Fraser Island Day 2

Day 2 started early because there is no daylight savings in Queensland and we are in a tent so when the sun comes up, we are up.  I did wake up at first light to find a little native mouse climbing up the tent between the layers and running across the roof and down again.  He was very agile and a good climber considering the tent material is slippery nylon.  Becca was actually giving Steve kisses from about 5am but we managed to stretch out our rising to 6.30.  The sandflies were ready and waiting when Steve emerged so again, copious quantities of aeroguard were applied.  Before we went to bed, Steve and I had done a mozzie check in the tent but unfortunately, it didn't save Erin as she woke up covered from head to toe in lumps, and itchy ones too.  She didn't help her situation by stripping off in the middle of the night because she was hot so while the rest of us remained clothed with only a few bites, Erin wasn't so lucky.  It was probably a combination of sandflies from when we arrived at our camp and mozzies during the night.  I have realised that out of us all, Erin is the most susceptible to biteys, followed by myself, then Becca and lastly Steve the original Queenslander.  The biteys obviously like the different flavour of SA blood.  As hasty as we tried to make it, our departure wasn't as swift as we liked because it was our first morning repacking the car.  I decided to make our sandwiches in the morning just in case we got caught out looking for a lunch spot again today.
We spent the morning fluffing around the 4WD tracks where we had left off and eventually made it to Central Station in the middle of the island.  It was a logging and seed growing settlement where Kauri Pine and other trees were felled for shipping and other uses in the early part of last century.  A magnificent stream with crystal clear fresh water flowed through the rainforest and a boardwalk followed much of the stream and allowed us to take in the beautiful tranquility of the place, that is until the ranger decided to use his leafblower to clean the boardwalk......Mmmm!  That coupled with the endless 4WD buses ferrying tourists around on day tours and there was our first experience of Fraser Island.  The campground at Central Station was fenced (to keep dingoes out) and had hot showers, flushing toilets (Erin didn't miss an opportunity) and prebooked sites all laid out for campers.  It was nicely nestled in the rainforest but a little too cosy for us.
Onward we went towards the freshwater lakes we had missed the day before.  Actually Steve spent more time pulling off the track to let oncoming 4WD's pass as many of the tracks are two way, or letting those 'sandle-wearers' past whose vehicles managed to become airborne over the many corrugations and wallows.  We preferred to be more sedate, look at the scenery and not be jarred all over the place.  The lakes on Fraser Island vary in colour.  Some are tannun stained (the colour of tea) while others are clear in the shallows where the sand is white and dark bluey black in the deeper parts.  We arrived at one lake to see a convoy of people, towels over shoulders, heading down the track to the water.  When we got there, the water was clear and the sand white but there wasn't a lot of room to put towels as the lake had filled somewhat after rain so the walkways were flooded.  It didn't stop people wading with towels above heads to get to a nice bit of beach where they could swim.
The day was marching on so we ate lunch while driving which was rather pleasant with the airconditioner running.  We went over to the eastern side of the island where we drove along the beach heading north.  All along the coast, freshwater streams run out into the ocean from natural springs inland.  The Pacific Ocean was crashing onto the beach and meeting the fresh water.  A tourist settlement called Eulong was an oasis just off the beach where we picked up an icecream for the girls and Steve felt the urge to pick up some bait.  The surf was calling with all those flathead he wanted to catch so a pack of pilchards were bought as well.  Again, the settlement was full of 4WD buses and hired 4WD's as well.  We drove down the beach a little to find a spot to pull over and let the girls get out to eat their icecreams and play in the sand.  We were looking for one of those freshwater streams to wash the icecream off in truth.  The traffic was horrendous and we couldn't let the girls go down to the surf because 4WD's were flying up and down the beach making it dangerous.  It's an 80kph limit on the beach and the vehicles were using it.
I could tell Steve was keen to camp along this stretch of beach so he could go fishing but all the campsites were occupied as we drove through them.  None of them were very close to the freshwater either and we needed water for washing dishes etc.  As we 'discussed' the situation, Steve saying its up to me but not completely letting me off the hook,  I told him in frustration to just go up into some dunes to see that all the campsites were full.  Yes.......you know what happens next!  We lobbed into this area with two vacated campsites to choose from, one with grass.  The sites were sheltered from the beach winds yet allowed subtle breezes to drift through and there was a little freshwater stream within walking distance.  Ok so how could I say no now!  We set up camp spending most of our time trying to work out where to put the tent.  I realise that it doesn't matter whether it's a tent, camper trailer or caravan, Steve and I will always agree to disagree about where to put said home.  We ate dinner at the driveway entrance to our site overlooking the beach and watching all those 4WD's tearing up and down past us.  They continued to drive along the beach even after dark.  It became necessary to let Becca have one of the adult camp chairs because otherwise all her dinner would have fallen out of her lap into the sand.  The law of averages foretold it.  After the girls went to bed, Steve went down to the beach, in the dark, to do some fishing.  Those 4WD's were still driving along the beach with headlights on and I worried for the 2 hours he spent down there wondering if a vehicle would hit him or a freak wave would drag him out to sea.  I was relieved when the clanging of rods and buckets returned later.

Fraser Island Day 1

Amazingly enough we left Mapleton pretty much on time on the first day of our Fraser Island adventure.  It was a strange but exciting feeling leaving our caravan, which is our big Arseoels Odyssey home base and embarking on a mini version of the same.  Steve said it was like having a holiday while on holiday which is how it felt.
We had to drop the cats off at 'cat prsion' as we call it because we were going to be away too long for our friendly neighbour to look after them.  What a palace they turned out to be going to.  Our original choice of cattery/kennel was difficult to organise so we looked elsewhere via the Sunshine Coast yellow pages.  There we found the 'Coolum Country Cat Retreat' which we were fortunate enough to get a position at especially as it was Christmas/New Year.  We left our furry pair in airconditioned comfort with indoor and outdoor areas, floors you could eat off and the best food money could buy, all for a similar price to Adelaide and in a lovely country setting.  It seems we were all going to have a holiday.
We fuelled in Gympie, overshooting the turnoff to Rainbow Beach to do so.  After fuelling our sub tank and needing a replacement fuel cap (usual wear and tear), we headed to Rainbow Beach and then Inskip Point to catch the barge to FI.  We paid the return fair at the 'MantaRay' barge office in town and drove to Inskip Point. We had noticed since we left Gympie the incredible amount of 4-WD traffic coming back from FI with camper trailers and boats. We thought this would be good because if everyone was coming home after the Xmas/New Year break, then the island might be quieter.  When we got out to Inskip point we were gobsmacked by the amount of campers in the dunes along the foreshore road.  It was packed and lots of car traffic too.  If it was crowded here, how busy was it going to be on FI?
The two working barges had already left when we got there so while we waited, Steve let the tyres down to an appropriate pressure for 5 days of sand work.  Before we knew it the barges were back but only one took all the traffic over (including us) which buoyed our spirits and further cemented our belief that the island might not be busy.
Once over there, the level of 4-WD 'wankerism' increased 10 fold.  Steve and I have done quite a bit of 4-WDing over the years but the stupidity and level of appendage measuring via ones 4WD was incredible.  The bigger the man, the bigger his 4WD tyres or the higher his suspension and the faster he goes.  It put a whole new meaning to Steve's and my term for these types of people - 'sandle-wearers'.  It was well after lunch and we needed to stop and give the girls a break because they had been so good in the car.  Unfortunately we were having real trouble finding a spot with shade and off the main road where we were getting showered with stones by our sandle-wearer compatriots.  After much tooing and froing we eventually just stopped under a tree on the edge of the road which drives out onto the beach.  There we became entertainment for the convoys of 4WDs which entered and exited the beach.  At least everyone was going slow because it became quite boggy getting on and off the beach.
The access roads are like rabbit warrens all over the island but are thankfully well signposted by Queensland National Parks Service.  Our original route changed several times as tracks which weren't shown on the maps lead us off in different directions.  As luck would have it, we arrived at a campsite called Ungowa on the western side of the island towards days end which suited us and was vacant.  The sandflies and mosquitoes were ruthless and it was only 4.30pm so copious quantities of aeroguard/rid were applied to keep them at bay.  There was the luxury of a toilet and water available, although it wasn't drinkable.  Erin has a fear of pit toilets which stems back to when she was 3 years old and we were camping at Kinglake outside of Melbourne (before the fires).  She firmly believes that she will fall in and so only a flushing one will do, however, she has no trouble grabbing her portable toilet seat, hoe and toilet paper and happily trudges off for her toilet stop (where is the sanity in that).
We were all fed, bathed (bucket style) and in bed by 7.30 - a new record brought on by the insect population.  As we lay there looking out of the window of the tent, the sky was lit up with more white stars than black space.  It was incredible.  I woke in the middle of the night to a strange light and when I looked out, the Great Sandy Strait between FI and the mainland, was lit up with coloured beacons for night time boaties.  Soon after, the pitter patter of doggy feet moved around the camp.  Steve shone the torch outside and there was a dingo standing by the picnic table we were camped next to.  She trotted off as soon as Steve saw her but I missed the opportunity to see my first dingo. 
The amount of information about dingoes, both in brochures and on signage, is amazing. The park service is at pains to point out how wary one must be around dingoes especially with children. Steve and I made Erin aware of the potential danger and also to watch Becca as well as herself. We are all being vigilant while enjoying our camping trip. Many serviced campsites have large caged areas up on stilts for people to lock away food from dingoes. Putting rubbish bags on top of cars or in trees just doesn't work. Everything must be locked in your vehicle at night so the dingoes don't get into your food, fridges or rubbish. I haven't seen one yet but Steve says they are all around but just wary and shy. A good thing, I say, but one mustn't get into a false sense of security because they are always there.

Christmas in Mapleton

I must say that I haven't had such a relaxing Christmas Day since we were kids when we didn't go anywhere all day and people came and visited us.  Although we didn't have anybody visit us on the day, we had plenty of drop-ins in the days leading up to Christmas.  The surrounding residents in the park came by with various good wishes ranging from hand shakes and kisses, presents, Christmas cards and candy canes for the girls.  It was nice to feel that we were familiar enough in the caravan park circle to be part of their Christmas.  There were also invitations for dinners and drinks from friends we have made from school and from Beckers which was also nice.
We had endeavoured to bring a little bit of Christmas to our site with one set of solar Christmas lights which I brought from home and a fibre optic Christmas tree which we bought in Nambour. 
Our annex has been flashing inside and out for a month now.  The tree was only small at 120cm high but needed to be so that we could pack it away for next year in our already capacity storage areas.  It stood on an aluminium camp table for two reasons.  One, so that we could see it and it wouldn't be lost on the floor of the annex with all our other crap.  Secondly, being an electricity related object we felt the need to keep it off the floor in case of terrential downpours leading to leaks and potential fires.

My original idea was to have a real Christmas tree so that I didn't have to store it but when I asked around, nobody seemed to know anything about 'real' Christmas trees.  I therefore assumed that Queensland was the wrong climate for conifers and didn't take it any further.  Imagine my annoyance when a week after purchasing a fake tree, a sign appeared on the roadside advertising real Christmas trees for sale.  Oh well, by this stage Erin had already started putting small trinkets on the tree and the fibre optic lights did save me having to put a lot of decorations on it which would again take up storage room when travelling.
The solar Christmas lights served a dual purpose on the inside of the annex.  They looked pretty and were a place to hang our Christmas card collection which was quite extensive this year (not that I'm bragging or anything).
On Christmas eve, the task of transferring plastic bags of gifts from their hiding spots in the van to the annex and under the tree held its own dramas.  It's not easy to shift noisy, rustling plastic bags around while trying not to wake sleeping children who are right under our noses.  I can hear people saying 'why not take them out individually' but when the van rocks every time you step out of the door, I thought that might be just as disturbing.  As luck would have it, a short torrential downpour created enough noise for me to shift all the parcels out into the annex without the rustling being a problem.   Before anyone makes a comment about the rain making noise, we have lived with rain on our caravan roof for 4 months now and amazingly enough, the girls usually sleep right through it.  They are desensitised already.  As I gathered my parcels together Steve just stood there gobsmacked while I pulled parcels out one after the other from all manner of hiding spots in the van.  I don't think he thought we had that many cubby holes in the van. His comment was "what have you done".
On Christmas morning, the girls weren't overly early in rising from their bunks but once Erin got up, the excitement was there.  Becca didn't quite understand what all the fuss was about but she was happy to get involved.  Erin was so excited that every present she gave out, she wanted to help open as well.  That wasn't a problem for Steve and I but we made sure that Becca got to open her presents herself.  To be honest, we had to encourage her to rip her presents open.  She had this look on her face like she was going to get into trouble for ripping the paper so we had to let her know it was alright for today (fraught with danger for future behaviour).

After the unwrapping cermony, it was time to make pancakes which gave me time to clean up the knee high paper pile in the annex.  Once our pancake breakfast was finished, we skyped some friends and family which took us right up until lunchtime.  I had decided not to have a hot lunch because we were going to have a late breakfast.  In the afternoon, Becca had her sleep, Erin played with her things and Steve and I just kicked back in the annex with a couple of dips, a drink and some music playing in the background.  Before we knew it, it was time for me to put the turkey roast on for dinner.
Erin had been bugging me for weeks about having Christmas pudding this year.  If only she had asked for pudding before this year, she would have been able to enjoy her grandma's famous homemade one but alas, she missed out.  I bought 4 small individual puddings and after our yummy turkey dinner, got them out ready to heat and serve with custard and icecream.  To my dismay, Erin says as I'm getting them ready, "Can I have an icecream in a cone please".  After much wailing on my part about the fact that she was the one who wanted puddings this year, she agreed to try it.  Steve insisted she have custard and I had to point out that she has never liked custard, even as a baby.  We then had to sit there and watch Erin try to pull the sultanas out of the pudding.  She hates sultanas.  What a joke, pulling out the ingredient that makes up 90% of the pudding. Steve and I just shook our heads and wondered what the purpose was for having pudding this year. Unbelievable!
As for presents, Becca loved her little red wagon which she towed around the caravan park with great delight.  The residents think she has roadtrain driving in her blood as she loves to tow things around.  Mmmm.....who knows.  Erin surprised us both by playing all day with a $4 cardboard cutout dressup book which I put in her stocking.  She was wearing her wedding dress for most of the day too which Santa bought for her.  The girls' never cease to amaze us with their choices and the things that they do on this trip.  We all had a great day together despite being away from our extended family.  We thankfully had lots of messages and skype was a great device to have on the day. 

All I Want For Christmas......

Almost a month ago, Steve asked me what I wanted for Christmas.  He's very organised like that......gets in early and then is shopping and wrapping on Christmas Eve.....typical male.
I contemplated his comment for a while, wondering what I might like.  To be honest, there was nothing that sprang to mind and not because I was being polite or anything.  We were thousands of kilometres from home in our caravan which had everything we needed by necessity and choices.  There has been few, if any, occasions where we have thought that we should have brought something or left something behind.  That's pretty good choosing I'd say.  Either that or we've just accustomed ourselves to living with what we have.
Anyway I said that I couldn't think of anything which resulted in much whining from Steve about what he was going to do.  My comment to that was 'just give me an experience', after all we are out here to experience all sorts of things.
Mmmm........well on Wednesday of this week, I got my experience.  A TIF in one of the Becker helicopters.  No, this was not a joy flight but a real opportunity for me to fly a helicopter myself (under instruction, of course).  TIF stands for trial instructional flight.  Steve had me viewing an introductory dvd a week and a half ago which would save time on the day because everyone has to view this video about all the workings of a helicopter, what the controls are and how they work.
Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous about the flight and was actually looking forward to it.  Originally, my flight was organised for mid morning but I have quickly discovered that this industry into which Steve is embarking is similar to truck driving, in that plans change at a moment's notice.  After too-ing and fro-ing over several days,  I flew mid afternoon.  The day had turned out beautifully after being overcast in the morning.  Weather changes had the potential to make or break my Christmas present.
Several key decisions had to be made.  Correct clothing had to be considered.  Long pants and shoes which were not thongs (essential and regular footwear on the Sunshine Coast).  I was using foot pedals and did not want to jam a thong under one.  When I arrived, I was asked whether I wanted to fly with the door on or off the helicopter.  That then begged the question, do I want to be hot in the little plastic bubble or do I want to be shit scared of the height and falling potential in mid flight.  Again, I surprised myself and decided to fly with the door off.  Holy shit, what was I thinking!!  Everyone told me that you can't fall out because of air pressure holding you in so I was taking their word for it.
Into the briefing room I went with my instructor Jimmy who is Steve's instructor as well.  All that dvd viewing was then put to the test as he asked me what this and that did so that he was sure I had an understanding of what I was doing.  He was really going to give me the  controls!!  Out to the helicopter we went.  I sat in the seat and all the gauges and controls were explained to me again as well as radio frequencies, fuel etc etc.  Surprise, surprise......my feet didn't touch the pedals properly so out from under my seat came a cute little satin pillow with lovely embroidered detail.  It was for the girls of course because only those of short stature such as myself do these crazy things. 
After photographs and goodbyes to Steve and the girls, who had come out onto the tarmac to see me off,  Jimmy and I were ready to go.  We took off across the main tarmac towards the beach.  We then banked and started flying along the coast up towards Noosa.  What a view.  The ocean was deep blue and green in the shallows and we could see all the mega mansions perched in the rainforest along the coast.  Although I was looking out, I had councilled myself not to look directly down as I was sure the height fear would kick in.  Jimmy gave me the controls individually so I could see how they made the helicopter react.  The foot pedals (which keeps the tail behind you) and the collective (looks like a handbrake in cars and controls height or altitude) were relatively straight forward to use but the cyclic (the stick between your legs which is like the steering wheel) was very difficult.   Only tiny movements were needed with this control and here was me looking like I was mixing a cake in a bowl.  Coupled with that was an annoying wind which created a self-made turbulence that my tummy was not happy about.  Here I was trying to hold this machine on a straight flight path and all I was doing was causing it to buck around.  Almost immediately, the motion sickness kicked in.  My mouth went dry, my bum puckered up and I couldn't speak as an overwhelming need to throw up came over me.  Jimmy knew something was wrong because I had not shut up the whole time before that.  He took over the controls and headed to an abandoned quarry where the students regularly do circuits of take offs and landings.
I knew I wasn't going to make it to the ground and so asked what would happen if I threw up out the door.  All I could see was the Sunshine Motorway passing beneath us and I had to hold on so that people on the motorway weren't going to need to put their wipers on.  I then threw up out the door.   Jimmy, being the gentleman that he is, actually turned the helicopter out of balance so that I could throw up out the door without wearing my lunch. That air pressure that keeps you in the cabin is very difficult to break through at 140 kph.  Luckily I managed to get the headset microphone out of the way and didn't lose the headset, my sunnies and Steve's hat altogether.  After landing for a few minutes, I felt much better and was ready to continue which surprised Jimmy because he thought I would want to go back to the airport.  We took off again and went over to the training area to have a go at hovering.  On the way, he described how flooded the Noosa River had been in January during the floods and how they had plucked people off roofs in the Lockyear Valley rescue effort.
At the training area, I had a go at pedal turns which were fun.  I just wizzed the helicopter round in circles (controlled ones of course) and pointed it where-ever I was asked to.  Hovering involved that nasty cyclic again and although we were closer to the ground now, it was even more difficult to achieve.  I did, for a second or two, achieve a steady hover which I was very proud of but most of the time I was rocking it around all over the place.  Before I knew it, the hour was over and we headed back to the airport.  As we taxied down to Beckers landing area, Jimmy flew the helicopter backwards and sideways down the runway just to show me what it can do.  That was fun!  Once we touched down and everything had stopped spinning, Steve and Erin came rushing out.  You should have seen Steve's face when he saw me and the helicopter.  He felt really bad that I had gotten sick.  After much praise from Jimmy and reassurance that it happens all the time, we headed back to the opps room.  Actually one of the instructors said his passenger had covered the entire inside of the bubble during one TIF.  Luckily I had decided to have the door off.  As we walked across the tarmac, Steve trotted towards me with a bucket and cloths to clean up his wifes' mess because another student was about to go out in that helicopter.






After sitting down for a while, I was presented with a certificate from Jimmy for completing my TIF and was also presented with my very own Beckers cap which was a good thing because Steve's was now a bit messy.  Everyone was asking how I went and I didn't go into too much detail but said that I had enjoyed it, which I had, apart from that little mishap in the middle of the flight.  Most of the instructors had warned Steve that I would catch 'the bug' after doing my TIF and I must admit, I would really like to master that hovering, but costs prevent it.  When Steve told his senior instructor that I had indeed, caught the bug, he said "Steve, what have you done!"  It was an amazing experience and I really enjoyed my Christmas present this year although I was still cleaning my sunglasses, and Steve his hat,  the following day.  Oh well, one must experience a little discomfort to have an adventure.

Progress Thus Far

Well, it's nearly Xmas now, and today was my last day at Becker's for this year.

It's been a roller coaster ride for 3 months, although it certainly doesn't seem that long.

The first 2 weeks comprised 10+ hours of flying to acclimatise and help understand the upcoming theory lessons.

The next 3 weeks were Navigation and Power/Performance theory and their associated exams. Passed.

Then a week of jittery flying, about 3+ hours. Attempting to hover.

Another 3 weeks of  Aerodynamics and Aircraft General Knowledge and exams, which I also somehow passed.

A week of flying, 3 or so hours, absolutely convinced I will hit the ground like a dart.

3 weeks of Air Law, and Meteorology, and 2 nervously passed exams.

This last week comprised a comprehensive hangover, celebrating theory completion, and another 3 to 4 hours of flight, where my instructor thought I might be ready to experience and practice  engine failures from a thousand feet above the Sunshine Coast Airfield. Well, I guess Emergency Services wouldn't have far to go to tidy up the messy stain, should it all go wrong.... The descent of 1400 feet per minute does take a little getting used to, but believe it or not, one does desensitize.

So, 21 hours on,(and apparently  will solo soon, which will have it's own level of apprehension) I have been cheerfully told by my instructors it'll probably take around 600 or so, before I may indeed feel comfortable in this alien world.

Everyday is a challenge, whether it be fears, or ability, therefore the rewards are most fulfilling.

When it rains it pours

Yesterday started out like any other day apart from the fact that from 3am onwards it had been raining.  It was wet, on and off, on Monday and Tuesday was overcast but dry and then I woke in the early hours of Wednesday to the not so gentle patter of rain on our van roof.  At 7ish Steve went off to training looking like a cross between the 'michelin man' and an operating theatre assistant with all his wet weather garb on including boot covering booties like theatre staff wear.  I peered out of the window while we were having breakfast and the clouds had dropped over Mapleton to cover the district in a thick, pea souper kind of fog. I have been told that it is not fog, as such, but low cloud that hangs over the ranges when it's wet. There was even a bit of thunder which sent Karki straight under the bed... weird weather!  For the first time since we arrived here, I had to drive Erin to school in the car because the rain was that persistent.  Up until then, even on a rainy day, we had been able to get to school and back between showers. 
I quickly went down to Nambour after dropping off Erin to grab a few Chrissy things and the water was, again, running down the road in rivers.  There was even a waterfall flowing off a rock wall along the roadside which I'd not seen before.  Once in Nambour, one needs to check the level of the river running through town because signs in the undercover parking area at Nambour Plaza warn of flooding during heavy rain and flood doors being closed and parking at owners risk etc etc.  I don't think it was a concern on this day but it's better to be safe than sorry.  I think the rain in January this year would have been a closer scenario for flooding.
I had not been home long when Steve smsed to let me know that he'd finished for the day and was on his way home.  It was about 10.30.  By 11, he called me.  The bike had conked out in Nambour at traffic lights in the pouring rain and his attempts to restart it had failed.  Could I bring the tools down in the Nissan because he was obviously going to need to do more to get it going.  So down to Nambour for the second time went Becca and I.  With every transfer from van to car I required an umbrella and clever steps because our site was fast turning into a quagmire.
Once down the hill again, I found Steve huddled under a large tree in the still pouring rain waiting.  He had managed to push the bike into a carpark adjoining the local council depot so was out of the traffic at least.  We tried for one hour to get the bike going.  Me holding the umbrella and he working frustratingly on every idea he could think of.  Becca was asleep for a short while but then she woke up and we let her loose in the car so she didn't see a need to get out.  She has developed a particular fondness for Erin's travel activity case which sits behind my seat.  Perfect!  That kept her amused for a little while although at one stage I did think our situation could get worse if she snapped the keys off in the ignition or something like that.  A fellow DR Suzuki owner had told Steve that these bikes are renowned for getting water in the carbies so that's what he was attempting to fix.  All the while Steve was saying to himself "it's all about the adventure" to try and convince himself that it was part of our "experience".
With a sore foot from trying to kickstart the bike, he decided to try and roll start it down the carpark driveway which was sloping.  Meanwhile, it dawned on me that we could probably hire a trailer in town somewhere, get the bike home and worry about starting it later.  Steve's waining enthusiasm was quickly reinvigorated with that suggestion so he stashed the bike somewhere inconspicuous and we headed into town to find a trailer.  Within 10 minutes we had found a 6x4 trailer to hire.  Steve was thrown a bit by having to deal with an automated machine to hire the trailer, something we had never seen before.
Anyway within a short while we were heading back up to Mapleton to drop the bike home.  Oh and it's still raining by the way.........We then had to get the trailer back to Nambour and get back up the hill again to pick Erin up from school.  What a day!  Steve tried until tea time to get the bike going without success......It's still raining.....so had to get up this morning and try again.  By lunchtime, it was running beautifully again and so off to training he went.  As it turns out, Mapleton had upwards of 50 mm of rain yesterday and Brisbane had it's coldest December day in 123 years at just 19 degrees.   I actually ran the heater setting on our airconditioner in the van for the first time since Gundagai where there was ice on the ground. We certainly picked a doozy of a day to have a so called adventure but then I think the day itself created the adventure.

Man vs Wild in Mapleton

When we first arrived in Queensland, there was this anticipation that we were going to be surrounded by all things wild, in particular because of Steve's input about his home state from younger years.  We have certainly seen critters since we've been here but then the humidity kicked in.  As a result, there has been a continual discovery of all creatures great and small which have 'come out' due to the increasing humidity.
On two occasions in the last two weeks, snakes have been seen in the caravan park.  Our neighbour went up the hill to empty his portaloo and discovered a green tree snake curled around the dumping receptical.  He called us and we all rushed up to see it moving away under one of the permanent caravans.  It was a lovely olive green colour with a yellow belly.  I have since heard them being called yellow bellies.  Perhaps 'lovely' is not the right word but it wasn't an ugly colour.  Several days after that, another snake was seen at the entrance to the ladies toilets.  The eyewitness, however, made it sound like a giant fanged, super sized marauder but was more likely to have been a tree snake again.  Nevertheless, we have had to become more vigilant with the girls and where they play.
Erin's class show and tells have turned into wild kingdom lately with snake skins and huge huntsmen spiders turning up on a regular basis.  The other day one young lad turned up with a milk crate with a bush rat in it, still in the wire trap, which had been caught the night before in the family's house roof.  One of the mums relayed a story to me about their house roof being a spider haven as told to her by a visiting tradesman.  She said she really didn't need to know that.  Erin's classmates have talked about pythons swallowing ducks and one mum talked about a python entangled in the wire of a friends' chicken coop.   Another mentioned that when she went to put her sons' guinea pigs out one morning, there was a python curled up inside the hutch.  Luckily the guinea pigs were kept indoors at night so they weren't breakfast.
Quite often during the day when it's nice, I will leave the screen door open on the van but when it comes to closing up at night (particularly to keep the mozzies at bay), we have an assortment of weird and.......well more weird insects taking up residence in the windows and around the fluoro lights.  There are flies with green eyes and slow motion wing movements and strange shaped little spiders with patterns to name a few.  As I eye off the wildlife in the van before we turn the lights out, I ask Steve if we are still going to be alive in the morning with all these critters around (in jest of course).  There are ants with green bums that are to be avoided.  When they bite you, you hardly notice it but after about 5 minutes, it feels like acid burning around the bite and within 24 hours it is very itchy.  Quite often I see little skinks scooting around in the annex when there are no cats or children around.
Our most recent amusement was when Erin gave us some good advice about the huge march flies we get around the area.  Her sports teacher, Mr Ford, had told them to "let the march fly settle and then smack 'em".  From all her learning at school, she had to remember the teachings of her sports teacher on march flies and she says it with such expression too.
With the onset of humidity has come the cicadas.  These very raucous insects make a loud chirping sound usually in the afternoon when its warmest and they drown out all other noise. Lately we have found their insect casings which they shed, leaving a perfect copy of their original shape.
The other day I was cleaning out Erin's swimming bag which was in the annex and reached in to pull out what I thought was a crayon.  In the millisecond that I briefly held said crayon, it was prickly and hard.  By the next millisecond I had flung it across the annex where it landed in the cats' litter tray.  After the squealing and flayling of arms (not unlike Erin's dance when a leech was on her) I realised it was a large shiny beetle that had gotten lost in the swim bag........completely harmless.  Needing to regain my composure and the girl's respect,  I went and picked up the beetle and showed the girls but the damage had been done.  Mum's reaction had lost them any semblance of confidence with observing insect creatures.  Well......I'm only confident when they don't take me by surprise.
We had been told by the locals that ticks become more prevalent in the humid months, but to be honest, we have not spotted one on any of us since those first couple of weeks.
On the plus side, we've seen tawny frogmouths with babies in the evening and the kookaburras are ever present as well as parrots and lorikeets galore.  I'm sure as the humidity sets in, we will see more of what Queensland has to offer in the wildlife department.