Well, where has that 2 months gone? When we left to do the 'Queensland Loop' the distances looked daunting, and we had a new van to get used to. Would we like it? Would we survive? So I thought for the final blog on this part of the trip I would go through some of our thoughts and impressions, and also some of our low points, as there have been some!

We have travelled 5833kms, used 771 litres of fuel and have stopped at 37 different camp sites. The camp sites have varied from free camps in the middle of nowhere, with no facilities, to top notch caravan parks with swimming pools, laundries, tennis courts and full facilities. And in between we have stayed at ordinary caravan sites, pub grounds, where you just have to buy something in the pub and then the camping is free, and on sites on private land where we have met some lovely people. Our bikes have proved extremely useful on some sites as we have been able to bike into town (or to the pub!) without having to pack up and move Winnie. We have cycled well over 100kms during the trip!

I think the thing that really surprised us was the variety of the scenery. We went from beach to sugar cane to bananas to rainforest to barren rocks to mountains, from flat to STEEP, from green to red to brown, from wet to dry, from straight to hairpins. It really was very diverse.

We were also surprised by the sheer scale of everything. We knew Australia is big, but it is BIG! We stopped taking photos of distant scenery in the end as you just couldn't tell how big, impressive and how far away it was. The photos just didn't do the views justice!

The wildlife is amazing, especially the birds, which are so different to anything in the UK. The noise of them roosting at night was cacophanous, and they woke us most mornings. The calls are not just 'cheeps' but loud and so different. One sounds like an alarm clock, literally! We saw emus, kangaroos, wallabies, platypus, pademelons, fruit bats, micro bats, fish, turtles, giant clams, koalas, humpback whales, dolphins, sharks, monitor lizards, goannas, huge crickets, lizards, butterflies and echidnas but no crocodiles, cassowaries, dingoes or snakes - result! Actually there were some snakes wrapped round some kid's arms while we were biking, but they weren't wild so don't count! We were also eaten by countless mozzies and midges, but have become adept at using deterrent methods of all sorts!

We both found that we enjoyed the long, straight roads, where you didn't see anyone for hours at a time, far more than we though we would. There was actually plenty to see, and when you did see another vehicle everyone waved crazily at each other. The sheer size of the road-trains was intimidating, as were the single-track bitumen roads, but we actually ended up enjoying seeing both. We always felt safe there, which we weren't expecting, as everyone was so friendly that you knew that, if you broke down, the next person along would stop for you, and we always made sure Winnie was stocked up with water, food and fuel. In fact, we didn't realise just how remote we had gone until we started coming back into the built up areas and had to deal with traffic! One down side to this was that we actually saw far more dead kangaroos at the side of the road than we saw alive.

It was actually the unexpected bits that made the trip even more special. We planned a lot of things such as Fraser Island, the Barrier Reef, whale watching, scenic flights and the 4WD drive tours as these had to be booked in advance. But being invited to attend a sugar cane burn one evening was an experience we will never forget and finding a sapphire while fossicking was so exciting. We would never have visited Herberton, had we not been told we must go by a fellow traveller, and the 4WD to Rainbow Beach was another recommendation from a fellow camper. We had also arranged to meet up with old friends in Cairns but, the day before we were due to meet, we were biking along the esplanade at Townsville and bumped into them, not literally! Our second wedding anniversary was also one of those unexpected bits. We spent the day in a place with a caravan park, hot springs, a pub, a shop and 2 houses. However, it also had a tennis court - a broken net, cracks everywhere and covered in leaves and bits of tree - but we had a happy hour knocking a ball about. Our anniversary meal left a lot to be desired but is a special memory even so!

One of the weirdest things is that, having hated coffee for 53 years, I am now a coffee drinker. I started drinking iced coffee in Vietnam as there was little else to drink, but the ice cream and cream that they add to it in Oz were making it a bit too unhealthy, so I swapped to an iced latte. Then we visited the coffee cart at Rolleston and they didn't do iced anything so hot coffee it had to be. I have to say that I am only drinking the barista made coffees, not the instant stuff, but I am actually enjoying the odd coffee now!

But the best bit was the van, Winnie. She was a star and we probably took her down some roads and through some creeks that we shouldn't have! She coped admirably except for 2 hills - one was a gravel track and being only 2WD she couldn't make it to the top. She was doing fine on another hill until we had to stop to let a car go down and then she couldn't get going again. We thought we may get a bit claustrophobic and that the van might get smaller and smaller the longer we were in it. In fact, it was the complete opposite. We spent a lot of time outside under the awning, but when in the van it seemed to get bigger as the time went on. We were both pleased to get back to her at the end of a trip away to relax and chill!

However, we did have some problems and some low points - it wasn't all amazing and wonderful! The battery alarm going off in the middle of the night was traumatic at the time but we laugh about it now. However, the problem with the fridge not being vented to the outside, and giving us mild CO poisoning, was quite major, and we were lucky to have it found so quickly. It also cost us a few days of travelling time as we had to wait for the repairs to be done. That was a low point, as it then put doubts into your head about the rest of the van, but we got over it, and our confidence in Winnie gradually grew again. That is until Bob put the key in one morning and nothing. Panic! The bonnet was raised, manuals were read and we were on the verge of calling the breakdown service when I read that the ignition system created a different code each time the key was inserted. The key was removed, reinserted and Winnie was off. Maybe the key wasn't in properly as the problem has never returned?!

We are also disappointed not to have played much tennis. We thought this would be easier but most courts have been locked, and you have had to book a time for the next day. We have usually been doing something, or travelling, the next day so finding the time has not been easy. However, the extra cycling is helping to keep us fit!

The other problem we have had is with illness. Bob started it off with a cold and cough just after we left. I then got it and couldn't shake it off. It led to bronchitis and a chest/lung infection. For a few nights I had to 'sleep' sitting up as I just coughed when I lay down. I have taken, and am still taking, a shedload of tablets and puffers but it just won't go!! Unfortunately the whole of Queensland is suffering too - the worst year for Australian flu ever! On a positive note, getting a drs appointment is a breeze over here. You just find a local surgery and make an appointment, on an app for some surgeries. In all cases I got an appointment the next morning, and in one case, they said to go down there and then! Very impressed!! Saying all that, it hasn't stopped us from doing anything, although we have had a few days where we felt absolutely c**p!

Missing family and friends has been ongoing, although if we're honest, modern technology has made it a lot easier to keep in touch, and it's lovely to be able to chat, Skype, Whatsapp and email. We have missed funerals and birthdays which hasn't been easy, and it's hard when you can't give someone a hug! However, we keep telling ourselves this isn't for ever and we will be back!

So, what next? A few days rest and relaxation with Bill then we are off to New Zealand on Sept 4th for a month. We are leaving Winnie in Bill's capable hands and hiring a smaller campervan over there - the theory being that we will get fed up of the small van, and having to make the bed up every night and put it away every morning, and will be glad to get back to the comfort of Winnie!

We're not sure how much access to the internet we will have but I will try and blog while there. Watch this space!