Heading south through the big wet along the tropical coast of North Queensland.
Mission Beach - Penny taking it easy and being careful to avoid the failing coconuts as the water is still too dangerous to go in (stingers and crocodiles). A rare break in the rain along this stretch of the trip.
The Cassowary Coast - just because swimming in the sea is not dangerous enough the birds on the land can pick on you just when you think you may be safe in the car. We never actually saw a cassowary in the wild, there may be more road signs warning of these birds crossing the road than there are birds.
Tully - The Big Golden Gum Boot. The height of the gumboot represents the amount of rainfall recorded in Tully in the year of 1950 - 7.9 metres which is the Australian record. As the sign says "Tully - A pretty wet place". Some rainfall facts about Tully; average yearly rainfall 4490mm; average number of days per year rain falls 150; highest daily rainfall 1140mm in March 1967. No wonder it rained on us, although ironically not actually whilst we were in the gumboot in Tully.
Townsville - On top of Castle Hill a 286m high pink granite monolith standing in the heart of the city overlooking the town and Magnetic Island. We went to the Aquarium and wandered along the foreshore as well as meeting up with some of Fleur and Ellie's school friends who are also doing the big lap but in the opposite direction.
Bowen - the latest in the series of big things The Big Mango. 10 metres high and made of fibreglass. Built in 2002 at the cost of $90,000 some $60,000 over budget, no mention of why they got it so wrong. It was stolen in February2014 but quickly recovered.
On top of Mount Rooper overlooking the Whitsunday Islands, white sands, crystal blue waters though none of which we saw due to the weather. We had plans to hire a yacht and spend 3 nights cruising the island but the 40 knot winds, driving rain and 5 metre seas where perhaps wisely decided to be beyond our sailing ability.
June 11th our 6 month anniversary since leaving home so we celebrated with a meal out at the Rockhampton Leagues Club. All you could eat roast carvary and ice creams.
Rockhampton - on the Tropic of Capricorn and aside Queensland largest river the Fitzroy. Fleur and Ellie in the Great Western Hotel, only one of two pubs in the world with their own rodeo ring in the back room. Great Friday night entertainment. 
Caving in the Capricorn Caves crawling around in bat poo and owl spew and trying not to get stuck in the 'wedge' or 'whales blowhole'. Helps to be small and young.
Emu Park - The Singing Ship Monument which is dedicated to James Cook who sailed past this point in 1770 and named the area Keppel Bay and some of the offshore Islands. The sculpture is suppose to sing almost constantly because of the on-shore breezes but we couldn't hear it, perhaps the wind was in the wrong direction. Built to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Cook's discovery of Australia. 
Yeppoon - A relaxing afternoon walking around the marina and deciding which boat we all liked best, perhaps when we win the lottery...
Sunset at the Town of Seventeen Seventy, the Birthplace of Queensland. So called because on the 24th May 1770 James Cook stepped ashore on only his second landing on the Australian continent after Botany Bay. 
Bundaberg and the big bottle of rum outside of the Bundaberg Factory Rum Tour. An Australian Icon born out of the Queensland cane fields in 1888 the distillery still stands on its original site and produces 6 million litres of Rum each year of which nearly all is drunk in Australia. Only 4% gets exported out of the country.
The Bert Hinkler Museum. Bert was a pioneering Australian aviator and inventor born in Bundaberg. He designed and built early aircraft before being the first person to fly solo from England to Australia in 1928, and the first person to fly solo across the Southern Atlantic Ocean. 
