Saturday 5th September

Early start out of bed and on the wallaby track by 8.50am. No breakfast we plan to have that at the first stop - well we do the drive back to the main road. Then wait for the dust to clear as the morning peak hour rush is on - camper trailers and Toyota landcruisers - so after the dust settles we trundle into six mile - well we don't go right to the campground but we figure with a bit of a hedge trim here and there - we don't have breakfast, we head further down the line to the old Laura Homestead.

It is an interesting place and we have a walk around before we make a late morning tea. We drive in to Horseshoe Lagoon, the birds are amazing - we head across to Welcome Lagoon - again a fantastic spot. We have lunch, pick up and burn the poo paper before we start the trek back to the main road. We are constantly stopping and there is so much to see it is a strain to keep moving but we have to get to Cooktown.

We drive to the dip down into a creek bed, the dried up creek bed is full of beautiful palms - we are so busy looking at the palms we can't see the roots for the trees - Mal drives onto a protruding root and almost stakes a front tyre. Lesson learned.

We are back on the main road, we skip Lake Emma and then we are out of the National Park. The road gets worse as we get closer and closer to Cooktown. The road carves through the ranges and then we are at Isabella Falls.

We park, swim and take some photos - it is our last afternoon of freedom - the sun shines onto the rock we sit upon as the spray from the waterfall mists over us. Heaven lurks in the most unexpected places.

We plug on into town, we keep looking for Barrets Lagoon where Col and Beth used to live. We think we see it but we may be wrong.

We scoot around town and then book into a caravan park then drive up grassy hill for some sunset shots. As soon as the folks all leave the sky lights up beautifully - Mal is so excited.

We buy take away pizza a few drinks and off with Vicki to make some phone calls and then to bed. What a big day.