It is with much sadness that we post this blog.....we have started to head South and the temperature is dropping by a couple of degrees every day! We weren't quite sure where to go when we left Cairns, and both the kids asked if we could go back to Darwin!

We left you on Day 100 with a trip to the footy - unfortunately the Tigers didn't win, but they put up a great fight after half time (strangely enough it seemed to coincide with my trip to the bar with Sandy for a beer). Max spent most of the game standing on the fence barracking whilst the other three kids chatted and played games on our phones (Tess was ready to go home before the game had even started).

We were in a cabin at Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort a couple of doors up from Shell and the kids right through until Day 107 and it really was like Groundhog Day. The kids had an absolute ball and Shell and I had a nice relaxing time too. The swimming pool was a favourite with the bigger kids, whereas Tess seemed to enjoy the spa and waterpark more. We said goodbye to Mumma and Pa on Day 102 (see group pic) and headed straight for the Mini Golf Challenge - the kids were keen to beat Hughie! Shell ended up winning with Hughie coming a gallant second, and although I only came midfield, I was just happy to escape Ruben's wayward golf ball that hit me in the hand! We enjoyed a game of Bingo on the Weds whilst at Coconut, and although it was a slow and sometimes annoying game ("number 4 knock on the door" - followed by half the oldies knocking on the table!!), Ruben won Round 5 and picked up a rippa prize which was very exciting (see pic). We started Thurs with free pancakes again whilst madly trying to locate Tess' lost clogs (found in time for our bus into town) - we were heading to Green Island for the day.

The trip over to Green Island was great, although both Shell and Tess started feeling a bit woozy 10mins from shore (Shell had taken a Quell already). Our first activity on the island was the Glass Bottom Boat tour (included in our ticket price) and it was fantastic. The kids had a great time watching the fish and turtles swim below us and I got a great photo of Shell with the kids (see pic). The kids enjoyed a swim in the beach back on the island and Jaida spied a 'Nemo fish' that they all had a good look at with with their goggles on. The kids had a quick dip in the pool before making a mad dash down the jetty to catch the boat back to Cairns. Tess made a friend on the way back, however when the little girl scratched her head, Shell was quick to act! The paranoia of any hairdresser would have reacted the same way, so I quietly called Tess over for a chat. I told her that the little girl just scratched her head and that she might have those little things that make your head itchy, so it might be best not to sit so close to her. Tess nodded her head and promptly returned to the seat next to the little girl, and then turned to her and said "do you have fleas?". I nearly fell off my chair and Michelle and I were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe - I called Tess back again and said that there's no need to mention anything, just don't sit so close. The little girl practically sat on Tess when she went back to her seat, and Tessie scampered across the bench seat away from her looking at Shell and I with a terrified look on her face. Of course that set Shell and I off again, and since the little girl couldn't work out what Tess was doing, she simply got up and moved away. In hindsight I think it's fair to say it was an innocent scratch of the head!

The boys made it back safely on the Friday evening (Day 106) and the kids were very excited to see them - big kisses and cuddles all round. Although the fishing wasn't as good as previous years, they still had plenty of fun (16 Barra on Day 1 but it slowed down mid week). It was nice to have Barra in the freezer and Max was particularly happy once he'd heard that Tony had a metre-plus fish on that got away. Mark and Tony took the boys out fishing on Saturday morning off Cairns while the girls hit the Esplanade for a swim. It was our lucky day as we arrived down there to find the market on! Shell, Jaida and I were having a lovely time shopping, but all Tess wanted to do was have a swim. We had stopped at one stall to buy some goodies and Tess said to me - "stop talking about buying it, just buy it..... just give the man your money" (needless to say the stallholder thought she was pretty cool).

After 11 nights in Cairns it was time to leave, and Day 108 started with the worst pack up of the trip - moving the contents of the cabin back into the camper (we'd taken a heap out to lighten the load for the boys trip up the Cape, so there was lots to pack back in). It was 1030am before we were packed and we found ourselves once again looking for Tess' clogs....this time we didn't find them so we had to stop at Target on the way out of town. We arrived back up at Tonina's just outside Mareeba at lunchtime and enjoyed lunch in the sun before the boys went fishing down below the house in the Barron River (Tess calls it the Barra River). Mark and Max both caught a Black Bream each and came home absolutely freezing. We enjoyed some Barra and salad for tea and once again it was a challenge to drag the kids away from Chloe and Joss (we got a pic this time).

Day 109 saw us arrive at Tinaroo Dam (just outside of Atherton), where we had a great three night stay. We put the boat in and tried some fishing, but again the water was pretty cold and no fish were to be found. Mark and I enjoyed a couple of AFD's and the kidneys were very thankful for it. Max was forced back into the homework routine and once again complained about how hard done by he was (forgetting again that his mates have been at school for three and half months whilst he's been off holidaying). The kids enjoyed feeding some friendly Kookaburra's at camp, and it was great to be back in the bush camping in the trusty camper (good family pic).

We set the alarm for 630am on the morning of Day 112 as we had Mark's appt back in Cairns at 9am. The kids and I hit the Esplanade while we were waiting, and found Muddys Cafe & Playground and a Pirate Ship to entertain us. We spent a long day in the car once we left Cairns, and pulled up at Paradise Waterhole at Paluma NP (about 60kms Nth Townsville) at around 430pm. We had camped here on our trip up The Cape three years ago, and it made a good stopover before our visit to Townsville the following day (Day 113) to enjoy the waterpark on The Strand. After a brief play, we continued our drive South and pulled into the caravan park at Airlie Beach at 4pm. The kids enjoyed a play on the playground and a quick game of mini golf, though Max thought they could have made a bit more effort with their mini golf course (it was painted concrete with pipe for the holes and it had nothing on the course at Coconut!).

I had intended on doing the market at Airlie Beach this morning but was kept awake most of the night by 40km winds gusting to 70kms - I decided against setting up and having my cards end up scattered across the Whitsundays! But I did enjoy a massage at the market, before we headed down to the Marina in search of Mark's dream boat - a Catamaran that we can go sailing on!

We have pulled up this evening at Clairview (about 100kms Sth Mackay) and are free camping on the beach - a bit nippy now at 5pm but it's a great view out over the water. We will be in Rocky by tomorrow and are looking forward to spending the next five days camping with Ty and Essie (kidneys won't be so happy). Our next update will be from somewhere near Brisbane, however we are still trying to figure out where we'll go between now and then.....no real plans other than trying to stay as warm as we can for as long as we can before coming home!