South Molle Island: Day Forty-Two (30 November)

This morning we watched the fish being fed from the pier on South Molle Island.

Afterwards it rained heavily so we played bowls in the Discovery Bar.

Then we thought we would go for a walk but turned back after we thought we heard a snake in the bushes. We had an ice cream instead :-).

Barnaby

Whitsundays: Day Forty-One (29 November)

As you can see we had a gorgeous day for our sailing tour of the Whitsundays Islands. We caught a ferry from South Molle to Daydream Island (which has a much bigger resort) and joined a purple catamaran called Camira.

The first stop was at Hook Island where we could have gone snorkelling in special stinger suits to protect us from the poisonous jelly fish. However we opted to talk to some of the other people on the tour instead.

From there we went to the famous Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. The sand is so white because it contains lots of silicone.

We had a delicious BBQ lunch on board the yacht before sailing back past Hamiton Island, where Miss Robb stayed last time she was in Australia.

Barnaby

South Molle Island: Day Forty (28 November)

We enjoyed a relaxing day on South Molle Island today with a massage and a swim in the pool. Morris and I also tried a mocktail (a cocktail without alcohol).

Barnaby

Airlie Beach: Day Thirty-Nine (27 November)

We spent last night in a Backpackers' Hostel (but we had our own room with en suite bathroom!) Here I am in Airlie Beach which is the jumping off point for exploring the Whitsundays. Look at the colour of the sea -).

From here we caught a ferry to South Molle, which is a tiny island with a self-contained holiday resort. Every afternoon they feed the local rainbow lorikeets with fruit and guests can help. Lorikeets are a kind of parrot and they are like flying rainbows with red and blue feathers on the underside and green on top: very pretty.

Like all parrots they are also very noisy and the ones on South Molle came a bit close for comfort.

Barnaby

Townsville: Day Thirty-Eight (26 November)

Today we are being proper backpackers and catching a bus to Airlie Beach. But first the kind people, who gave us a lift yesterday, picked us up from our motel and showed us more of Townsville. We went to the Tropical Museum and saw a very interesting exhibition about HMS Pandora, which pursued the mutineers from the Bounty.

Then our friends gave us lunch in their traditional Queenslander house - built on stilts to keep it cool in the summer - before giving us a lift to the bus station.

Townsville is also where Morris and I discovered Tim Tams (chocolate biscuits a little bit like Penquins) so we stocked up for the journey.

Barnaby

Townsville: Day Thirty-Seven (25 November)

Our local Mothers' Union in Tunbridge Wells has been writing to a branch in Mundingburra, which is a suburb of Townsville, for years so today we went to their church. They made us very welcome and invited us to 'morning tea' after the service, which was lovely.

Two members of the congregation gave us a lift back into Townsville for our final afternoon. We explored the markets and then walked back along the Strand and relaxed at the Rockpool for a couple of hours.

Barnaby

Townsville: Day Thirty-Six (24 November)

Today we went to the Aquarium in Townsville, which is called Reef HQ. It is brilliant: you are even allowed to put your hand in the water and touch some of the exhibits. We learnt about sea turtles, saw lots of reef fish (including clown fish like Nemo) and even watched people feeding the sharks.

Afterwards we relaxed at the Rockpool on the Strand and enjoyed a chocolate and macadamia icecream. Macadamias are a kind of nut, which grows in Australia. They taste especially nice covered with chocolate (doesn't everything :-).

Barnaby