Tripping North

The horses were settled in their beautiful new home with the delightful Simone a powerhouse slip of a woman with enthusiasm and a bright shining light.  My life is taking a new turn am taking a leap of faith and getting out and about meeting new people a difficult thing for me as although working in an environment with many people tend to be reclusive.  I know a lot of people poke fun of us that blog but hey for me this is instead of talking to a shrink and a lot less expensive, same sort of idea getting it off ones chest talking to a sage stranger who nods wisely in the appropriate places thinking what an idiot!!!And just like talking to a shrink I can jump all over the place.

Drove about the city of Cairns looking for a place to crash as was decidedly tired as had driven through from the Darling Downs sleeping on the road here and there in the heat of the previous day which is not that restful.  I needed a place that could accommodate my horse float which is rather large and that was turning out to be a tall order.  Seemed to be huge vacancies but said I could park my horsefloat on the road but was not on as had a lot of equipment in there and was not willing to do that.  Eventually was given the address of a caravan park at Lake Placid some ks out of town and I thought that looked promising and a little deju vu as had spent a lot of time in the Barron River in the good old summertime in Cairns when I was a teenager years ago.  The place is just magic and was so tired was trying to back in the horse float and the manager spotted me and came out of the office and did so for me and then I crashed for 10 hours in the delightful air con cabin sheltered with tropical plants and shrubs.  I felt I had come home.  I had camped very near this spot with a bon fire on the river on the edge of the rainforest in the heat of summer way back when.

I could hear the water in the background the whole time I was at the park. 

I heard on the radio it was hot down south over 40 degrees celcius and here was I on the Barron River the temperature for the day 34 degrees.  Who would have thought go north to escape the searing heat but was the case on this day for which I was grateful.  I woke late in the afternoon and went for a hike down the river and the photos speak for themselves.

Not a lot of people around but those who were were enjoying themselves.  If I lived in this city this is where I would spend the long twilight afternoons in a canoe or just swimming.

The jarring note to me was the huge colonies of flying foxes inhabiting the city and years ago flying fox colonies inhabited the north but not in the proportions they descend on the city each day, just on observation on the short time I was in the city.  The man made food readily available in the back yards would be encouraging them to multiply and breed in the city.  I am a great believer in leaving nature be but flying foxes are the reservoir of the most frightening virus' known to man ebola, sars, etc, hendra through a host animal.  A little furry animal in China was the host for sars and I wondered what would happen if a virus evolved from the bats into the domestic pet populations of a city.  The planet does fight back with any species that overpopulates an area. ....I think I had better leave this subject alone.

Took a little drive that night to downtown Cairns and night markets were the go asian food stalls were what I enjoyed the most with a vegetarian dish of noodles vegetables and a warmish sauce was a sensation to the taste buds.  The immediate area of downtown cairns and the esplanade was very nice and touristy but could have been in Surfers or any tarted up area.  The old addage find paradise put up a parking lot or something like that.  I am fortunate I knew this city when it was a place for people all over the world to visit which they did on yachts or with their thumbs. a city with an unique and intriguing feel and look all gone now but the stunning surrounds are still there.

Booked a quick nostalgic trip out to Green Island for the next day departing at around midday and a bus picked me up at the front gate how good of a service was that as we were some ks out of the city.

Took a little wander before the bus to the near northern beaches.  Took a few photos missed out on the sunrise as slept in as was a little tired.

Viewed Double Island and Scouts Hat Island in the background and remembered when I would swim across as friends had the lease of the island and had a delightful boyfriend who would take me spear fishing to these Islands and the Outer Reef and circumnavigated this island in his canoe, lighting a fire and enjoying fish straight out of the ocean over the coals.

Off to Green Island on the Reef Rocket.  A Rocket it was and only a few people on the trip with large empty spaces.  Apparently the downturn in the economy has effected Cairns more than anywhere else in Australia so reliant on the overseas tourist trade.  I had a friend who did have the lease on Fitzroy Island just a little south of Trinity Bay where we would take the mail boat over and camp in a hut.  In fact I spent a honeymoon there.  He could see Cairns gearing towards overseas tourism and always maintained that short term gain for long term pain and said if this place gears solely towards the overseas tourist it will make servants of the children and this is the case no matter how it is glossed over.  I saw smiling girls and boys helping tourists off the boats and escorting around po faced overseas visitors who never even glanced at these children and from what I observed very little in the way of "thank you I enjoyed that" just huddle down in their ethnic group.  On the wharves at Green Island did a glass bottom boat trip and was around the first person waiting and told "no you can not go on this boat it is for Japenese tourists only"  For a start that contravenes every law of this land and to me is not acceptable.  The excuse was the talk was in Japenese, so what, if I chose to go in a boat in AUSTRALIA where Japanese was spoken that is my call.

And "yes" my father died younger than he should, injuries from the war contributing to his early demise and "no" I do not resent any race because of their forefathers actions as my forefathers actions in some areas leaves a lot to be desired.  I digress from the beauty of the surrounds although underwater Green Island looks a little tired but it always did in comparison to the outer reef but I still love the place with the colors of the water, the fish, rays, and green sea turtles readily observed.

I watched the wake of the cat as we powered out of Trinity Bay remembering the many many times I was in a boat heading out to sea from this point.  This alone was well worth the trip and of course showing Lynelle a small part of the Tropics.