Day 184 - Friday 30 June - Things to do on a rainy day in Cairns

Day 184

Friday

30 June 2017 – Started my next book - Twelve Red Herrings by Jeffery Archer. This should be an easy read as it is a collection of short stories.

Cairns

We woke to a grey morning but could see the blue sky attempting to make a mark on the day. I was happy to stay in bed and read my book until Paul crawled out just after 8 and we began with breakfast before thinking about the day ahead.

We walked to the top of the Glacier Rock that you can see here.

We packed the car with our gear and drove to Stoney Creek, part of the Barron Gorge and national park. We began with a relatively easy 1km walk along Stoney Creek and the many waterholes all the way to the weir where water cascaded from between boulders.

We thought this rock looked like a face.

 

We returned along the path before noticing the Douglas Track sign and opting to follow that one too, a silly move. We began the ascent through the rainforest, along the rocky, heavily tree rooted and sometimes muddy track. We walked about 20min before stopping a young fitness fanatic on his way down to ask how far the track went and if it was actually worth it. He assured us the views of Cairns were great, showed us a photo on his phone and said we had about 40min ahead of us.

The Kuranda Railway train line

 

We probably should have turned around then, as we only had one museli bar and no water, but of course we didn’t. We continued to trudge on, which was fine at first as the legs were fresh but that soon wore off. Paul was a dripping mess, with his grey tshirt ringing wet and now almost black in colour.

We eventually crossed the Kuranda Railway line, a sign stating the times the train passed by, not for another couple of hours. We then looked up and saw the stairs, if our legs weren’t working hard enough already, we now had Jacobs ladder to contend with! Quad burn was rife once we were at the top.

Seriously, stairs!

 

We pressed on, thinking we must be almost there as the vegetation thinned right out and we could see the sky, we even had a good view back to Lake Placid and over our caravan park.

Our caravan park

Are we there yet?

 

We stopped some more walkers when we had reached what we thought was the end of the track, only to be told we should keep walking for 20min to Glacier Rock for the great views. Are you kidding me? But coming this far it seemed senseless to turn back, so we entered the rainforest again and continued to climb, climb, climb before we finally reached the crescendo and the view of a clouded in Cairns.

And the path continues UP, through the mud and rainforest.

View from Glacier Rock.

 

I was glad to be at the top knowing the walking from now on was leading us back to the car. We began our descent at 12, as you would expecting t is quicker going down, though I find it more difficult on the knees and maintaining my balance slipping a few times, but luckily managing to stay upright.

At 1pm we finally had sight of the car which we raided for bananas and water before making our way back to the park absolutely spent, our daily step count completed before eating lunch.

We didn’t do much for next couple of hours, it was hard enough just sitting there. We did however manage to find the strength in us again and we took off for Cairns city, parking by the esplanade and enjoying a hot chocolate at one of the lagoon side cafes. When we had finished we did a brief walk around the lagoon area and watching the water birds amongst the mud flats before making our way back to the car and on to Barrier Reef Brewing Co.

 

Cam, the owner and brewer, met us in the small tasting room, happy to entertain us and keep Paul lubricated with their selection of beers. Plenty of customers came in to try the range and we chatted to many of them as well. It was a pleasant way to spend the Friday arvo.

 

We left Cam to it and made our way to a farmers market, a bit like Spud Shed. We grabbed some vege before returning to the van for the evening. We were very lazy one we returned. I watched an episode of Pretty Little Liars while working on the photos and then dinner before we eventually crawled in to bed ready to put our big morning to bed.

Day 183 - Thursday 29 June - Returning to Cairns

Day 183

Thursday

29 June 2017 – Finished Ashley Bell  by Dean Koontz, it was an alright read, but glad it was a freebie from ibooks.

Port Douglas – Cairns

It rained during the night and by the time we got out and underway, the rain had well and truly set in. It didn’t prevent us from completing our jobs and preparing the van and car for our next move. I was intending on doing one last walk on Four Mile Beach, but that went out the window with the wet.

Paul had everything ready by 9.20am and we began our journey south, returning to the familiar territory of Cairns and Lake Placid Tourist Park. The ride was hampered with the wet and slippery roads along with the convoy of caravans making their way to tourist hot spots.
I enjoyed watching the road wind its way along the coast, whether from meters away or from a higher peak. The water was extremely calm and flat despite the rain that had set in. It was one of those mornings where the sky wand water became one on the horizon with no discernible distinction. 

The traffic began to increase and we knew we were returning to a greater metrolpolis. It wasn’t long before we saw familiar buildings, roundabouts and then the comfort of home for the next three days. There was a back up of vans coming in at the same time. While Paul took the car off, I scouted our site to check if we would be able to drive through, but sadly not this time.

After checking in, Paul moved the van to our patch and then reversed the van and trailer in. It took a few tries but it was finally managed and we could finally start the set up.

No sooner were we done, the rain came down. We sat inside, taking stock and deciding what was next. With a shopping list in tow and an empty gas bottle, we took off for the Coles to pick up some bits and then headed across the road for the local Bunnings to swap the gas. 

 Macalisters Brewery was next on the list as it was next door. Paul had been told to drop in on our return to try their smoked porter and that is just what he did. As it was quiet, he was also able to talk to Rob the owner, who was also an ex-chemistry teacher. After enjoying a couple of pints and receiving the name of another brewery in town, we made our way back to the van with our shopping, ready to have lunch.  

The weather wasn’t particularly conducive for getting out and about, so we were happy to hang around for a bit, reading maps of QLD and trying to decide where we might head to over the next week or so. We figure the coastal route may be a bit busy with the NSW and VIC school holidays starting this weekend, so may have to dart inland for a bit, we shall see.

At 2.30pm we decided we should head into town and checkout the Coral Sea Brewing Co. We found a park and then walked into a mall next to the dim sum we had eaten at for Paul’s birthday, if only we had seen it then. The brewery doesn’t have a tasting room, but fortunately the brewers were in and enjoying a break so Paul was able to have a chat and try their brews. 

They were only a young group and of the four in the room three were from Perth; small world.

When we were all done, the keys were given to me and we made our way to Cairns Central, their large shopping centre. We did a walk around the couple of levels trying to get the steps up, but Paul wasn’t interested in hanging around for too long and we were soon back at the car and heading home once again.

Not happy with the number of steps we had done, we changed into our walking gear and headed out. We checked out the lake first. The cloud was low in many patches and was like clumps of spider web that you often find in spikey bushes. 

We then walked down the main road and to a large recreational park where a footpath followed the perimeter of a lake. We had good views of the mountains surrounding the area and their image was reflecting in the lake. We watched fish jump and spotted a young fisherman, who said he caught fish regularly which of course piqued Paul’s interest.

We made our way back to the van, sweating with the humidity. I started dinner, while Paul wrote his review and then we ate, listening to the Ipod and enjoying the peace.

By the time bed came about, I was stuffed and well and truly ready for a goodnight’s rest.

Day 182 - Wednesday 28 June - 6 Month Mark

Day 182

Wednesday

28 June 2017 – Can’t believe we have been on the road for 6 months already!

Port Douglas – Wonga Beach – Cooya Beach

Our last day in this paradise and it started with a lay in. I happily read while Paul continued to doze. I eventually got out at 8.30 and Paul soon followed suit. We had breakfast and then determine how we would spend our day, first port of call was town so that Paul could find a hairdresser and return his coiffured locks to something other than those resembling a woolly mammoth.

I took the opportunity to do some browsing, returning to a clothing boutique in which I had spied a cute jumpsuit. Once I had tried it on and decided I had to have it, I paid and then spent time chatting to the owner who had spent 12 months travelling OZ 3 years ago.

Paul eventually located me and we continued our clothes shopping buying him a Port Douglas t-shirt that had tickled our fancy. We made our way to Coles and picked a few bits before returning to the car and home to stash our goodies, make lunch and then head out again.

We drove north to Wonga Beach about 30min away. We drove through the rabbit warren of streets to finally find beachside parking. Thongs slipped off at the path, we were off to walk the sandy beach while watching the water twinkle under the sunlight. There was plenty or coral and shells washed up along the shoreline, some took my fancy and I collected bits in the half shell of an open coconut, using them as props to take some photos. 

We made it back to our starting spot, grabbed our lunch bag and chairs and set up for our lunch on the beach.  What a way to spend the afternoon. It was just perfect. I rang home to get an update on things back there and then we packed up and drove on.

We stopped briefly at a jetty, from here you could see just how close the road is to the beach side. We made our way through Mossman, doing a quick tour of the streets and then we followed Bonnie Doon Road to Cooya Beach. We parked under the canopy of an impressive tree and then made our way to the beach.

This beach was completely different to others we have walked, the sand very gritty and spongy and the water full of plant matter. Mangrove plants had also taken a hold.

We watched a tour group walking in the shallows with spears chasing mud crabs with their Aboriginal guide.  Not liking the walking we returned quickly to the car and then back to the van for a relaxing afternoon. 

We had seen that one of the restaurants on the inlet did a hand feeding of a large groper at 5pm, so we made our way in to town at 4.30pm, parked and then walked to The Inlet Restaurant. We ordered drinks and then found a place to stand on the deck and enjoy the late afternoon.

At 5pm a worker came out with tuna fish frames, tied them to a rope and began dangling them in the water. We did eventually have a sighting of George, tail swishing in the water, but he wasn’t interested in the delights they had on offer. 

The tempting finished 15min later and we made our way out of the establishment and back to the marina to check out the market stalls just as they were packing away. From here we walked up into the heart of town to find the ice cream shop for a pre-dinner dessert and boy it was good. We walked as we ate, slowly making our way back to the car and then ultimately home again, ready to start dinner. 

Following dinner, it was our quiet time to read and enjoy the music the Ipod was churning out before finally heading to bed.