A typical small town we passed through on our drive up the Stuart Highway.
See, I wasn't exaggerating about the dangers of the coast.
A typical look-but-don't-touch beach.
Australians like their gambling, and pokie machines (one-armed bandits) are everywhere. In Port Douglas they take their betting to new levels, where the entertainment is cane toad racing. I didn't take part, as kissing the cane toad before the race starts is a condition of entry!
Life's a beach!
Beautiful Lake McKenzie, where the only fearsome creature in the water is me.
Brian camouflaged in the rain forest, searching in vain for platypus!
Teatime for the larrakeets.
An inquisitive Joey at a beachside campsite.
Approaching Whitsunday Island from the air.
Taken from the seaplane - see the heart shaped reef?
Stop laughing - these are our stinger suits - required attire to protect us from the deadly jellyfish!
This is the life - sipping bubbly after arriving at Whitehaven Beach on our seaplane!
A wombat rescued after a road accident - see the scar? It's quite distressing to see the road kill as you drive along the highways; big creatures like kangaroos and wallabies lie on the roadside as if they are sleeping, when they have actually been struck by fast-moving vehicles. Lorries don't stop when they hit a creature, though a wallaby can write off your car, so small vehicles are quite vulnerable.
More cute koalas!
This bird, the cassowary, is about the size of an emu. It is naturally aggressive, and stalks the tropical rainforests of North Queensland. If annoyed, it will run at you and attack with a flying leap, unsheathing its razor-like claws with a possibly deadly blow to your jugular. The horny thing on its head is also quite a vicious weapon. We were relieved we only came across cassowaries in the safety of a wildlife sanctuary.
An evil crocodile smiling in anticipation of unwary victims.
Here we are, all innocent at the start of our journey, not knowing what lies ahead!
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