Cairns to Mission Beach

Day 20 - Cairns to Mission Beach

Innisfail, Babinda

Thursday, 11 August 2011

Set off for Mission Berach today, left at about 10, popped into Coles supermarket for some supplies and stopped at McDonalds for a coffee and to access their free wi-fi.

Then we headed off through Cairns and it wasn't until we were just through Cairns at the other side, that Wendy asked me if I'd collected our passports from the hotel's security deposit box, which I hadn't and so we had to do a u-turn and drive all the way back to the hotel. Very annoying!

After that we set off again and headed for a place called Babinda which had been recommended to us by the hotel we and been staying at. There is a lovely stream there with a swimming hole, but a little bit further downstream there are signs everywhere saying how dangerous it is to swim because of the undertows and currents. We had a walk down the riverside and took some photos. We went just far enough for me to lose yet another pair of sunglasses. I put them down because I couldn't see the screen of the camera and guess what...didn't pick them up again. This is the second pair I've lost and I wasn't happy about it. I don't think I'm destined to keep a pair of sunnies more than a week. Don't worry Cathy, they weren't the pair you lent me.

After our walk we had a barbie at one of the public electric BBQs that are scattered all over Australia - I wish we had them at home but I suppose we would only use them for 2 days/yr and there'd be a queue. That was fun, and there were bush turkeys running around our feet. We have found a lizard which we have named Leonard and the girls have decided that he should join us on our journey. Leonard enjoyed the BBQ.

Wendy and I left the girls at the car when we went back to look for my sunnies and while we were away they saw a Cassowary in the undergrowth. They have photographic evidence! The Cassowary is the most dangerous bird in the world, and Anna bravely stayed in the car, but Lizzi and Jess got out to have a closer look. They can get really nasty and aggressive...the Cassowary wouldn't stand a chance!

After we were fed and coked and had given up on the sunglasses, we set off for Mission Beach. We drove past loads of banana plantations. Each banana tree had a coloured bag over the bunch of bananas - not sure why - google it. Apparently the banana crop has been devastated by the recent cyclone and the price of bananas has gone mental. They are $2.00 each or more in places (£1.35). The sugar cane crop is being harvested and there were trains with hundreds of carriages to carry the cane along low level, narrow gauge railway lines to the processing plants. We had to let one pass across the road and it took ages.

Arrived at mission beach at about 6pm, and started looking for accommodation. Found a couple of adjoining rooms in a motel which is very nice, the rooms are surrounded by tropical plants and palm trees. Mission beach is a sleepy resort with coconut palms lining a long beach, just right for chillin' which is what we intend to do for a couple of days. It's quite popular with hippy types. It has been affected by the cyclone (cyclone Yasi Feb 2011) which came ashore around here and the tourist industry is just getting back on it's feet. We had come her with the intention of visiting Dunk Island, but it is closed completely. They are not even sure it will re-open. Apparently we are lucky to find a room as a lot of contractors are here re-building the place. I must say we didn't see much evidence of destruction ourselves, everything looks very nice. We wandered down to the beach this evening and had a drink at a sea-front bar which was lovely.

Not sure what we're doing tomorrow, I'll let you know. Feeling layed back already, must be something in the air. Off to listen to some Bob Dylan now. Night night.

	Anna and Lizzi [Map]		Babinda Boulders [Map]
	Babinda [Map]		BBQ Aussie style [Map]
	Leonard [Map]

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