We woke up in our canvas castle.
Threw the door wide open to watch the sun come up and snuggled in to listen to the waves.
One thing waking up at sunrise ensures?
Two hungry bellies by the time 9am rolls around!
We pulled on comfy clothes, I gave up on my hair and piled it into a bun, and we left in search of Port Douglas, for breakfast.
Striped top (similar) // Striped shorts (the most comfortable item of clothing I’ve ever owned!)
Jumper // Tote // Schneakers
(If you’re in a shopping mood, don’t forget the sale we’ve all been waiting for starts today!)
Breakfast was an al-fresco affair at The Little Larder.
They don’t have a website, but find them at 40 Macrossan Street and look for the pretty green tables.
We practically inhaled eggs royale…
…breakfast tacos…
…and something called shakshuka that wasn’t really shakshuka, but even though it wasn’t shakshuka was still pretty good.
Afterwards we snooped through a few shops and strolled down to the front, to where the park meets the sea.
Before we knew it, it was time to hit the road again.
Radio on, feet on dashboard, windows down, off we went! Howling along to the music like two wet cats.
We wound our way along the snaking roads, up into the mountains.
If there’s one thing that continually took my breath away, it was the Australian landscapes.
The scale of the place, the light, the changing scenery every time you moved a few metres… nothing short of spectacular.
Which made for a very happy snapper!
(As you’ve probably gathered, I have a new camera!
I finally invested in the Canon and I’m head over heels for it. I saved a pretty penny buying it on eBay (UK/US), too.
If you’ve been umming and ahhing about whether to take the plunge… do it. I have no idea why I waited so long. I was being cheap about something I’ll use every day, which is just silly.
It made capturing scenes like these, a breeze.)
We drove through the wilderness, barely meeting another car.
Just as we sailed into an area with absolutely no signal, the car came to a spluttering stop.
We’d broken down, in the heat of the day, with no way to reach anyone.
The empty road shimmered in the heat and rolled into the distance, without any sign of help driving by.
My man, the same guy who wears purple loafers and his jumper over his shoulders, rolled up his sleeves, popped the hood and got stuck into the engine.
15minutes later we were trundling along the road again, and I had stars in my eyes with admiration for his secret skills!
We made it to the Wetlands. Where we weren’t the only ones hoping for a cool drink!
We ate lunch on the terrace over the lake.
(Lunch was a mistake, eat before you go.)
The view more than made up for it.
I adopted a new style of opening loo seats.
Created especially for huts in the Australian wilds. I have to say, it’s pretty glamorous!
Safely snake and spider free, we jumped into the jeep and bounced off for a tour.
And something of a bird safari.
People come from all over the world to see the rare feathered friends found here.
Even for bird safari rookies, like us, it was a pretty special experience.
^ That’s a termite mound. It’s my height.
Back at base, we had tea and scones.
Which felt just like home!
If the scones aren’t enough, you’ll also be treated to best possible sunset.
As the sky darkened and the crickets came to life, we said our thank yous, said our goodbyes, hugged the utterly lovable staff, and went to find our home for the night.
Driving further into the hills, to find Granite Gorge.
Which is hands down the coolest campsite I have ever been to!
Devastatingly we arrived in the dark, but the place is positively hopping with wallabies! Tame ones who want to be cuddled!
After supper (I made one-pan meatballs and we drank wine from mugs, lit by candles and the Milky Way), we went off with the torch to pet some wallabies.
No cages, no keepers. Just wild animals who prefer to be around people.
I just wish we could have stayed for longer!
