From Magnetic Island, we returned to Townsville to get the bus to Cairns. Not much to Cairns, from what I saw last time (other than trips to do) but we weren't there long enough to confirm that impression or otherwise. Early on Sunday morning we got a bus up to Cow Bay, just south of Cape Tribulation, where we were staying in a rainforest retreat called Crocodylus. We stayed in a tent/cabin IN the rainforest. It was grand. I think it's been Anne's favourite place so far (not least because it had a great, cheap restaurant!)
We spent Sunday afternoon wandering up the long, largely deserted beach (on the way there we spied a cassowary and a snake!) We've had glorious weather for days now, and the nice thing is it's not half as humid as it was when we were up this way in December 2000 (Aussie summer). On Monday morning we were dropped off at a creek. We paddled up the creek to a waterhole where it was safe to swim (i.e. no croc or stingers). Again on the beach in Cow Bay we came across nudie bathers (though saw nothing to match the man on Magnetic Island strolling on the beach in just his hat), and since Anne and I now found ourselves alone amid a dense rainforest we decided to throw caution to the wind and go skinny-dipping! We felt very daring and it was fun, especially in the hot sun. We had to be careful not to burn our bits. Photos to follow. (Reckon.) Stop picturing us naked!
On Sunday night, we had retired to our cabin early for a romantic evening. Our antics were disturbed by a bunch of people outside, shining torches through the canvas. This was the hostel-organised Night Walk, and these people were searching for "wildlife". They wouldn't have seen much through the mossie-net anyway, but we didn't appreciate the privacy-invasion. Anyway, on Monday night, we joined the Night Walk and traipsed round the forest from 8 until midnight with a man named Possum! We had torches and saw lots of spiders, some fungi, two birds (only two!), a bandicoot, a white-tailed rat, and a black and white possum. Again, my mammal-spotting abilities came in useful. I think I may have some aboriginal tracker blood in me. My genealogy work may later reveal this for sure.
After a late night, the last thing we wanted is an early morning, so we got up at ten to six for a sea-kayaking trip! We kayaked (i.e. canoed) to an isolated beach where we had a "tropical" breakfast (it involved lots of fruits), swam and snorkelled on the reef. Yay! I wasn't very good at keeping the kayak straight, and Anne got frustrated with me. Anne wasn't very good either and I got frustrated with her. Thus we were even and neither of us has any right to go on about it. Got that Anne?
Alas, we left the rainforest hostel this morning and travelled by bus down to Port Douglas, just north of Cairns. Anne didn't want to leave. As there were no double rooms left in any Port Douglas hostels we splashed out an extra four quid a night on a motel room. We weren't chuffed with having to break the budget, but though a bit of luxury would be nice. Imagine our disgust when a sign at check in told us that this was a budget motel, and it's being pulled down at the end of the year so we shouldn't expect great things. We have a fridge in our room, and a kettle, the TV doesn't work very well and there's no laundry. Frankly, I've stayed in better hostels.
Here endeth today's blog.