2 February
Rockhampton
Clare writes:
Hurray! It barely rained today! But the cyclone hit Mission Beach where we stayed last week, and has cut off Ingham, where we also spent a night. Looks like we've had a lucky escape! All roads in and out of Airlee Beach are flooded now and Mackay has plenty of closed roads too.
Well, we finally saw a cassowary today - and it was rather dissappointing! Ever since we've been in northern Queensland there have been roadsigns warning us not to mow down any of these wierd-looking protected birds - Australia's largest mammal, according to the rather sad zoo in Rockhampton Botanic Gardens. They're chunky-footed great black things with bright blue necks and red heads or is it the other way round?) and the one we saw moved so slowly it was hardly surprising they are a popular roadkill. There are only a few thousand left but they are responsible for propogating many of the rainforest plants and trees - the seeds pass undamaged through their digestive system as they wander through the bush.
Decision time - we're heading inland instead of further south in pursuit of better weather - and riches!! We're on the tropic of Capricorn now and will follow the Capricorn Highway west to Emerald and the gemfields area!!

Sheila writes:
Visited the Blackdown Tablelands south of a tiny town called "Dingo" (apparently the world dingo trapping championships are held here every year!!). Climbed 600m intable the trusty camper van on a steep twisty road to reach the cliff-top summit of the tableland at a place called Horseshoe Lookout. Wonderful views for 100s of miles in all directions of the forested plains far below. Lots of different types of eukaluptus forest - with fire-regenerated forest on the tops and blackened and burnt stumps of old mature trees everywhere. Little signs of fauna on the tableland (even few birds) - to contrast with our early morning departure from a lovely coastal town near Rockhampton called "Yappoon" where we found literally hundereds of large black and smaller red flying foxes (large bats) all roosting in mangrove trees of the local creeks. Because they are so large, the sight is amazing - like hundereds of great black carrier bags of groceries hanging from all the tree branches!