On the Road

As soon as we found out we were going to Australia for a year, I got my hands on the foremost guide for travelers, a bible of sorts, the Lonely Planet's guide to Australia. It was no time before I had created a long list of all the must-sees I wanted to do - a list that was probably too long to fulfill in just 365 days. But there were some of these must-sees that were non-negotiable, one of which was to go snorkeling and diving in the Great Barrier Reef - the largest barrier reef in the world. This mission to see the Reef is what took us on a epic journey to northern Queensland.

On September 15th, my parents, Ruben, Gemma and myself started to make the pilgrimage north (we met Dave a few days later in Townsville). The trip was the longest we had embarked on thus far and would prove to be a test to our family's road tripping endurance. Our final destination was Port Douglas, a beautiful beach town and jumping-off point to see the Great Barrier Reef. It is a mere 1759km- one-way trip - we planned to go there and back to Brisbane! This would be the same as packing up the family wagon and heading to Regina. All-in-all it was a round-trip journey that would take us over 3500kms! Lucky for us,
the landscape along this drive is as varied as what you would encounter traveling across the three provinces it would take to get to Regina.

Queensland is a mecca for growing any type of tropical food - well any type of food really. Traveling north is a mouthwatering experience as you pass by mango and banana orchards, tea and macadamia nut plantations and a variety of fields filled with as many fruits and vegetables as you can imagine. (As an aside, the Macadamia Nut is actually called the Queensland Nut as it originated here and not in Hawaii like myself and pretty much the macadamia nut-loving-world believes.) But by far the most common crop is the sugarcane. I think it grows all year round and fields are filled with cane in various stages of its life cycle. Australia grows enough sugarcane to supply the country's addiction and still has enough left over for export.

This corner of Australia had not seen rain in any significant amount for at least 3 months and it was apparent at times. Beyond the sugarcane fields, you pass through ranching territory. I could not help but wonder what the cows thought of their reality as they foraged for a morsel of food among a dry and brown landscape, paddocks that resembled dust bowls rather than fertile pastures. A landscape made all the more stark with smoldering fires, leaving behind a path of burnt Eucalyptus and charred earth, on the side of the road.

Eventually the two-lane highway leading north leaves the parched sub-tropical climate behind and enters into lush tropical climes. I love the tropics, and Australia's tropical coast is nothing short of the picture-perfect postcard - sandy beaches lined with coconut palms, air that wraps you up in warmth and turquoise waters that feel as though you are stepping into a warm bath. The towns that dot Queensland's north-east coast add a charm to this region's tropical vibe. Most of these towns are heritage towns, which have maintained part of the colonial architecture.

As you approach Port Douglas, the tropical rain forests and mountains of the Great Dividing Range have the appearance of dropping right into the ocean. Everything around you is green and lush, and feels full of life - a stark contrast to the area we had just traveled through.

After four days on the road, slowly making our way north, we arrived at our first destination - the beautiful town of Port Douglas. Now the real exploring can begin.

Stay tuned for our adventures in the Port Douglas area,
love H,D, R and G