Queensland - the locals call it 'The Sunshine State!', but it's actually where we saw the most rain and cloud in the whole of our Australia trip! Anyway after the scorching 3 day drive from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory across the dry plains of Central Australia we found ourselves in the attractive very green Atherton Tablelands, set up in the mountains above Cairns, full of waterfalls, unusually quaint country villages and beautiful lakes.
Next stop was Cairns to meet Phill (my sister) and then up to Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the Ocean and the famous Great Barrier Reef. After snorkeling the reef we escaped the tropics without being attacked by sharks, crocodiles or Cassowary's and headed off down the coast. Next major stop was Airlee Beach for our Whitsunday sailing experience, where we spent 3 days and 2 nights on board the Italian Scooner 'The Ileola' and swam at the gorgeous Whitehaven beach.
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| Millaa Millaa waterfall, Atherton Tablelands | The calm waters of Lake Tinaroo |
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| A palm leaf at Mossman Gorge | White water at Mossman Gorge |
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| The sun sinking on Cape Tribulation beach | Cape Tribulation Beach |
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| A lone sand island at Mackay Reef, Great Barrier Reef | The view from the top of Mt Sorrow |
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| Looking down on the rain forest from a cable car over Cairns | Millaa Millaa lookout on the Atherton Tablelands |
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| Lake Tinaroo early in the morning | Dunk Island, just off Mission Beach |
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| A curving beach on Dunk island | A tree sprouting from the sea, off Dunk island |
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| The shifting sands of Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays | Whitehaven Beach, the Whitsundays |
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| The sun setting on the Whitsundays | The wind blows while sailing the Whitsundays |
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| The yacht we sailed on | Great views from Hillsborough National Park |
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