Leaving Port Macquarie

We left Port Macquarie on Sunday, 29th May 2011 in our fully loaded 4WD with camp trailer and headed for St George in Queensland.  Jo being sick all the way from food poisoning the day before, so Guy had to do all the driving until we reached St George at about 1700.  Mitchell handled Walcha mountain extremely well this time (because I did not drive to make him sick apparently).  Too exhausted to fold out the camp trailer we decided to Motel it!! After dinner at the RSL we crashed out. Got up early next morning and headed 200kms up the road to Roma, had brekkie and then onto Emerald for lunch.  Trashed a driving light along the way after hitting a flying emu (bloody big bird).  Stayed the night at Belyando crossing, which is 200kms south of Charters Towers.  Belyando crossing, a thriving township consisting of a truck stop only incorporating a bottleshop, pub, cafe, four motel rooms and about 10 camping overnight stay sites.  We flipped out the trailer and sat down to a well deserved beer!  Mitch had coke, of course! and played Uno. 
The next day we made it to Townsville (what a milestone) via Charters Towers, stayed with relatives at Bluewater just north of Townsville.  After walking around and along "the strand" in Townsville, thought this was a beautiful place and perhaps a nice futuristic place to look at later on. 
Following Townsville,  made our way to Cairns, where we stayed with more relatives in Mossman about 80kms north.  We walked around Mossman gorge where Mitchell went swimming in very cold water to see if he could catch a turtle.  However, he was unsuccessful in this venture, but the fish really enjoyed all the bread he fed them.  Mitchell was shown how to open coconuts successfully and which ones were good for drinking and which ones were better for eating.  We then headed up through the Daintree to Cape Tribulation where we stayed on a lovely property.  The sunrise in the early morning was spectacular, although we were constantly looking around for the elusive crocodile.  Mitchell stayed in bed, sleeping.  Here we left our camp trailer for when we were able to get leave from the Island and make some short trips around the place.  Heading back to Cairns we googled somewhere where we were to spend the next two nights.  We ended up at the a motel in Cairns which was rather nice luxury which we knew was going to be vastly different from the Island.  The Cairns Challenge (triathlon) was on on the Sunday which we were going to miss, however, there was the expo on the Saturday which we visited which had some great displays and equipment to buy (of course we bought stuff!).  Mitchell got to meet and get a photo taken with Chris McCormack and of course got an autograph.  Great Day, Love Cairns, Love the atmosphere here. 
We flew out from Cairns to Horn Island in the Torres Strait which had the most amazing views of the coral reefs up the coast to Horn Island.  The water colour is amazing, so green and clear, however not game to test out the temperature after seeing a sign posted "recent crocodile sighting"! After landing on Horn, with our enormous bags which we had, have, will be living out of for however many weeks, we caught the bus/ferry to Thursday Island where our Orientation week was to begin.  Thursday Island is a small Island, has several shops, lots of hotels, post office, grocery store, cafe/take away store and a few other minor stores where you can just about buy anything however a little more expensive than the mainland.  The people are so friendly, although appear a little shy at first. 

Cape Tribulation photos:-

Daintree walk

Daintree river crossing

Mossman gorge

friendly wildlife

Orientation is orientation, what can you say.  Motel rooms are motel rooms.  We head out for dinner of an evening as there are no cooking facilities (lucky we get re-imbursed for meals, expensive), and it stays light up until about 1930. Mitchell after being bored on the first day having to resort to computer, movies and games, went fishing with one of the other nurses husbands on the Tuesday morning.  He caught one little tiddler and so did Paul.  However, the lady next to them, using doe as bait, an island lady, caught plenty!  Mitch will join in our cultural awareness day tomorrow.
until next blog,..................