As devastating "Super" Storm Sandy wreaked havoc on the eastern coast of America and the news coverage and pictures showed severe damage and flooding of New York,the New Jersey Shore and Atlantic City, the 2012 Presidential Race was put on hold and we flew to Cairns, Australia's "Tropical North" on our way to Japan.

This proved to be a blissful respite between our home in Melbourne and Japan, breaking the journey into two manageable sections. We spent two nights in Cairns on our way and another three nights on our way back from Japan.

Cairns .... humid, still, ringed with mountains of dark greens and blues of varying shades,lush lawns, large tropical trees, often with brightly coloured blossoms - red,yellow, pink and white, century old buildings and wide shady streets, souvenir shops and cafes and a mix of locals, backpackers and tourists. A laid back atmosphere. The new Swimming Lagoon is beautiful with sandy shore, green lawns, large trees and excellent amenities. Right in the heart of the city, it has compensated for the lack of a sandy and safe beach.

With a rental car we travelled north to Port Douglas and beyond to Mossman and Daintree. On our return stay we explored the Atherton Tableland, Kuranda, the Barron Falls and the hinterland.

A repeat and nostalgic revisit in 2019 but this time we crossed the Daintree and drove to Cape Tribulation, mostly NP, "where the forest meets the sea".