Hi everyone,

I know it's too late to say Happy New Year, but I still wish you a really good 2014!

It's this time of the year again when more newsletters will happen.

In the end of the year I am quiet with them because the season has finished, there is not much interest before the New Year when everyone starts planning for the new season, and as I have said before, I am not going to try to push a regular newsletter through the low season for the sake of it - so I use that quiet time of the year to get out to the tracks myself :-)

Now that the new season gets closer we'll all be excited to know when does the Wet Season end, and when do the tracks open again.

Well so far I can say at least the Wet has now started!

================================================

In This Issue:

• The Wet Season Has Started

• A Few Plans for the Year

• Guide Book Feedback Always Welcome

================================================

THE WET SEASON HAS STARTED

I may have gotten a little repetative if you check the first newsletter of the last year, but it's true - our Wet Seasons are not starting in December as it used to be.

Well, the Early Wet can and does, the thunderstorm season, but not the real, monsoonal Wet (here's more if you want to read about the difference between the early and the late wet of northern Australian climate).

Two days ago, the proper Wet finally started up here.

That is always a big change for us. First a big relief that the heat of the troppo season has finally given us a break.

The smell of the rain, the cool air ... then a little sadness that I am missing out on the outdoors, ... then happiness that I am getting a lot of work done, ... then more rain, rain and rain, until the mould starts growing everywhere in the house and you just cannot wait for the Wet to end!

But, we haven't got to that stage yet :-)

For you - the start of the Wet means at least we can now start looking forward to its end, and see when the roads open again so we can get up to the Cape this year.

Don't expect that before April - May, so we have a good few months ahead yet.

At least I am back from the tracks and indoors now, getting a lot of work out of the way and ready to answer your questions and emails.

I will be updating how the season is going, we may get a cyclone or two, and towards the end of the Wet I will of course have more info on what the roads are doing, and hopefully some reports from some early season travellers.

Looking forward to it, it's always an exciting time of the year!


A FEW PLANS FOR THE YEAR

Now that I am indoors again after the camping season, I will first dive right into making improvements and changes to the website, also adding new pages. This may also lead to a new design some time this year.

In March, all the companies (accommodation, tours, and all the rest) will decide on their new prices for the year, so in April, I will be flat out ringing every single place listed in the Destination Guide and updating all the prices, opening hours, contact details .. big job!

I expect to have that done as soon as I possibly can, and I will send out a newsletter when it's ready so that all the book owners can go back to the original purchase email and download the new, updated version (of course for free).

The rest of the plans are a little vague at this stage. One thing for sure, I will update all the events for 2014 as soon as even the last organisers have decided upon the dates, so that you can see as soon as possible what's happening during the time you are up here, and have the opportunity to include some Cape York and North Queensland events into your trip.

 
FEEDBACK ALWAYS WELCOME

I really appreciate any kind of feedback on the Destination Guide.

Please let me know if you enjoyed it while planning before the trip, and while using the information once on the trip.

If you get any questions about anything, please feel welcome to contact me.

That's all for this time - happy planning everyone :-)

Katrin


P. S. If you cannot see the photo banner in the top of this page, and instead of links you see url addresses throughout the text, you are using email software that only reads text. Consider getting an email account with Yahoo or others that can read HTML (and remember to change your email address, which can be done in the end of every newsletter.