by Julie

The lucky country

These are some images from Fraser Island which is off the coast by Hervey Bay and is the largest sand island in the world. This means the internal roads are horrendous, just sand tracks and fairly nauseating for a delicate person like me. But the opposite side of the Island is fully beach, called 75 Mile Beach though it's only 72 miles long and it's a registered road so you can drive at 80k on it (pretty fast for Oz when the fastest speed on the road is 110k).  It is really cool and beautiful.…
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by Julie

Thanks Captain Cook

This is a place called Seventeen Seventy on the east coast - it is named after the date that  Captain Cook landed here and took samples of the local plant life before going on his merry way up the coast. It is a really beautiful spot, full of lovely butterflies flying all around the place. He must have thought he really hit the jackpot.  I certainly did - so great to see places like this.     
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by Julie

Queensland indeed

The place I am staying in Cairns - or Caans as the locals pronounce it - has no internet which is a pain so I am only picking up free internet around the city. Wifi now the priority for booking accomodation! But it's beautiful here. Was up at Cape Tribulation yesterday, which was named by Captain Cook in 1770. I imagine it looked exactly the same back then.      I didn't realise that Northern Queensland was so tropical. It's basically permanent summer. It's about 30 degrees every day and it's hell on the hair.…
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by Julie

Easter in Australia

Well it's Holy Thursday and there is no evidence that the Australians are going mad buying drink for tomorrow. I can see the queues in the Spar in Clonsilla in my mind.  A lot of places will be closed here tomorrow but I don't think the whole country is going to shut down. I hope not. I got the Ghan train down from Alice Springs to Adelaide last week and it was really cool. Slow, but cool. The train had 41 carriages and was 942 metres long - nearly a kilometre - so I suppose…
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