It's been a while since my last blog as my travels have been far and wide.  After a lot of packing and upheavel I've finally landed in Melbourne...a big change from the Sunshine Coast, but an exciting one.

Before coming to Melbourne I went on a trip up to Mission Beach and beyond seeking more bushfood and contacts.  It's been a lot of years since I've been there, although a few more exotic looking homes, not much seems to have changed, it's a fantastic place with the sugar cane fields and the banana plantations and lovely old Queensland buildings.  I met Annie at Off the Rails, a great coffee shop and giftware...Annie uses a lot of bush food in her cooking, jams, cutchneys, cookies and cakes her place is a taste sensation. 37 Hynes Street, Sth Johnstone (on the road from Mission Beach to Innisfail).

At Innisfail I went to see some crocodiles at the local Croc place, they are quite scary up close...the ranger went into the enclosure with only a long stick and gave us a good educational talk about their habits, I was a little nervy as the gate to the enclose was left wide open and metres between me and the croc, he did explain that if he (meaning the ranger) did a runner to the gate don't get in his way!!! AS IF!!  Also, very close to my heart are our native dingoes, these particular dingoes have been raised sinces pups and are used to people hangdling them (yes, that's me with the dingo...the picture was taken just after he gave me a quick lick across the face and then turned his attention to a wandering rooster!  Don't go cuddling any wild dingoes please.

Another place, one of so many, up Far North Queensland, is Parenella Park...this place is an absolute must see...built by one man in the 1930's the first in Australia to have it's own hydo power set in a botanic gardens of wonderful exotic foliage, a huge waterfall and caves, it's number 1 "must see" on the RACQ list.

from Far North Queensland, with it's heat and humidity to Melbourne...more on that trip later