Well after a fantastic five weeks we arrive back in Blighty.
All absolutely shattered so in bed within hour of being back home - up normal time Sunday so into unpacking and shopping (empty food cupboards).
Highlights of holiday (by consensus)
Harbour Bridge climb
Fraser Island
Goat mustering on farmstay (particularly Margot getting dirty)
Whitsunday sailing
Barrier reef
Mandy and Mark both enjoyed Mission Beach and catching up with friends in Sydney
Joe and George both enjoyed Movieworld and Australia Zoo
Back to normal routine now and planning next adventure - but how can we beat this!
Monday, 30 August 2010
Saturday, 28 August 2010
Last night in Port Douglas
Morgs and Hutchings are staying about 2 mins walk from each other - very strange to think that we see more of each other on holidays than in Romsey! Met by coincidence on holiday in France 8 years ago and now here we are in Port Douglas - us on final leg of trip, them on start of new adventure - Chris having job in Melbourne with PWC for 2 years.
For the last night we went to the Beach Shack - authentic sand on floor! Food and company both excellent - George definitely the showman!
Mandy had yellow fin tuna - cooked perfectly, Mark had sea food linguine - definitely the best he's ever had and boys had pizza!
Joe finally managed to get a piece of Mud Cake - looked like he enjoyed it.
Last day
What alarm - surely someone set it and we didn't sleep through it! Fortunately not a disaster as we wake relatively early on hols and have a late flight.
George enjoys Red Rooster experience - much as I remembered but not just chicken anymore!
We leave the apartment at 10.30 and pop round to see the Morgs to drop off excess provisions. Boys decide a quick swim would be good - luckily Morgs have spare swimmers to save us transporting wet stuff.
Over night we had decided not to buy the Billy Mizzi pictures in Port Douglas and instead went for the option of looking for some others in Cairns.
No luck - so a quick wander for last minute souvenirs, a last meat pie lunch then off to airport. Great start - Cairns to Brissy flight delayed by 1 hour. George slept most of it.
Arrive Brissy Domestic terminal - loos make boys laugh. Where do the non virgins go?
George enjoys Red Rooster experience - much as I remembered but not just chicken anymore!
Flight from Brisy is ok but full - G sleeps on floor and is only spotted when lights come - then he has to move as they don't like people sleeping under seats! Don't know why - he always has the best sleep.
Monday, 23 August 2010
Monday in Port Douglas
A leisurely start with a refreshing swim in the pool.
Having seen so much of the sugar process it seemed appropriate to see the final stage - the milling. So it was off for a tour at the Mossman Sugar Mill. We all enjoyed seeing the process and tasting the product (only raw sugar is produced for further refining) - tour was good value, informative and let you see the guts of the operation.
But it was exceptionally hot - steam is used to power the machinery - just what you need when temperatures are 30C. Back to Port Douglas for a beach stop - yesterday the beach had been closed as 50 stingers were found on the beach - today all was clear and low risk of stingers.
Great waves for body surfing and generally mucking around.
Tomorrow - white water rafting and Wednesday the outer great barrier reef.
Days are disappearing quickly now.
Having seen so much of the sugar process it seemed appropriate to see the final stage - the milling. So it was off for a tour at the Mossman Sugar Mill. We all enjoyed seeing the process and tasting the product (only raw sugar is produced for further refining) - tour was good value, informative and let you see the guts of the operation.
But it was exceptionally hot - steam is used to power the machinery - just what you need when temperatures are 30C. Back to Port Douglas for a beach stop - yesterday the beach had been closed as 50 stingers were found on the beach - today all was clear and low risk of stingers.
Great waves for body surfing and generally mucking around.
Tomorrow - white water rafting and Wednesday the outer great barrier reef.
Days are disappearing quickly now.
Daintree to Port Douglas
In many ways this is the last leg of the journey - from Port Douglas we go to Cairns and then back to Blighty.
An uneventful checkout but not without the owner moaning how dirty the Campbell's had left the apartment - some amusement to be had later that day!
A drive to the ferry - waiting for it to come over we were advised that a 5 year old boy had been taken by a croc 6 months ago trying to get his dog out of the water! The constant threat is something the people get used to.
North of Daintree River all of the homes are solar powered and use generators for electricity - very difficult living but community spirit is strong.
Driving off the ferry Mark managed to run over a green tree snake that was crossing the road - went back to check and it was not dead but did not seem to be moving freely! Not going to investigate that one!
Next stop Mosman Gorge - a lovely rain forest with some great water holes - turtles inhabit some of these but we did not see any. The level of rainfall the Atherton Tablelands get in a year is incredible - frequently you can be sat in sunshine and look to the west and see low cloud enveloping the hills.
After a brief wait (Mandy did not get on the same bus as the men) it was off to Port Douglas. Accommodation was fantastic - boys effectively have their own apartment. Both apartments are swim in swim out. Effectively have a 50m pool as it goes passed the other apartments.
In the evening we joined the Campbell's for dinner - their last Aussie dinner before heading to US for 5 days. Great food was followed by ladies hitting the cocktails - needless to say we all sampled and Joe continues to find cocktails more appealing than beer! Of course we could not help but tell the Campbell's about the checkout comments from Daintree.
All too soon the evening was over - great to catch up with the Campbell's Down Under and some great experiences to reminisce over the long UK winter months!
An uneventful checkout but not without the owner moaning how dirty the Campbell's had left the apartment - some amusement to be had later that day!
A drive to the ferry - waiting for it to come over we were advised that a 5 year old boy had been taken by a croc 6 months ago trying to get his dog out of the water! The constant threat is something the people get used to.
North of Daintree River all of the homes are solar powered and use generators for electricity - very difficult living but community spirit is strong.
Driving off the ferry Mark managed to run over a green tree snake that was crossing the road - went back to check and it was not dead but did not seem to be moving freely! Not going to investigate that one!
Next stop Mosman Gorge - a lovely rain forest with some great water holes - turtles inhabit some of these but we did not see any. The level of rainfall the Atherton Tablelands get in a year is incredible - frequently you can be sat in sunshine and look to the west and see low cloud enveloping the hills.
After a brief wait (Mandy did not get on the same bus as the men) it was off to Port Douglas. Accommodation was fantastic - boys effectively have their own apartment. Both apartments are swim in swim out. Effectively have a 50m pool as it goes passed the other apartments.
In the evening we joined the Campbell's for dinner - their last Aussie dinner before heading to US for 5 days. Great food was followed by ladies hitting the cocktails - needless to say we all sampled and Joe continues to find cocktails more appealing than beer! Of course we could not help but tell the Campbell's about the checkout comments from Daintree.
All too soon the evening was over - great to catch up with the Campbell's Down Under and some great experiences to reminisce over the long UK winter months!
Hutchings alone in Daintree
After a slightly earlier than expected morning on the Saturday (we heard the Campbell's leaving - suitcase wheels, departure video and elated shouts of Great Barrier Reef) the owner asked J & G if they had seen the snake near the pond! A new leaf?
Today was Cape Tribulation day - sunny at last. We even took a sneaky look at the Bloomfield Track (hire cars not allowed on the track).
Cape Trib is fantastic.
We decided to do some exotic fruit tasting in the afternoon - wow. Black Sapote (Choc Pudding Fruit) was big anticlimax as a fruit - no real taste but definitely a pudding texture. Jakfruit (looks but does not smell similar to Durian) was a favourite.
Then it was off for some locally produced ice cream - Joe had Coffee Cream, George Choc Hazlenut, Mandy Chilli Chocolate and Mark Banana passionfruit and ginger - all incredibly good and all made with local ingredients (north of cairns) - some from the exotic fruit farm.
Despite the beauty of the rain forest we all agreed we were rainforested out. Fortunately we were leaving in the morning.
Today was Cape Tribulation day - sunny at last. We even took a sneaky look at the Bloomfield Track (hire cars not allowed on the track).
Cape Trib is fantastic.
We decided to do some exotic fruit tasting in the afternoon - wow. Black Sapote (Choc Pudding Fruit) was big anticlimax as a fruit - no real taste but definitely a pudding texture. Jakfruit (looks but does not smell similar to Durian) was a favourite.
Then it was off for some locally produced ice cream - Joe had Coffee Cream, George Choc Hazlenut, Mandy Chilli Chocolate and Mark Banana passionfruit and ginger - all incredibly good and all made with local ingredients (north of cairns) - some from the exotic fruit farm.
Despite the beauty of the rain forest we all agreed we were rainforested out. Fortunately we were leaving in the morning.
Daintree
Clearly the owner had heard some of our comments - slightly perturbed by our continued presence in the accommodation beyond 10am! Having booked a Daintree River sunset cruise for that evening the Hutchings clan set off to explore Cow Bay - quite a large cluster of strange looking homes/ buildings. At the beach we were advised that a 3m croc had just been seen at the water's edge - sea water! Needless to say Mark and the boys were off to try and spot the croc. 30 mins later - back without success. No bait (boys) had been offered so no interest from croc to appear. After watching an insect kill a larger insect and try to move it over the beach it was time for lunch.
Strangely people do not seem concerned about kayaking within metres of where a croc has been spotted!
Then of to Daintree for cruise with Dave "Saucy" Worcester - 2 hours of cruising the Daintree - saw a green tree snake at very close quarters, crocodiles, birds a-plenty, frogs and went into some obscure creeks - every one revealing interesting flora or fauna. At the end of the cruise we saw the flight of the cattle egrets - thousands going to roost - all following the same flight path. An incredible trip.
Back to Cow Bay - Campbell's were leaving early next day so were checking out in the evening - the owner was at his best - saying his wife had made an error in the cruise booking and we therefore had to pay an additional $70 (in addition to the additional ferry fares) - red rag and bull came to mind but eventually agreement reached that we would not be paying any more - the events will last in the memory for years! Fortunately there was a fairly decent hotel pub over road - Mandy very at home talking to locals. Owners had only moved up in December so regaled us with the reasons and motivations for moving North. Great Barramundi had by Mandy and Jacqui all washed down with some Daintree tea.
Time to say goodbye to Campbell's for a day as we stayed and they left! Who were the lucky ones?
Strangely people do not seem concerned about kayaking within metres of where a croc has been spotted!
Then of to Daintree for cruise with Dave "Saucy" Worcester - 2 hours of cruising the Daintree - saw a green tree snake at very close quarters, crocodiles, birds a-plenty, frogs and went into some obscure creeks - every one revealing interesting flora or fauna. At the end of the cruise we saw the flight of the cattle egrets - thousands going to roost - all following the same flight path. An incredible trip.
Back to Cow Bay - Campbell's were leaving early next day so were checking out in the evening - the owner was at his best - saying his wife had made an error in the cruise booking and we therefore had to pay an additional $70 (in addition to the additional ferry fares) - red rag and bull came to mind but eventually agreement reached that we would not be paying any more - the events will last in the memory for years! Fortunately there was a fairly decent hotel pub over road - Mandy very at home talking to locals. Owners had only moved up in December so regaled us with the reasons and motivations for moving North. Great Barramundi had by Mandy and Jacqui all washed down with some Daintree tea.
Time to say goodbye to Campbell's for a day as we stayed and they left! Who were the lucky ones?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)