byron fun so far

So far i have had more fun than a kid playing footy.We are now in Katherine shady lane caravan park.Cool pool really shady so i guess that's why they call it shady lane.We have gone to waterhole awesome.

Caravan parks and squid those are the best things so far.PS. I liked the mine tour!!!!!Airle beach was the best.It had two waterslides!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!In my opinion if you are travelling around QLD with kids go to the big 4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort.











So do that.Byron is going to be back but for now i'm out.

Callum's experience of the trip so far

Around Australia around Australia wahoo. We've traveled and traveled to Queensland outback.The sunset is sensational on the river.The flies are unbelievable.Fire everywhere rings of fire on hills.My mum wanted us too have a swim too many bees and weed so no swimming. We ate a massive finger bun. Byron and I went in a mine with a tour guide he gave us one hundred$worth of copper:)Oh so sad Finlay didn't get one hundred$worth of copper Na just kidding he didn't get too go down to the mine,ha!!got you didn't I:):):):)

Head West Young Man....

Headed off over the Atherton Tablelands (Great Dividing Range), was hard going on the car as some of the hills were quite steep. When we got to the top there were a few waterfalls, first one we stopped at was a 2.6 klm walk.....not. We drove on to another one, got the boys out of the car with reluctance and whinging and it was a disappointing as far as waterfalls go. The we finally got a really decent one, and some decent photos.

Boys at bottom of Ellinjaa Waterfall

Byron performing on the out door stage at Undara Tubes

 Later in the afternoon, and a huge change in landscape, from lush tropical rain forest to scrub savannah. The road was now flat and the air was hot. We had planned on visiting the Undara Lava Tubes, but by the time we got there all we had was 3 hot and bothered boys and none of them looked excited about going on a 2 hour tour! We opted for the much shorter self drive and walk around an extinct volcano. The walk up the side was hot and hard work but once up on the rim there was a beautiful breeze and beautiful views.

We stayed in Mt Surprise that night and headed out early the next morning, we got to Croydon at lunch time.

Boys cooling off.

We visited Lake Belmore just north of Croydon and had a cooling dip in the water, none of us swam outside the netting as there was a sign for fresh water crocodiles!!! Traveled  up to Normanton for the night and we picked the only van park with a pool so the boys could go swimming but they got asked to get out early as the pool needed maintenance. 

We got to Karumba early the next morning and it is a cute little fishing town, the lady told me that some people come and stay there for the dry season (March till September) just to fish. We witnessed our first sunset over the water and it was very special. So special we decided to do it again the next night.

Mark went on a fishing charter to try and catch some Barramundi but came back early very disappointed. Not even a bite.

Sunset Day 1

The best viewing place for the sunsets was the pub. Lucky for us....

Sunset Day 2

 We traveled along towards Cloncurry but stopped at a rest stop for the night. The flies were so bad even though it was 40 degrees in the shade, we all put long pants and long sleeve shirts on so they would leave us alone. We made a fire and cooked some fish that someone from Karumba had given us. It was beautiful.





We drove the next day into Cloncurry, then onto Mount Isa. We had heard reports of the highway being closed due to smoke. We got through okay but the mountains on both sides we burning, a little bit away from the road.It was impressive.

Smoke seen on the way into Mt Isa

After arriving in town we set up the van, Mark, Byron and Callum went on a tour of the underground mine. The boys tell me it was very noisy and a bit scary, they had lots of machines to show and a demonstration of a mine explosion. After the tour we planned a trip to the local lake for a refreshing dip was in order, along the way there were fires on this road as well, but much closer that we expected. When we got to the lake it was a bit yucky for swimming and we didn't end up going in 

Today we are getting the car serviced and have to hang around for the day, hopefully tomorrow we'll be back on the road heading for Tennant Creek. That's if the flies don't carry us away......

North Queensland Coast

Well, we found a few interesting things to do this week. After our night by the railway tracks we woke and got on the road early. Wasn't hard to get the kids going as there was nothing to distract them from the packing!!!! We only drove a relatively short way, and found a Crocodile Sanctuary and saw heaps of crocs, the boys fed the kangaroos and whistling ducks. They had a talk on Cassowaries and then Mark and the other people got to feed them through the fence. We got up close and personal with a wombat.

Byron held the Lorikeet

Pushing on to Townsville, and got to the aquarium called Reef HQ. We saw the sick turtles in the turtle hospital and then looked around the aquarium and the boys had a great time. After the aquarium we went to the foreshore area which had a water play area that we closed for the day, so we missed out on that one.

Finlay at ReefHQ

We started back on the road and found another free camp and the boys found a new friend, it's the first family we've come across. Boys very upset by having a second night in a free camp as it means we don't have electricity and can't charge the i-pods!!! Therefore the world will end, mum.

Bush walking, watching out for cassowaries and feeding fish are all part of the adventure in a walk in a north Queensland rain forest. Oh and don't forget the humidity!!

Mark and I at National Park, Mission Beach

Kurrimine is where we are currently staying, nice little van park and after 2 nights free camping we can charge i-pods, i-pads, i-phones and laptops. Not to mention catching up on the laundry, showers and shopping. We went to Pantonella Park a tourist attraction near Innisfail, the park was created by a guy in the 1930's very different, it reminded me of a Vietnamese temple. The park was lovely and the pub lunch after it was so nice.

Kuari Tree Avenue

We are off to the Undara Lava Tubes tomorrow, and start heading west. Just heard the weather report for Normanton, 37 degrees!!!!!!

Week 2

So at the end of another week, the boys have had a great time, while Mum and Dad flew off to Fiji!

We made it to Airlie Beach after a night at Australia's largest privately owned caves, known imaginatively as "The Capricornica Caves".  These caves include an under ground chapel where you can come and get married amoungst the caves, bats and bat poo - guano!

The Boys at The Caves

The boys Nana and Grandpa flew in to Airlie Beach and we checked into the Big 4, Airlie Beach.  The boys describe it as having "a giant chess set, two water slides (Grandpa thinks they went on these over 200 times:-)), a massive jumping pillow, miniature golf, a big pool, spa, play ground, volley ball, ping pong, movie theatre and basket ball quarter court!

The boys made it on a cruise of the barrier reef islands and visited, Daydream Island, White Haven beach, which as the whitest and smoothest sand in the world! and Hamilton Island.  They swam at the beach and patted sting rays and manta rays!  They saw a "massive shark" .

Fiji - South Sea Island...

Meanwhile Jodie and I lazed around Fiji!  We found it was very commercial and while if you want to sit at a beautiful resort and do nothing, it was perfect.  We spent a day on a cruise of the islands and snorkelled on the reef.  I went on a fishing trip on the next day and despite being on one of the best fishing places in the Pacific, we successfully caught nothing....looks like I know the places to go to not catch fish all over the Pacific!  We met lots of interesting people from UXC and it all worked out very well.

Glad to be back home we flew into Proserpine this morning and met Nana and Grandpa.  We had only 10 minutes to hand over before they had to rush off to the airport to fly back home.  After a big pack up we hit the road again and drove to Rose Bay Beach at Bowen.  Wow a beautiful beach, and no one around us, it was great.  We had lunch and then went for a fish on the rocks.  We ended up landing 3 squid from the rocks.  Having never caught squid before this was very exciting for me, after fishing for the past 2 weeks and landing nothing!!   The squid made every attempt to escape and concluded with squirting Callum across the eyes with a blast of black ink!!  It was an amazing shot, right across both eyes with thick, goey, black ink!

Rose Bay Beach Bowen...looks like Fiji!

We have stopped tonight at a road side stop between a row of shows and a railway line at Home Hill, just out of Ayr.  We hope to get to Innisfail and then across to Normanton during this next week.

Time to go to bed.

M,J,B,C,F

And we are on the road.....

After lots of planning and dreaming we are finally on the road.  Its the end of the first week and we need to put up a post to update our adventures.

We have had to move quickly to get to Airlie Beach, as I was fortunate to win a free trip to Fiji, which had to be taken on 12th September.  So in the days leading up to our leaving date we needed to arrange how or what to do with 3 small boys, while Jodie and I flew to Fiji for 4 days! A good problem to have but still a logistical challenge.  We have asked my mum and dad to fly up to Airlie Beach and found a great park up there for them to stay.  Fingers crossed its as good as the website shows it!

This has meant our first week and half needs to be moving fairly quickly and at the same time learning what the hell we are doing!  We have made it to 1770, a beautiful town just south of Gladstone.  So far we have only stopped overnight in each place and have done lots of driving.  We are now settled here in 1770 for a couple of nights.

So far we have stayed at a family farm, the front lawn of Pop Bobs, the side of the road at a state forest, the newest van park in Aust, a dam and some less than new van parks!

While at the farm the boys had a ball, riding a quad bike, help move and tag cattle. Then watch as the truck came and took them to market. Callum got to steer the quad bike with Glen's help and Finlay got on after a bit of reluctance and when they drove past he yelled out to us "So long suckers!!"

The boys got to see Australia Zoo.  It is an amazing place, very easy to get around and interesting.  Steve Irwin has done an amazing job.  It was interesting that despite my dislike of his over enthusiasm, I was touched with emotion reading about his achievements for the environment and seeing his legacy carry on.  How long till Bindie has a internet video like Paris, i wonder ;-)

As we have moved north it has thankfully gotten warmer and its now swimming weather and sunscreen.  The fishing has been a challenge and so far the count stands at 3 attempts, no fish bothered.:-(

We have seen a range of different landscapes, from huge flat paddocks out near Moree, that you can't see the other side of, through to rough mountain roads covered in leaves and sticks.  The boys played mini putt putt today at the Lake Monduran Dam and have been excellent with the long driving days.  Most days we have driven for 4 to 6 hours, although today was a short hop of only 2 hours.  They are busy watching DVDs, playing Ipods and arguing.  We can tell when it gets to about 2 hours, as the "quiet" in the back is broken by bickering.

The next few days should get us to Airlie Beach, where the boys will spend 5 nights, exploring the Great Barrier reef and neighboring islands.

Mark, Jodie, Byron, Callum and Fin

The Snow

In what we plan to be our last "practice" trip, we drove to Jindabyne and Perisher for the weekend.
Leaving Friday and making our way to Jindabyne we were surprised by how warm it was...until the sunset!  Then the temperature plummitted and we were thankful for the heater we took with us.

We had tested the vans air conditioner and it failed before we left home, so we took an oil filled electric heater with us.  We needed to find all the airleaks (like the vent in the door) and blocked these off to stop the cold air getting in.  It was cosy and warm.

During the first night it dropped to minus 7 and so the morning brought a white lanscape of frost, like the boys had never seen before.  They ran onto the tennis court and found that the puddle of water from the day before was now a slippery ice patch, they all fell over!

We drove up to Perisher and being the middle of the school holidays, we weren't the only people with this great idea!  The car park extended back to Smiggin Holes...glad we got there early.

The boys rode toboggans down the slope, slipping and sliding their walk back to the top, but the weather was perfect, infact they all got too hot and striped off layers.  After lunch we found a slope over behind the resort which was untouched power snow and playyed their rolling down the slope and generally being idiots!!

Packing up early morning was interesting with the water hose firmly frozen to the van and then completly full of ice and the awnings both rock hard with ice on both underside and top!

We made our way to a Trout farm on the road back to Cooma and fished in the "sure catch" pond.  Idea is that 500 trout in a small pond must be easy to catch....yeah right.  After nearly 2 hours and on the last cast we finally landed a rainbow trout.  Finlay was beside himself, he is our mad fisherman.

Back to Canberra and then home on the Monday.