Rockingham. Last town before finally parting company with the tropics. Tropic of Capricorn a few miles to the south. Close now on one third of my way along Australia’s east coast. But still a long way to go to Melbourne.
The tropics had been a challenge, doubly so in the wet season. Exhausting humidity. Cyclone Yasi. Flooded roads. Plethora of unfamiliar fauna. Crocodiles. Suicidal wallabies. I’d joked it was a laugh a minute. But secretly I was pleased. Mastered the environment. Sad to leave.
In truth, there’d been a marked improvement in the weather over the last few hundred miles. South of Mackay the rainfall had tapered off. You still got wet. But not as often. Stifling humidity replaced by headwinds coming up from the south. Continuing to cool. Pleasant. Australian autumn. Bit like an English summer.
