A day for losing (and finding) things

We got up early in the hope of some nice weather so we could hire a kayak to go on Lake Tinaroo which is situated directly opposite our campsite. Once again, it was raining and we started to think…would we ever see the nice weather that Australia is renowned for?

We started our day off with a quick swim in the swimming pool which was freezing to begin with. However, after a few lengths, it didn't seem quite as bad.

We also had a go on the 'jumping pillow' - a bouncy castle type activity shaped like a giant pillow! Every time Rich moved slightly, Rach went flying up in the air.

We had enjoyed our few days at the campsite but it was time to make tracks and head back towards the coast. Our plan was to aim the area of Mission Beach to find a new campsite to stay at for a few days.

Our first stop was only a few hundred metres from Lake Tinaroo - a local petrol station/post office. Petrol seems a lot cheaper over here. It takes about $40 to fill up the tank for the campervan from empty which seems very reasonable.

On route to Mission Beach we programmed the Sat Nav with waypoints for places to stop off and have a look. Lots of the villages were a lot smaller than we imagined. We followed a sign in to one village which was supposedly directing us to the Main Street but it turned out to be a matter of a few hundred metres long with only one shop!

On the way back to the coast, we decided to stop off for our lunch at Millaa Millaa, one of the many stunning waterfalls in the Atherton area.

Millaa Millaa Falls measures 12m high and was simply stunning. There were both tourists and locals there when we arrived, all enjoying the fantastic view.

Once we took our eyes off the waterfall, we discovered a range of fish and terrapins swimming in the right hand section of the water. They even had baby terrapins that we wanted to bring home with us.

Back on the road, we tuned in the radio ready to carry on with the journey. The roads are so vast over here and often you can be driving for ages without seeing anyone.

Fortunately, with the roads being so deserted, Rich was able to quickly reverse after we spotted a scenic lookout sign on one of the roads. We were glad we did as it provided a spectacular view.

Feeling quite tired after driving, we decided to stop off a small beach area called Kurramine Beach and head for Mission Beach the following day after a good night's sleep. The campsite was really quiet and had a major sand-fly problem but this was quickly resolved with our mosquito candle and insect repellent which made the flies go berserk. It was also home to lots of massive toads that we did our best to avoid in the dark.

By this time Rich had remembered that he had left both his swim shorts and one the towels that Hippie Campers had given us on the washing line at the campsite in Lake Tinaroo. We could easily replace the towel which any blue towel we could find as we were sure Hippie wouldn't mind (or even notice). We were more worried that one of our curtains seemed to be missing as this wouldn't be as easy to replace but we later found it hidden in the front of the van. Phew!