After spending the morning looking around Ingham we headed off toward Cairns. We decided to take a diversion from Tully inland to a little place called Mena Creek. Here there is a place called Paronella Park. When you buy your tickets you get a free stay in a paddock behind the local hotel. We decided to do this. Shortly after setting up the Paronella Park mini bus picked us up and took us down the road to the park. Paronella Park was built by a Spanish man...

Leaving Townsville we headed north on the Bruce Highway toward Ingham. The country side began to slowly change, becoming lush, green and tropical. We pulled into the Frosty Mango at Mutarnee. Here they grow mangos and other tropical fruits. Out of those fruits they make everything. Mandy and the kids enjoyed mango ice creams and I had a manjo muffin with cream and jam, very nice! As we got closer to Ingham the sugar cane plantations began emerging. The indust...

This morning was spent washing clothes, helping the kids with their homework and packing lunches. Mid morning we headed into the city to check out the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium. We figured we should learn a bit about the famous barrier reef whilst we where here. The aquarium was okay, unfortunately not the standard of the Melbourne Aquarium. Following this we headed to the main beach on a beachfront strip they call "The Strand" for lunch. The beach was pr...

Today we set off from our free camp to Townsville. We stoped in Charters Towers to get a coffee and some hash browns for the kids. Chaters Towers is a very tidy regional centre. We felt like we where back in civilisation, normal shops and no more red dust, bull dust, red kangaroos, tumble weed or dirt roads. It was with mixed emotions we left the outback. It draws you in and embraces you. It apeals to you through our pioneering history and you feel proud, like ...

Today we packed up and were on the road by 9:00am. We headed north from Winton stopping at Hughenden for lunch. The harsh country between was interesting. Grassy flats for as far as you could see. A gateway to a sheep or cattle station appearing every 30km or so. I reackon if you worked on a station out here, 90 percent of your time would be attending to water issues or fencing. The vastness of the land has to be seen to be apreciated. If we went west to Mt I...