As we crossed the Tully river, muddy brown water swelled around us, from my window I watched the ripples lapping against our side. The river had burst its banks and was about half a metre deep at this point, and we were attempting to cross it in a bus! Even the water markers which show the depth of the floodwaters were submerged. Every so often a bright yellow crocodile warning sign just poked out the top of the waves. We passed an abandoned potato truck lying on its side that had accidentally strayed from the road and ended up half submerged in a ditch.

We had spent just over a week in Tropical Queensland and following almost constant rain, it was proving pretty difficult to head south to less tropical parts. The Tully river is notorious for flooding and when it does break its banks it blocks off the only road South. But thanks to our bus drivers' nerves of steel we did make it through the officially closed road and the whole bus erupted into cheers and applause when we were safely through.

We headed onto our two big East coast adventures - sailing in the Whitsundays and 4x4 safari in Fraser Island. Sailing was fantastic, but pretty stormy and my dreams of sunbathing on the deck were crushed by driving rain and wind. The reality was more big yellow fisherman coat with hood pulled tight against the rain and spray, hanging onto rails and trying not be sick. Fraser Island was lovely, the best bit was driving along 75 mile beach right next to the crashing waves and spotting wild dingos trotting through the sand dunes. By this stage though we were really starting to believe we were cursed as it rained constantly (again!) and, just like the Whitsundays, the weather was perfect just before we left and when we got back.

Anyway fast-forward a few days and things get better, we're on Sunshine Beach, on the Sunshine Coast in the Sunshine State (up to now the Sunshine State tag has felt like a cruel joke)... and it's finally sunny! Sunshine Beach is in Noosa and it is beautiful, a long stretch of golden sand with pounding surf and unspoilt sand dunes leading into bush behind. We stretched out like cats in the sun and the best bit was there was almost noone else there, amazing that such a lovely beach on such a perfect day was so empty. That's one of the things I love about this country, tons of breathtaking scenery and so few people.