March 27th, 2010
 FAR North Queensland is a region like no other in Australia and this drive is clearly a Top 10 campervanning adventure in the country.
It’s a long drive (18-20 hours straight, a few days including stops) that hugs the coast from Brisbane all the way up to Townsville. Most importantly, there are loads of great stops to make along the way. The direct route on the Bruce Highway is more than 1300km, so it would be well worth allowing a couple of weeks at least if you have the time as there are at least five stops that simply shouldn’t [...]
March 9th, 2010
 LEAVING Normanton, we headed south to a teeny, weeny place called Quamby.
The roadtrip was surprisingly easy thanks to good roads and not a lot of road trains, thankfully on this particular day. There were plenty of cattle, though, so you still have to be careful. The cattle around these parts seem to have sound road skills. Believe it or not, I actually saw a herd of cows stop and wait and then cross the road, unlike the horses up around Cooktown who wait, then run out in front of you!
There is little warning that Quamby is approaching, so [...]
February 13th, 2010
 WHAT A CROC!
FROM Mt Surprise we head further west and back out almost to the coast to a quaint little place called Normanton. This is the home of the largest salt water crocodile ever officially recorded. And you better believe it!
The local publican still has the original photograph of it. This croc came out during a wicked flood and a local lad shot it, 14 times, with his .22 calibre rifle. It could swallow you whole in one gulp and you wouldn’t even touch the sides! No wonder all the farmers were missing a ton of cattle in [...]
February 6th, 2010
 HEADING south and inland from Cooktown down to Mt Surprise was, well, a bit of a surprise – a pleasant one.
Definitely take the short-cut and head along the top of the Atherton Tablelands, and cut out going back through Cairns. It’s a great drive that’s fairly easy until you reach Rolleston. From then on its only bitumen for the width of one car, down the middle of the road, so drive your campervan and carry your load carefully especially on corners, as chances are others coming towards you are using the middle of the road too! The other half [...]
February 1st, 2010
 CAPE York is absolutely totally out of this world. No word can sum it up, no matter how much you try to describe it. Quite simply, you just don’t know how great it is until you experience it for yourself.
I bid farewell to Sheree and the kids (they are having a week in Cairns) while myself and the film crew head into the unknown territory of Cape York Peninsula. Firstly, there’s a few very important things to remember. If you are travelling along, as in only one vehicle, make sure you stick to the Cape York Development Road at [...]
January 26th, 2010
 THE drive from Mossman to Cooktown is brilliant. It isn’t an easy drive, but still it’s really worth the while. Make sure you stock up on everything before you head off and there are plenty of stops along the way including some great photo opportunities.
Cooktown is a place full of wonder and it certainly wasn’t what I expected, that’s for sure! Simply put – it is stunning and there is no other way to describe it. And the history you will see and learn is astounding. I knew so little before going there it was actually embarrassing.
For starters, [...]
January 14th, 2010
 WHO ever would have thought that a place like Mossman was only a 90-minute drive north of Cairns.
Tucked away in the beautiful hinterland and on the base of the Daintree. Mossman hides one of the most spectacular and entertaining places that is simply unforgettable – The Karnak Playhouse, owned by world famous Diane Cilento! It is so enchanting, I could have stayed there forever. They do world class stage performances and when you throw the setting into the equation, it’s really something out of a story book.
After leaving the Playhouse, we took in the Mossman Gorge. Once again, [...]
December 19th, 2009
 BIDDING farewell to Ayr, we headed off for a leisurely four hour drive north to Cairns and I couldn’t wait! The Great Barrier Reef, the shopping, the Kuranda Railway, the Skyrail … so much to do.
We stayed at the Coconut Holiday Resort and this was a five star park in the truest sense. This is an ideal place to set up camp after a long drive in Queensland in your campervan or caravan. With everything from unpowered grassy sites right through to three bedroom condos, two enormous pool areas, the best children’s play activities you could think of and [...]
December 15th, 2009
 We decided to deviate from our intinerary, something we have become very good at! Although sometimes it is not planned at the time.
So after Mackay, we decided to stop in Ayr, a great little town 80km south of Townsville. It’s a good old country town, buzzing with busy farmers and tonnes of produce. There is still enough sugar cane to sink a battleship, but two things Ayr has that not a lot of these small country towns have are, one, it is right on the beach, and two, it has an enormous water supply in the Burdekin River and [...]
December 7th, 2009
 My family and I recently went to Port Douglas to relax before the mayhem of the festive season. Taking kids out of school for a family holiday is a hot topic at the moment. But as our eldest child was in Prep this year we thought a week away (armed with her writing journal and a few reader books), would actually enhance her education.
Now most people think that Far North Queensland is not the place to be in late spring, but let me tell you – the weather was perfect, we had the place to ourselves and we enjoyed [...]
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