In just a few hours, the Ashmores’ Cape York adventure begins and Jon thought it would be fun (!) if I wrote a post about all the things that frighten me about the next five weeks. Thing is, despite my breezy she’ll-be-right demeanour, truth is I am a worrier, plagued with what-ifs and an active imagination. So here are just a few things that terrify be about travelling through Cape York with kids.

Crocodiles

I don’t care what anyone says, this is a perfectly logical thing to worry about. I have a supremely tasty-looking four-year-old and a six-year-old whose listening ears are regularly malfunctioning.

“Just don’t go near the water.”
“They only strike the third time.”
“They don’t really like the taste of humans.”

None of these platitudes have helped ease my anxiety, nor has any of the official advice, which seems to say that one must follow all signs but also remember that crocs are migratory and could be anywhere. Guess what I’ll be thinking about when one of the kids needs to wee in the middle of the night?

Driving

More specifically, driving my husband’s pride and joy, Big Red. It’s been acknowledged that, if he had a gun to his head and only one option, Jon would struggle to choose between me and the car. What if I break something?

On a serious note, having everything I love in the vehicle on unpredictable roads makes me a giant scaredy-cat when it comes to driving. I’ve had visions of the car rolling, being washed sideways by a torrent, getting stuck mid-river crossing, fishtailing, going over a ravine… I think you get the idea.

Not feeding my children properly

If we’d set off on this trip three months ago, this would have been at the top of the list. Luckily, three months in Vanuatu working full-time have eased my food-nazi ways. So the kids don’t eat enough vegetables… whatevs. But let it be know that every time we open the crinkly packet of a highly processed snack, my heart lurches a little.

Bulls!

This is a new one, as I only found out just the other day that a common hazard on the roads of Cape York is free-roaming cattle. My friend Keith shared a great story about being charged by a bullock just after his car stopped spinning after he lost control. Thanks Keith.

Snakes, sharks, box jellyfish, the slimy stuff at the bottom of waterholes…

So I’m not that great with creepy-crawlies or things that want to nibble at you. Did I mention that I have nightmares about leeches? Seriously, if you ever see a leech on me, get it off before I start dancing like Peter Garrett.

Do you think my fears are justified? What worries you about travelling to Cape York or other extreme places?