Beatrix pottering: Two driving days

The big news: I have finally driven the motorhome! It's only taken eleven thousand miles...

After the fun of northern Queensland, and with our return deadline creeping up on us, we decided to go straight to our next major destination: the Whitsunday Islands, two days away. So yesterday, with four hours' driving ahead of us, we started with a visit to the local waterfall: an impressive, wide, straight, 12m drop into a large pool, perfect for swimming. Jemima and I went waist deep, until we could feel the spray on our faces; then she'd had enough, so I deposited her back on shore and went in for an exhilarating swim. After a bit more of a splash in the river flowing away, and (Jemima's favourite bit?) a barefoot squelch in the soft mud on the shore, we cleaned up, dried ourselves, and zoomed off.

After a sterling drive by Kevin, we stopped for the night at an immaculate campsite outside Townsville. We had a lovely swim followed by steak for dinner; then the next morning it was time to hit the road again. And then, on the wide straight road through landscape that was more like the Australia I'd imagined (scrubby dry desert rather than the lush greenery we've had so far in the tropical north), it happened: I took the wheel. And of course, it was really easy - just like driving a car. (Although Kevin says this Mercedes-based motorhome is easier to drive than our Fiat van-based one; and all I was doing was driving in a straight line, not even a single corner... But even so, I did it! Fear confronted.)

And then, after a lunch pit stop in a very nice cafe/florist, and another day with four hours' driving, we arrived at Airlie Beach, mainland gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. A lovely swim in the campsite lagoon pool (plus I got to read a trashy magazine on a sunbed, which was great); pasta at the van - outside, until the heavens opened with a short but sharp rainstorm; and much reading of tour brochures before the fun starts again tomorrow.