Day 33 - Thursday 24th June 2021 – Port Douglas
Shirley and I have been known to drive the 2840 km from Port Douglas to home in seven days. This year (going north) it took us 4760 km and 33 days - a much more leisurely pace. We arrived today in time to establish (most of) camp before lunch.
It took us nearly four hours to do the 110 km from our overnight stop at Rocky Creek War Memorial Park.
After the above two activities we visited the local information centre, to stock up on brochures and have a cup of excellent coffee. Did you know that coffee is grown in the Atherton tablelands?
Day 34 - Friday 25th June 2021 – Port Douglas
My phone indicated that it was around 22 degrees as I loaded the washing machine at 7am. A pleasant start after some of our recent chilly mornings.
We are now in sugar cane territory as shown by the crop opposite the park. Australia apparently has around 378,000 hectares under sugarcane each year, 95% of it in Queensland.
We are also in banana growing country. The majority of the country's banana production is located in the north Queensland regions of Kennedy, Tully, Innisfail, Atherton Tableland, Mossman, Lakeland and Hopevale. Queensland produced more than 95% of Australia's bananas in 2014-2015. There are approximately 250 banana farming business entities in Queensland
The four of us drifted into town and somehow ended up at Paddy's Bar - the Irish pub. It was an excellent lunch - both the food and the drink.
It was a restful afternoon and a minimal dinner - after our large lunch.
Day 35 - Saturday 26th June 2021 – Port Douglas
Readers, please note that we are not going to drive much over the next 4 weeks and hopefully do more relaxation than interesting photo-taking activities. I make no apology for that. So things may be quiet on some days and semi busy on others. The blog will be updated as I have things to say.
Today we walked, ate ice-cream, read, relaxed and bought some tiger prawns off the trawler for dinner. They were a good size for a relaxing open-air dinner - with a French stick and a glass of wine.
Around 5:30 we sat down, with beer, G&T, prawns and a French loaf. Dinner was OK.
Day 36 - Sunday 27th June 2021 – Port Douglas
We had plenty of gentle/misty rain overnight so everything uncovered was wet. However it was already 20 degrees when we surfaced so damp was OK.
We headed off to the Sunday Port Douglas market, where we soon learned about the health benefits of black garlic (see photo).
I also took a photo of the range of bananas that you can get in Far North Queensland (hereinafter called FNQ).
Did you know that:
- Bananas usually take 12 months to produce their first crop of 150 to 200 bananas. That would last Shirley and I around 100 days.
- Mareeba (in the Atherton tablelands) produces 70% of the coffee grown in Australia. You will hear more about locally produced coffee in the next week or so.
- This region produces 52.5 litres of milk each year, meaning that there are numerous cheese producers locally.
- Other "Australian-leading" food staples that are grown in this region include pineapples (we bought one today), mango (brilliant for mango smoothies), tea, avocados, tropical berries and the aforementioned sugar cane.
- There is a mango winery nearby, but we reckon mangoes would be better for making smoothies, or ice-cream - not wine.
It was another relaxing afternoon, although Shirley cooked stew for dinner. I made the obligatory herb damper/scones and we dined with Kay and Darryl.
Day 37 - Monday 28th June 2021 – Port Douglas
The start of a new day - particularly when it is sunny - is a great time of day. Kookaburras compete in the background with other birds. Those of us who are 'fortunate' to have an outside loo that needs use during the night often see a Curlew standing still, or scurrying from A to B. Those of us who can hear, usually hear them every night.
The State of Origin, Game 2, is over and the Queensland supporters are in hiding. The NSW supporters are probably still asleep with a sore head. We have both in the caravan park, plus plenty of Victorians who are ready with a wise crack when it suits.
I did a few computer jobs in the morning (no rest for the wicked) then we went for a walk around the park. After lunch Shirley and I tried the pool. If was excellent. I did about 12 lengths of the pool until too many youngsters appeared. I am yet to determine whether the slide has a weight or age limit.
We were so proud of our effort in the pool that we had an ice-cream.
Last time I was in this pool I was baby-sitting two grandsons - in 2015.
Day 38 - Tuesday 29th June 2021 – Port Douglas
We had more rain over night and an overcast start to the day. The ladies had organised the morning, with them going 'shopping' for things female, and Darryl and I being dispatched to go 'shopping' for pizza ingredients. Tonight is the night that the pizza oven is stoked up for residents to bring their own pizzas and have them cooked in a real pizza oven. So Darryl and I are organising the dinner.
I also needed breakfast cereal and was surprised to find that the 805 gram packet was 4 cents cheaper than my usual 290 gram packet. So we have heaps of Nutri Grain.
After more relaxation I got the yeast and flour out and started making the pizza dough base, while Darryl started cutting the components.
Around 4:40 it all swung into action as I prepared the two bases. I did not have a rolling pin so I had to be creative. I am not sure if the rolling pin will still be around for the next pizza day.
Soon after I met Darryl at the camp kitchen. The following shows what Darryl produced. The four of us enjoyed the two pizzas, with a glass of refreshment.
Over dinner the rain started and continued into the very humid night..............
Day 39 - Wednesday 30th June 2021 – Port Douglas
The rain was still falling as we rose and showered.
Shirley, Kay, Darryl and I went for a drive to Mossman to have a look around, do some shopping and get a coffee. The coffee was excellent, the shopping was completed and the drive was OK.
The rain continued. Everything got wetter. Every now and then the sun appeared to give us unfounded optimism. But it was still warm and humid.
David and Bev arrived after lunch and setup camp between showers.
The rain continued, with umbrellas being handy.
The six of us had happy hour at 4 pm to celebrate the new arrivals after their long trip from Melbourne - with continual COVID pressure of changing border rules. Happy hour drifted into dinner that was cooked on the BBQ.
The rain continued..............
Day 40 - Thursday 1st July 2021 – Port Douglas
I picked up Darryl and David at 7:50 am and drove to Cairns - our principal task being to pick up Fay from the airport.
We visited a couple of camping shops to buy a few articles that were deemed necessary. Fay's plane was on time but they had trouble getting the mobile steps in place - so she was 45 minutes late in emerging from the terminal.
We stopped for a few provisions on the way home and arrived back at camp in time for lunch.
It was a quiet afternoon. Around 4pm I decided to turn some left over pizza dough into a garlic pizza. It was Ok for my first try.
The seven musketeers joined forces for a BBQ dinner in the camp kitchen. As the rain had seemed to be having a rest it was a pleasant night.
Day 41 - Friday 2nd July 2021 – Port Douglas
It was 22 degrees with a clear blue sky as I started the day with a shower around 8am. It was the first time for a few days that we had a cloudless sky. We have a higher site in the park and are more fortunate than the people in the lower areas of the park that (in many areas) has moved from a grassy to a muddy surface.
Our eighth full day in Port Douglas has begun.
Around mid morning five of us headed into town for a walk along "Four Mile Beach" - an excellent place for a stroll.
A light lunch preceded a dip in the pool - again.
It was a communal BBQ dinner in the camp kitchen for the seven of us. Darryl took centre stage as our 'resident' poet in reciting some great Aussie bush poetry. It is one of the many features of our 'grey nomad' life - having a story teller.
The (younger) people on the next BBQ plate made a feast of pork strips, sausages, butternut pumpkin slices, zucchini slices, potato slices, salt, pepper and chilli. It would have been interesting to use the BBQ after them.
It was a pleasant evening - right for sleeping.
Day 42 - Saturday 3rd July 2021 – Port Douglas
It was a cool start to the day, but it soon warmed up as the sun rose. Around 9am Shirley, Fay & I headed off to the Mossman market - 20 km away.
The market was excellent for fruit and vegies. However, we were impressed with St David's Anglican church, which started construction in 1912. The stained glass windows were very impressive.
We bought some edible goodies and then found a cafe with great coffee.
The highlight of my day was my early birthday dinner at Nautilus restaurant. It will be very hard to beat my birthday dinner of 2021.
Firstly, the restaurant itself. Picture the removal of some vegetation in the middle of a rain forest, but leave some large palms around the edge so that there a 30% canopy above you. Except for reception, the kitchen and the toilets the restaurant is out in the open. They have three different areas on 3 levels. They have a clear cover that they can quickly move into place should it rain.
The service, décor & furniture was first class, as you would expect from such a restaurant. Our waitress was German and has been in Australia for 9 years. She was fun and very good.
The food was to die for. I was the only one who had an entrée and the pork belly was sooooooooooooooooooo good. Four of us had bug tails for main and they were superb, with prawns and calamari. David had a steak which he said was excellent. Kay and Darryl shared a whole one kg coral trout and they raved about it.
Five of us shared the 2017 Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon as two of us were driving. However the birthday boy got more than the others.
I chose not to have a dessert but the birthday boy was given home made ice cream on a slate plate with the birthday message. See above photo.
Although I was the birthday boy, four of us have birthdays in
June and July, so it was a joyous occasion.
Day 43 - Sunday 4th July 2021 – Port Douglas
My birthday started with a casual breakfast and a walk around the local market, then a double scoop ice-cream.
Lunch, was followed by solving a technology issue for a mate, then a swim.
Afternoon tea was "Black-forest cake" without candles. There was not enough room for candles. The birthday song was sung with gusto and melody.
It was a short gap then happy hour which extended into dinner - with a magnificent bottle of 2017 Red Hill Estate shiraz.
I had had a great birthday..............
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