We start with a travel briefing. Our Fantasy wagonmaster has outlined today’s drive in detail, including gas stops where needed. Our rigs are right hand drive again and we feel comfortable driving because it was the same in New Zealand. The travel briefings are really a great help. Again, I believe we would have a difficult time without Fantasy’s great trip planning. This really allows us to enjoy a great RV adventure.Soon after we leave Mission Beach, we pass a banana plantation. Here we have the opportunity to watch men picking and cleaning bananas. There is a little fruit stand advertising bananas five for a dollar. We immediately decide to put the brakes on for this treat of beautiful, fresh and cheap fruit. Oh my gosh, how sweet it is!
We travel through the little town of Cardwell, which has a Coral Sea War Memorial. Here we stop to read the plaques, since our wagonmaster told us this morning it honors two US war ships, the USS Lexington and Chicago. 
What a surprise, today they are celebrating the 70th anniversary of a World War II battle just a few hundred feet off the coast. These ships help protect the Australians in this fight. There were two survivors from the Lexington here and a naval band played during the laying of wreaths. I, always, get very sentimental at these times because I am a proud American. I can say I felt the sting of tears in my eyes.
What a surprise, today they are celebrating the 70th anniversary of a World War II battle just a few hundred feet off the coast. These ships help protect the Australians in this fight. There were two survivors from the Lexington here and a naval band played during the laying of wreaths. I, always, get very sentimental at these times because I am a proud American. I can say I felt the sting of tears in my eyes.Memories of a lifetime are building each day we travel and Australia promises to be as life enriching as New Zealand.
