I love North Queensland! We hopped on the bus to go to Nellie Bay and the driver was busy checking up on the health of one of his elderly regulars who’d been taken ill yesterday. Same driver on the way back announced to the bus via the PA that ‘the couple that wanted to buy something for their camera should get off at the next stop. It’s their best bet.’ He also randomly stopped to let passengers off to save them a walk. Service – all delivered with a gentle smile.

We’ve had three glorious days on Magnetic Island. It’s just off the coast from Townsville and I’ve flown over Maggie more times than I can remember during my 18 years with QantasLink.

Horseshoe Bay, where we are anchored,  is a stunning spot on the northern side so it’s great for sheltering from the south easterlies. Dinghy access to the beach is easy as it shelves very quickly – for once ours didn’t fill up with water while we were off exploring.

There are heaps of walks – and some of them not for the faint-hearted nor croc wearers (Graham please take note