OF BIRDS AND BLISTERS ........

We have been in Cairns now for nearly two weeks, it has certainly been a different fortnight! It's beautiful up here, very hot - 29 degrees most days, we have had a lot of cloud and high winds, but the last few days have been clear and calm - just sunshine. Cairns is surrounded by rainforest - very tropical, a nice part of Australia. We have been for lots of swims in the man-made lagoon down on their Esplanade - it was all rebuilt after the cyclones went through around ten years ago, and is a really nice area. The actual bay itself looks great when the tide is in, but when it's out it is just mud flats, fed from estuaries and rivers, one would not venture into the water up here thanks! Anyway, let me tell you about my adventures! (with apologies to those who have already heard the tale.) Wozzie and I booked in to the skincancer clinic thing last week, as he needed some sunspots burnt off and I had a little thing on my hand I was concerned about. Anway, I had a warty thing cut off my hand and then had an allergic reaction to the cream the specialist gave me. The skin on my hand was all blistered as you can see from the photo above and the hand got so swollen that by Wednesday night we went to the Cairns ambo station to get them to cut off my rings. they didn't have the right tool so called around the firies. they arrived would you believe it, in the fire truck!!! four of them , we laughed and laughed. i said - its only for me, they said, we dont do things in half up here. must have been a quiet night. so here's little me with one guy holding the torch, one cutting of the rings, one of the ambo's getting the rings off my fingers. they were all just terrific. Thursday night we went back and took them some chocolates. Couldn't see the ambos, they were out on a call, but did see the firemen.

Anyway it's now nearly a week later and my hand is clearing up nicely, the swelling has all gone and the blister is starting to heal. So, on to more exciting things. First Saturday here we went over to Atherton to see a "Birds of Prey" display. So interesting. There were only four of us with the handler (pictured below). It was so interesting and we got some great photos. So neat to get so close to these beautiful creatures. Mike is holding a sooty owl. He is so passionate about what he does, it's wonderful.

And guess who got to hold a wedge-tailed eagle. Talk about excited, he was on a high for hours, couldn 't believe it!

This is a Falcon - how beautiful is this.

And a quoll - had never seen one before, they are very cat like.

On Thursday we drove up to Kuranda, way up in the rainforest highlands, amazing scenery. There was another bird sanctuary up there, so in we went! Finally got to see a Cassowary up close, talk about territorial, they were trying to attack their keepers, simply because the keepers enter their enclosure. This is one weird looking bird!This little fella was very taken with my bag - would have loved to jump inside it.

And these parrots decided that Wozzie's hat was VERY tasty - they were actually blueing over who was going to sit on it and eat it. We had to get them off before they destroyed it. How pretty are they!

I had my arm in a sling to try and get the swelling down, had to keep it elevated. If I'd had to tell one more person what had happened ...........................!!!!! ha ha

Remember in the last blog I told you about the curlews who live in this park, well the mummy has laid two eggs (out in the open!!) She laid them under one of the caravans, so the park owners shifted the people to the next door site, put these cones around the bird, and no-one is allowed to use this site until the eggs hatch! These babies are costing the park thirty dollars a night!!! They are great parents, take turns to sit on the eggs.

Wednesday we hitch up again and move on up to Port Douglas, where we are going to attempt another snorkelling trip. Let's hope it goes smoothly this time, as this will be our last chance before we start heading across to the territory. Love to all, hope you are all going well.

Rollingstone to Mission Beach to Cairns...terrific!

After leaving Townsville we decided to have five very relaxing days at Rollingstone Caravan Park. Rollingstone - we had never even heard of it, just happened to see a brochure, and thought, boy that looks nice! and it is, miles from shops, nothing to do except relax and swim and walk and fish! Woz did catch a pike fish (Long Tom), a really big one, except that you can't eat them which is a bit of a shame. It was a great area for beach photography, as in the photo below show the beach at sunset.

A family of black cockatoos lived in the park - talk about noisy! Neither of us had seen them in the wild before, when they take off they are a mass of red under their wings and tail feathers - so different to the sulphur crested white ones we are used to seeing in Victoria. They sure give the trees a good prune, ripping of the smaller branches to eat all the berries.

Near Rollingstone is Paluma, up in the hills, with great bush walks and waterfalls (which were actually flowing!) After the second world war, wounded soldiers were sent to Paluma to recuperate, and were offered cheap land. The road up to Paluma is horrendous - twists and turns, one feels quite ill by the time you get to the top, but the views and walks are worth it.

Do we look happy? we are! It was a lovely day.

Picture below shows a little tree that is growing right in the middle of the path. It doesn't mind! Could make walking along the path interesting as it grows bigger.

This beautiful bridge pictured in the two photos below was built by hand by unemployed men back in the 1920s. (as indeed was the road up to Paluma). They were paid two shillings a week, it is just a beautiful area, and a fine memorial to their skills and hard work. No cranes and concrete mixers in those days!

And so on to South Mission Beach - paradise. This is a beautiful part of the world. Small enough to be like a little village, the major developers haven't invaded here yet, thank goodness.

Looking out to Dunk Island, night time. The little white dot in the top right of the photo is the moon!

Wozzie got up early to take this one of the sun rising between Dunk Island and a tiny little island that has obviously broken off Dunk years and years ago. On my birthday we got up early to watch the sun rise, however it was so cloudy we couldn't see the sun! I was NOT impressed!

In order to stop people being hit on the head by falling coconuts, the council has installed these green nets around the tops of the coconut palms. Things you don't see very often!
Everywhere we went there were signs telling you to look out for Cassowary birds. The brochure for the caravan park even touted the fact that cassowaries visited the park! We were beginning to doubt their existence by the end of the fourth day. We had driven around and walked around bushy areas searching high and low, no sign of the elusive cassowary! And would you believe, yesterday as we were driving on our way to Cairns, one walked out of the bush on the side of the road and walked back into the bush! Enough so that we both saw it! So they DO exist.

So here's another one of my "signs you don't see every day!"

The whole Mission Beach/Tully area is rainforest, just so lush and green. The photo just doesn't do it justice, but will give you an idea of how high the fan palms grow.

Ever since we were at Airlie Beach we have been trying to get photos of these little fellows - curlews (thick kneed curlews, actually!) They are so quiet and blend in so well with the background you usually don't see them until you are just about on top of them, then they hiss at you! a bit un-nerving, let me tell you. But these two actually let me get within four feet of them, so I was able to get a photo.

Now how's this for a touristy thing to do! We arrived at Cairns yesterday, and went for a walk around town this morning./ There was this place where you could get your photo taken with a Koala. Never having had the opportunity before, I talked Warren into having it done! They are kind of hard, but so soft - their little bodies are firm, but the fur is hard yet soft at the same time. I look like it's just done something unmentionable on me! It's daytime - Koalas should be asleep, and he nearly was.

We have lots to do and see in Cairns - it's very warm, 26 degrees today, and quite humid, with lots of cloud cover. We are here for a fortnight, and it will be a very busy two weeks! Will tell you all about it next time - see yah!

Townsville - everything we remembered and more!

We arrived at Townsville last week. Having visited it for only three days when we had long service leave five years ago, we had been dying to get back here, as we were so taken with the town on our first visit. And we aren't disappointed! It's just as beautiful as we remember. Of course the weather helps aid our memories - it's glorious, winter for them is summer for us. We have swum and sun-baked every day, and because the skies are clear, the humidity is almost non-existent, unlike Airlie Beach. This is a beautiful place - what they have done with the town is brilliant, as you can see from the photos. Photo above shows part of Townsville, from the top of Castle Hill (panoramic views of the area), looking out to Magnetic Island. Photos below show what they have done with the Strand, the beachfront at Townsville. It's stunning!

This is the rockpool - fed from the ocean, no creepy crawlies! That's woz walking out to swim and I'm just about to join him. None of the locals swim at this time of the year. too cold for them! They reckon the only ones silly enough to swim are the southerners!

It's all walks and playgrounds for the kids, swimming areas, keep fit areas - just sensational, and the trees and plants, wow!

On Saturday we took the ferry out to Magnetic Island for the day, and had an absolute ball. It is still pretty undeveloped, although you can see the developers slowly moving in. The locals hate it, and we can see why. It's just a wonderful place, stunning views, beautiful coves and beaches.

The photo below is looking back at Townsville from the ferry. As you can see it was a beautiful day.
Arthur's Bay - how pretty is this.

During World War II Magnetic Island was a military outpost and observation point, perfectly placed of course to guard Townsville. The remains of the lookouts, gun turrets, ammunition stores etc, are all still there, that's Woz below looking out from the lookout, and me standing on the gun turret below!

And we even saw Koalas - not much movement from them during this time of the day!

Our transport for the day - we had a ball!

This is Horseshoe Bay where we had lunch and a swim (and there just happened to be a surf shop that I just HAD to visit!) Nothing like retail therapy they reckon (and I agree).

And here's another of my "signs you don't see every day". It's a cyclone warning - reading from the bottom - no imminent danger, prepare for cyclone, imminent. I reckon I'd be gone as soon as the ' prepare for cyclone' level was reached!

One more week in Townsville, then we are off to a place called Rollingstone, then Mission Beach, then a place called Flying Fish Point, just below Cairns. The fishing is supposed to be fabulous, we are looking foward to it, because we haven't been able to fish since leaving Mackay. Bye til next time!