White Lace Motor Inn Hotel Mackay

... just shouldn&#8217;t be working in the hospitality industry.<br><br>Fortunately it meant we found the Eungella Chalets with awesome views over the Pioneer Valley and laughed about our poor treatment and the ensuing $30 bucks Susanne missed out on. <br><br>Unfortunately we didn&#8217;t see a platypus that day but enjoyed the serenity of the area, the views and our BBQ in the National Park before heading back to Sarina Beach on the alternative route via the Pinnacle ...

... br><br>We continued onto Mackay where we caught up with Karl and Kate and their two little kids. Karl is a friend from when Chris first started going away to sea, ie, a very long time ago. Lucy their two year old loved the kombi, to the point where she showed us exactly where her bed could be and she tucked her self in behind the back seat in the bed linen. The word cute doesn't justify it when a 2 year old thinks Kombi's are cute.....the ...

... and weigh the hand luggage and I saw some hefty hand luggage. However we were sitting right in front of the attendants with the scales right beside them...do we confess or try to casually walk through and hope they don&#8217;t stop us. djd already saying we will just refuse to go on the plane if they stop us. djd also ...

... into relatively shallow and calm sea just a foot below me, but instead a perilous high dive into a rapidly moving river filled with rocks, the climbing prowess I demonstrated then completely abandoned me. I took two steps, cautiously working out where to balance my weight as I took each one, but on step three I slipped and sat down very ******* a large wet rock, liberally covered in leaves, mud, moss, and oh yes, spiders and ants. I gingerly picked ...

... we have now been lucky enough to avoid numerous natural disasters including a cyclone, dengue fever, major flooding, deadly bushfires, extreme heat waves and a Bee Gees reunion tour]. Despite the inauspicious start, Cairns turned out to be a wonderful stop for us. For starters, it provided me with an opportunity to reassert my manliness when we discovered there were no matches available to light the gas stove. No, I didn't rub two sticks together to ...

... we head off to Rockhampton. Actually, talking of which, I was looking at the map for our travels tomorrow and found a place near Brisbane called 'Coominya', which is pronounced 'Cum-in-ya' - (you know where this is going don't you?). Anyway, I kid you not, this place is on a dam at the mouth of the river which feeds Lake Wivenhoe - yes you guessed it, it's known as 'Coominya Mouth'!! You couldn't make this stuff up!!

It's the night before we fly down to Brisbane to fly out on Tuesday and we are doing the usual. Finishing packing, cleaning the house for the house sitter and patting the dog lots. It has gotten to the stage with me I am sick of worrying about the little things and I just want to get on the plane. I can't wait..

... their children away from them and sent them away to missionary schools, segregating them on the basis of skin darkness. They also stripped them of traditional rites of passage rituals that are very important in their culture. So, basically everything that the Aborigines believed in or based their life on was taken from them, and relations remain very strained. It's very similar to what happened to the Native Americans. As a result, you find a lot of ...

... flooded as I'm sure the damage is severe and very costly. We had to cancel our upcoming accommodation on Magnetic Island (just off Townsville, about 385km's north from Mackay) and seems as though we'll also have to cancel our sailing and diving trip in Cairns (another 400km's north from Townsville) which was scheduled form Monday and Tuesday. Our aim now is to get safely to Cairns before 20 February, when we are due to fly to Auckland, New Zealand. Video to follow soon.....

... 55 Camper parts: $2.20 Beer: $29 Tuesday, 11th September, 2007 (written by Suzanne) Seaforth north of Mackay This morning I woke early as I was having yet another sleepless night, this time worrying about the bl..dy waeco. Anyway, I woke a 5.30am to go to the loo and the sun was just starting to rise. I woke Stephen, boiled the kettle and watched with sunrise with a cuppa outside our camper - life is tough ...