Woke up on Thursday morning to more rain. It's like being back in the UK!

Got onto the Greyhound bus around 9ish for my trip to Townsville. The bus went through Bowen which is where Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman are filming at the moment. I would have considered getting off the bus and having a look around had it not been for the rain.

Got into Townsville around 2.00 and Kath came down to the bus stop to meet me. It's been a year since Kath & Michael left the UK to go back to Oz so we had a lot of catching up to do!

Because of the weather (which Kath ensures me is not typical for this time of year) we chilled out at the flat. Rented some dvd's and got some food and wine for dinner.

Friday - I took advantage of being in a home again and had a lie in. Luckily Kath and Michael are kind enough to let me use their laptop so all my photos are now up to date.

Later that afternoon I had a wander around the town. I searched hard for some decent shops but no luck! Met Kath around 2.00 for some lunch and beers. Michael cooked dinner on Friday evening and we celebrated it finally being the weekend (well everyday is the weekend for me!)

Saturday we took a roadtrip to Wallaman falls - the largest single drop waterfall in Australia (300m). The scenery en route to the falls was amazing. Beautiful moutains, lush green fields etc... Once we arrived at the Girringun national park we made the drive up towards the falls. The wildlife was amazing. Cows in the middle of the road - ok, so they weren't that amazing but we also saw scrub turkeys, a feral pig with her piglets, a lizard and best of all on the return trip down we saw a python! It spanned the length of the road. I was glad to be in the car. A crazy redneck man in the car behind clearly thought he was the next Steve Irwin. He got out of the car to move it, stuck it around his neck and exclaimed "What a beauty!" I wound my window down just enough to take a photo and to ask him if he had a mental problem!

Anyway, back to the falls. We arrived at the lookout for it to be surrounded in dense clouds! Oh well, we decided to make the walk down to the base of the falls for a closer look. The walk was about 4km so we set off. We only got half way, the track was way too muddy and slippery and I'd already fallen over once! Took some lovely pics though from where we stopped. The good news was it was all down hill on the way there, bad news for me is now I had to walk back up the hill. Got a great work out though and was only dramatic a few times by declaring I was having a heart attack.

Back into the car and on our way back to Townsville. We stopped off an Ingham for some chips - yummy. Saturday evening, we chilled out with dinner and a few beers.

It's been great staying with Kathryn and Michael - they have taken care of me and fed me so well!

Today, Sunday - I packed the last of my stuff and Kath and I went for a drive up to Castle Hill. It's around 300m high and overlooks the whole of Townsville. Stellar views. Had a quick look around the markets and then headed for the ferry terminal. I'm going over to Magnetic Island today for 2 nights. Unfortunatley, we missed the ferry! Am now sitting and waiting for the next one but it's all good because I get to catch up with my blog, emails and facebook (which I'm becoming addicted to!)

All for now. Will report back in a few days after my trip to Maggie Island. I'll be doing some kayaking, snorkelling and possibly even a dive if I can pluck up the courage.

Speak soon, Julie xx