We are still at Roberts, resting our wheels, and will probably stay here until the new year.  We are looking forward to spending Christmas with family and friends and then hitting the road for the long awaited trip to Tasmania.  Nope, still not a holiday........

Here are a few more random pics to keep the excitement going. (I have THOUSANDS of them!!!!)

Mackay is a lovely town.  Friendly locals, and we saw whales!!!!  Yes, they were a fair way in the distance, but still, we saw them!!  While we were at the lookout a local lady started talking to me and told me she used to come to the lookout every day with her mum and look at the whales.  Her mum, sadly passed away two days prior and her funeral was the next day.  We had a lovely chat and I was glad she shared her memories with me.

Next we stopped back at Baffle Creek to get in a bit of fishing.  Our clamp on wheels on the boat packed it in after the first day so we were looking at spending a week watching all the other nomads going fishing.  The park owner stopped in for a chat and when he heard what had happened he offered his old trailer from the shed for us to use for the week.

We have met some amazing people!!!!

We are now slowly making our way back to Ipswich to spend a bit of time with the boys and girls.  There are a few upgrades to the boat/caravan that need doing and after Christmas we will head off on our way to Tasmania.  Can't wait!!!!!

That white spot in the centre - THAT'S A WHALE!!!!!

Campsite, property just out of Mackay

Got sick of taking photos of whales........

Friends stopping in for afternoon tea.

Beautiful old buildings in Maryborough!!!

We spent a few days in Townsville seeing family and getting back in touch with civilisation.  Townsville has a very pretty area along the river, called The Riverwalk (amazing how they come up with these names).  Lots of turtles, beautiful riverbank and an amazing pool at the info centre.  Well worth a look.

We then moved on through Ayr and onto a free camp at Home Hill.  Lovely little town that really caters for the Nomads.  They actually still burn the sugar cane in the area!!!

We did a day trip out to Groper River and ended up moving there for a week.  Amazing little fishing village with a caravan park run by the local fishing club.  Our site was apparently the PRIME site.  The regular guy was not there this year due to ill health (Yay for us!!!), and it was a lovely relaxing place.  Lots of grey nomads who spend months there every year.  Despite that, we were made very welcome and had a great time.  Lots of comparing of fishing tips and results at the end of each day.  We were told that we would be welcome back anytime as we were much nicer than the 'regular' guy!!

Onto Mackay!!!!  Soon, the 'Loop' will be complete and we will be heading home for a bit.

Lucinda, (lots of sandflies!!!!) very pretty little fishing village

Part of Townsville, looking out to Magnetic Island

Infor Centre at the Riverwalk

Cleaning the tidal pool between tides

Riverwalk

Sugar Cane burning, Home Hill

A big Grunter!!!!!

Local at Groper Creek looking for an easy feed (on the roof of fish cleaning area)

Sunrise, Groper Creek

The Atherton Tablelands is just beautiful.  Everywhere you drive you are surrounded by rainforests, with the occasional dairy farm in between.  We went for a drive to Cooktown, which was much smaller than I expected, pretty, but just a fishing village really.

We moved onto Mossman and spent a few days tripping around to Kuranda and the Daintree.  Again, just beautiful.  I was surprised how 'populated' the Daintree is.  Lots of driveways heading up into the forest and quirky little cafes everywhere.  Bitumen road as far up as Cape Tribulation, where the forest really does meet the sea, so it was a very lovely drive.

Kuranda was also beautiful.  It was pretty overcast on the day we went so we were literally driving in the clouds.  Nice way to spend the day.

Next it was on to Babinda and a great free camp provided by the town.  We went tripping again to Bramston Beach and Josephine Falls.  Lovely days driving through the countryside.

Then it was Paronella Park.  What a truly amazing and beautiful place.

We will now head off to Kurramine Beach for a few lazy days catching up on rest and washing.  This tourist thing in exhausting!!!!!

Cooktown

on the way to Cooktown

Cooktown foreshore

Cape Tribulation

Up in the clouds, Kuranda

weather changing, Mossman

One of the many creek crossings, Daintree

Daintree

Paronella Park

Paronella Park

Paronella Park

Paronella Falls

Paronella Park

Charters Towers was a very popular town.  The caravan parks were full, so they parked us up on the front lawn of one of them and then we moved inside the next day.  After a bit of sight seeing we then started towards the Undarra Lava Tubes.  What an interesting and amazing place.  How they were ever discovered is beyond me.  Out in the middle of nowhere, there is suddenly this massive tunnel under the ground.  When you walk over the top of them you have no idea they are even there.

We are now heading towards the Atherton Tablelands.  We are spending a few days in Ravenshoe at the steam train museum.  Awesome campground for caravaners.  We are doing some tourist drives around the area and just enjoying the cooler weather and the scenery.  It is amazing how in the space of one day you can go from the vast dry nothingness to lush green rainforest.  Looking forward to spending lots more time in this beautiful part of the country.

Main Street, Charters Towers

Donkey Kong?????

Looking in to the lava tube

Looking out of the lava tube

Beautiful countryside, Millaa Millaa

Millaa Millaa Falls

Beatrice River

The mountain in the clouds.

Millstream Falls, Ravenshoe

We spent a few days in the bustling town of Mt Isa.  It was a bit bizarre driving into town - huge mines on one side of the road, houses and businesses on the other.  Very surreal.  Nice little town though.

We left the hustle and bustle and started heading towards Charters Towers.  Lovely free camps along the way.  Julia Creek had a beautiful free camp right on the edge of the creek.  It was pretty full, but just as we pulled up someone was leaving, yep, scored a beaut waterfront site!!!  Spent a few nights there relaxing and catching the odd red claw.  Richmond and Hughenden also had good free camps.  Some of the smaller towns are starting to get the message - give us somewhere to park, other than a big 4, and we will stay a while and spend some money.  Lots of caravans about at the moment so you have to be off the road pretty early to get a good spot.

One place we stayed at was Mary Kathleen - an old mining town, now abandoned.  When the mine closed the whole town was auctioned off and all the buildings and houses were demolished.  All the old building slabs are still there, as are the streets, although they are getting pretty overgrown.  Really strange parking up on a house slab, driving to the 'shopping centre' (all slabs) and just driving around the neighborhood.  We went out to the old mine site, which was a bit hard to find as there were no signs indicating where anything was.  Still, very cool place.

Corella Dam was also a lovely free spot - we lucked out and got one of the last water front sites.  Wayne put the boat in for a run and got some more red claw.

We are now heading to Charters Towers for a few days of civilization and then heading up to the Atherton Tablelands.

Mt Isa Dam

Mt Isa

Mary Kathleen uranium mine

'shops' at Mary Kathleen

Corella Dam

Awesome free camp, Julia Creek

Just another sunset, Julia Creek