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Rain, rain, go away...
It hasn't stopped since yesterday, but this afternoon is the lightest it's been for a while, and it's meant to be clearing tomorrow. We went to sleep last night listening to the rain on the caravan roof, which was really pleasant, but not so pleasant this morning, when we had to pack everything up in it. Todays drive from Charters Towers to Mission Beach was only 360km, and not a big day, and was mostly spent driving in the rain, so there's not much to tell you about the trip. I can tell you that today we reached the coast, and swapped the red dirt for sand, and the dry dust for boggy mud. I can hear the sound of the surf right now, sitting in the caravan writing this blog, it's only 200m away. If I open the door, I can see the ocean and the waves... It's a great view... The north coast of Qld, where we are now, is experiencing the wettest May in 44 years, and we heard on the radio, that only the other day, Cairns had over 100mm rain in less than a day... All the rivers and creeks we've crossed today are full and flowing, and will hopefully wash all the crocs out to sea. The warning signs about crocs are everywhere, and we've made sure the boys are well aware of the potential for them in the ocean as well. (The rain has just started again).
On our way here, we stopped at a little place called Frosty Mango, on the highway north of Townsville, which is a tropical fruit farm selling everything made from mangoes. It obviously has a cafe, so we had an early lunch... See the photos for the damage done... The road is fantastic again, and the scenery is as different to what we've had as you can get. The mountains are huge, in enormous ranges that push right out to the coast. They're covered in jungle and tropical foliage, and it's just beautiful... I love it!! The valleys between the mountains are, of course, consumed by sugar cane farms, which have replaced the cattle ranches and pastures. That's when you know you're in Queensland, once you find the sugar cane...
The park we're at (Beachcomber Coconut Caravan Village) in Mission Beach, is stunning, as you might expect. The gardens are totally mind blowing, and the park is small and tidy and clean. They're very quiet, which surprises us, but may be a consequence of the last three weeks worth of soaking rain they've copped. It's right on the beach, and has a fantastic coffee shop come restaurant right at their entrance, which looks great. I'll let you know, when we've tried it out. They regularly have Cassowaries wander through the park, on their way to the beach, and we have had to warn the boys not to approach them either. Apparently, they can get quite aggressive and dangerous... and we thought we only had to worry about crocs!! We're here two nights, and have been for a quick drive around town (in the rain) this afternoon, and we're not quite sure what we're going to do tomorrow, until we see what the weather has in store. There's no shortage of stuff to see and do in the brochures, but like most stuff Queensland, they require sunshine... I have picked up a brochure about a place called Paronella Park, which I'm very eager to go to, and if you check out their website, I'm sure you'll understand why...
Alrighty then, it's time for me to go and collect the washing from the dryer, and try to stretch them back to their original sizes, so I'll say goodbye for the day, and chat at you all tomorrow...
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