Port Douglas to Melbourne 9th August to 5 October 2012

It's hard to believe we spent 3 weeks in Port Douglas. Time flies when one is having fun.

Port Douglas

This was the third time we've visited Port Douglas, and we never tire of it. This visit was different in that Bert was away overseas working for 2 of the 3 weeks so I had plenty of time to enjoy it.  I barely used the car during the first week, choosing to cycle or walk. 

During the first week, the weather was magnificent so I thoroughly enjoyed swimming in the warm sea, taking long walks on the beach or cycling. I needed  to lose some of the inches that had mysteriously grown on me! There was also office work that I needed to catch up on (yes, Bert’s business still produces admin which needed  attention so this was a good opportunity to put some hours in).

During the second week, my good friend Sally flew up from Melbourne to join me….and did we have fun!  Not only did we visit wonderful places but we talked….and talked……and talked and could have kept going except there was a seat on a plane with her name on it. 

LOWE ISLES REEF
Sally and I took the Reef Sprinter speedboat to Lowe Isles.   Incredible! Even though the weather was not at its best, we visited Lowe Isles for some snorkelling. Not the most flattering photo of me but snorkelling over the reef was magical.  Sally thoroughly enjoyed viewing the reef from the glass bottom boat.

The Reef Sprinter which travels at 80km p/hr, takes 15 minutes from Port Douglas so we were there before we knew it and there was no time to get sea sick, one of my weaknesses.  As always the reef was magnificent.  It's one thing to see it on TV and quite another to see it in real life. The Jet Sprinter seen on this photo takes the guests on something of an adrenaline thrill seeking ride to the reef.

BARRIER REEF - from 35000m up
While Kenau was having a ball with Sally, I was off to China. Would you believe the sights I saw from my plane window as we flew over the barrier reef! As I had to fly from Brisbane, we saw the reef for 100's of kilometres up the coast of Queensland. Truly an amazing sight!

KURUNDA

Barron Falls :  Sally and I took a drive up the pass and arrived around 12.30.  Kurunda is well known for its little shops and markets so the village was bustling with people. Instead of going to the shops immediately, we decided to have our picnic lunch, visit the lovely Barron Falls then go shopping. By the time we arrived at the shops, much to our surprise, most were shut and the tourists gone!  

MOSSMAN

CHURCH OF ST DAVID in Mossman is a beautiful stone church. Construction commenced on 1912 after the original wooden building was destroyed in 1911 by a cyclone.  It was completed in 1952 and was added to the National Trust of Queensland’s Register of Significant Places. It’s really interesting to walk around as it carries a lot of historical significance such as the bell which was originally on the ship SS Woonona which was wrecked in 1893 at Fitzroy River and the vase stands which are 17^th century marble fragments from St Paul’s Cathedral, London. The stained glass windows are relatively new (1988).

DAINTREE RIVER (Mama croc and baby croc)

CROC TOUR, Solar Whisper, on the Daintree River. Our tour guide was excellent and his wife who manns reception is just superb - friendly, helpful, forgiving (we were late so had to wait for next tour) – just a lovely person.   We recommend their tours.  On the way back to the caravan park we bought a barramundi from the Barramundi Fish Farm at Wonga Beach where one can throw a line and catch your own fish.  We took the easy way out and bought one. Absolutely delicious!!!

CAPE TRIBULATION

After Sally left and Bert returned, we visited CAPE TRIBULATION, another excellent day. It was named by James Cook on 10^th June 1770 after his ship, The Endeavour, hit a reef almost sinking his ship on what is now known as Endeavour Reef. Cook recorded “…the north point was named Cape Tribulation because here began all our troubles”.  It was from here he limped some 90kms into what is now Cooktown to repair the badly damaged hull.

BARRIER REEF - in a Cessna

Our final treat on this holiday was the FLIGHT OVER THE BARRIER REEF with Barrier Aviation in a Cessna 182 (3 seater).  No words can explain how magnificent it was to fly over Green Island, Arlington Reef and Upoly Cay.  It was low tide so we saw the exposed land and contrasting colours of the ocean and even a whale. We couldn’t have asked for better weather.  It was just amazing.

Leaving Port Douglas, we headed for the Gold Coast where Kenau would stay with family while Bert was away working.  We stopped off overnight at a free camping spot at Balgal Beach with lovely beach front sites but oh, the midgees.  They too love Balgal and their bites are seriously itchy....for weeks!! On another night we camped at The Flaggy Rock Community Centre which is in woop-woop but it was magical.  The stars were outstanding, and we had this park-like place to ourselves…not even the midgees could find us. Can you spot the caravan in the distance?

TIN CAN BAY
The highlight of the journey south was in Tin Can Bay where we were able to hand feed the rare Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in their natural environment. Each morning the dominant male and his favourite female come in for a taste of brekkie before going out to feed with the rest of the pod. It was really special to get that close to a dolphin.

GOLD COAST
What did I do at the GOLD COAST while Bert was away working?  Geocaching! This is a wonderful way to get outside and find treasures - in fact there are more than 2,000,000 worldwide.  Bert’s sister, Trish, and I hit the trail at every opportunity and I found 80 in the short time I was with her. We had a ball, and on more than one occasion came home after dark. Bert’s return flight was delayed so rather than hanging around waiting at the airport, what did we do? Cache in the dark! It can be a challenge but hey, we did it, and found them.  During our geocaching we also came across 4 snakes.  The only one I indentified was the harlmess carpet python.  Two others I very nearly stood on! Eeek!
For more on Geocaching.... http://www.geocaching.com

SYDNEY

North Narrabeen, Sydney was the last main stop on our way home. I stayed at the caravan park across the road from the beach while Bert was away working again. What a life I have! I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the rocks at Narrabeen Lagoon which is the largest coastal lagoon in the Sydney region. It contains all sorts of plant life   Over the years there have been rockfalls from the cliffs The results of erosion and the colours made them so interesting. Nature is amazing. From here it was homeward bound with an overnight stop at Chiltern, also an interesting 'ye olde world' town.

In the 3.5 months that we’ve been away, we covered 14 000kms and apart from the diesel incident which was our own error, we experienced no serious problems. During that period we had no more than 10 cloudy days, 3 nights of rain, 2 days of occasional drizzle and temps of 20C to 30C depending on whether we were on the coast or in the highlands. What a way to enjoy winter!  We remained healthy throughout. We have seen so many wonderful places.  God has truly blessed us.  It’s difficult to select the highlights as we enjoyed every single place we visited but here are some.

Bert : The Outback and the ability to sit outside around a fire and have a barbie under magnificent starlit nights was always an amazing experience. Travelling the vastness of the Australian Outback was truly wonderful. In addition, we were fortunate enough to see just a few of the more than 11 000 beaches in Australia, each one was beautiful with it’s white sand, palm trees and clear blue water. Stunning!

Kenau :  Like Bert, I thoroughly enjoyed the Outback and its vastness especially Lorne Hill which is truly a magnificent National Park.  I so enjoyed the camping, canoeing on the peaceful slow flowing river and the hiking. For me, Cobbold Gorge is also high on the list as places to visit . Getting away from the hustle and bustle of urban life, enjoying such a different lifestyle and meeting so many friendly people along the way was something to treasure.

For both of us, the flight over the Great Barrier Reef is something we’ll never forget. The photos are just a glimpse of what we were able to experience, a truly amazing natural wonder of the world.

Thank you for joining us on our journey. We hope to see you on the road again soon - it's a great country. 

Now to get down to planning the next one!!!!!!!!


Mapping our route home
With numerous night stops (as indicated) on the way, we have certainly been blessed with seeing so many amazing sights

A: Port Douglas
B: Balgal
C: Bowen
D: Flaggy Creek
E: Calliope
F: Tin Can Bay
G: Brisbane
H: Maudsland
I: Tarree
J: Narrabeen
K: Chiltern
L: Yarra Glen

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