School holidays necessitate affordable explorations and parental manipulation to keep the boredom word away. I have been working long hours and school holidays has been so far unsavoury for boy child, so we took a drive to visit beloved older brother.

Older brother lives 3 hours to the south of us in the little town of Ingham. While there is nothing startling or historically grabbing about Ingham, the spectacular beauty of the coast line, just out of reach of the main highway, is something to write home about.

This is Forrest Beach (20 km off the main highway to Townsville/Cairns). Close to town for exploration and largely people free so that the kids can run wild. The shell quota on the beach is amazing. Take a bucket and find shells for hours: but leave the shells there, please. Warning: That’s Hinchinbrook Island and channel in the background – a place where Crocodiles frequent (Hinchinbrook is Australia’s largest island National Park). Forrest Beach is apparently often closed due to crock sightings. ALWAYS read the signs along the beach.

I LOVE winter in FNQ! Life is a total beach.