This area of Australia is not what the stereotypical images lodged in my brain had led me to expect. Much of the low lying land has been cleared for agriculture. This is a big farming area of Australia with the main crops at the moment being sugar cane and bananas. There are also mango and paw paw trees but they are out of season. There are railway tracks everywhere for the cane train and they just cross the road when they need to. Sometimes there are flashing lights warning you to stop, other times there is a sign say look for trains. At night when sitting out on the deck having a beer you can often see the orange flashing light of the cane train piercing the blackness of the night.

In stark contrast to this farming landscape are the surrounding hills and mountains, covered by native rainforest. The house that is currently home sits on land once cleared for farming and is flanked to the sides and rear by such rain forest. The sounds are quite amazing with a constant buzz from cricket type bugs and then the squares of the birds, the noisiest being a pair of kookaburras who periodically let us know they are still there with a loud, shrill laugh. There is also a kingfisher (a same family as the kookaburra) who sometimes visits of an evening.

The other main visual feature here are the creeks. They are everywhere, every one has a name and a road sign telling you. Although the creeks look crystal clear and some even have fairly deep pools, swimming is not a good idea. The Australian Salty or estuarine crocodile live in most creeks, estuaries and even the sea so donning your budgie smugglers and diving in is not a good idea.

One of the most striking things here for me is the sunrise and sunset. I’m not sure if it’s the time of year or the location but the sun rises and sets quickly. Seeing a warm, orange sun sinking behind the tropical trees coating the mountainous skyline is quite beautiful. The same goes for the sunrise although as the sun rises it illuminates a layer of thick milky-white mist covering the floor of the lower areas.

Other features that stand out are the numerous fruit stalls at the side of the road. As you pull in you see a range of fruit on offer with the prices clearly displayed, but no-one to pay. Instead there is a small metal box attached to the stand into which you post your payment. Now that’s what I call trust. Can’t see it taking off in the UK somehow!

And then there is the road signs. Road signs for everything from speed limits and dips in the road to wildlife crossings, bus routes and slippery surfaces. But they are constant. The Australian highways department must spend a fortune on signage.

The two main towns near here are Mena Creek and Innisfail. Mena Creek is probably what I would call a village except the term village doesn’t exist here. It has a pub and a couple of shops. I haven’t been in the shops but I’m sure you can buy your bait and ice here if you want. The pub is ok for a couple of tinnies and a veggie snack.

Innisfail is more what I would call a town and is built on the Johnston river. There is a main street with shops and cafes, a small harbour on the river with varying sizes of boats and quite a large residential area. Oh and I mustn’t forget, it also has a library of which I have been given thefull tour, access all areas!

Innisfail seems a little run down and is probably suffering from the two major cyclones, Larry and Yasi. Certainly those whom I have spoken to do not regard the town as a hive of cultural activity. But it has a beautiful side. Driving up into the hills the residential housing continues and when the top is reached it becomes plain to see why people live up here. The views out over the Johnston river and the sprawling town are amazing. The rooftops of the houses look like umbrellas scattered in haphazard rows amongst the vegetation with the river swelling and curling through them, seemingly at will.

And driving down to the estuary revealed sights equally spectacular with a mix of rainforest, mangroves, beaches and the wide mouth of the Johnston river pouring into the sea. There were a few small boats on the water and a group of three or four people casting a fishing net off the side of a jetty ramp. Otherwise the view was empty of human interference and quite serene.