Friday, 17 November 2017

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside.... Cairns

Friday 17th November


So, from Daintree to Port Douglas, we continued our return south to Cairns.


For two nights, we stayed at Cool Waters campsite just outside Cairns. This was a pleasant site in the rainforest with a creek running through it and a nice swimming pool.

                    


We use this time to SQUEEZE all our goods and chattels back into their casesand to give the van a good clean inside and out ready for its return to Apollo.
Just before we left, we heard an almighty crash and discovered that a very tall tree, obviously rotten, had fallen down. Luckily it fell towards the creek and not in our direction!


Having reached Cairns city, we checked into our apartment at the Grosvenor Hotel, delivered the van back and then caught the bus into the city.
Although the shopping centre has some decorations up, there definitely doesn't seem to be as much Christmas hype as there usually is in UK by now. Incongruously though, all the Christmas cards are full of snow scenes and Santa (northern hemisphere style).
We wandered down to the lagoon, which is a huge man made




 swimming pool on the esplanade. They have this because it is too dangerous to swim in the sea due the presence of crocodiles. Also the beach is very shallow and when the tide is out it goes a long way. However, there were plenty of pelicans and jabiru to photograph. We followed the esplanade back to the campsite past the hospital (Karen will remember it). On the way, we passed under a very noisy tree. When we looked up it was full of fruit bats, screeching and wriggling on the branches.

   
In the evening, we had a meal at the Cock and Bull, a noisy, very busy restaurant but good value for money.
Yesterday, having refined our packing, we spent the rest of the day like most other backpackers, tourists and locals at the lagoon.


This afternoon, we'll make our way to cairns airport for the flight to Singapore.


Highlight of Cairns: the lagoon of course.

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