Wednesday...25 August

Visitors came yesterday. First we put them to work....then we all went out to the Mount Uncle Distillery. Bit of a drive, 20kms, and they do a mix of things from liquers to spirits, but turns out their rum is only white rum and the selection of food was limited with fairly steep prices so we took a look around and came back into town via the scenic route and went to lunch at one of the local pubs. Was a great little country pub with damn nice food and the lunch menu outside the door says 10 meals for $10 each. Whats not to like about that?

Today we went back into Kuranda and did the tours through the three main attractions other than shops and skyrail. We started at the Butterfly Sanctuary. Stunning, awesome, amazing! A guide explains the life cycle of several different types of butterfly and they take you into their laboratory to see the eggs being harvested off the leaves and then they have working displays of the entire cycle from start to end. You can sit there and actually watch the butterflys hatch and take their first flight. Then it is back into the massive avairy type area to watch the thousands of butterflies flying around and sometimes landing on the tourists. Better yet they give you a passout stamp on your wrist so that if you want or have time etc you can return as often as you like during the day. The really big attraction is the local butterfly the bright blue Ulysses Swallowtail.

Then we went to the bird park and in here they sell you bags of bird seed to feed the birds. We had barely got in the door when a big blue and gold macaw landed on Keiths shoulder and happily chewed biscuit and nuts from his hand. It also chewed the button thing off the top of his baseball type hat! There were lots of birds of all types in the display and they all land on whoever they fancy at the time. Was amusing to hear the squeals of the younger japanese females. Their husbands of course were brave enough to pose with a bird or two for photos but most were in total awe of our birds. Natives and exotics are housed together and all fly around in a great big open avairy. There is a pond for water birds and at the back is an enclosure with cassawaries. My goodness they are one huge bird. Never seen one before and somehow had the impression they were maybe the size of a bush turkey. Uh uh, they are the size of an emu, maybe not quite so high as their necks are not long like the emu but golly they are huge birds and their feet are prehistoric. The talons on their feet would rip a mere mortal to shreds.

On to attraction number three, the koala park. They have a walk around display beginning with freshwater crocs, we gave up counting at 25. Then onto the lizard enclosure with frilled neck lizards and bobtails and bluetongues etc. Then to the koala area.  For an extra fee one could have a photo taken actually holding a koala, very popular with the asian tourists. I resisted (cute and cuddly but awfully smelly critters!!), but it was nice watching the tourists hold one. Then into the kangaroo enclosure where you are encouraged to feed the various types, including wallabys and bandicoots. Then we moved into the snake enclosure. Plenty of pythons and a red bellied black and then there was the tree hugging one above our heads.....

My bravery should be duly noted by all who know my fear of these creatures.  (double clik this pic and take a good look), it is real and the rest of it is about six foot wound around the branches above my head.

After leaving there we went to one last place and that was called Australias Venom Zoo. There was a lady out on the street in front of this attraction with a black headed python wrapped around her as she touted for business.  After she offered to hide the head of this creature and I could not see its little tongue flicking in and out,  I was convinced to finally touch a snake for the first time in my life. Then we went inside and looked at taipans and a few more pythons and then had a guide show and tell us all about tarantulas, red backs, and scorpions. No pics taken there, sorry. Then we went back into the Butterfly place for one last look before  heading home after a big day out. Tomorrow we move onto Innisfail area for a couple of days as we begin the long long trek south into the cooler regions as winter starts to depart.

Keith holding a big Ulysses

Monday...23 August

Before I forget the name of the beautiful blue butterfly so prevalent up here is the Ulysses Swallowtail.
Went into Cairns today, wandered around for a bit getting the lay of  the place and ended up on the nice new marina development for lunch.  Was lovely sitting on the boardwalk with a gentle breeze blowing watching the roll of the boats at the marina. Followed lunch by going to the main Cairns shopping precinct and celebrated with a hair cut....go me! Not for me the little shops with names like Louis Vitton and Gucci etc.
The trip there and back involved yet more mountains and sharp hair pin bends and kilometre after kilometre of steep windy roads. This time it was only 18kms...lucky me. The entire thing is through rainforest but of course I was too terrified to take my eyes off the road and look and I was not even driving.
We have visitors coming tomorrow (cousin Christine) and plan to finally take the tour of the Mount Uncle Distillery and perhaps do lunch at the same place. Will be lovely to have the company.

Sunday...22 August

So today we went for a bit of a drive (530kms round trip) up the road to Cooktown. A place full of history. Apparently James Cook landed HMB Endeavour here to make some necessary repairs in 1770. Everywhere you look there is a marker, statue, cairn or descriptive placard giving information on Captain Cooks visit. We drove down to the town wharf and walked along the shore where they have tiles inlaid on the footpath depicting aspects of the landing or seasonal activities of the local aboriginies. Then we went to the visitor information centre which is within the Cooktown Botanical Gardens. A bit more signage to locate it would have been helpful. However they were able to tell us how to reach the Cooktown Lighthouse, so off we went up the steep and winding track to fetch a photo and marvel at the views of the Great Barrier Reef from up there.  Then we went to the Cooktown Museum which is housed in a colonial two storey house that was originally a convent and boarding school run by the Sisters of Mercy. They have a very large and interesting collection of memorabillia pertaining to Captain Cook and the growth of the town down through the years. One of the exhibits is the original anchor off the Endeavour. Definately worth the entry fee.
Going into town we saw some black mountains that appear to be nothing but huge rocks and boulders stacked up like a stockpile. On the way out we stopped at a scenic lookout to get a better look at them.  These mountains are formed by piles of granite boulders and a blue green algae causes the black appearance. A most interesting sight.

Did not do a blog yesterday so a belated birthday wish for my sister in law, Happy Birthday Ella.

Thursday...19 August

I got nothing!
Spent the day in camp today adjusting to the aches and pains of yesterdays activity.
Played 'phone a friend' this morning. Rang the favourite family friend in sheer desperation, for a chat about his employeers, and now waiting to hear from their complaints dept!!!
Thanks for listening and following up for us Bob.
Got 15 wallabies outside our van right now. Seems they like our little caravan park after dark. Them and their noisy over sized toad friends are the local welcoming committee, and everyone is invited, as there are lots of both types within feet of our door. Plenty of sugar cane in the area so not surprised to see the toads.
Mareeba is home to hot air ballooning and I was asked today if some of the children were here with us providing the hot air for them........you are very, very, naughty Bob.....ha ha ha!!!

Wednesday...18 August

Very busy day today. First up we booked to stay here another week. Weather is very pleasant and location is handy to everywhere. Then we went and voted at a pre-election voting place. Simple and easy and sure as hell beats standing in the absentee line for hours on Saturday.
After that we drove to Kuranda and wandered around the streets for a couple of hours looking at the various versions of markets from original markets to heritage markets to new age markets. Fascinating shops and stalls with all sorts of stuff from the usual beads and tshirts and opal stalls to a replica full size dinosaur skeleton. We viewed all this in company with our asian cousins...hundreds of them!!! Kuranda is just near Cairns and Cairns is the holiday playground for Japan. The ultimate 'whats wrong with this picture' was a sandwich board advertising the menu for a authentic German Resturant, written in Japanese!! (Yes Stephanie they had all your favourite items on that menu,)
After lunch in a nice little place selling good food and wine, we took the vintage train down the mountain from Kuranda to Cairns, a one and a half hour trip during which time you travel 36kms and go through 15 tunnels and around 96 bends and over 38 bridges over ravines. This was followed by a return trip up the mountain on the famous Skyrail above the rain forest.  Keith really enjoyed the train trip and I of course was terrified both ways.  I have been on Skyrail before and assumed it would be a nice easy trip this time. I did do ok for a while but started getting antsy half way through the 45 mins trip.The scenery was very green and being so high up the mountain you had a really good view of Cairns and the ocean around it.

Now did I tell you they have hot air balloons in Mareeba???.................

Tuesday....17 August

Took a quick trip into Pt Douglas on Sunday for a look see. Trust us to pick Sunday market day. We had hoped to spend some time with young Brendan, who lives there since his mother moved for her work and  maybe do lunch and have him show us the sights of Pt Douglas, but we had no contact numbers and all attempts to get them failed. Am not sure why some people have phones if they do not answer them or return calls. A disappointing day.
Spent today with Christine Kerslake (nee Carroll).  Turns out she is only 45kms up the road from here where they settled when they left Weipa.  Couple of phone calls and we spent most of today visiting with her and her husband at their lovely home in the hills, about half an hour out of Pt Douglas. They have a six acre block, about half of which is still natural rainforest, complete with small creek at the bottom boundary. They have seen platypus in the creek and have small wallabys that occasionally pop in for a snack of bread on the back patio. While we were there we saw curlews, a bush turkey and the most stunningly beautiful bright blue butterflys. She told us stories of the various snakes they have seen around the property including one about watching a python catch then eat a rat! They are going to come into town for lunch one day if we stay in the area long enough. The photo on todays blog was taken in Christines garden.

Saturday...14 August

Well now have I got a story for you! What a day.
Went to the local markets this morning, they have them every Saturday at the Museum, you know the one I got sucked into the other day, thus delaying a planned trip to the coffee plantation. Great markets, heaps of stalls, and even better, I resisted temptation and came away empty handed. They were selling everything from fresh produce to plants, including roses and orchids. They had all sorts of animals, some for sale, some like the horses for buggy rides and some for display as proud owners walked their dogs through the markets. Among the dogs was a cavoodle, the tiniests little puppy, to a Saint Bernard, huge beast, but of course a very placid nature, which was good as half the people at the markets wanted to pat it.
Today was extra special at the markets as it was also the annual Mareeba Gold Panning competition. Great fun watching people of all ages and sizes washing a measured amount of soil and being scored on time and amount of gold found and retained on the panning bowl/basin.
After a quick lunch, during which I loaded up the Sunbeam food dryer with a load of beef jerky, we drove out of town a few kilometres to a WW2 Museum. This particular one is the largest privately owned museum in Qld. Full of very interesting memorabilia. Planes, trucks, jeeps, troop carriers, artillery guns, big display of everyday equipment of the ordinary soldier. Heaps of medals and maps. Himself always knew his father was stationed in this area during part of the war. This is where they taught our troops jungle warfare. Today we found out at this little museum exactly where his fathers group were. No doubt he will make time to go there and it would be rather special to walk in the area his father trained in so long ago, I think.
After that we came home for a cup of tea and then went for a 70km trip to Mt Carbine to see the bull riding and bronco riding competition. A large portion of the program was allocated to the juniors with the youngest competitor being 3. The program started at 5pm and after interval at 8.30pm they finally  had the big boys on the big bulls. Fast and furious with only a couple of serious injuries from stompings or hang ups. The clowns really are very good at what they do and more than once we saw them take a hit or get thrown saving a rider from being tossed by a very angry bull. Apparently the bullriding was followed by a live band until 2am, and most folk camp out for the night and follow it up with a communal breakfast tomorrow morning. We were too tired to party with them so headed for home. The weather was rather chilly but generally a pleasant night out and even the drive home late at night was not too bad as we did not meet any kangaroos or other suicidal animals or wildlife.

Friday....13 August

This means it is not only Friday 13th (why wasn't I told?), but my BB birthday. Happy birthday Ted.
Another nearly perfect day in paradise today. Bit nippy this morning, down to 15 and I heard the ladies at the clothes lines discussing who had to get the spare doonas out of storage last night. However it got up to a pleasant 27 during the day. They are offering the same for tomorrow! It can be tough being a tourist....
Today we set off to visit one of the local coffee farms, so popped into the local tourist information centre first to find out which of the many offered the best value for money tour. Big mistake. The local information centre is also a FREE museum full of interesting bits vaguely remembered from our childhood or at least our growing up years. Old 78's on the HMV record player, cream seperators, wash boards, hand water pumps, ink wells, sixth grade readers, I could go on and on. Departing from there we saw that right next door was the local art and craft shoppe. More time lost!!

By the time we got done there and the museum, it was a bit late to visit the coffee farm before lunch after all, so we headed to the local shopping centre to get fresh supplies. That done we came home for lunch, then set off again to visit the best local coffee farm. This time we had more success and made it in time for one of the tours. We got to see coffee trees, coffee cherries which is what they call the fruit until it is washed and hulled then fermented and eventually hulled again to reveal the actual coffee bean in the middle of the cherry. We drove past the machinery that is used to harvest the trees and then onto the mill that processes the fruit. They did not show us the drying process but when we got back to the centre the entry fee included a cup of your favourite coffee ( latte, cappucinno etc) and free tastings of the coffee liquers they make, very yum. And yes they did make me a cup of tea instead. The farm is totally organic being pesticide and herbicide free etc.
The Nerada tea farm is also in this district so am hoping to do a tour there too eventually.
Tomorrow we plan to go to Uncle someones distillery (hic!) and a peanut farm then in the evening there is a bull riding and bronco riding rodeo type of event up the road at Mt Carbine we may attend, this is after going to the Saturday markets in the morning, back at the blessed Information centre!!
You may find my perils amusing (as did my BB regards yesterdays little trek!) and I am pleased to give you a daily chuckle but in all honesty this is not what I set out to do. I was merely documenting our travels so that we have a diary type record without having to carry yet more paperwork and excess baggage!!!!!
I did a bit of a head count this afternoon and came up with close to 20 folk that I know for sure are reading this blog, this makes me wonder a little as to how many are reading that I do not know about.... work with me people, do not let me wander alone in the wilderness.

Thursday...12 August

We moved camp today. We travelled from Mt Surprise via Atherton to Marreba.
The day started out nicely with surprisingly good road and interesting scenery, but it went downhill rapidly for me, when we started crossing moutains via thin extremely windy roads for kilometre after kilometre with sheer drop often on both sides of the road with oncoming trucks and assorted other things like silly bloody nomads and their caravans. Himself really enjoyed the drive, I swung from terrified to tearfully begging to go back or to slow to a snails pace. And then Qld Main Roads got in on the act and had roadworks happening. They had closed small sections to one lane at a time traffic, so there we are in queue waiting for the man on the stop and go to get done with picking his nose and scratching his bum, all the while sitting on the edge of a bloody oversized hill with a long long way to the bottom! Was apparently a pretty drive full of interesting rain forest and amazingly green farming land......if you had your eyes open at the time. We had been warned not to take a particular road to Cairns as it is too windy and steep..... and we stayed off that road, but by the time we arrived in Atherton I was starting to query if we had taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way and somehow gotten onto the bad road. Not so, we were on the "good" road. Guess we will definately not take that other road to Cairns. My nerves and his patience just will not take another ride like todays.
On arrival in Atherton we toured the Crystal Caves. This is a shop in the main street of Atherton that specializes in crystals and fossils. They have heaps of natural crystals from all over the world with an emphasis on Amethyst, and part of the paid tour in their Crystal Caves is to see the Empress of Uruguay which is a massive piece of amethyst that has to be seen to be believed, Absolutely awesome.

Empress of Uruguay

We have ended up in Marreba which is further along then we planned,  but we could not get a spot at the selected destination. However, we are now closer to Cairns and Karunda and only 33kms from Atherton so could go back for the bits we missed. We think we will base ourselves here and take day trips to selected places and points of interest. There is coffee and tea plantations and WW2 sites and the Skyrail and Hot air ballooning and microlite flights. Heavens my feet may not touch the ground the whole time we are here!!