I cycled to the shop for the papers. It is just under a km, each way.
John watched the Commonwealth Games in the morning, and at night. He played bowls in Cairns in the afternoon. He was happy with the quality of the bowling at this club.
I read the papers and did some embroidery.
I made an Irish stew for tea. I use lamb forequarter chops for this, so it is usually a fairly economic meal.
John played his computer game into the early hours of this morning, so he slept in. Then he watched the US Open tennis semi final for the rest of the morning.
I dried some of the bananas and pineapple we’d bought at Mossman, in my little electric dehydrator. They make great snacks – better than lollies.
After lunch we drove to one of the bowls clubs, where John arranged games. This is a different one to where we played last time, at Stratford and is more in town.
Called in at a book exchange and got lots of books – I am anticipating doing lots of reading, whilst John watches sport on TV. Spent $21 on books.
After we got back, went for a walk up the road beside the river and then along a bush track for a little way.
We are able to obtain bought fish and chips for Friday tea again, now, and bought them from a shop at Smithfield. Cost $9 – reasonable.
John phoned his nephew about K’s car insurance, then I phoned V, but she was busy and couldn’t talk. Whilst we were on the Cape trip, they had left Perth because they’d gained work at a little tourist operation in the Shark Bay area. There is an old telegraph station at a place called Hamelin Pool, where a camp ground has been established. Tourists visit there for the history, and to look at the stromatolite formations that grow in the sea there. B is working around the campground and doing general maintenance. V is doing tours of the old telegraph station and serving morning and afternoon teas. I gather that the scones served are made by the lady manager! V and B are only assistants to the main managers. They have an old caravan provided there, for accommodation. They are pretty well half way between Carnarvon and Geraldton, and so rather remote. But she likes it there. Remote would not worry my daughter!
It was still raining when we got up. That made it a little easier to leave – I think?
Our pack up was straightforward and we had a pleasant, calm, drive to Cairns. The scenery along that coastal road is so brilliant. We stopped at Mossman to stock up on fruit and vegies at the roadside stall there – spent $24.
We had pre-booked at Lake Placid Caravan Park, and were given a very nice site with a cement annexe slab and big, shady mango trees nearby. This site is so much better than the one we had at the park we stayed at, earlier, in Cairns. The park has emptied out a lot, from when we saw it when visiting H and M here, so guests are spaced out nicely. Our fees are $100 a week, which works out at just over $14 a night.
We set up for a lengthy stay.
Lake Placid Caravan Park is across a road from the Barron River, and it is quite “bushy” in the area around it. However, there is a general store type shop not far down the road, and we are fairly close to the big newish Smithfield shopping centre. The road past the caravan park is a dead end, a bit further up, so it is a quiet place.
I had a dentist appointment at 3.30pm to have the root canal filling finished off. This cost another $320! It has certainly been an expensive exercise.
On the way back to camp, got some groceries – $27 worth. Now that we are back where shops are conveniently near, will have to be a bit careful with our spending. That said, John bought a power adapter and some TV cable for $21.
I made zucchini slice for tea – can cook this in an enamel pie plate inside the electric frypan, on the table outside the van.
Phoned K after tea to report our location, and had a long conversation. P has had another car accident (she wrote off a car of K’s a couple of years back). J offered to contact a nephew to get assistance about the car insurance, for K. Apart from that, all is ok at home.
This is our last day here, and I am quite sad about it.
We drove up to the Daintree Village and looked through the wood gallery and other shops. John bought a small piece of turning conkerberry for $2. It comes from Hughenden – not a tropical timber, but definitely one from the open savanna woodland country.
Refuelled at Wonga – 70cpl.
Did some pre-departure preparations – took down the awning roof, packed away the outside furniture.
Part of our van is just visible behind the trees – so close to the beach
We went and had a final happy hour with C and T. Had quite an extensive chat with them about their “new” life, caretaking here. T says the only thing that worries him about the laid back life style here is the prospect of a tidal surge or tsunami from a cyclone. The idea of strong winds do not concern him, but big waves do. I can see why – the campground is at the level of the beach. T pointed out the narrowness of the coastal plain and lack of roads to get away from the coast. Hmmmm, yes – do see his point. He cited the 1899 cyclone, a Category 5 one, that wrecked the pearling fleet in Princess Charlotte Bay – the coast near Silver Plains – where the tidal surge was over 40 foot high and reached 5 kms inland ! A scary thought.
Tea was pumpkin soup I made earlier in the afternoon, then pasta with garlic crumbs.
To farewell us, on this last night, it rained.
Tomorrow, the van will move on, for the first time in three months. It too must be feeling like this place is home! Maybe when somewhere starts to feel this comfortable, it really is time to move on? But the mountains and the coast here really are magic. It has been great. Coming to this park was such a fortuitous accident.
John slept in till late. I wonder why? I sat outside, as I always do for breakfast, then stayed there reading and sewing.
We walked on the beach in the afternoon.
Some beach critter calls this home
John drove to the hotel for some wine. We seem to consume quite a bit of this!
There was rain in the late afternoon and through into the night.
It was a quiet day. But these are so enjoyable and I feel so relaxed and content.
We cycled around the Wonga area in the morning, for a look. Rode 7kms. I am enjoying riding again, now the face is getting better.
After lunch, went for a very long walk on the beach. The tide was ultra low. There is still some of that smell around, but it is not so bad. T said it was from coral spawning! I actually never thought about how corals reproduce, before. The smell was certainly very noticeable, at its worst.
Low tide. We have some cloud most days now.
Tea was cottage pie, made with minced beef.
John stayed up nearly all night playing his KKND computer game. I am managing to sleep with the light on and the game noises as background sound!
We had a quiet morning. John cut my hair, which was getting very shaggy. He did a pretty good job of it.
We both went to bowls at Mossman, in the mid afternoon. I never tire of the superb drive from here to Mossman. Initially, the road follows the coast, really closely – in parts, it is just behind the beach. Then it turns inland at Rocky Point and goes through rich cropland. Always, there is that dramatic range of mountains as the inland backdrop.
We were put into different triples teams. John played well, but my performance was mediocre. However, John’s team won the day and mine came second – with no help from me. We won two meat trays. John’s had steaks in, whereas mine had chops, but we both scored sausages and bacon. There were lots of other goodies in there too, like eggs. That is the first thing I have ever won at bowls.
The very respectable meat tray prizes we won
We phoned S – she leaves next Friday for her PNG posting in Port Moresby.
Late tea was home made hamburgers.
The weather here remains most pleasant – a little humid at times, but mostly offset by the ocean breeze.
We had a quiet morning reading the papers, after riding to buy them at the local shops.
John went to bowls in Mossman in the afternoon. I went for a lovely long walk on the beach.
Cloud over the mountains from the beach at Wonga
I made a variety of salads for tea.
I did a couple of loads of washing.
In the afternoon, we drove to Mossman. I posted letters to various people, that I have written over the past few days.
We looked in real estate agents windows – a favourite pastime of ours. We do find the lush green-ness of this area really attractive, but are aware that living here would not be so pleasant in the summer, wet season. Or when there was a cyclone!
Used public phone to call GW re our tax stuff. Bought a few groceries.
Back at Wonga, a fellow resident had caught a huge golden trevalley, off the beach. It was nearly 30lbs. They cooked it on the BBQ and we were all invited to help ourselves. It was very nice too. I cooked some chips to go with it.
That is a big fish!
The bad smell we noticed when up the beach yesterday has reached down here. It seems almost like some sort of chemical and makes me feel a little sick. We wonder if there has been some sort of spill from a passing ship?
We had a fairly early lunch, because we wanted to go for a ride on the beach when it was low tide.
We rode as far as the mouth of the Daintree River. The sand was firm, as we thought it would be, but it was still hard work, needing constant pedalling. It was a “different” cycling experience – a bit of a Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid one. Most enjoyable and sure beats the hell out of working!
Lovely wide beach at low tide
However, there was quite a nasty smell on the beach – kind of a strong, soapy odour.
We saw a big mob of migrating frigate birds fly over. They have distinctive long tail feathers.
In the mouth of the Daintree River
Hard work cycling, but what a glorious place for it
We actually cycled 12kms on the beach!
Late in the afternoon, went for a drive around some of the back roads, through the farm lands between the coast and the mountains that rise up so steeply from the relatively narrow coastal section. It was all very lush and green – such a fertile area.
Tea was a sausage and tomato stew.
We phoned K on the mobile – to tell him we have it. The signal and sound was very patchy, but at least we managed to make it work.
My mouth has been rather tender, still, today, but God it is good to be free of that acute ache!
This Adventurous Age 