It's hard work, but someone's gotta do it

You might think we spend a lot of time nothing, and you'd be right, but it's been a busy couple of months, meandering up the Queensland coast.

We 'worked' on Great Keppel – trading our labour for accomodation on the island. We stopped there for two weeks and yes, we did have to clean toilets. If I could show you pictures of the white sandy beaches, you'd believe me when I said it was worth it. (Sadly, we lost all of our Keppel photos due to equipment malfunction, so you'll just have to imagine the clear water, fish dinners and the cute echidna with his nose in my shoe.)

All the fun places to visit on Keppel

 

From Keppel it was up to Mackay. Kayaking can be quite hard work, so Cameron made sure he had his gloves on so that he didn't develop any blisters.

Teenburra Dam, west of Mackay

Then, up the rainforest covered mountain, to Eungella National Park.

Casual pose at Tree Arch

This campground is for sale. Will someone buy it for me?

As you head north, things can get muddy.

Midge Point - not as bad as it sounds

And dry.

cane fields from Mt Inkerman Lookout

But we've made it to the wet tropics, and due to some diligent bird-spotting, managed to capture a photo of a cassowary at Mission Beach. 

Coasting Along

Rocky Heads - Mooloolabah

Creek near Caloundra

Infinity and beyond - Barolin Rocks.

Very large kangaroo

Rock pool (photo must have been taken by Jean)

Now, if she can just find a large glass of Coke

Town of 1770

Pizza on electric BBQ

Dam bubbles at Byfield

Breakfast at Yeppoon

Day in, day out - same old same old

Australia II

After an 18-month Toyota hiatus, we're back on the road again (think Willie Nelson or Jack Kerouac, depending on your inclination).

This time, we're leaving Bris-vegas.

What have we been doing for the last year and a half in Brisbane? Well, mainly working to fund this holiday. (There were a few side trips: Moreton Is, Canberra, New Farm, Surfers Paradise, Whitsundays).

But now we're refreshed and ready for 12 months of travel.

We started with a week at North Stradbroke Island - where whales spout, dolphins frolick, koalas chew gum leaves, kangaroos bound, fishermen fish, the sun sets every evening and rainbows do their thing (it's been raining a lot)...

...and turtles are stuffed.

Have yourselves a merry little Christmas

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat and our holiday funds are dwindling – so sadly Jean and I must draw this epic trip to a close. It has been a whirlwind couple of months since we last corresponded. 

We've made it all the way from seeing Jean's folks in Townsville...

...down to mine at the Gold Coast.

Seeing my parents came with the added benefit of cruising the Gold Coast Broadwater on Emerald Lady....

… which if you have been following from the start you might recognise as the boat that got us to WA in the first place.

Time for the obligatory fish photo. Turns out, after chasing them all around Australia, there's fish to be caught at our final destination too.

So long and thanks.

Not to mention yabbies to be pumped.

That's a whole year of fishing without buying bait once.

So that's about it for fish photos from me. I guess there's not going to be any more shots of me jumping into yet another waterhole either. On the other hand, there is a pool at the complex where we have just bought a little apartment. Come and visit us – it's at Kangaroo Point, just outside Brisbane CBD.

It has been a wonderful time – we've had fun writing this blog and we hope you've enjoyed it too. To all of you and your friends and families, we bid a very happy Christmas and a very happy 2012.

Santa comes tonight – hopefully he'll bring me a shirt.

 

See you in Queensland.

j&c

The Last Post

Well, not really. There must be at least one more blog in us before we hit Brisbane. That just seemed like another good banner for blowing our own trumpets. Nevertheless, the end of the road is in sight.

The road to Julia Creek

It is probably just as well – there are only so many literary devices I can use as an excuse to show yet another photo of me jumping into water...

Little Crystal Creek

… or Jean standing somewhere nice wearing a big hat.

Waiting for Frodo – Little Crystal Creek

Spice it up a bit, I hear you saying – can't you get attacked by dinosaurs or something more exciting than just more waterfalls and fish.

Big Head Falls – Townsville

Jean's mum used to say that there were plenty more of these in the sea - Hughenden

But dinosaur attacks are rarer than you'd think...

Hughenden

unless you've had a few – in which case they are waiting on every corner.

Hughenden Hotel

In fact, strange occurrences like that are just not that strange when you are in North Queensland.

Cassowaries beware – Mission Beach

What frog? - Tully

But in the end, give or take the odd frog in the loo or gecko on the ceiling, North Queensland is pretty well just the same old same old, day in, day out...

The daily commute – Mission Beach

Dunk Island from Mission Beach

See ya.

Boodjamulla

Lawn Hill Gorge: home of 25 million year old fossils just sitting there in the rock for you to look at, fabulous waterfalls, birds of prey, turtles with red noses, fish - and for a while, us.

Fossil of a different kind

Crocodile teething ring