SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER    ATHERTON

There was some rain today, but less than on the preceding few days.

Drove to the shops for the Weekend Australian and read that for much of the morning.

After lunch, we went to bowls, where we played on opposing teams. The one I was on won the day! For a prize, I had a choice of a pre-cooked chook (which would have been sitting around for much of the afternoon) or a bottle of Asti Spumante. Neither offered much attraction, but I chose the wine as the lesser of two evils.

My feet are very itchy.

Tea was tomato soup, followed by John’s choice of –  sausages in bread, and salad – my choice!

The Tinnaroo “barra bash” event is being held this weekend, but John has not shown any interest in going after fish or red claw yabbies since we have been here. This rather surprises me.

FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER     ATHERTON

Another one of those dates! Seem to have been a lot of them this year.

It was still cloudy and raining.

We did the grocery shopping.

Drove to the Big Peanut, a few kms from Atherton, to see what their fresh produce is like. Decided that Woolworth’s fruit and vegies were better quality, and cheaper. We coincided with a tour bus full of Mediterranean types – very pushy. The staff was run off its collective feet. That alone would have deterred us from trying to buy anything ourselves.

On the way back to camp, we called at another fruit stall on the edge of Atherton. This was much better. I bought 3 avocadoes – big ones – for $2. They can ripen for use in salads.

Through this week, we have received phone calls from three of John’s siblings, in response to the most recent big letter he’d sent them. They are all very pleased to hear of our adventures. His sister M phoned to tell us not to stay up here much longer – she thought we were in Cairns, and thought we may not know about cyclones!

Fish and chip tea – Fridays seem to come around so fast.

My feet are enormously itchy from the leech bites.

THURSDAY 12 NOVEMBER     ATHERTON

There was still plenty of clouds, and rain, today. Some roads in western and central Qld are closed, due to the wet.

John commented on the damaged bucket, and general lack of care by the gardening man, to one of the other staff, then a manager came and said it would be replaced. To me, it is all about the principle of the rights of guests. Yes, we are here for an extended stay, and the grass has grown around the site, and yes, it was a good idea to cut it, somehow  – but the man could have warned us to move our gear, or done it himself.

After lunch, John went to bowls. He dropped me in town on his way, where I bought some tomatoes to make soup. Walked back to camp.

I made the soup, read and sewed. My leech bites are beginning to itch.

L and J came back from an excursion to the local op shop, very pleased with themselves. They’d found some second hand bowls, and a dehydrator.

After the soup, I served John the left over steak and kidney, reheated. I had salad.

TUESDAY 10 NOVEMBER     ATHERTON

Another day of cloud and rain.

Like yesterday, I dried fruit – pineapple, mangoes and banana. They turn out well and will be great snack foods when we are travelling. Much better than sweets.

Drove to the shops for things for tea, which was sate chicken. The recipe came from the Chinese cook book I brought with me from home. It was very nice.

S phoned. She will be arriving on 20th, and will be here for five days. So that lets us plan what we will do next, and when. Atherton is turning into one of our longer stays! It will be five weeks before we can leave here. That is fine – we like it here.

MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER     ATHERTON

There was much cloud today and some heavy rain.

In a clearer period, I walked to the town centre and back, for the paper and some exercise.

I dried pineapple and mangoes, read and sewed. John read and spent time on the computer.

Tea was kumara soup and fruit.

SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER     ATHERTON

We spent a quiet day, staying away from the Sunday drivers who come out for the day from Cairns.

I did the washing, and got most of it dry, although the day was cloudy and threatening rain.

John played computer games, and read. I read and sewed and started on the produce drying – mangoes –  using our electric dehydrator.

John’s daughter S phoned. She wants to come and visit us here, on an R and R break from Port Moresby. So we will have to stay on here for that to happen. That is no hardship! John phoned his other daughter and chatted.

I made soup for tea – kumara and nutmeg. Is good. We shall have mango for dessert – yum. The new season mangoes are so delicious.

On our treks to the amenities block, we have gotten to talking to two ladies, a bit older than us, who have their caravan parked under one of the park’s shelters, that we walk past. They are sisters – L and J – from WA. They have towed their van over east, with the intention of seeing a lot of the country. They plan to stay here over the summer period and say the park people have assured them that there are not cyclone problems up here. I would not be so certain about that, and we have decided that we will – eventually – go further south for that time. We are not sure how far south, though – maybe to the sapphire fields near Emerald? Maybe Toowoomba? Has to be somewhere with tolerable weather conditions, and away from the holiday crowds that will be at the coast.

We do know that we need to spend a lot more time, in another year, in Qld – we have barely scratched the surface of this big and diverse State.

L and J are interested in taking up lawn bowls here and are also very interested in my dehydrator.

SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER     ATHERTON

Drove down to Atherton,  bought the paper and collected my photos.

Went to the Saturday morning market there. This market is great for fresh produce and I bought up big. Also bought three second hand books.

Think I went a bit overboard with the wonderful produce. Bought: lady finger bananas, ordinary bananas, 5 pineapples, red capsicum, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, garlic, lychees, potatoes, lettuce, onions and a whole tray of mangoes! John wants me to dry some fruit, hence the quantities. All good value – and very fresh.

Enough produce to start our own market stall!

After lunch, we went to bowls and managed to win a meat tray each. Mine contained a leg of lamb and John’s had a mix of steak, chops and bacon – mixed grill, I guess. I do not mind bowls too much when we occasionally win something back from it that assists with the provisioning.

Had fettucine with a tomato sauce, for tea, followed by mango.