Mother's Day 2013 - you may call this a late post. A late LATE post.

Was 'ages' ago now but Mother's Day this year was a lovely one, bar the fact that MrL was at work on the other side of the country.

The girls spoilt me with gifts and after I cooked us breakfast (lol), the girls made me a tea party via the iPad.

Monet had suggested we go to Fatelli, a southern Italian inspired resturant down the Esplandade of our suburb.  We had booked a table, knowing it could get very busy.

We've only been there a handful of times and I find it very hard to go past their gnocchi.  Oh my.  It is not one made with potato, rather one made of ricotta and spinach.

The girls played hairdressers later on in the evening.  I was obviously the customer.

Happy Mother's Day.

:: I just found this unpublished post sitting in my drafts folder, figure I should post it - better late than never. ::

Mighty Corpse Flower

Most afternoons after collecting Monet from school she is always asking "can we go somewhere?  Where are we going?" blah, blah, blah.  I actually expected her yesterday to say she wanted to go straight home after school when I said I wanted to visit the Botanical Gardens.  *phew*

I had been following on FB the cycle of 'Spud', the Amorphophallus titanum plant, known also as the Corpse Flower.  It was a major event and I was keen to see it in full bloom, as it rarely blooms and when it does it is massive and stinks!  Yesterday afternoon at 2pm the FB stays read that it was opening up...

                  

The girls and I got to the Garden not long before 3:30 and there was already quite a few people milling around.   I knew exactly where to go….

 

There was a massive pong just outside the Fernery.  A revolting pungent waft… 

But Spud was magnificent.  I'm sure the swarm of flies buzzing around thought so too. 

I am sure the Flecker Botanical Gardens is one of my favourite places in Cairns.  Each time I visit I always see something I hadn't laid eyes on before.

I adore this photo below.  The colours are magnificent...

As we exited the Gardens (after milkshakes for the girls and a *ahem* beer for me), Monet pointed out the Ulysses butterfly fluttering around.  Having my camera in hand I finally (FINALLY) got a photo of one.  After years of living here I have never been quick enough!

Our Favourite Place For a Short Break

Even though we are fortunate enough to call a part of Australia that truly is paradise, we do like to get away to another part of paradise, a couple of hours south of our home. 

Back in late September, my friend Sam contacted me during the school holidays, inviting the girls and I down to join her and her two children to their holiday house at Mission Beach.  With MrL being away at the time (& Sam's was too at the time), I immediately agreed.  Any excuse. 

Sam's house had been brought down from Cairns and they've slowly been renovating the old Queenslander.  It makes a perfect beach shack.  Located a street back from North Mission Beach, we spent most of our time there, at the beach...

To say the girls had a great time is a bit of an understatement.  As the water was warming up (along with the weather), September really is a great time to visit Mission Beach.  As the stingers hadn't arrived yet (they invade North Queensland waters from November onwards) and this beach is sandy, inviting and the water is rather shallow and deepens the more you walk out, it makes an ideal holiday or relaxation destination.

Sam's holiday house helps too.  It is sooo relaxing, with three bedrooms, bathroom, open plan kitchen - dining and sitting area and NO television.  The house from the outside is nothing to talk about but the plans they have for the future sound fab.  (Open bi-fold doors onto a big balcony from the dining/kitchen.)

I'm looking forward to getting away down there again soon….once those stingers have exited so I can get back in the water along with these two….

…and MrL.  It's not really a holiday or a getaway without my best friend.