Townsville to Tully...

We only have 3 more days of cycling left in Australia. I can barely believe it. I think we are both looking forward to an extended time off the bike once we roll into Cairns.

Anyhow, still some work to do before we get there, and A-team movie rants aside, I thought I'd better tell you what we've been up to. We spent a couple of days off the bike in Townsville. One day, we took a bus to have a look around the shops, (Townsville has that American feeling of being designed around the car and as such, having no real town centre for shopping), discovered a great Greek takeaway and downed a few beers in the sunshine.

The other day, we spent on Magnetic Island, driving around in a mini moke (like in this piccy, and by the way, the mini game was suspended for the day to save us getting distracted). Our bright orange moke was based on a mini with drum brakes, and all I can say is that thank god the island had a 60kph speed limit. You have to virtually stand on the brakes to get them to slow the car in any manner. In case we had needed to stop suddenly, I told Den that she would have to stick her flip flop over the door sill and onto the tyre, BMX style.

Back on the bike, we made our way to Rollingstone. We stayed at a lovely caravan park on the sea and apart from getting plied with tea and biscuits from a very nice pair of Aussie caravaners, there was not much to report.

Next day we found our way to Ingham. The dodgy planet wrote a rather disparaging paragraph on the place, but in my eyes the fact it's not a 24hr party town, makes it heaven. Stayed out the back of a lovely 1920's Italian style hotel, which was idyllic. Absolutely the best campsite we have stayed in while we have been in Aus.

From there it was onto Cardwell. A quiet sea front town on the main highway, and arrived just in time for free tea and scones and cake at the campsite. How lovely...

Now we are in Tully, centre for banana growing and sugar production and as a result full of fruitpicking backpackers, all waiting to party hard at the camp tonight. We're supposed to be here for two nights.... can't wait.

Now I'm off to watch Wales get hurt by the All Blacks.... anything less that NZ by 40 points is a moral victory for us.