Hi all for the final time from Tropical north Queensland,
We had a great last day today. We slept in a little, then got up and packed up our room. Our first stop for the day was Mossman Gorge. We had saved this until the last day as there is nothing worse than having a late flight and just sitting around all day not doing much, watching the clock. On the way we saw the sugarcane train transporting lots of harvested sugar cane.
As a kid, I think I remembered just turning up in the carpark and walking straight to the gorge. Nowadays, you pay $12.65 per adult and get a shuttle bus from the Visitor Centre to the gorge. It was an easy process and probably means the area is being conserved and looked after more than it used to, which is good.
It was cloudy and rainy again today. But this made the gorge all the more beautiful, fresh and natural. We did a 2.4 km rainforest circuit first, which we accessed by walking over a suspension bridge. Our feet and legs got pretty wet and muddy. I decided to wear white shorts today - not my best decision!! The circuit was beautiful though. We particularly marvelled at the buttress roots of some trees - they waved around like ribbons and created a very stable structure for the tree, we supposed so it was safe in rough weather like cyclones. The other part of the walk we really enjoyed was a short turn off to a creek. I dipped my feet in - it was cold but refreshing!
Once we finished the circuit, we headed to the main access to the water in the gorge. There were lots of fish, and a few brave(?) people swimming in the even colder water here. We enjoyed viewing the powerful water rushing in between the huge boulders from a couple of lookouts before boarding the bus back to the Visitor Centre.
Next, we headed back to Port Douglas where we enjoyed lunch at the Grant Street Bakery again. I had a chicken and salad roll and a HUGE brownie and smoothie, Rob had a sausage roll, a jam donut and a milkshake. We went for a final walk up and down Macrossan Street to Rex Smeal Park. I sent some postcards to some friends overseas that have sent me some previously, as a couple of them are still in long term lockdowns and I found receiving them last year always put a smile on my face. Finally, we went for a quick final walk on Four Mile Beach.
On our way back to Cairns, we walked along the jetty in Palm Cove and drove through the town just to check it out, before killing our final half an hour walking along the Esplanade in Cairns. Funnily at this point we ran into Rob's aunt and uncle! What a small world.
Now we are at Cairns Airport waiting for our flight which departs in about 45 minutes. I am so grateful we got to go on this trip. As for anyone living in Melbourne this past year, it was such a relief to be able to go somewhere different, experience some warmer weather and feel less claustrophobic in this current world climate. It was a very close call with our recent outbreak and lockdown, and then the outbreak and lockdown in Brisbane. Someone was definitely looking out for us to have it all work out.
I am also grateful I got to spend some quality time with Rob. We both work very demanding, people centred jobs at home which means we don't often get to spend much time together. Rob is starting hotel quarantine work again for a month once home so it will be a hard slog. Having this week or so to adventure and relax together has been wonderful.
My next trip is to Darwin in September with Mum and Dad (I hope). I so hope that towards the end of the year there is more hope in terms of us being able to travel overseas, so this blog can once again live up to its name!
Thank you for reading and hopefully see you in Darwin in September!
Love to all,
Claire
Xoxox
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