Cairns Continued

Monday, 25 August 2014

 

Canefields pathway

Looking back towards the caravan park

Feathery grass

Freshwater Creek

Freshwater Creek

Freshwater Creek

Flowers of the African Tulip Tree

A pretty weed

Ferns along the bank of Freshwater Creek

Can you find our caravan?

Wow, only four months until Christmas!

The weather has continued to be very settled and very warm and very humid in Cairns and with only one week remaining here, we are not really looking forward to the cooler climes of the southern states.

Last Thursday saw the arrival and Brian and Jenny at Crystal Cascades Caravan Park – it has been so nice to catch up with them again.  Needless to say, there have been lots of stories to tell by everyone about our respective travels since we last met in 2013.

When we were driving into Cairns last Friday, the Pajero’s engine suddenly started surging, so we changed course and headed straight to the Mitsubishi dealership (also the dealership for a number of other vehicles).  While the service manager took our vehicle for a test drive, a salesman attempted to sell me a new Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited; very nice, but I was just lacking a few dollars of the $66,000 price tag.  The Pajero has to go to hospital tomorrow morning at 7.30 am(someone is going to have to get up VERY early!!!) and we are hoping it will be a faulty manifold sensor.  At this stage, we are still planning on leaving Cairns next Monday, however …

On Saturday, along with Jenny and Brian, we had lunch at Cazaly’s, where Jenny noticed a friend from her days in Cairns, in the 1980s, sitting at the next table.  Following lunch, we visited Rusty’s Market for the weekly shop and then introduced the couple to Movenpick ice cream.

Sunday was a fairly quiet day, mainly spent relaxing.  Himself made the big decision to borrow Brian’s bike and go for a ride and despite being a little saddle sore on his return, is walking okay now.  I went for a walk during the afternoon along the new bike/walk path along the edge of the canefields next to Freshwater Creek, being very careful to walk in the middle of the path away from the nasties hiding in the sugar cane and the other nasties waiting to drop out of the rainforest trees along the creek’s bank.  A couple of days earlier when feeding the fish, I had met three ladies from Papua New Guinea at the creek.  Two of them were very surprised at the fish which came to be fed, but the third lady was wading along the creek collecting ferns – she then walked back along the bank through the thick, shin high plants.  Obviously wasn’t too worried about all the snakes.  When I asked what the ferns were for, I was told that they tasted very nice with chicken!

Today, Jenny and I had a girls’ day out, leaving the men to fend for themselves.  We started off at DFO, doing our little bit for the economy there before heading into Cairns Central for some lunch and a bit more therapy.  I think we both enjoyed and appreciated the time on our own.