Chasing the sun!!!

Hi everyone...how are you all doing?? Long time no speak?!?

Well we finally made it away from Sydney on the 15th July 2006 with only a few minor hitches!!

During our 1st week of travelling the sun didnt have its hat on so we decided to head to the most northern point of our travels at breakneck speed!!

We made several stops on the way there which include:
Umina, Terrigal, The Entrance, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Ballina, Gold Coast, Boreen Point, Yeppoon, Airlie Beach, Ayr, Mission Beach, Cairns, Port Douglas and finally we made it to Cooktown!

We did try and see a bit of the places we stopped when we had chance and some of the highlights include:

-Lovely Lake Macquarie

- Winery Tour at the Hunter Valley (Cessnock)

- Australian Reptile Park (Gosford)

- Warner Village (Gold Coast)

- Coffs Harbour beach and coastal walks and big banana

- Having a VB or two at Boreen Point

Cooktown officially marks the real start of our tour of the east coast, north to south and we will take time to leisurely travel down the coast and take it all in at our own steady pace!(Any steadier and we will be horizontal!)

COOKTOWN 4th - 7th August 06
-Visited James Cook Museum - v.g, saw anchor from the Endeavour and read about James Cooks adventures and arrival at Cooktown from his and an aboriginal elders accounts.

- Explored Cooktown and saw plenty of monuments and statues to commemerate Cook and the aboriginal heritage.

- Went on an Eco Tour / Croc Watch on the Endeavour river

- Climbed Mount Cook (v. hard! We survived to tell the story!) and did a scenic walk around the beaches and through the botanic garden and upto 'Grassy Hill' for a spectacular 360 view of the place.

PORT DOUGLAS 8th - 9th August 06
- Shopped and looked round nice town
- Rested from drive from Cooktown (300 miles)

MOSSMAN 9th - 10th August 06
- Walked thru rainforest area
- Took in views at Mossman Gorge

- Met Parrot man! Hallo! Hallo!

CAPE TRIBULATION 10th -12th Aug 06
(Daintree National Park)
- Drove over Daintree River via Cable ferry!
- Visited lovely beaches in the area inc. Thornton, Myall and Cape Trib.

- Followed walk tracks and boardwalks through the different areas of the rainforest (Dubuji, Marrdja, Jindaalba)
- Saw wildlife - Geckos and spiders in our loos! Saw Cassowary and Kangers!

- Had rainforest fruit flavoured icecreams!

- Gently soothed to sleep with tree full of bats above our van!

KURANDA 12TH - 14TH Aug 06

-Rested Lous sore ankle after falling out of van on midnight loo trip!
- Walked to town, v. touristy but nice.
- Went down to Barron Falls and took in the spectacular views!

TODAY!

We arrived in Cairns yesterday and took some time to relax by the pool,..all this holidaying is hard work! Today we are seeing Cairns but will include all that in our next update. But in summary we are having a fantastic time and seeing and doing some amazing things!

P.S The winer of the 'name the van' compo was Steve, Mags and Ellie Morris with ' Big Bertha'!