Tropical bliss — Kandy Shepherd

I just returned from a few days break in tropical north Queensland—the Australian state to the north of New South Wales where I live. I went in search of warmth and relaxation and found both. The winter in my part of DownUnder has been decidedly chilly. Not so in Port Douglas! It was perfect with just-right hot sunny days and water the right temperature to swim in. Bliss!

Note, however that I swam only in the pool. Walking along the lovely Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas I asked a local who was walking her cute dog why no one was swimming.

“Because there could be crocodiles in the water,” she replied somewhat reluctantly, perhaps not wanting to scare the tourists.

EEEK! Sharks I know about, but crocodiles in the surf? Apparently they sneak in from the mangrove swamps that bracket the beach. So no swimming on a beach what wasn’t netted.

The hotel where we stayed has beautiful tropical gardens. What says vacation and sun more than palm trees?

 I realised as I wandered around that the grounds that so much of the beauty of a tropical garden is in its leaves—as colourful as any flower. In fact some of the tropical plants have tiny, insignificant flowers. I just loved those leaves. But sadly tropical plants wouldn’t thrive in my farm garden where frosts are frequent.

Was there something significant I could learn from my trip to enhance my writing? Maybe something about hidden dangers or hidden beauty? Who knows what might sneak out of my subconscious and onto the page! One thing for sure is that the next romance I write will be set somewhere in the tropics!

 What says “vacation” to you? Have you ever been surprised by something unexpected where you’ve visited? Is there something about your home town you think visitors should know? I’d love to read your comments!

PS. I stayed at the QT Resort in Port Douglas. 

What would you do for love? by Amy Andrews

Allow me to introduce you to Lee. 

Lee is an Australian idiot. 

He fully deserves this pisstake media report for his actions which involved jumping into a river, well known for it's crocodiles, all to impress a girl who didn't really look that impressed. 

Go ahead and watch the video (there's some language in it that's a little bit fruity) and judge for yourself. 

I'll wait....

Lee was damn lucky it was only his arm that got munched. It could have been ripped off, he could have been pulled under and I don't even want to estimate how much money he cost the taxpayers of Australia because he let a carton of goon and what was in his underpants do his thinking.

BUT....it does beggar the question... just how far would you go for love? Just how far should our heroes in our books go? Have *you* done something outrageously risky for love or know anyone who has? Have you read a hero who did something hold-your-breath stupid to get the girl?

PS The moral of the story is, dont be like Lee. No girl is worth being shoved under a log by a prehistoric beast.

The Lure of Old Fossils (Part 1)

 

Detour for a Crocodile's Smile!

by Sharon Archer

• Toothy smile from the past - Model of Isisfordia duncani

I can't help it - fossils and dinosaurs fascinate me!  Which is why, when I read an article about Isisfordia in a tourist brochure we picked up on our travels... well, we just had to detour to Isisford to meet this great-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-grandfather of crocodiles.  And here he is...

 

His fossilized remains were discovered by Ian Duncan and this replica is proudly displayed in The Outer Barcoo Interpretation Centre in Isisford.

He's much smaller than I'd expected... measuring in at a modest 1 metre in length and weighing in at about 4 kilograms.

• Close up of Osteoderms (the bones that would have been in the skin covered by scales) and the right thigh bone.

• This is him compared to a large, present-day (1000 kg) estuarine crocodile

• I. duncani compared to the width of that big saltie.

The Australia that this little crocodile inhabited was vastly different country to the one we know today. When he lived, 98 million years ago, lakes and swamps and rivers covered the huge basin that had once been the Eromanga Sea.  

Isisfordia duncani was our introduction to Outback Queensland's fabulous fossils and we were delighted to be travelling with no particular itinerary so we could detour to discover these unexpected treasures.
The area is a dinosaur-lover's paradise... and I'll share more of our discoveries in the months to come.

So how about you, are you interested in fossils and dinosaurs?  Do you like travelling with a firm itinerary or do you prefer to wing it and see what turns up?



PS this is us camped on the banks of the Barcoo River at Isisford...