"The big wet"! - From Hervey Bay to Cairns (11 - 14.2.2009) 
roll After a long pause in Hervey Bay near Corinna again ... and we Ernesto - further north along the Australian east coast, where we hopefully should eventually reach our final destination of Cairns. In between is a huge "low-pressure trough", the enormous and lasting for days rainfall have resulted in the tropical north Queensland in early February to huge floods. According to meteorologists is now to this low pressure area in the north and migrate south to provide a temporary improvement in the weather, so we hope that once opened due to floods blocked roads by and by be. It is uncertain whether we may be somewhere half way but must turn back. It is certain that we are somewhere along the way covered by this wall of rain.
As always after a long stage breaks we have to get used again until the hours of driving around. Because of the accompanying uncertainty whether the unwound km at best but have to drive back, the motivation is not exactly in top form. How to Hold the stretch for even the excessive mileage on that day rather modest, the speedometer 315 km, as we enter the middle of the afternoon in the small coastal nest Agnes Water/1770. The weather has until now kept very well, the sky is overcast and the sun shines only milky forth between the tropical cloud formations, but the temperatures are hot and humid, between 30 and 35 degrees - a bit of very wet when we consider that we, after 10 nights of the beautiful bed Schlummerns again expects modest corner of our Campers ( not to say danger!). The vegetation is tropical increasingly, to be overgrown more and more dominated by magnificent palm trees and colorful shrubs, the landscape and the near-ground environment seems like a dense green carpet.
Water/1770 Agnes is a remote village in the center of the east coast, once a typical dropout nest today but slowly in the hands of the local tourism, but still pleasantly sleepy and quiet. Surrounded by long and beautiful sandy beaches. The name 1770 (Seventeen Seventy), by the way, therefore, when Captain Cook came in 1770 at the aforesaid point on land. It was that year when he discovered her from Sydney north to and from the Australian east coast.
After a stroll through the town, there's a cappuccino for our paralyzed from driving spirits think about getting going. Then we begin our search for a suitable place for the night. Between the two villages, a simple but well maintained campground is surrounded by palm trees and with adjoining restaurant, where you will eat very well as a few weeks ago we have heard from travelers coming from the opposite direction. A European-run business, which can germinate in the hope of really good food after our experience shows that many domestic cooking and love only reach unimaginative fast food level. Dinner tastes as fabulous and in fact may be described as something the best that we took during our travel time in restaurants to us.
The humid warm night in our dwelling gypsies we spend reasonably quiet, except at the Sandra at every small creature trauma memories of the sand fly attacks are awake. Can only have the sight of flying or crawling animal Inside Itching sprout!
The next day, it is the 02/12/2009, was the "wettest" are of our trip. Next we follow the Bruce Highway north. In the weather forecasts for heavy rain today has been predicted. It sits in the neck are the fear that the roads be blocked in the flood plains lies before us again and that we are hanging somewhere or "weathering" for days'. At noon we passed the town of Rockhampton, where we pause at a cafe again briefly check up on the internet the road condition, still everything is going "green." Rockhampton is situated exactly on the Tropic of Capricorn (Tropic of Capricorn), the ie, where the tropical climate zone begins. It was about 2.5 months ago, when we run over on the west coast opposite this turning circle from north to south.
With an understanding of open roads in mind, the motivation comes back a little, give a further chunk right track to leave behind. The motivation is then washed away but by and by the onset of rain. The further north we get, the more it poured from all locks. Everything seems to be extreme in this country - the heat, the winds, the vast amounts of troublesome animals, the length - and ultimately the way it rains - from full cans. And the hours! Even if the windshield wipers nervous at level two wags back and forth and you have the feeling that everything would not submit to Peter, yet another round. Unbelievable how quickly bombarded largest amounts of water from the sky. We are now probably in the middle of the Depression. We are already looking forward to the upcoming night - should not one be really much in the dry.
take after a flood and after driving about 600 km Day performance, we in the twilight in Mackay; tourist stronghold and as starting point to upstream Whitsunday Islands. A tropical group of islands off the mainland coast with beaches of Paradise, species-rich vegetation and a beautiful underwater world, a foretaste of the South Seas, so they say. And precisely in this area has it "ships" like mad. Given the wet conditions we decide to look for us for the night in a motel. Numerous places to be scoured, through ankle-deep water, we stumble through the streets. Either "fully booked" or the reception has been measured to or from the performance so outrageously expensive that we give up in frustration. We hope to have outside the tourist area in slightly better chance of a dry shelter and curves through the darkness. Still "ship" and in the pitch dark night is driving entirely to torture as an emergency solution, we control the nearest campsite the road edge. The grassy places sparkle in the spotlight no more seepage of surface water. We park one, a few quick moves of the overnight conversion and as we sit: soaking wet, wet in the sweltering mini-cabin of our Land Cruisers and hear how drums are still on big raindrops on the tin roof of our house. Mentally you are already engaged to turn back to head office and that more than 900 km have been for naught.
lack of other employment opportunities, we place ourselves in Dachtrackt on the ear. The incessant noise of the pounding rain on the tin roof, however, prevent us from finding sleep. And the constant rain shows now the borders of the moisture-proof tent fabric covering our tracks sleep: mattresses and linen are in the front already pretty wet, oh is not that wonderful? Somehow it again sometime tomorrow. It's still raining, but noticeably less. The first step on the lawn is already very "anmächelig. Nip! Shortly before 7.00 clock, we are already on the road. Now reads, "no risk, no fun": either we are lucky and our assumption is correct that the low-pressure trough has now further installed south and the roads in the north are passable, or ... - yes then just do not ...! ?
still lie about 600 km to Cairns us. We pass Airlie Beach, a place where you can actually pass impossible ... Let's do it anyway! As long as the roads are open we want as quickly as possible try to come to Cairns to your destination. On the way we ask about the road conditions and the news sounds good, contrary to expectations: in the north, the roads are open, in the south where we were yesterday, but now it gets critical. The poker game just seems to be working. Slowly the sky brightened back to something that only remnants of the heavy and low-hanging rain clouds on the horizon shows. And along the way of traces of the flood: vast tracts of land are under water, one sees that to must have been recently flooded the streets completely. Time and again we have to deep - avoid potholes - the water washed. In the area near the town of Ingham is Highway partially flooded and we still go through many wet places. Entire houses disappeared here in the floods and during the pre-driving is clearly seen that the water was up to the roof. Harm people by insurance companies here are quite likely to "live" position. People are happy because in spite of lousy weather to be on vacation! :-)
After the "gauntlet" of the past two days we head for the evening, Mission Beach. Again, a beautiful Patch of earth in the tropical east coast, where it is just after the ending of a season has become quiet and still. Set up and once again drinking a glass of wine in peace, knowing so it follows that we have weathered the worst and tomorrow only about 120 km to Cairns lie ahead.
take the next morning, we tackled. The departure comes to us from the otherwise very idyllic place Mission Beach is not too difficult, because it rains recovered slightly from the tropical sky. Definitely not the desired weather for campers, travelers.
The further north we go, the more oppressive the climate. As a European, one can hardly imagine how incredibly difficult this humid tropical heat feels. You're tired, you sweat, the cycle is hard at doing nothing, already, one is constantly on the water bottle ...! And nature is reflected in a unique green! Everywhere bubbling water and sprout from the landscape's where to look. A huge tropical garden through which we control the direction of Cairns. On the long journey here, we have decided to look for us on the final destination for the holidays a somewhat larger place to live. Any nice hotel or a cozy apartment, where we spread out again something that can not weather dependent, are quietly remove the car and arrange to pack our luggage x-hundred cases and can.
afternoon of 02/14/2009, we meet - in the truest sense of the word - a little "watered down" but safe and sound in a Cairns. We start looking for a stay for the holidays end. The offer is huge, the choice is yours great. Where we have accommodated us and spend the last days of our great trips, we show you next time! Many thanks for your fingers crossed - it helped - great and we are very happy about it! Bye, see you next and probably last time ...
