winter?

I've spent the past week in Kuranda, which is a tropical village just west of Cairns. Steve and his daughter, Kirsty, have welcomed me into their home to help care for their animals and do a bit of yard work. They have five horses, two goats, half a dozen sheep, dozens of ducks and chooks and two dogs. It's quite a handful!

This is my first real wwoof experience (calling up a stranger to ask if I can live/work with them as part of the family) but it has been wonderful. I wandered down to Kuranda village to their bustling craft markets, walked through the rainforest, saw the world's largest butterfly and went for a lovely horseback ride.

The climate here is tropical, which I love. The trees grow and bend like canopies over the roads and all through the yard. The sky, when it's not raining, is the most brilliant unspoilt blue. I have spotted a few fat spiders, but I'm learning not to scream and cry and can actually respond with a hand swat and a "shoo". Though my heart still races and it takes me a bit longer to fall asleep than it should. Still I'm making progress.

Tomorrow it's off to Mission Beach, which I hear is sleepy and serene. Nice break. Tully is my next wwoofing stay so there will be more to report in the next week.