic proportions as she leapt of just about everything into the pool!

The island's inhabitants are committed to keeping it calm, fun and not over populated but rely completely on the tourist trade for their income. On day two of our vsit we explored a couple of beaches, snorkelled and generally relaxed the day away! The sea is full of stingers in this area, in particular the infamous box jelly fish whose sting can be fatal. One beach had a stinger enclosure that keeps them out (though no cast iron guarantee!) and the odd beach is in a bay whose aspect means the jellies do not get swept in by the currents or tides. We were still a bit nervy about them though and didn't hang around long in the water. There are plenty of info boards about them at the beach informing you how to deal with stings. Every beach also has a large bottle of vinegar (the front line antidote to jelly stings apparantly) to hand.

The final day on the island saw us set out on a bush walk to see the WW2 forts and gun emplacments that were put in place to be the first line of defence against Japanese attack on the mainland. We made an early start, and were walking the trail by 9 am in an effort to beat the searing heat. Even then it was really hard work and there was little shade, but we took our time and even little Meg made a galiant attempt. She normally needs a good shoulder ride for the main part of a walk and then gets renergised, demanding to be 'the leader' on the final ascent. The soldiers had built a mini village for the duration of their stay with dormitories, stores and offices. All that's really left are the foundations and the command posts at the top the hill. It was a great lesson for the children to learn about the Aussie's experience of the war. When we were in Canberra, we spent some time at the war memorial, which was an excellent place, with lots of hands on and interactive exploration, so the children were able to recall and talk about what life may have been like. On the way the wild life didn't let us down and we saw another Koala having a nap in a tree - quite a big one as well. One of the signposts said there are sometimes bats present in the old armoury which was built well into the ground with no windows as you can imagine, so perfect conditions for a bat. It was abit like the Pill boxes you come across when walking in the English country side. This type of environemnt isn't high on the girls' 'what we like in a playground' list so we were going to move on quite quickly, when we spotted the evidence of loads of bat guano on the ground. When we looked at the ceiling their was a seething mass of furry little bodies which all seemed to pulsate as if they were a single living mass. Occasionally one would break off and fly around the dingy interior with its sonar clicking away. What a treat - we'd seen the huge fruit bats a couple of times and now we'd seen a colony of little Bentwing bats. At the top of the hill we stopped for our snack and tried to imagine what it was like for the soldiers to stand on duty, watching for enemy aircraft or ships in the 30 to 40 degree heat or lugging supplies up the hill. There was an irony as we looked out that soldiers would have stood looking out at such beauty, yet needed to be prepared to fire; still it made it all the more poignant that protecting such a fantastic landscape and it's inhabitants was and is so important. As one of the boards reflected; the challenges now are to protect the endangered wildlife and fragile environment from human intervention rather than enemy fire. As it turned out the guns placed there didn't fire a single shot in anger before they were removed when the war ended!

After our history lesson in the morning we headed down to the nearest beach to cool off and give the children a treat - a ride on a jet ski. We hired one for half an hour and swapped round so Michele and I both got to zoom around a bit. All the children loved it after the initial scare of the speed and the noise. We really thought Meg would freak but apart from her knuckles going white from holding on, she seemd to love it. They ended the fun with shouts of "more" and "faster" which seemd a fairly good measure of success. The sea was a welcome relief from the heat, although at 26 degrees you could be forgiven for thinking you were lolling about in your bath! Rosie and Connie can do a good hour in the sea without coming out and longer if they have their snorkels. Another thing I love about the Aussie beaches is they all have a shower on the water front to wash all the salt out of your hair so you feel really fresh when leaving the beach. Back at the campgound we finished the day with yet another dive in the pool and our wild life watch for the day was completed when we found a small green tree frog in one of our hammocks. They have skin like playdough and he/she was stunning.

The next day we had to leave the island and head back to Townsville. It was like a mini holiday for us within our huge holiday, so chilled, everything within a short walk and a pace we have really grown accustomed to. The ferry back was calm and we headed for a campground within Townsville so we could see what the town had to offer. The town is fairly ordinary but is built between the sea and massive rock mountains about 10km inland which look like something out of a wild west movie. Huge rock outcrops spring up in a few places around the city giving it a slightly 'broken up' feel but quite original. The sea front is what really strikes the visitor. It was redeveloped following a cyclone battering and is 2km packed with ways to get poeople off their sofas and spend time outdoors. Playparks, exercise routes and equipment abound. There are at least two parts of the beach with stinger nets and a couple of jetties built specifically for the fishermen with huge shades over them and little sinks and taps for gutting your fish as soon as they're off the hook! The main attractions for us were water based including a water park with hoses, sprays and showers all over the place. I tried to imagine a similar structure in Stoke Park, Guildford but realised it could probably only be used for about one week a year whereas in Townsville it's viable almost 52 weeks a year. The other place we spent time was a huge salt water lagoon right on the sea front with a view out to Magnetic Island. Again there are BBQs all over the place and the emphsis is really on having fun and getting out there!

We left Townsville well aware that we were on the final leg of our journey and we headed inland one more time to have a taste of the National Parks away from the coast. The lushness of the area really hits you and our drive was as green as any view through the English countryside. The crops grown here include tea, coffee and lots of avocados as well as the ever present sugarcane. The rolling hills took us through small areas of rain forest and the weather decided we'd had enough sun and the heavens opened. We stayed in a freebie roadside site and the next moring visited Tinaroo lake for breakfast; a reservoir in the middle of nowhere with a couple of holiday parks around it and covers around 800 acres. The dam at its southern end deals with any over flow by allowing the water to flow over the wall at a particluar section. Normally no water flows over but due to the recent volume of rain it was in full flow and very exciting to watch. The reservoir is currently 150% full and if you want to dispell the myth that Australia is one big dry desert then this is the place to come. Good quote from Isla as we left the dam - Connie asked who owned the dam and I told her it was probably the government. Isla said the government is very important and then after a few seconds, she said "but not as important as God".

By early afternoon we were well up above Cairns (we've bypassed it at the moment) and gone north to one of the key points of our trip. We have crossed the Daintree river and headed into the National Park towards Cape Tribulation. It's proper Tropical Rainforest and we stopped near the town of Mosman to go for a walk in the forest.

The Mosman Gorge is where thousands of tonnes of water thunders its way out of the mountainous rainforests and down towards the ocean. We followed a circular walk through the rainforest and could really appreciate the vitality of the environment. It's hotter and wetter than any rainforest we've been in before and the plant life almost ferocious in its quest to get to the top of the canopy for the chance of some direct sunlight. The sheer diversity of plants and how they all live together really struck us, some on top of others, some under others, and a enormous trees that had grown up around their hosts. True to form the rain came down in torrents and we were drenched within minutes with nothing more than T shirts and sandals on. Meg, again perched on my shoulders, thought it hilarious that we should be out in a rain storm in our shorts and Isla took the opportunity to stand in every puddle up to her ankles. Connie had a sense of humour failure, and Rosie walked purposefully ahead heading back to the car park, over the suspension bridge, and determined to get on with it! Back at the van I had to stem the bleeding from a couple of leeches that had found their way onto my foot and hand but other than the soaking we were unscathed.

We left Mosman, and again drove north towards Cape Tribulation. We used a ferry crossing, and whilst waiting for it read a huge Croc warning sign. We really are in the heart of croc country here, and there are plenty of warnings to remind you that swimming, fishing, camping at the edge of water is a pretty dicey activity! There are two types of croc up here; esturine and fresh water. We slow down whilst driving over creeks desperate to spy one from the safety of the van, but nothing to report so far. I did get talking to a guy last night, and asked where might be a good spotting place, but we'll have to see if the mission gets past Health and Safety! So here we are at the most northely point of our trip in the fantastic rainforest with the water three inches deep outside the van and the toads croaking away in the forest. I can't tell you how loud the rainforest is at night! We are sleeping in the rainforest, and outside is a symphony of sound - quite the opposite to the eerie silence of the forest in daylight. Tarmaced road stops here at the Cape and that means we can literally go no further, as much as we would like to! Travel beyond this point calls for nothing less than a 4 x 4 and 'Winnie' (our much loved Winnebego) would probably not survive the ordeal, so after some exploring it'll be back down the soaking highway to Cairns.