Leaving Townsville, we stopped in at Frosty Mango and enjoyed some morning tea and more delicious mango sorbet. Continuing north, we were unsure what the days travelling would be like. Only 5 months earlier, Category 5 cyclone Yasi had ripped through the area between Townsville and Cairns. 

Not long after leaving Townsville, we were already seeing forests with giant trees literally blown over. Our first stop was Cardwell, one of the places that bore the brunt of the cyclone. The little town would have not been protected at all because the main strip is right on the beach, which then opens up to the expanse of the ocean. The gorgeous beach had been mostly destroyed and there were many buildings still undergoing repair. We were amazed, yet touched to walk along what was left of the beach, and discover a couple of tomato plants, ripe with fruit, growing amongst the rocks. We believe seeds/old fruit would have washed up on the beach, took hold and blossomed amongst the destruction. A sign of life against the raging weather.

The Big Crab had also survived the storm, so Joe had a pic in front it- hoping that he will also have a ‘big catch’ somewhere along this trip! We enjoyed delicious Barra Burgers for lunch in Cardwell.

We then continued up the coast to Tully and paid a visit to the Big Golden Gumboot. The 7.9m high gumboot represents the height of the biggest rainfall Tully has ever experienced- certainly one of the wettest Queensland towns. The kids had a great time here as they could actually climb up the inside of the boot and look out at the neighbouring sugar mill. It also had a nice picnic area and facilities.

Arriving at Innisfail, the boys went fishing off the wharf, while the girls opted for cake and coffee (or baby chino in Kaytlin’s case!). As the sun was setting, we headed towards Cairns, stopping just south at a free camp- Babinda Rest Area.