Simon went off early on the bus this morning and came back with an orange Mini Moke called Speedy Gonzales. We sit and have our breakfast and talk to a German couple who are travelling for a year with their 15 year old daughter. They tell us they have found the whole experience very easy and she hasn’t missed her friends or family at all. On the other hand, they haven’t been teaching her and said they have left it to her to decide whether she does any schoolwork or not.

Although we haven’t met many other people travelling with kids, amongst those we have met the consensus seems to be that the trip in itself is education enough. I really can’t agree with this though. Although the trip is amazing and in lots of ways our kids have had an education they could never learn in a classroom I feel we would be doing them a huge disservice if they returned to their classmates and hadn’t picked up a pen for a year.

We set of in the Moke to see a group of rock wallabies. The Mokes are the preferred method of transportation and the island and its good fun zipping along in the thing. Simon and Ali love it! The rock wallabies are very tame and come running up when we pull up. The kids love it and when they realise we have a few carrots the whole posse appears.

Magnetic Island is fairly small and as there are only 2 roads accessible in the Moke it doesn’t take us long to get about. It’s quite pretty and there are some lovely view points over the bays. We stop for lunch at a café and try a Skippy pie, I didn’t really like it though, very gamey tasting. I wouldn’t have it again. Maisie pronounced us disgusting and declared that no kangaroo will ever pass her lips! (I love a girl with principles!) By mid afternoon we have virtually explored the whole island and after stopping off to get some food for tonight’s dinner we make our way back.

Maisie and I sit under the trees and go over some spellings and maths questions. We practice long division and multiplication and I think back to our conversation with the German family this morning. It really isn’t too much of a chore and sitting on the grass, in the sun, under the trees I find teaching Maisie very rewarding. She really enjoys her lessons and is always keen to show off her new skills. I think she would be missing out a lot if we dropped them. Conversely Ali has always found it harder and although he is very bright, teaching him takes a lot of energy as he never wants to do it. The majority of the time he is fine once he gets started but the pre schooling arguments can get a bit wearing. Today though he does more science and it apparently goes swimmingly!

I get some internet time; it’s very expensive here and catch up on a few mails. Simon and Ali cook us a curry for tea and we sit outside eating it and watching the possums that creep around everywhere looking for any scraps. Tomorrow we are leaving and moving onto Airlie Beach, the launch pad for the Whitsunday Islands. Still can’t make up our minds whether to go for the sailing trip or not and have decided to get there and check it out. So early night, its 1030 now, feeling tired and have an early start tomorrow.

We sat in bed this morning listening to our festival CD in a little tribute to Alli and Adrian who have gone to the Isle of White festival. If we had been at home we would have gone too and I’m very sad about that. On the plus side, I do feel normal today with none of the hangover symptoms we normally all have when we get together. Alli tells me in her last email she hasn’t touched Jack Daniels since our leaving party (Or been able to look at a teapot- the Jack Daniels drinking vessel of choice that night!) Funny!

We got up and quickly repacked, we have to catch the bus at 9.45 to the ferry terminal where we will get a 20 minute ferry ride to Magnetic Island. The small ferry is very clean and safe looking, unlike a few we went on in Thailand! And we arrive at Nelly Bay just after 11am. We catch the local bus to Horseshoe Bay where we are staying and get out at Bungalow Bay Koala Village.

We have reserved two wooden huts for 2 nights and we’re pleased to see they are a bit more spacious and sturdy looking than the ones we stayed in on Ko Hai. In the sun it’s really warm and I take advantage of this by quickly stripping off to my bikini and lying on the grass for an hour or so. It’s a good opportunity to have a look around, this place is really a big campsite but with the added benefit of a restaurant and bar and it’s a beautiful setting. Lots of space and loads of tall leafy trees for the hundreds of birds to perch on. Not so tropical looking as further north though.

At 3 o’clock we head off up the road to walk the Koala Trail. Apparently they are around late in the afternoon and we thought it would be cool to see them in the wild. On the way we pass a field with a group of 6 or 7 kangaroos. They are quite big, I think 4 or 5 feet tall and don’t seem to mind us standing gazing at them and taking their picture. We reach the Koala Trail; I’m a bit worried to see signs saying there are Death Adders here. These are some of Australia’s most dangerous snakes and apparently a few dogs have been killed by them on Magnetic Island in the past few weeks.

We walk along the trail and stop on the way to take some photographs of the lovely bay below. We pass a big water tank and there in front of us is a small group of people staring up into a tree. The koala is all curled up, fast asleep and clinging on tightly to the branch with its long black claws. It’s quite big and it is nice to see it in the wild rather than at a reserve.

When we get back there is obviously something going on with the local bird population as we can hear the excited screeches of parrots. As we come round the corner, we see maybe one hundred of the most brightly coloured birds I have ever seen. It is Lorikeet feeding time. They are quite something and (At feeding time at least) completely tame. Standing on peoples heads and outstretched hands and fighting over the last few scraps of food.

We order a few drinks and sit at the bar while Ali and Maisie entertain themselves making Maisie’s Dance Video. (Very funny, will try and put it on website).As we sit chatting about our plans for the next few days, Tracey the girl from Guilin and Cairns walks in. We accuse her of stalking us and sit and have drink and catch up. She’s leaving in the morning and we promise the next place we meet we will definitely have dinner. We have our dinner and take her Ipod and charge it up for her. Then say our goodbyes again and head off for our little cabin.

On the way we look at the army of tree possums watching us from the branches. It’s really cold now and I’m glad we’ve got our sleeping bags as we snuggle down. Tomorrow we are hoping to hire a Mini Moke, the best way to get around the island but unfortunately all booked out today.

We have also been considering a 3 day sailing trip around the Whitsunday Islands. (A must see, must do activity when in OZ) There are lots of boats to choose from but the kids aren’t allowed on the maxi racing yachts and this does narrow our choices. The boat we like the look of is a Tall Ship with a long an interesting history but will cost (Ouch!) 750 quid. Looks like this could be one adventure we can’t see, can’t do. We’ll sleep on it.

I woke up with Maisie breathing down my neck and by 7.30 I have heard all about her dream, a regular morning thing! Townsville is Queensland’s second largest city and home to thousands of army and university students. We decide to arrange a trip to nearby Magnetic Island before setting off up the road to get some breakfast.

We find a lovely café and choose to sit indoors. It is winter here and although not too cold (Warm in the sun) I don’t want to sit outside. I seem to have caught Simon’s cold and am feeling a bit shivery. We have a good breakfast, toast and a selection of jams for me, healthy cereal, fruit and yogurt for Simon. (Very good!) It’s not too expensive and we decide we will go out for dinner tonight at a cheap noodle bar. Maisie misheard and is a little shocked to hear we plan on dining at the nude bar! (Bless!)

We have the opportunity to have a good look around as we carry on up the road on our way to The Museum of Tropical Queensland. From what I have seen so far of Australia it doesn’t really conform to the stereotypical image that I had of the Aussies. I think I had half expected everyone to be a picture of golden and glowing health and although we have met lots of people like that, I think we have all been surprised at the numbers of obese, unhealthy looking people here. Even in the tiny villages we visited in the far north McDonalds and KFC have made their mark.

Townsville is a pretty town and the harbour looks gorgeous with all the yachts moored up. On the way we pass a few groups of Aboriginal people sat on the grass sharing a few beers. Although we haven’t had the opportunity yet to learn much about the Aboriginal culture I am looking forward to finding out a bit more about Australia’s indigenous people.

We arrive at the museum and are pleased when once again in an expensive place the museum is our saving grace for entertainment. It only costs 30 dollars to get in (12 quid) and turns out to be really good, educational and informative. There is a whole gallery dedicated to the history of the ship Pandora. In the late 1700′s it was sent to hunt down the infamous mutineers of The Bounty and having captured 14 and detained them eventually sank off The Great Barrier Reef. There is a life-size replica of the bow, a demonstration of cannon firing and loads of artefacts. With lots of interactive video sequences the kids have a great time and learnt a lot.

We then go to see the Reef and Rainforest gallery and it’s a good opportunity for Ali to learn a bit more about the coral polyps. There are also loads of gorgeous corals being exhibited and a big section on the wildlife and insects of the tropics. Next is the science department and we spend ages conducting various scientific experiments. I’m delighted to find I have almost perfect pitch, as I seem incapable of completing most of the other fairly basic experiments successfully!( Lack of mathematical brain) Lastly and slightly randomly we learn about marine stingers, cyclones, important people of Townsville and musical instruments of the world. In all we spent nearly 3 hours wandering around and agreed we had a great time.

Just got back from dinner at the noodle bar, we had some great Chinese and Thai food and I found it really comforting and normal feeling to be eating with chopsticks and all sharing the dishes. Made me realise once more how much I miss being in Asia and that I have felt more homesick for there than I ever have for England. (Hardly makes sense, but true)

As we were walking back to the hostel a naked man came running up the road towards us before shouting “oh shit kids” and swerving off into the bushes. Soon followed by his mates, a touring rugby team. I bet Simon would have loved to join them for a night out on the piss! Anyway we got back and I suggested we play a few drinking games so we sat in bed with some beer and half a bottle of mango wine drinking it out of the bottle as we haven’t got any glasses. Not quite the same I know but hey better than nothing!

Had a great nights sleep and woke up at 8 when Ali knocked at our door worried that we had missed the train at 7.30. Although we had told them we would be leaving very early and therefore got them in bed before 9pm (A rare occurrence these days) we actually didn’t get any confirmation and therefore decided to catch a Greyhound bus instead at 1pm.

That worked out well, as despite us getting our laptop back yesterday with a new hard drive it now won’t even turn on and Simon takes it back to the shop. Another 49 dollars later and we get it back minus half the ram, but working ok at last. I pack up our stuff which has now increased considerably in size and weight due to our new additions of a tent, 2 sleeping bags and 2 lots of fins. As we have been given the fins and sleeping bags I did consider leaving them behind but don’t want to arrive somewhere else and have to buy or hire them.

We say goodbye to Rob, get in a taxi and head off for the bus station. It is a 6 hour journey to Townsville but I’m not worried about it. 6 hours isn’t too long for us and after some of our bus rides through India and China I’m sure this will be a piece of piss. It goes great, apart from a very smelly man sat behind us and when we stop off at the service stop half way we realise have to be in the most scenic bus station ever. It is beautiful, with a gorgeous coastline and a lovely island out to sea. We sit having fish and chips and gaze around. We think back to that terrible journey from Panzhihua to Lijiang in China where we stopped for a pee in a shed with a donkey and a dog and laugh. As much as I miss Asia I wouldn’t swap here for there tonight.

The Greyhound buses have a toilet onboard and show films along the way. So quite good. The film showing is very strange and I miss the point of it and give up after 10 minutes but Simon and Ali seemed to enjoy it. (The Gods Must Be Crazy). At last we arrive in Townsville and get off; the bus is going onto Brisbane, another 23 hours – glad we’re not staying on! We get a taxi to The Adventurers Resort, a cheapish hostel. When we arrive I’m not too happy as the kids are on a separate floor and as it’s such a big and busy hostel decide I will sleep with Maisie tonight and Simon with Ali.

We go out for a beer and sit in a noodle bar. Tomorrow we will start checking out stuff to do. Feeling tired now and fed up of writing this so off to bed. Want get some good shut eye.

Woke up early again having had another crap nights sleep. It has been raining for hours and the noise on the roof is pretty loud. We decide we will just chuck our gear in and sort it out properly when we arrive back in Cairns.

We take the scenic route back along a 19km long mountainous road with 300 bends. It’s beautiful, stunning scenery along Gillies Range but by the end both Ali and I are feeling carsick (Very unusual for me) and I’m glad to finally get down on the flat. We stop and get some lunch before heading towards the hostel we stayed in last week.

It takes a while to unpack everything and we have got loads of laundry to do. I show myself to be the completely undomesticated idiot that I am when I lose 3 dollars in the dryer. When I complain to Rob the manager, that the machine isn’t working he points out the fact that I needed to switch it on. Der!

We remembered that we have screwed up in a big way this morning and forgotten Simon’s Mums birthday .Doh! Sorry Pam and Happy Birthday for the 2nd. Simon gives her a call and sends his apologies! We spend the rest of the afternoon catching up on a few emails. We have been trying to organise some transport to Townsville and Simon goes off to try and get a bus or train sorted before taking Anastasia off to give her a good clean and wash before he takes her back to Justin and Gill.

He gets back around 7 having called off at KFC to get us some dinner. It is as vile as ever and none of us enjoy it. We get the kids in bed early and crash out. There are loads of trash magazines here and I catch up on the lives of Brad and Ange, Paris Hilton and The Beckhams. Ah this is the life!

Oh my god, I had such a bad nights sleep and could have happily throttled Ali when we woke me up this morning early by yanking my foot! Anyway, I did go back to sleep and felt better when I woke around 9. The birds here are so noisy and Simon tells me he has been down to Lake Tinaroo bird watching. He has some good photographs of the squawking cockatoos that seem to live here in their hundreds, a pelican sat on the lake and a kookaburra in the tree behind our tent.

We have our showers and set off for a days sightseeing. Actually Ali isn’t feeling too well so it’s probably a good thing that the first place is about an hour away. We pass the tiny villages of Kairi and Yungaburra on the way and see a sign for Bones Knob Lookout (Not sure whether you are supposed to lookout for bones or knobs). Eventually we reach Millaa Millaa Falls, the holiday brochure we have picked up describes fall watching as a rejuvenating experience- Hmm! Not too sure about that but the waterfall is quite impressive and very pretty anyway.

We get back on the road and stop for lunch in the small town of Malanda. We get the chance to check a few emails and shop for a bit of food at the local Spar Shop. I buy the kids a toffee apple each, some Ribena and some lemon tarts which Simon points out later doesn’t really help towards a healthy balanced diet! (I guess not!)

The Tablelands area is very beautiful and has a diverse landscape. Not only are we on the top of the mountains at an altitude of around 1000m but there are also lots of lava formations left over from ancient volcanoes. We pass a range of lava hillocks called The Seven Sisters and see basalt boulders on the road side thrown there by volcanic eruptions.

Next we go to see The Curtain Fig Tree. This news is greeted with howls of sarcastic disapproval from the kids when we tell them we are going to see a tree. Especially as it is now pissing down with rain. The Curtain Fig Tree is a massive parasitic plant and is actually really cool but in the end we only spend a couple of minutes there grabbing a few photos.

We get back to the campsite, by now it is raining a lot and the kids decide to take the pedal car they have hired for racing around the camp pathways back and hire it again in the morning. It’s a shame it’s so rainy, as it’s a lovely campsite with a pool, bouncing pillow which is a bit like a big bouncy castle with no sides and park area. Still when Maisie goes off to the toilet and shrieks “kangaroo” at the top of voice it makes up for being stuck in the van. Guess the roos don’t worry about a bit of water! We race across to where she is stood completely spellbound and all gaze at the small figure only 10 feet away. Nibbling at the grass it is only around 3 feet high but a real kangaroo nether the less!

Simon woke me up rustling around this morning and although its only 7.30 I am soon up and about. I have been reading a great book, a trashy 1800′s cowboy bodice ripper and lie outside on the grass in the warm sun. It�s a lovely campsite, the sites are all arranged in a circle and it’s very peaceful. Our site is flanked by big banana trees and there are lots of passion flowers everywhere.

We spend the morning quietly and have a tasty fry up courtesy of Ali and Simon around midday. We settle down then to some schoolwork. Maisie has almost completed the science curriculum and we revise electricity and “understanding experiments”. Ali has a bit more on his hands with the elements of the periodic table but it seems to go smoothly enough.

We decide to have a walk along the beach and set off around 3pm. It’s fantastic, so beautiful, very wild and empty and backed by swamplands. We stay close to the sea and have a paddle. The lady at the campsite told us the water is safe from jellyfish but I still feel a bit anxious about swimming here. There are signs warning against marine stingers in the summer months and we see a large bottle of vinegar waiting for those unfortunate enough to get stung.

We wander along for about an hour before setting back and decide to cut through the swamps on a boardwalk to PK’s campsite. (We know there is an ATM here) Unfortunately it’s out of service but we buy some food on our card and set off along the road. I’m so pleased when the fella who owns our site stops in his ute and picks us up. The kids bounce around in the back and he entertains us with stories of wild pigs running around the roads!

When we get back we sit on the grass. Ali plays his guitar and I have a few wines. Its so cool listening to him singing away and a little boy from the site opposite comes over and joins in. In the evening we make our way up to the kitchen area and make Taco’s for dinner. Again the kids cook most of it and it’s good to see how much they enjoy themselves. I had unfortunately had a few too many glasses of wino and dropped the chicken on the path on the way but hey. A quick swill under the tap and it seemed ok. Tasted alright anyway.

Tomorrow we are leaving this lovely place for The Atherton Tablelands, we are planning to stay at Lake Tinaroo Simon tells me. Well off to bed now, feeling tired and slightly pissed.

Considering the restricted space in Anastasia we slept well and didn’t wake up until about 8am. Simon has a streaming cold and we decide that we probably won’t go too far today. There are some beautiful beaches along this coast so the plan is to drive along and stop when we get to somewhere pretty.

It’s so hot already which is great. We have had lots of fun camping in Cornwall with our friends Alli and Adrian around this time of year for mine and Maisie’s birthday, but we usually freeze at night despite large amounts of gin, wine and beer. It’s so good to be walking around in shorts and t shirt late at night and I would love them to be here also.

Simon and Ali walk to the shop and get some bacon. Anastasia is well equipped with a fridge, grill and gas rings so we decide bacon sandwiches are in order. After breakfast we take the tent down, pack up our stuff and set off. Just up the road (The Captain Cook Highway) we stop at Four Mile Beach for a walk. Oh wow so beautiful, the beach stretches out in front of us and although not deserted the huge expanse of space makes it seem almost that way. We wander along and stand and watch a group of people having life guard instruction and watch children swimming within the confines of the stinger nets.

Back in the combi, we motor on for another hour or so. We stop off on the way at a few lookout spots. This part of Australia is really interesting and one of the only places in the world where the tropical rain forest meets the ocean. We drive through the rainforest and past miles of sugar plantations and mangroves. We see signs for Cassowary birds and to our amazement one suddenly steps out in front of us and ambles across the road. It’s massive, nearly as tall as Maisie and I can hardly believe my eyes. We have read that there are only 1200 left and they are endangered so we were really lucky. Increasingly we start to see more and more swamps and when I read that a few more miles up the road and it is unsealed (Not tarmaced) I realised how close to the wilderness we are.

We cross the river at Daintree on a car ferry and carry on towards our destination Cape Tribulation. It is supposed to be one of Australia’s premier attractions due to its remote location and diverse flora and fauna. When we arrive I’m a bit surprised to see exactly how small it is, just a couple of shops and around 4 campsites to choose from. We try a couple before settling on Cape Tribulation Camping Ground. It costs 40 dollars for the night which is slightly less than 20 quid, not too bad for a powered site with hot water showers, kitchen, BBQ’s etc. Also only 30 metres from the beach and fairly close to a shop.

We take a path through the trees towards the beach and follow the signs to the shop. We pass a swampy looking creek and as Simon wanders towards the water to take a photo I call him back telling him he may get eaten by a crocodile. I was joking and it comes as a complete shock when we stop and chat to some people riding horses, they point to a huge crocodile lying on the other side of the creek in the sun! Oh my god! What a shock I don’t think I actually comprehended for one minute that we might see real crocodiles in the wild here and I feel really awed by it and a bit creeped out.

We get some supplies from the shop and head back to the campsite. In the evening we cook steaks and sausages for dinner before making our way back to the VW for the evening. We sit having a few drinks, telling jokes and stories. The kids love it here and when it pours with rain strip off and have a water fight with water balloons. We see a possum wander past and I realise that despite having seen all sorts in Asia, Australia is really different and is definitely rocking our world. From what I have seen so far here I can sum up Australia best by saying it makes you feel good. The combination of the good weather, clean air, friendly people and varied landscape is intoxicating. Really feel like I’m getting the bug for it now and can’t wait to see a bit more.

Once again it’s up early and packing up our gear. We sit waiting for Justin to collect us outside the hostel and are surprised to see Tracey the girl we met in Guilin in China walk past. We have a quick chat, tell her we took her advice and stayed in Kowloon in Hong Kong and listen to her story of her adventures in Melbourne over the past week. We say our goodbyes again, promise to email and hope to catch up further down the coast maybe for dinner one night.

We set off in the VW for The Esplanade. Justin and Gill explain that they have invited a few close friends (“Their Australian family”) and it’s lovely to meet them, have a good chat and feel part of a group of friends. We explain to them that although we have met lots of really cool people during our trip making any real connections with anyone is hard. Although we have had some great conversations with people in the back of your mind you always think you probably won’t ever see them again.

Davy’s birthday party goes well, the sun doesn’t quite shine but it doesn’t rain either and the little birthday boy seems to have a great time splashing around in the fountains, opening his presents ( We got him some play dough and cutters) and getting covered in chocolate from his cake! Gill and Justin have bought a few snacks along and then buy fish and chips for everyone – yum! We spend a few hours before deciding its time to leave and set off in Anastasia.

It is so cool! In great condition and obviously well loved, Anastasia is a peach and Simon gets the hang of driving her in no time. We stop on the way and stock up on a few beers and a bottle of wine. I love it! We tune into some old radio station that plays “the tunes you haven’t heard in a long time” and the sun comes out! What a fantastic experience all I need are some flowers in my hair.

The road between Cairns and Port Douglas is beautiful. It hugs the coastline and we stop off at a view point to take some pictures. The kids are very happy and we potter along, taking in the scenery. Less than an hour and we reach Port Douglas, we have been warned its very expensive but find a campsite for 40 dollars and pull up for the night.

First job is to put up the tent we have bought for Ali to sleep in. he has been so desperate for his “own space” and it seemed like a good idea. The tent is up in no time and we sit having a few beers before heading off up the road for dinner. It is quite costly and nothing special but I console myself with the thought that we will be cooking some food ourselves over the next few days and saving a bit of cash.

We get back to the site and having given Ali lots of warnings about snakes, dingoes, poisonous spiders, scorpions and the Australian strangler etc he decides he perhaps doesn’t want his own space that much after all! In the end they decide they will both sleep in the tent, a better idea I think! Off to bed now looking forward to tomorrow very much.

We get up a bit later today as we’re all a bit tired with our recent late nights and early mornings. We have our breakfast; Ali goes to the supermarket and buys some jam for his crumpets and we have cereal and fruit.

We have decided today to walk into town and have a good look around Cairns seafront. Cairns is a small city set in tropical surroundings, with the close proximity to the reef, some of Australia’s best beaches and the northern tablelands I can see why people would want to live here. We stop off on the way and look in the estate agents windows, for 140 thousand pounds we could buy a 3 bed roomed place with a pool. Sounds tempting!

We get some BBQ food, chicken kebabs and a Caesar salad and make our way to The Esplanade and Lagoon area. It’s lovely here. Crowded with backpackers, everyone cooks up their lunch on the free BBQ stands and then lazes around on the grass by the waters edge. The salt water lagoon is man made and fairly cold today. The kids brave it and have a bit of a splash around but I just read my book and generally relax.

We spend a few hours there before heading back to the hostel for some schoolwork. I do some maths with the kids which is fairly painless and learn something myself. Although what is the point to learning about congruence and symmetry I do not know. I hope that didn’t come across to them! Simon takes our laptop to the computer menders, it remains critically sick and we know now needs a new hard drive. The fella in the shop gets onto Dell and they agree to supply a new one for free. They keep the laptop for a few hours and transfer all the data onto a temporary drive, the plan being that when we return to Cairns in a few days the new drive will have arrived from Dell and the data will be transferred then. This is costing us around 150 quid so I’m hoping it cures the problem.

In the evening Ali cooks dinner. I’m pleased his is going to have the opportunity to do this in Australia. He has always been the most independent of people and I worry sometimes that if he leaves home at 16 (His plan!) he will have to live on take outs. He does really well with minimal supervision from Simon and serves us chilli beef with nachos, sour cream, salsa, grated cheese and guacamole. He has made a bit of a mess around the cooker as the chilli beef and is so pleased when Simon, Maisie and I clean up and wash and dry the dishes.

Tomorrow we are going to Davey Daley’s 2nd birthday party and then off in the VW. How exciting.