From Fraser to Cape Tribulation. A bloody long way from Melbourne!

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Hello people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hoping everyone is well..............

Just another quick ramble to let you know that its all good in the world of Felix and Co.  Since we left Noosa the weather has steadily got better (although it couldn't have really got much worse) but even so this is apparently the coldest it has been in Queensland in 50 years (just our luck).  This said, I am sat in Cairns at the moment and its been above 25 degrees everyday so if this is a cold winter i'll quite happily take it!

Gloomy Airlie beach, looking out to the Whitsundays
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Okay, so I said goodbye to Noosa after about a week or so spent there.  I quite liked the place (at least when the sun was out) even though it was pretty quiet and made a beeline for the Whitsundays and Airlie beach.  Istopped after about 550kms (about halfway to Airlie beach) and stayed in a town called Rockhampton.  It is apparently famous for its beef and it is immediately obvious why.  Apart from the beef in abundance it has pretty much nothing else going for it.  It is a seedy little town with lots of neon lighting and not a lot else so after an hour of driving around looking for somewhere nice to stay I realised it just wasn't going to happen so  just decided to stay at a big travellers hotel, get an early night then get out ASAP in the morning.

Where did that shark go?
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I checked out early in the morning, and after having paid much more than I should have done (although this was a small price to pay just to get out of the town) and got back on the road for another 600 or so kilometres to Airlie Beach - the opening to the Whitsunday islands.  The weather was still pretty bad with much of the journey spent driving in drizzle but nowhere near as cold as it was in Noosa.  The landscape on the drive was pretty amazing with miles and miles of ranches against the backdrop of massive mountains which Land Rover had to struggle up every so often and eventually we got to Airlie Beach.

Me and 'the Americans'
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Once again a bit like Byron Bay its a tiny little place all set on one main street but unlike everywhere else this place has a serious nightlife! Its probably the first place that everyone is going flat-out in all night every night and was quite a welcome change from all of the other places that seem to shut up shop by the early evening, although there isn't a huge amount to do during the day.  Except drink.  So most days were spent reading in cafes or wandering around (although there would have been a lot more for us to do if the weather had been decent).  On the third night there I entered a pool competition and won $50 dollars and a jug of beer and met a group of rather interesting Americans.  Two were students and pretty easy going, one was a into UFC and always looking like he might try and start a fight with the entire room and after the first night of pool we agreed we'd play again the next night and then maybe go to the club, Magnums, which was below the pool hall.  The next night I managed to win again and in the club downstairs, coincidentally, there was a wet t-shirt competition.  Wanting to make sure that all high-standards were upheld, i dutifully went back to the room to get my camera, came back, lined up some shots of rum, and waited for the entertainment to start! It was a good night all round with the girls all on pretty good form with the exception of the American entrant who took a shocking detour and promptly emptied most of the club.  Contented I wobbled home in early hours of the morning, knowing that I would regret it all for days to come...................

Townsville city
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Two days of the worst hangover of my life was a fitting finish to Airlie Beach and summed the place up perfectly.  Its a good time to be had for all but you'll probably regret it all after the moment - but who cares, the fun is always in the doing.  The night before we were due to leave the clouds started lifting and we finally, for the first time in weeks we ended up seeing some sun some and blue sky........

When I got up in the morning the clouds had all finally lifted and had clear blue skies for the 300km drive up to Townsville and we actually needed to turn on the air conditioning in the car.  Then turn it off because it made the car use EVEN more petrol than it did before.  We made it to Townsville in good time found a cabin at a campsite for a few days then went for a wander.  Townsville has a pretty bad reputation - its a navy and air force town so apparently there can be quite a lot of trouble but whilst we were there it was quite quiet but with plenty to do in the evenings (if, unlike us you were staying anywhere near the town centre).  It also has a big hill (if you are into that kind of thing) called Castle Hill that looks over the city and over nearby Magnetic island, so called because of its magnetic soil (or something to that effect) that used to confuse ships compasses as they floated past it.

Sunset over Townsville bay
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Anyway, after a couple of days wandering around I decided to hop on the ferry across the bay and see Magnetic Island, largely because I hadn't been able to go and see any of the Whitsunday islands in Airlie Beach, and because as we all know, you can never go and see too many islands.

I booked the car onto the ferry and turned up the next morning bright and early for the 45 minute crossing over to the island keeping all eyes peeled for the dolphins which people (largely the tour operators) always say you'll see, but convieniently never do and got over to the island at half nine where we realised that unless you've got a couple of days to do all of the really long walks (which I didn't have time for) there really wasn't much to do.  I eventually found the path up to the World War 2 gun batteries and lookout towers on the very top of the island which were built to warn and protect the port against potential Japanese warships and planes during the war.  After this I wondered around looking at the beautiful views (which if i'm honest are getting a little boring now!) had a swim then grabbed the ferry back to the main land so I could pack my stuff up and get ready to move of to Cairns the next morning, although I was slightly worried because Land Rover was being a little bit unpredictable and just stopping whilst I was driving, or making exploding sounds after which all of the electrics in the car would stop working.  Still, at least it gives the car 'character'.

Magnetic Island
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After starting on the fifteenth attempt in the morning in clouds of smoke from just about everywhere, I hobbled the final 350 kms to Cairns with even my confidence now shaken as to whether every little creak or rattle (of which the car produces lots) may spell the end of Land Rover, but true to form he got me up into 'tropical Australia' with only a few minor dramas.

In Cairns my plan was simple, chill for a few days sat by the sea and get some serious sun (just to make my skin even more leathery than it already is) then get on some trips.  So I booked myself onto a trip to the Great Barrier Reef so I could go scuba diving and a trip up to Cape Tribulation (the furthest north you can go in Austrlia on a paved road).  The tip onto the reef was amazing and to do my first ever dive there was unbeatable, even though I got in trouble for repeatedly kicking the reef, forgetting my hand signals and flailing wildly when I huge Wrasse looked like it may well swallow me whole.  I kept thinking of Jaws as well so for the first twenty minutes I was so busy scanning around for man eating sharks that I forgot to take more than a couple of photos - never mind.

Me kitted up to dive on the GReat Barrier Reef
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A couple of days later I had my second trip where I went on a boat cruise to see crocodiles in the river which was quite crazy cos some of them are huge (they can grow up to 7 metres/23 feet). I then went on into the Daintree national park which is special because its where two National heritage areas meet - the rain forest goes right to the waters edge and the Great Barrier Reef meets the forest.  Past this there wasn't much to do there except chill out so I wandered on the beach then sat in the bar for the rest of the evening getting bitten to death by man-sized mosquitos.

Me taking the plunge
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The next day I got picked up in the afternoon and spent some time in Port Douglas (not entirely sure what the score is with that place but it seemed quite nice) and also saw the island where Steve Irwin met his unfortunate end.  It was then back to Cairns and now the next day here I am wrtiting this now!

Anyway, I hope (half heartedly) that summer may have actually begun for you all back home..........does it hurt that it's winter here and its hotter than your summer???!!!!!! haha, well hope you are all well and will as ever whack a few photos - i will only put a few of the wet t-shirt ones up (must keep this respectable!) but if you have me on facebook they will be up there in all of their glory!

Crocodile
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Speak soon all,

Felix.