Cairns Festival Parade

SUNDAY, 28 AUGUST 2016

Behind the thin, blue line

Free hugs were on offer

School bike train 

Serious work being in a parade

No photo, please!

Girl Guides singing songs

Mobility scooter overload

Men and their brollies

BIG truck negotiating the bends

The little mermaid

Anemones and jelly fish

Butterlies

The garbage bag monster

Rio comes to Cairns

So does Japan

A Cairns Taipan

Sparkly rickshaw

Checking footy scores

Is that a Minion on the Hare Krishna float?

Must have been!

The sun and the moon

The Chinese were there, too

A big, red lion

A bigger, red dragon

Sydney won!!!

The Pier

Yesterday morning was spent undertaking some retail therapy before returning to the city late in the afternoon with James and Maureen to watch the annual Cairns Festival Parade.  We arrived early as there seem to be less parking spaces available this year (or maybe there are more cars?) and were able to set up our chairs in front of the Cenotaph.  The tide was in, which was much nicer to look at than the mud, the air was warm but not too hot and the thousands of spectators were well spread out over the route.  The first part of the parade was in daylight, with the latter half of the parade decorated with thousands of lights.  Lots of children, lots of different cultures, plenty of bubbles and the occasional float with loud music.  As the parade had more entries this year, we didn’t have long to wait until the fireworks commenced over Trinity Inlet.  Lots of bright lights, loud bangs and plenty of ooohs and aaahs from the crowds lining the boardwalk.  We then retired to Movenpick for an ice cream before making the long trek back to the car.

This morning we farewelled more travellers as they began their journeys south – the park is starting to have empty sites now, with more people, including James and Maureen, leaving tomorrow.  We also took the opportunity to pay a final visit to Rusty’s Market and stock up before we leave on Thursday.