Banana plantations, croc-spotting, and barefoot beach walks — I may have wandered off Karl’s path, but I found my groove in Far North Queensland.

Port Douglas was the perfect place to wind down my Australian chapter: quiet, lush, and just humid enough to make every swim feel earned. Between flat whites and Four Mile Beach, river cruises through the mangroves, and yes, a few crocodiles (seen from a very safe distance), I found space to reflect — and write a love letter to my most loyal travel companion: the banana.