i thought it was just a few days ago i wrote on this but in fact i think it's at least a week!

we have done so much in our lovely campervan Tina (Turner) no prizes for guessing who named her! we have settled in beautifully to our tiny new home. i think we have both lost the weight we put on in sunday gorging ourselves on their massive plates of pasta & home cooked greek food (efkaristou?! mrs amvrazis! yes, so not having the financial luxury of eating out, we only bother to cook when we are actually hungry. i wonder if this is what most people do but it certainly isn't the potter approach to eating! we have been gorging on queensland's gorgeous bananas (2 dollars for 10!) & feel really very healthy. so after port douglas we headed south, passing ellis beach again i convinced andrea to stop to 'stretch our legs', 2 hours later i was still working on her agreeing to stay another night, we eventually compromised on a night in the 'up & coming (read 'stuck up & over priced) resort' of palm cove. so after treating ourselves to a meal out (moreton bay bug is really over-rated, but then my only comparison is chris' amazing lobster from last christmas dinner!)

stopping off we discovered the beautiful & largely unspoilt (except a very friendly local & his 3 legged half dingo dog). cowley beach i think it was called.

so onward we went, to mission beach. andrea felt about mission like i did about ellis. we played on the beach for hours, her making life sized models of cassowaries, me constructing us giant 'sand chairs' complete with foot rests. we took advantage of the excellent free environment centres & picked up a pressie for andrea's little niece. the highlight of mission though was the manager of the campsite on the beach, a ruddy cheeked ex-devonian by the name of robin. he took quite a liking to us & invited us over to watch the blenhoe cup (oz v nz), we had a lovely time, though his caravan harboured just about every genum of reptile or amphibean south of the equator ("i don't like to disturb the poor b*****s").. fair point i suppose.

after getting our campsite for less than 3 quid each for a couple of days & our 5th anniversary approaching, we decided a small treat was in order. we made the short journey to sanctuary retreat & then trekked our way from the car park to the main house through the thick steep rainforest (10 minute walk my arse). the place itself came highly recommended from everyone & it certainly didn't disappoint. we were braving the rainforest cabins (a bed in the middle of the rainforest surrounded by a net). it was amazing & terrifying & gave me (for once) the dubious pleasure of dreaming.. at least i think i dreamt that 6ft cassowary a foot from my face..

we were very sad to leave sanctuary & will definitely go back again for longer. though by then i have vowed to afford the plusher appartments where i so clearly belong :~/ we travelled on to magnetic island, arriving late in the afternoon, irritable & dirty from a days driving. we had a great time the next day & i recognised one beach in particular from when i was a wee cloggers. we even climbed down a rock face to our own private beach (rocky bay), the sand was so soft it felt like lying on the best mattress in the world. naturally, i spent my time doing gait analysis of my footprints in the sand, what a geek..

we left magnetic island & yesterday, driving the 280km to airlie in less than 3 and a half hours. because the speedo's in km i can't figure out how fast we're actually going. driving a car with an engine twice the size of anything else i've ever driven is brilliant though! we arrived in airlie yesterday & surprised imogen at work (where i am now sat, abusing the free internet), quiet day in airlie today, trying to sort my credit card out (i have apparently forgot the number). as if, bloody RBS.

anyway lots of love sorry for the boring long post! XX