Step 104 Cairns - Mission beach 159 km's

Friday 11^th August TED

Despite the fact that we were warned that we probably would not like Cairns it still managed to disappoint. Quite glad we didn't bother coming into town yesterday on the bus. It's just a big town, office buildings, shops, industrial estates and a very dodgy beach. The tide was out and it was just a mud flat. Amazing really when you consider the magnificent beaches either side of Cairns. To top it all off, apparently the 47 traffic lights we got stuck at on the way through the other day constitutes less than half the total number of traffic lights in town. Yep, we did get stuck at all of them. Not to mention at one point we turned right at a cross roads (after eventually getting the green light) and found ourselves at the boom gate for a pay to park car park. A sign beforehand would have been handy.

Anyway, that's enough about Cairns, move on. So we did.

Lots of roadworks on the way out of town on the highway and lots of traffic too. Not used to this anymore. We are also seeing a fair bit of building works as well, all part of the Yasi (cyclone) cleanup.

Yet another town that surprised us by being bigger than we expected is Innisfail. Didn't surprise us or excite us enough to stop though so we ended up stopping at a small park in the cane fields for lunch.

See, told you it was cane country
A sugar cane train

Loads of traffic, both ways today, and quite a lot of roadworks too. There's a lot of evidence of Cyclone Yasi through this area as well. Quite a few houses still with tarps over the roof, a few with dents and bruises. Some of the forest area looks very untidy as well where trees have been uprooted and blown over. But it looks like places are recovering on the whole.

Just before Mission Beach we did a fly by photo shoot of Clump Point jetty and beach. A lot of holiday houses there but no actual town by the look of it.

A quick tour of Mission Beach (really doesn't take long), a visit to the info centre and then we checked in to the Top Tourist right in town. A bit over budget but it's just across the road from the beach and we have scored a site with an ocean view. So after setting up we wandered across the road and had a walk along the beach

Wine o'clock and dinner outside tonight and life is good.

Life is then spoiled for Di as she applies for a job online. Trying not to get in her way Steve slid to the other side of the sun room/couch/bed and watched a movie.

Saturday 13^th August

Another relaxing morning in Paradise. A near personal best for Steve with a 45 minute trip to the amenities block. Fear not it was the social interaction again, not any serious stomach complaint. During one of the chats we were interrupted by a white bellied sea eagle flying overhead showing off his catch of the day. Not sure what the fish was that the eagle was carrying but a) it was quite large and b) it was quite dead.

Dragging ourselves away from MM we walked through the town. There's about 30 shops in all, 27 of which are either restaurants, cafes or bars. This is my kind of town.

While standing out the front of one of the bars checking out the menu and dreaming of the day when we can afford to eat in a restaurant again, a squeal from above attracted our attention. Not a sea eagle this time.  Looking up it was like a scene from the movie A Bridge Too Far as a dozen parachutists descended on the beach. Apparently tandem skydiving is an attraction up here. One that we obviously won't be taking part in.

Whoa. Pull the right toggle. Pull the right.

Phew, that's better

It's going to take more than a free night in a backpackers
to get me up there

After lunch we set off for the beach again but unfortunately it was a little windy so Di headed back to MM and Steve braved the elements and walked on.

“Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart.... and you'll never walk alone. You'll ne ever walk alone”.

Sorry don't know what came ove me there, suddenly breaking into the Liverpool FC theme song. Sorry El. At least I didn't break into the Frankston Pines SC theme song, very similar but the chorus is “you'll never walk again”. 

I digress.

The beach, allegedly is 14 kilometres long. I didn't make it all the way. But I did take the opportunity to indulge in some more photo magic.

Returning home triumphantly I was met by

snoring. 

Proof readers note: Shut up! I'm on holiday

At least Di woke up in time for wine o'clock. We didn't join in with the neighbourhood get together. Everybody here seems to know each other. It's a bit like the theme song from Cheers “everybody knows your name”.

A bit of a treat tonight roast pork chops and roast veges, including roast potatoes. Yum.

Another night of job hunting for Di another movie for Steve.