The morning of day 6 was spent white water rafting on the Barron River, which was followed by a hearty barbecue. The night was spent as a Cairns tradition at The Woolshed for some food, a lot of beer, and even more table dancing.

A brief stop in Townsville preceded our arrival in Airlee Beach and ferry to Long Island in the Whitsundays. The evening was spent at the resort, followed by a free day, island hike, and beach party the next day.

The Whitsunday Islands are named for the day on which Captain Cook arrived and charted the area, but it is actually a misnomer. Due to the crossing of the International Date Line, Cook actually arrived at the islands on a Monday.

Day 9 allowed us the opportunity to sail the Whitsundays and enjoy its marvellous waters and view. The trip inlcuded a stop at Whitehaven Beach for some sunbathing, cricket, and rugby.

Whitehaven is often rated as the world's best beach. Its white silica sand is so fine that it can be used to polish jewellery. Unfortunately, it also finds its way through every nook and cranny and is very damaging to electronic equipment.

Mechanical troubles on the coach delayed our trip to Kooranda, but we eventually arrived to visit a crocodile farm and sample some croc kebabs. We continued onward to spend the night in Rockhampton.

Rockhampton is known as the beef capital of Australia, and this reputation is evident through the bull statues in busy roundabouts and the "Beef City" bus that replaced our defunct coach.

We visited the Aboriginal Cultural Centre before arriving in Hervey Bay for the ferry to Fraser Island. Once there, we spotted frolicking dolphins, and enjoyed a buffet dinner and pyjama party at the Dingo Bar.

The Australia aborigines are the oldest existing civilization on the planet, having arrived in Australia somewhere between 40,000 and 60,000 years ago. Their legends of creation, interpreted as "Dreamtime" stories, offer a host of colourful tales for the wonders of the nature around them.