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!