FRIDAY 19 JUNE     WONGA BEACH

Woke to a morning that was warm, but with high cloud.

I went for a wander around the park, before John got up. I got talking to T and mentioned the nocturnal screaming that had really worried us. He laughed his head off – when he got himself under control again, he explained it was a bird! The beach thick knee (curlew) is quite common in these parts, he said. Don’t see them all that often, but certainly hear them at night. I felt just a little foolish! But it is the scariest bird I have ever heard! Thank the mercies that we didn’t call the police.

Later in the morning, we drove into Mossman. John wanted to investigate the bowls club scenario. Yes – there is one. He booked us in to play on Sunday.

I have read a lot about the beauty of the Mossman Gorge, so we went to explore that. There were lots of other tourists there, with the same idea. We could not do the longer walk in the rainforest, which was what we’d intended – because the suspension bridge access to it was closed. The river current was too fast, the rocks too slippery, to risk John crossing that way, as some were doing. So we settled for the shorter walk, along the river. It was beautifully green and lush, and the background sounds of the river on its rocky bed was very peaceful. Had our lunch there, in the picnic area.

After reading – and hearing – so much about the Mossman Gorge, I felt rather cheated that we had not been able to experience it in full.

Drove further south again, to Port Douglas. It was definitely not our sort of place, and I was glad that we hadn’t gone to the nearby caravan park. It seemed very much a place for the “wanna-be’s”, the pseudo glitz and glam mob. Every second shop seemed to be a food outlet.

John saw a very rude T-shirt that he wanted to buy for K – but I persuaded him not to!

We went up to the lookout, had a walk around the foreshore areas, and the boat docks. Saw the White House, where V and B went on their honeymoon.

Checked at the PO for any mail. John thought his younger daughter would be writing to him here, because at one stage we’d thought we might stay here. There was none.

After seeing Port Douglas, we are very happy to be staying at Wonga.

Tea was frozen, oven-bake fish, which I cooked in the frypan outside, with fries. I think this is better than the often too greasy fish and chips we have been buying lately.

John phoned R. She had not gotten round to writing to him.