Back to NSW

We are sad to have to say goodbye again to family and friends after a great week on the Sunshine Coast, we miss you all dearly.  Aunty Win's 90th birthday lunch was a highlight, we got through our todo list of appointments, and our first experience with an Air bnb was a success.

A fast drive back to Finley packed like Santa's sleigh, with presents for the Munro's from their siblings, so we are overnighting in Coonabarrabran at a motel as no room in our van to sleep.

Enjoying the Coast

We have had a few lovely days walking along the beaches and catching up with friends at Clontarf, Bribie Island and back on the Sunshine Coast, as well as getting the van serviced, doctors check ups, and a hairdresser visit.

One of the usual summer storms rolling in from the west over Brisbane - taken from Clontarf.

Thong tree on Bribie Island

Cania Gorge

Having a few days in the bush again, having caught up on my work and end of month balancing, this time at Cania Gorge as the coast was going to be wet. The camping park is great, only 4 of us in vans, and a group of young lads camping in tents. Plenty of bird life and a great 9 km walk this morning into the gorge which is accessible from our camp ground, to a lookout, a few caves, dripping rock and the overhang. Not as awesome as Carnarvon Gorge, but still picturesque on a smaller scale.  We had a dip in the swimming pool which cooled us down just nice. Just relaxing now for the rest of the afternoon.

Derek competing with the overhang rock.

Farewell Ayla and FNQ

It was a delight to spend the time with Ayla, Sara and Craig, but a teary farewell to them and Far North Qld but not the humidity, now we are heading south to the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane before our return to Finley just before Christmas.

Sugar mills are still pumping, mangoes are $10 a box and lychees $10/kg.

Seriously? #4

After making a mercy dash back to an Apple IT repairer in Cairns after the work computer wouldn't turn on today, we headed back up to Port Douglas along one of Australia's most scenic coastal highways.  And, as if we haven't encountered enough nature on the road these days, there was a dingo standing right in front of us.  Derek says in the 9 years he did this same drive for work when we lived up here, he never once saw a dingo.......let alone 2!

Port Douglas

We are at beautiful Port Douglas enjoying a few days at the beach. It has been fun re-exploring the town as it has been at least 9 years since we have been this far north. The humidity is a bit of a killer making our daily walks uncomfortable, although still managed the climb up to the lookout, around the foreshore and down to the marina.  I thought I would try out the "palm tree pose" photograph after watching 2 European girls for 5 minutes trying to get it perfect.

Ayla Grace Hovell

Our beautiful granddaughter Ayla was born after a very short delivery on the morning of the 16th. Sara and bub are doing very well. We had left Carnarvon Gorge and had decided to get a little closer to Cairns, but our 8 hour day of driving turned into 14 hours and we drove the 1200 km we still had to go to get to Cairns, and got to meet little Ayla on her first day, albeit 9.30pm after Craig sneaked us into the hospital.

first day

2nd Day

Carnarvon Gorge

13-15th Nov. Three nights camping at Carnarvon Gorge were fabulous.  We hiked a total of 24 km in 2 days.  Wore our poor feet out, but each part of the Gorge was so different from the next.  Even did the climb up Boolimba Bluff 200m high, 6 km return with 300m of verticle climb up ladders and steps.

Plenty of wildlife in Takarakka camp ground including kangaroos and platypus.  Very quiet, and we felt like we had the gorge to ourselves. Definitely a place to return to.

The Gorge, and climb and view over the Visitors Centre From Boolimba Bluff

Seriously? #3

The drive today was from Lightning Ridge to Carnarvon Gorge (7 hrs). We had kangaroos in the middle of the road,  horses and cows jumping out at us, and emus and teddy bears watching from the side - all in the "middle of nowhere".  Seriously!

Lightning Ridge

Lightning Ridge was well worth a visit and with so much that we didn't get to see means a trip back for sure. The weather was comfortable, and we walked around the town for most of the afternoon, as well as a visit to the arteasian bore, naturally heated to 40 degrees c. We felt like cooked lobsters after a quick dip.

We did one opal mine tour...but with a difference.  The owner had carved over 700 sculptures in the walls, really unique.  Also the place is a cross between eccentric and just plain stuck back in time.  We felt we had been dropped into an Aussie cartoon strip, real life caricuture.