Gone troppo...

Well, maybe not quite troppo, but if we stayed a little longer….. We crossed Capricorn a week or so back, and worked our way up the coast – ‘way up the coast. We have spent time in Townsville and Cairns before, with side trips to Magnetic Island and the like, but for some reason had never gone to Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation. So, this time, we did! If you don’t have this area on your list of places to visit before you die, put it on there now. At 16 degrees from the equator, it is lusher, with better beaches than many of the islands we have visited. Anyway, we will stay tropical for a few weeks yet, until we cross Capricorn again on the way South down the West Coast.

For us, the highlight of our visit was clearly our stay at Wonga Beach Caravan Park. We spent three nights there and felt like we belonged. Many of the residents of this place are long stay, some permanent. So, I guess we were fresh meat, but have rarely experienced such hospitality. We participated in Happy Hour in the Happy Shack all three evenings, and maybe most of the transients don’t. The last night we were there, we were invited for fish and chips at $A3 per head. The fish (mackerel) were donated by some of the inhabitants that go fishing each morning – so they will have something to talk about at Happy Hour. Actually, Happy Hour for the fishermen is called “early starters” and starts an hour before the regular Happy Hour. Anyway, it was quite a feast, and a real experience. The whole place is like a cross between “The Beach” and “Cannery Row”. Life on the beach is pretty seductive, early to bed – it gets dark at 6PM – and then wake up to the tropical birds at about 5AM. Sylvia thought that listening to Kookaburras cackle was pretty neat at first. However, they start their routine when the sun rises. We are now shopping for a 12 gauge. So, time to move along. Will tell you about the locally-produced “rum” when I see you.

We are now heading South and West, to get to Darwin by the 21^st. This is being written on Friday Sept 14^th, not sure when I will find an internet café that will support uploading to the Blog – the one in Mossman didn’t.

Photos follow, well actually above. I added them last, but they came out first. Anyway, quite a nice internet den in Charters Towers, beautiful day, and we are about to head West on the Flinders highway.