Day 165 - Sunday 11 June - Birthday time

Day 165

Sunday

11 June 2017 –  Happy Birthday to my Fruitbat!

Cairns

The night noises of a rainforest are loud! I woke at different times during the night to the sounds of unusual bird calls and whistles. I just wish I knew what birds they were.

We were both awake by 7.30am and happy to read our books until 8.45am, when Paul finally made the move and took off for a shower. I read for a little longer before getting out and sorting myself out. We had decided to go for dim sum lunch, so it was only a very light breakfast.

We then set off on an exploratory lap of the park. It is set at the foot of the Barron Gorge and as such the lush, green, plant life climbs up the mountains behind the park. It is also right next to Lake Placid, part of the Barron River.

We set off for the Lake, just to see what it was like. It was very picturesque; a large expanse of water with the gorge sides sliding into the water body. We did a walk along the bank, watch a large number of fish coming to the surface to take bread that had been thrown in.

We continued our walk a little further, though the path was somewhat overgrown and I was beginning to become concerned with wildlife we may not want to encounter i.e. crocs and snakes, so we returned via the way we had come. Paul received a call from Marty as we walked, wishing him a happy birthday.

We returned to the van and then organised ourselves ready to head in to town. This time the GPS took us a different route, due to the road closures in place because of the Cairns Iron Man. We found a place to park outside an interesting market and then walked the rest of the way to the dim sum restaurant.

After enjoying our brunch, we got out on the street and walked again, this time to a part we did not explore yesterday. We came across the convention centre, where the Cairns Taipans play their matches in the NBL, We walked out to the wharf and checked out the fishing and the boats that were moored.

Then meandered our way along the wharf, checking out the art work and then crossing the road past the casino and into the malls where there was other art work to check out along the way. We eventually made our way back to the markets and did a wander through checking the fruit and vege, picking up a few things, before finishing off with a fresh, sugar cane fruit drink

We returned to the van and unloaded, changed, checked the address and then made our way to the Macalister Brewing Co, which just happened to be in the suburb next door, Springfield. Paul was glad to make it to a brewery for his birthday and even happier when they provided a free tasting paddle and would have given us food, but we were full. He chatted to the brewer and tasted the beers while I took the photos and admired the view from their back doors out over the sugar cane plantation and beyond to distant mountains. While it was an overcast day it was still a beautiful view to behold.  

Paul enjoyed a glass of their red before we made our way back to the van, changed once again and drove out to Barron Gorge, only a few kms from the park. We parked in the few bays they had and walked onto a bridge high above the gorge that leads to the hydro-electric plant. From the bridge we watched a few groups of white water rafters enter the water and begin the journey down the Barron River and on to Lake Placid. From the sound of their woops, they were obviously enjoying themselves.

I enjoyed the views from the bridge. We could watch the water cascading down the sides of the mountains from a few waterfalls and see some boys fishing further up the rocky end of the river. I even spied a very large and the most electric blue butterfly I have ever seen.  Just like the ones you find pinned to specimen boards in museums only so much better.

We walked down to the water’s edge where you could hear the water rumble as it rushed along its path and between the rocks. A group of four men took off in a raft with perfect paddle unison and then half a dozen single kayakers entered the water, ready to do the same.

Big, fat raindrops began to ping off the rocks around us so we made for the car and then home. I began loading photos, before we were off on another walk, this time following the path further downstream to a bridge where people were fishing. Paul was happy to watch and find out what was being caught with the thought that he may return at some stage.

We continued our walk along the water, before it started to darken and we figured the mozzies might come out so we made our way back to the van where we continued to work on computer bits before enjoying another piece of the barramundi Paul caught in Kakadu.

With dinner done, it was quiet time. Paul did his brewery write up, while I finished with the photos and went through the blog, all while trying to work my way round the internet and the lousy 100mb a day you get here. The rain set in with the gentle pitter patter on the roof of the van as my eyes became to become bleary from all the computer work and finally I succumbed to them, turning it off and retreating to bed.