14 July - 16 July - Terrorising the Mieschs at Lake Tinaroo

We headed off from our rather nice van park in Cairns Central and employed our egress with what can now only be described as consistent efficiency. We wended our way up through the tablelands, through Mareeba - which was preparing itself for its annual rodeo - and onto Miesch central at Lake Tinaroo.
We walked, laughed and cried as we heard the story of Mr Debel, a local mechanic getting mugged three days prior by a druggie - then he said." This is my wife Heather "...and I said " Hello Heather " and then she said..........."Yes it has been nice weather ".....when you're a little crazy you know a lot of extra stuff and when you're a little deaf, that's handy too, but the two don't necessarily row in the same direction.

Chris and Val have a great set up and we were well looked after - chicken curry and a little Sav. Blonk.

It's now Friday and we headed off to Cooktown via the ' coast road ' where Morrie had his first test - e deflated his tyres to 35 psi and comfortably motored through Mossman, the Daintree and across the ferry....great country side - this is Australia kids ........soak it up.

Hit Cooktown at 4.45pm with a well below average repast at the bowlo.........put $10 through a pokie but didn't know how to work the machine; the lady who helped us would have ben helpful if she was not so drunk and angry at losing all her money.

Reached Coen after Morrie's first real test of corrugations (he passed) but discovered a chip in the windscreen (patched) and then busted our mallet hammering tent pegs into granite rock tent floor. Photo will attest.

Short interlude: a day in the life of a "tenter". Wake up, head for amenities block/ablutions. Hazard 1: losing soap in shower along floor to adjacent shower stall. Hazard 2: drying feet sufficiently to avoid wetting shorts being donned. Hazard 3: forgetting item(s) critical to successful ablution and having to return to tent to collect. Return to Morrie for breakfast of cereal and fruit from wonderful fridge (I'd marry it if I could!). Then strike tent remembering to don gloves first and collect 12 (count them, 12) tent pegs, fold tent, fold plastic, shove in Morrie with other stuff, hit road, to do this all again in reverse upon reaching that day's destination. A simple life, a bit like your first car, say, a Toyota Yaris, then graduating over time and the years eventually to a Lexus (or the camping equivalent of a 30 metre Winnebago with tv dish, showers, kitchen, spa, pool room, a lap pool, 5 bedrooms, multiple chaises longues, a drawing room, a smoking room, etc etc).

And now a short PS to the short interlude (Are you still there?): getting to sleep in tent. Sleeping bag or inner only? Blanket or no blanket? Read book or not? If so, head light required. But head light on newly washed hair may result in hat hair. Is that rain or wind outside? Leave tent up in am or pack it wet for drying out at next stop? Drift off to sleep thinking how bloody lucky we are to be doing this..... zzzz. Land of Nod. Sigh!   (Should I get a life or find a job?!)

I have just returned from the Coen pub where I paid $25, yes $25 for a VB six pack - don't tell Christine.

Ginger red dirt, wonderful scenery, the heartland of Australia - God - I love this country.

Thanks for listening.J & I