Port Douglas – Cairns

24 January – 29 January

Monday

We love Port Douglas.  The high season is in Australian winter, so we’re slap bang in the middle of low season.  Lastminute.com has got us an amazing deal.  We’ve got a lovely studio apartment with it’s own private patio overlooking a tropical garden, just steps from the beach for far less than we’d be paying for a cabin on a campsite.   We keep wondering what’s going to be wrong with it, but it’s perfect.  There’s everything we could possible need to hand: beach chairs, towels, dvds, books, eskies etc.  We’re already forgetting about sight-seeing: all we want to do is curl up in our lovely apartment.

Tuesday

It wasn’t just the setting sun painting Port Douglas in a magical light – it really is gorgeous, although it takes us a while to discover this.  Getting out of bed is difficult when you have movies on demand.    Eventually though we do make it as far as late breakfast on the patio.  Then we head to 4 mile beach:  long, palm lined with lapping turquoise seas.  We even have a stinger net right near us, so we can have a swim. 

After a lazy (you’re getting the idea) late lunch we set out to explore the town a bit and end up in a bar watching the boats coming in from their trips to the great barrier reef.  Then it’s a slow stroll home.

Wednesday

After our slow-paced day yesterday we’re up early today and ready to explore.  We’re heading north to Cape Tribulation.  First stop is the cable ferry crossing the Daintree River.  This is high adjective country: ancient rainforest cascading onto white sand beaches with brilliant blue water. 

We stop for a walk through the Daintree rain forest.  We’re no more than a couple of hundred meters in when I spot a snake.  We stop for a look but it soon slithers off.  We take a walk along cow beach (no idea where the name comes from) then continue up the road.  We pull in for some ice cream and share a tasting cup of 4 tropical flavours (wattle seed, mango, coconut, and some kind of sapote (mamsey?)).

We’re constantly warned that this is cassowary country.  I’ve kind of become immune to the signs, but then I see one picking it’s way through the trees.  It’s a beautiful sight, but there’s traffic behind us and we can’t stop.

Then it’s on to Cape Tribulation.  Another gorgeous beach and a boardwalk through the forest to a lookout: where rainforest meets reef. 

Oh, and this guy:

It’s not disappointing by any means, but it’s also not the full stop at the end of the sentence that we were expecting.  If anything, we just want to keep going. 

But, this is where the (sealed) road ends, so it’s back south for us, via another rainforest walk.  Back over the Daintree river we decide to stop off at Mossman gorge.  It’s a shady spot and with the temperature dipping to 27 degrees we’re not quite sure if it’s warm enough for a swim J but venture in anyway.  The water is cold but delicious.  Suitably refreshed we head for home. 

Thursday

We’d planned 3 nights in Port Douglas, but this has somehow stretched to 5.  Oops.  The morning is spent starting to sort through the huge pile of stuff we’ve accumulated over the past 3 months.  We give our tent a clean, hang a few things out to air and then take a stroll through town to the lookout point at the top of the hill. 

In the late afternoon I head to the beach with a book and some postcards.  In an hour or so Nick joins me, with an esky of chilled beer.  This is the life.

Janet adds: I think we’re both a bit in love with Port Douglas and are wondering if the immigration authorities will notice if we don’t leave on Sunday…

Friday

I’d like to say we were up early this morning and out for a big adventure, but the reality is it was another slow start.  The rest of the morning was spent doing some more sorting out and getting rid of all the stuff we can’t take with us.  We don’t have much time in Cairns, so we’re trying to get all packed up now. 

After a 3 months of cramming everything in it’s really nice to take things slow and just potter about reading books and watching films.

The afternoon is spent on the beach and by the pool. 

We could both definitely get used to this tropical life-style.  And when 6 o’clock comes it’s time to throw some beers in the esky, grab some deck chairs and head down to the beach. 

Janet adds: not looking forward to getting reacquainted with my jeans and warm tops.  Hot days and balmy nights suit me just fine.

Nick adds: I’m no longer satisfied with just starting drinking at six, I need to be sat on a beach drinking at six.

Saturday:

We check out of our apartment and drive the hour or so down to Cairns.  Although we’re not flying until tomorrow morning, we’re all packed and ready to go.  We park the car and spend a couple of hours taking a stroll through town and getting some lunch.  There’s not much to see in Cairns itself, so it’s not a bad thing we’ve only got a day here. 

By early afternoon the rainclouds have pulled in and we head for our motel to get checked in. 

After a chilled out afternoon we head back into town for a few happy hour drinks and a pizza, then it’s time for bed.

Janet adds: excited for New Zealand, but sad to be leaving Australia.  After 3 months it feels a bit like home, and I could definitely have longer here. 

Nick adds: don't want to leave Australia.

Townsville – Atherton

20 January – 24 January

Thursday

After a night of rain the morning is thankfully dry, so we can get a quick load of washing done and get everything packed away.  We’re heading for Townsville, which isn’t far to go, so we can take things a bit easy.  Just before we arrive in Townsville we detour to Alligator Creek for a picnic lunch.  There are wallabies kicking about in the carpark and turtles to watch from the boardwalk, which leads to the swimming hole.  Although it looks fairly inviting, we decide to give it a skip.  With the rain that’s been falling the currents are pretty strong, and we still don’t understand what makes some northern swimming holes safe and others croc infested.

We’re not expecting much from Townsville – it’s just a stopover – but we both really like it.  There’s a lovely long esplanade featuring a manmade rock pool and two stinger enclosures for safe(ish) swimming.  There’s also a hill (only metres shy of being officially a mountain) in the middle of town.  We take a drive up to the lookout and are put to shame by the steady stream of locals walking, jogging and cycling up.  The views from the top are gorgeous, featuring coast, mountain ranges and Magnetic Island. 

After a little explore and a trip to the supermarket we settle into a cabin for the night: dark, ominous storm clouds are looming on the horizon.  They don’t look very tent friendly. 

Of course as soon as we get into our cabin the clouds retreat and the sun makes an appearance.  We’re actively willing it to chuck it down, just so we can feel justified.  We’re not disappointed, and the rain does come.

Friday:

We’re heading for Mission Beach today.  Again, it’s a short drive so we have time for a few detours.  Detour 1 is a trip to the Frosty Mango for a massive selection of ice creams and a whole range of tropical fruits.  I get myself an Abiu (which I eat later and is weird, but delicious).  It’s good timing: we stop just in time to sit out the massive downpour.  As the locals keep saying: it is the wet season.

Then we head towards Big Crystal Creek.  There’s a picnic spot and a swimming hole, but again the strong currents persuade us to remain spectators.  We try to drive on to some natural rock slides, but a creek has come up over the road.  We’d possibly make it in our car, but we’re not taking the chance, so we’re forced to reverse down the single track road until we can find a suitable spot to turn around. 

We take the winding, nerve-wracking drive to Paluma, high up in the rainforest.  We stop at a lookout point where we get a beautiful view of cloud (and nothing else), then take a short rainforest walk, during which Nick encounters his first leech.  Urgh. 

On the way back to the highway we stop at pretty Little Crystal Creek

We arrive in Ingham at about 4pm.  We were planning to stop and see Wallaman Falls – the highest in Australia - and then head on, but the day has somehow disappeared.  The road to the falls is closed with water over it and we’re still over an hour and a half from Mission Beach. 

We decide instead to stay in Ingham for the night and find ourselves a cabin on a campsite (with the rain we’ve had today we’re not even thinking about camping).  It’s brilliant: there are huge cockatoos in the tree

and tiny frogs hanging out outside. 

Some wagtails have nested on the washing line – you can see the nest and little chicks.  Mum and Dad are small, but fierce.  I’m soon chased off.  I persuade Nick to go for a look, but he’s beaten back by a swift peck to the head.  They even have a go at the car when we cruise past on the way to the shops. 

Nick adds: can’t believe I fell for the ‘just go and have a look at the baby wagtails’.

Saturday:

There is a phenomenal amount of rain through the night, so there’s pretty much no chance of us getting through to Wallaman Falls this morning.  It’s a pity, but we crack on. 

Our first detour is to Murray Falls.  It’s looking promising and we get within 2km of the falls, when this blocks our way:

We head on to Tully gorge instead.  This is a popular white water rafting spot and we’d hoped to see some rafters, but our timing isn’t quite right.  It’s a beautiful spot though.

After lunch we head into Mission Beach where we’re staying tonight.  We find ourselves a lovely little cabin in a campsite overlooking South Mission Beach.  We can’t resist taking advantage of the swimming pool + water slide but minus the kids.  It’s great fun. 

Once we’ve dried off we head out on short rainforest walk.   This is Cassowary country and we’re hoping to catch sight of one.  We don’t have any luck, but the forest is still beautiful, if you can see past the swarms of killer mosquitoes that sneer in the face of our double-layered, tropical strength mosquito repellent. 

Then it’s beer and relaxing time.

Sunday:

The sun is out this morning and the beach looks a little cheerier in the sparkling light. 

Nick has gone off for a shower and I’m lured over for a closer look by a cheeky little wallaby.  I spot a flock of red-tailed cockatoos, which lead me further up the road.  Then the local lifeguard asks me if I’d like to see a baby cassowary.  No, this isn’t some weird pick-up line.  There’s a little fella wandering about someone’s backyard a few houses down.  I get a quick glimpse of him, but unfortunately no photo (of the bird or the lifeguard).

We have a quick tour around the town and try our luck on another rainforest walk, but the cassowaries are very wary and there are no further sightings.

Leaving town I persuade Nick to drive me to Murdering Point winery.  I never did find out the story behind the name, but they make wines out of tropical and local fruit.  After a good old tasting, I get a good deal on some wine made with lemon aspen.

We head inland towards the tablelands.  This is fertile, mountainous country.  We drive the waterfall circuit, stopping off at the Ellinjaa, Zillie and Millaa Millaa falls. 

Then we go to Mt Hypipamee for a look at the eerie volcanic crater.  There are a lot of Ulysses butterflies about – brilliant blue against the forest foliage, but a bit too quick for the camera.   There are some more waterfalls to see on the way back to the car. 

It’s a short drive into Atherton where we’re stopping for the night.  We call into the supermarket and I’m blown away by the huge range of local fruit and veg.  I can’t help myself and come away with passion fruit, papaya, butternut squash, chokos (which I have to google to find out how to cook) and salted roasted pumpkin seeds like my mother used to make. 

We find ourselves a cabin and sit out to watch the sunset.  It’s a nice surprise to find Ali and Andrew on skype and we have a good old chat.

Janet adds: Found my dream spot today: a plot of land in South Mission Beach looking over the sea and surrounded on two sides by rainforest.  Perfect.

Monday:

We have plenty of time again today, so we’ve planned a circuitous route to Port Douglas that crosses the Great Dividing Range 3 times.  We head towards Yungaburra and stop to see the curtain fig tree.  Pictures don’t do it justice, with aerial roots dropping down 15m from the canopy to the ground.  

In Yungaburra itself there’s a creek with a platypus viewing area.  We arrive at completely the wrong time of day: platypuses are usually seen round dawn and dusk.  Nevertheless, before I’ve even had time to read the information boards Nick has spotted one in the water.  We can’t quite believe our luck, but there he is, swimming across the creek.  We sit there for the next half hour or so and don’t spot a thing – we’ve been lucky.

(he's there, I promise!)

We drive on to Lake Eacham, a clear blue volcanic lake surrounded by rainforest.  It’s an excellent place for a swim.

The rest of the day is spent on our scenic drive: bypassing Cairns then taking in Kuranda and Mareeba before finally heading into Port Douglas.

Nick adds: Seeing a Platypus in the wild is the coolest animal I’ve seen so far, and that includes seeing Rhinos, Giraffes and Hippos in South Africa.

Noosa – Airlie Beach

13 January – 19 January

Thursday:

Funnily enough, the flooding didn’t reach ‘biblical proportions’ as was promised and the reporters seem genuinely disappointed that the tragedy (as heart-breaking as it is) isn’t worse.  We’re in a new phase of indecision.  We heard today that the roads round Rockhampton are opening up, which will clear the way north.  We also hear that the Pacific Highway southbound is closed due to flooding.  We have no idea what we’re meant to be doing or where we’re meant to be going, but we’re both in desperate need of a break from relentless catastrophe reporting, so we head back to Australia Zoo.

This time there’s no problem with the roads at all.  We arrive round 11am and have a great day – the highlight of course being the 5000 seater Crocoseum, with a wonderful performance by Murray, the saltwater croc.

The Irwin Family (sans Steve) are presenting, but the fake banter is beyond painful to sit through.  During the day I get to stroke a koala and an echidna, and feed kangaroos, wallabies and elephant. 

Afterwards we head to Noosa again and book onto a campsite.  While the rain is holding off we may as well have a day on the beach…

Friday:

We wake up to on/off showers, but as it’s 28 degrees decide to head to the beach anyway for a swim and a picnic lunch.

In the afternoon we head to Noosa Heads National Park for a bit of exercise.  We tackle a 7km walk that is half through gorgeous sun-dappled forest and half along rugged coast (with some seemingly suicidal surfers for entertainement). 

Back at the carpark we spot a koala dozing high up in the trees.  I’ve seen plenty in the zoos now, but it’s still special to see them in ‘the wild’.

We head back to camp for a lazy evening.  The plan for tomorrow is to start heading south, and we’ve planned a rough new itinerary.  The first stop my beloved Lennox Head for the extra time I so wanted.

Saturday:

Packed up and ready to go, we hit the road fully prepared and psyched for our southbound journey.  Until we hit the highway and Nick says ‘north or south?’ and we somehow find ourselves going north. 

It’ll take us a day to get up to Rockhampton, and another day to see if we can get through.  If we can, we’re back to our original plan (expect that our flights are now out of Sydney, hmmm).  If not, we’ve still got time to head back south and all it’s cost us is a couple of day’s driving.

We take a bit of an inland route to be on the safe side and it’s a pretty uneventful day.  The countryside is rolling, fertile green valleys lined with eucalyptus.  Driving conditions are fine, bar the odd rough patch or puddle of water.  Every now and then we pass an area that’s caked in mud – evidence of recently retreated flood-waters.

At about 5pm we get to Biloela, where we’re stopping for the night.  We find a campsite (and get given an ensuite one – ensuite campsites?!) but are too late to make the supermarket.  With the state of the roads food deliveries have been a bit touch and go, so you’ve just got to make do with what ever is available.  We find a shop that is open though and suitable supplies to cobble together a dinner. 

But first a swim, then a chance to admire the local lorikeets and the beautiful sunset.

Sunday:

We’ve planned ourselves a little bit of a crazy backroads route north today avoiding Rockhampton, which seems the best we can do based on the Queensland Roads website.  On the way out of town we stop for some petrol and I ask there if they have any updates on the situation.  I’m told that today, for the first time in weeks, the roads through Rockhampton have been opened to cars (some commercial vehicles have been allowed through for the past 48 hrs).  She advises that if we travel via Mount Morgan we’ll get through fine.

With our detour out the window we head for Rockhampton.  It’s soon easy to see why the roads have been closed for so long.  We drive a long stretch of road where the entire road surface has been lifted off and dumped back down a couple of feet to the side of the road, fairly intact and with the white lines still visible. Getting the roads passable again has meant completely resurfacing them.  Still, now that they are open it is fairly easy going.

It’s about lunchtime when we pass through Rockhampton.  There has been no rain here for over a week, but there is still water everywhere.   The scale of the flooding is immense. 

And then we’re through.  Our trip is back on track and we’re pretty much still on schedule too.  The only thing now is to try to un-cancel everything we’d cancelled, and to see if we can get our flights shifted back to Cairns.

We stop for the night in Mackay.  The first campsite we try doesn’t take tents as the grounds are subject to flooding.  A little worrying.  The second campsite is quite happy to have us and give us a big, grassy site with resident froggy.  Unfortunately the toilets are a meeting place for dreaded cane toads and you’ve got to dodge through about 30 of them to go for a wee, but they are kinda cute and it’s not their fault they’re an invasive alien species.

Janet adds: I’m getting that tropical feeling in my blood: warm nights, huge skies, palm trees…oh, and lotsa bugs.  But I love it.

Monday:

First thing to do is get on the phone and see if we can reinstate our sailing trip round the Whitsunday Islands which leaves tomorrow morning.  We’re in luck!  Then to rebook the campsite in Airlie Beach – also no problem.  Lastly, Air New Zealand.  This is the worrier.  But for some reason they’re feeling nice and switch our flights back to the originals for only a small service fee.  All done!

With the stress over, it’s a short drive into Airlie Beach.  Our campsite is gorgeous – the best yet.  Long, grassy sites lined with palm trees, a big camp kitchen, huge showers each with their own little mirror (! the luxury) PLUS pool with waterslides and a jumping pillow.  Now, if only we could get rid of the kids….

Once we’re settled in we take a drive into town to check in for our boat trip.  We’ve not strayed too far from the coast since Sydney, but my first sight of the coral sea is still amazing.  I’m immediately reminded of Broome.  The sea is brilliant turquoise and calm, the vegetation lush and overgrown, the atmosphere hot, sticky and languid.  There are a lot more dirty backpackers than in Broome though.

All checked in, we have the afternoon and evening to our leisure.

Tuesday:

We wake up to rain, which doesn’t bode well for sailing, but by the time we’re up and about it’s cleared.  It’s an early start for us today down at the Marina.  We’re booked on a 39 year old sailing boat called (appropriately enough) Waltzing Matilda. 

There are 14 of us, plus 2 crew.  There isn’t enough wind to get the sails up, but we have a slow chug out.  It is, quite simply, gorgeous. 

After a couple of hours we moor up near an island for a bit of a snorkel.  As it’s stinger season we’ve got to get kitted up in our stinger suits.  It’s not attractive, but for your amusement:

The snorkelling isn’t amazing, but we’re having fun.  Then we spot a turtle.  We swim along with it for a while, not quite believing our luck, when we come across an even bigger turtle, so we follow that one for a bit too.  It doesn’t seem bothered at all.  Jubilant, we get back on board for some lunch. 

In the afternoon we sail to another island where we’re put to shore for some more snorkelling and to admire the views.  After sundowners on the beach we’re loaded back on and head to our overnight mooring spot.  It’s a calm bay and turtle breeding area, so there are turtles sticking their heads up all around us.  We have a bbq , then turn in for an early night..

I’d like to say we had a great night’s sleep, lulled by the rocking waves, but the rocking got a bit rocky, and the gentle rain that started soon turned into a bit of a downpour that outsmarted our window seals to drip onto the bed.  It’s all part of the experience though and we did get some sleep.

Wednesday:

We’re woken up bright and early for some breakfast.  It’s still raining, but it’s a soft rain and the islands look just as beautiful draped in cloud as they do in blazing sunlight. 

We’re taken to shore where we walk through forest for a view of Whitehaven beach.  I’m expecting some tourist tackiness, but it is just stunning.  The white sand is 98% silica and from the lookout point we can see dozens of stingrays in the water below. 

We have 2 hours to spend on the beach and spend most of it in the water (stinger-suited up) as it’s still raining.  Then it’s back to our boat to start the journey back to Airlie beach.  At lunchtime we stop for a quick swim.

Some curious batfish come to check us out and are rewarded with some bread, which they seem to like.  We have one more quick swim on the way back, then it’s back to dry land with swaying legs and brilliant memories. 

Brisbane

9 January – 12 January

Sunday:

I want more time in Lennox Head, but we’ve been warned that the worst of the weather is to hit today and tomorrow.  There doesn’t seem much point hanging out at a beach campsite in the rain, so we head for the city. Brisbane is struggling to win us over.   The drive up through the brash, tacky gold coast doesn’t help.  The beach is pretty enough, but the run-down high-rises and cheesy attractions ruin it all. 

We’ve booked ourselves into a lasminute.com affair in the CBD, which is nothing plush but will do the job.  After settling in we take a stroll over the river to the West End.  I ‘accidentally’ steer Nick into one of the best cocktail bars in town, where I feel obliged (it would be rude not to) to order fancy cocktails.  They don’t do Charlie Chaplins, so I have to order off menu.  It’s fun anyhow, and afterwards we stop for some Thai food.

It would be most accurate to say that we waded back to our apartment.  The rain is relentless.  We arrive finally with dripping jeans and squelching trainers – thank goodness for tumble driers.  

Monday:

We’re in search of information today.  After Brisbane we’re planning to head north.  For a while now though the highway has been closed around the Rockhampton area.  We need to know if there is a way through or if we’re just wasting our time.  We set off on a walking tour round the city, with tourist information being one of the first stops. 

Armed with some websites to check out, we continue our tour.  We're not particularly warming to the city, but it still manages to surprise me with interesting statues on street corners

and beautiful buildings sandwiched between high-rises and wasteland. 

I do like the tropical feel, and the fact that you can see fellas like this along the riverbank.

It rains on/off all day, which is tiresome.  A bit of sunshine wouldn’t go amiss.  Back at the hotel we do a bit of route planning: it seems we can still head north, but it will mean about a 1000km detour – almost doubling the distance.  Still, we’re willing to give it a go.

We’re getting spoilt tonight: Dec, Suze, Lee and Lisa bought us a voucher for a 3 course meal in Australia for a wedding present, and we’re cashing it in tonight.  We head to our chosen restaurant where we’re wined and dined till the 3 block stumble back feels like an endurance test.

Tuesday:

We feel we’ve seen enough of the city and (especially as it is STILL raining) we decide to head to Australia Zoo.  Traffic is slow out of the city and we eventually get caught up in a big jam.  We’ve no idea what is causing it, until we have to get through the sheet of water covering the road. 

It’s not a good sign, and we decide our priority is getting back into the city, sod the zoo.  Unfortunately we’re too late.  They’ve already closed the road southbound.  We’ve got no choice but to go north.  This wouldn’t normally be a problem, but all our stuff is back in the hotel and we’re supposed to be checking out tomorrow.

We decide to head to Noosa.  Dec & Suze were heading there after Sydney and if we remember rightly, tonight is their last night there. 

We get lucky.  They are still in Noosa and have a spare bed in their apartment so we’re not homeless for the night.  We joked about gate-crashing their honeymoon, but this isn’t quite what we’d meant. 

We kill some time in Noosa (mostly spent in the car, as it’s lashing it down so hard) until they get back from their Fraser Island trip.  Then its out for a Chinese before a delicious sleep.  Dec & Suze are meant to be flying out of Brisbane in the morning, so if the roads don’t open we’re all a bit up the creek. 

Wednesday:

We up and off bright and early.  We get to Brisbane with no problems at all.  We’ve extended our stay for another night, as we didn’t think we’d get back in time to check out.  As it is we’re back before 10am and have the day to, well, panic really.  Brisbane river is due to flood and if you believed the media, WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE.  The river is set to peak at 5.5m, but the TV are running simulations of what it’d be like at 9m.  Ironically enough, it’s not raining and it’s a beautiful sunny, blue skies day. 

We’re figuring there’s no way we can head north (75% of Queensland is a disaster area, the roads round Rockhampton are still closed, and our 1000km detour has just been scuppered by a 7m wave of water that has taken out the Toowoomba region), so the best thing to do is cut our losses and head back south. 

A large portion of the day is spent negotiating cancellations with the accommodation and trips we’d already booked in the north and changing our flights to New Zealand from Cairns to Sydney.  In between all this we’re taking regular walks around the city to view the rising floodwaters. 

Eventually success!  Everything is cancelled that needs to be cancelled.  The only thing we need to do is get ourselves back to Sydney by 30 January.  Our plan for tomorrow (if we make it through the night, the media are suggesting it’s a definite maybe) is to get up and get as far south of Brisbane as we can.  I’m gutted to be missing out on our north east coat adventure, but at the same time can’t complain.  We’re being mildly inconvenienced, others are losing their homes.  

Morisset – Lennox Head

3 January – 8 January

Monday:

Needless to say, it’s not a great night’s sleep for either of us.  Getting a new mattress is first on our agenda.  We drive up to Port Macquerie, which is probably the biggest place around.  It’s a lovely town and we stop for lunch on the beach.  Most of the afternoon is spent sorting out shopping, but we get there eventually.   It’s a struggle finding campsites on the coast at this time of year, so we head up to Kempsey, which is a bit inland.    We have no problem finding a campsite there and tonight goes a bit better.  For a start, it doesn’t rain.  Our new mattress is super comfy and it seems like we’re finally getting back into this camping malarkey. 

Tuesday:

We’ve not got far to go today, so we can take it a bit easy.  We drive up past Coffs Harbour to Moonee beach.  There’s a lovely lagoon with grassy banks, which makes a great picnic spot. 

It’s overcast today, but not cold.  We spend the afternoon swimming and reading, then head a bit inland again in search of a place to pitch out tent.  We find a campsite surrounded by fields in Grafton.  It’s another good night’s camping.  We’ve bought a second gas stove so that cooking is a bit easier and the weather is obliging.  After dinner two young girls approach us offering a plate of cake.  I ask what the occasion is: it’s their dad’s birthday and they couldn’t finish all the cake themselves.  It’s such a lovely, old-fashioned gesture I can’t help but smile.  The cake was gorgeous too.

Wednesday:

We’ve booked a campsite in Lennox Head, which is about 15 minutes south of Byron Bay (accommodation in Byron Bay is just about impossible to find in school holidays).  We arrive early so take a stroll through the town and buy ourselves a picnic lunch to eat on the grass.

Then we head to our campsite.  It’s in a prime position, sandwiched between a tea tree lined lake and the 7 mile white sand beach.  The campsite is busy: a lot of families that have clearly been here for at least a couple of weeks.  They all have proper camping set-ups, and we get a few odd looks pitching our little two man tent on our massive sight.  Nick has bought a tarp (fulfilling a lifelong ambition I think) and gets that set up to provide some shelter from the sun and rain.

With the work done, we head to the lake for a swim in the warm, tannin-rich waters of the lake.

Nick heads back to camp and I decide to tackle a mini-jog on the beach, something I’ve been meaning to do for ages.  I keep it to a quick 20 mins just to ease myself in, then I drag Nick to the beach to get battered about by the waves with me.  It’s bliss. 

Back at camp we have a few beers and some food.  The clouds have been looking a little ominous all day, but more worrying is that everyone around us is battening down the hatches.  We’re just about to settle down and watch a film when we find out why.  It comes belting it down.  Everything (including ourselves) gets thrown rapidly into the car.  A couple of hours later the torrential rain shows no sign of letting up, so we’ve got to make the mad dash from car to tent. 

Thursday:

It rains all night, but we both sleep well.  In the morning we lie in the tent waiting for the rain to stop.  We wait, and we wait.  Eventually my bladder is demanding that I get up.  I stick my head up for a look out and see our flip-flops floating outside the tent.  Then we realise that the entire tent is sitting on about 2 inches of water.  How it stayed dry inside I don’t know. 

We’re supposed to be going sea-kayaking in Byron today.  When I ring up they say that at the moment it is still on.  So we get ourselves dressed and drive into Byron.  It’s absolutely beautiful – all rainforest and beach.  It’s also completely rammed with ageing hippies and backpackers.  We’re both glad we’re staying in Lennox now.  It is still raining, so we have a little drive around town and up to the lighthouse. 

Eventually we get the call to say our trip is cancelled.  There’s no point heading back to camp in the rain, so we stay and get some lunch in Byron.  Then we drive to Ballina, which is the biggest town around, and find a shopping centre to hide in.  The rain has reached torrential levels again, covering the road in places, so we’re a bit scared of heading back to see what state the tent is in.

Amazingly, when we get back the tent is still sitting in water, but is dry inside.  We catch a break in the rain to move the tent to higher ground, then spend the rest of the evening cowering in the car.  We’ve pretty much had enough.  It’s forecast to rain more and we’re thinking of clearing out early and heading to Brisbane.   Just before we go to bed the rain finally stops.

Friday:

We wake up still not sure if we’re staying or going.  It’s not raining but the clouds are still heavy, and it’s tempting to just pack up the tent while it’s still relatively dry.  We kill a bit of time over breakfast, and then the clouds shift and we get a bit of blue sky.  After a couple of days of trying desperately to stay dry, we head straight for the beach for a swim in the sea.  It’s great fun, and quite hard work in the waves. 

We take a walk along the beach to get some lunch, then settle on some grass by the lake. 

Later in the afternoon we head back to the beach.  Nick is eyeing up the surfboards – having not surfed for about 20 years he’s keen to give it a go again.  On a walk up to the toilets I spot a guy with a pile of boards.  I ask if he’s hiring them.  He says he is offering lessons, but won’t just hire them out as most people don’t know what they’re doing and end up getting into trouble or not catching any waves. 

I relay the info back to Nick and somehow he persuades me that we should go for a lesson.  I’m so nervous I feel sick, but we’re giving it a go.  Ben, our instructor, is brilliant.  We have a bit of a sea safety lesson and a few dry runs on the sand, then he takes us out into the surf.  These are the same waves we were being chucked about in earlier, but somehow, miraculously, Ben gets me stood up on the board first time.  It’s awesome.  Nick takes to it straight away and is soon teachers pet.  I have to hear about how he’d make a really good long-boarder, and ‘is he naturally good at all sports he tries?’  He’s doing brilliantly though and having a great time.  I won’t lie, I got knocked off way more times than I stayed on, and I wasn’t much good at catching a wave without someone to push me onto it, but it was so much fun.  2 hours later, exhausted, aching and happy, we call it quits.  It’s over to the lake to wash our boards off, then back to camp for beer.

Janet adds: would love to be a surfer girl, but might have to trade Nick in for surf-instructor to coach me through it. 

Saturday:

We both wake up aching all over.  Surfing is such good exercise, and much more fun than running.  It’s dry so far: we’ve rebooked our kayaking for this afternoon, so fingers crossed we can go this time.  Although I’m not sure how well our tired arms are going to do at paddling.

We head into Byron and take a short hike up Cape Byron to the lighthouse.  The views are good and we see dolphins swimming about in the bay below. 

Then we head to our kayak rendezvous point.  The trip is on!  We get kitted out with helmets, lifejackets and paddles and head for the beach. 

It’s brilliant fun kayaking out through the waves.  I’m in the front of our boat and am getting launched over the top of them to smack back down the other side.  So far so good: we haven’t fallen out or tipped our boat.  Once everyone is out, we paddle across the bay.  We’re looking for dolphins and turtles.  At the halfway point we haven’t seen anything yet and head into the beach to warm up with tea and timtams.  Then it’s back out through the waves again.  On the way back we stop for a snorkel over a little reef.  I whack my chin trying to climb back in, but manage not to tip us over.  More embarrassingly, I put my helmet back on backwards, much to the amusement of the crew (picture evidence to follow).  Just as we’re heading back in to the beach some dolphins pop out in front of us (with a little baby!).  We watch them swimming for a while, then surf the waves in with tired, aching arms. 

Janet adds: Despite the relentless rain, I’ve had such a good time here.  I think Lennox Head might have stolen my heart.