We have said farewell to the open waters of the 'gulf' and will most likely not see the ocean until we reach Darwin. We enjoyed our few days in Karumba amongst the 'die-hard' fishermen. Alf & Bob managed to catch enough fish for a delicious dinner for the four of us and didn't get taken by any crocodiles...so that was worthwhile! It's been quite hot up here now with temperatures in the mid to high 30's at times. The doona is now packed away! So we have cont...

We have now arrived at the popular town of Karumba - 'where the outback meets the sea'. Along the way we have explored the gold mining town of Croydon, which boasted a population of 7000 people and 16 hotels in the late 1800's. However, the cemetery tells the story of the harsh conditions they had to endure. We have camped in some different places, historic Cumberland chimney, by a river with ?crocodiles and spoilt in a caravan park with a pool! We have met up wi...

Excited to be heading west now into the drier country - the scenery has drastically changed from the green, lush tropics to the dry, scrubby landscape. We had a surprisingly short drive to Mt Surprise, so after a nice walk around this old gold mining town, we decided to take a dirt road detour through Einasleigh and Forsayth toward Georgetown. Missed the Savannahlander train by a day :( So now the 'off-road' van has tasted the dirt and everything inside has staye...

Drove up through the range to Mareeba to meet with Rachael & Devin, who were camped at a free camp nearby. Decided to stay the night with them - and a cold one too (under 10 degrees)! They were all well and the kids were pleased to see us too. We shared more of our rambutan stock - a new fruit for the kids to try! As we headed out the next morning we stopped at the 'Dinner Falls' and Crater - amazingly beautiful and rugged. The crater is a volcanic 'vent' ris...

We have had a great weekend in Cairns catching up on some errands and seeing the sights as well as spending time with our friends, Sue & Trevor, and our new friends, Steve and Sandra. We enjoyed Friday night pizzas, swimming at the Cairns esplanade lagoon, Barron Falls, Lake Placid and the tropical botanical gardens. Steve & Sandra kindly allowed us to 'camp' in their driveway and we enjoyed a delicious BBQ with them (and their dogs, Tessa & Riley!) T...