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!

Cairns Festival Parade

Every year Cairns holds a Festival and every year we have not participated in anything.  Okay, we were absent for a few of those years but I figured this year the girls and I would venture into town for the 'opening' parade.  I'm glad we did.   The girls loved it. 

I met my girlfriend and her family at a particular spot so we all enjoyed it together.  Lily was rather excited and Monet ended up enjoying it after I made her walk from where I had parked the car to the street where the parade was.  (It was a good 15 minute walk.)

It wasn't a massive parade but it did showcase all the clubs and a lot of schools etc., which I enjoyed.

Some of the floats/displays were very clever.  I loved the school display who dressed up like jelly fish.  Very clever....

There is a big Asian culture here in Cairns, but Lily got a bit scared of the chinese dragons...

...She was thankful for her big sister to hide behind...

It was enjoyable and I will go again next year.  I'm positive the girls will make me anyway, but I will try and park the car a little closer to stop Monet from whinging... *heehee*

One Thousand.

Post 1000.  Sheesh.  After starting this particular blog in October 2006 and joining my Recipe blog back a couple of years ago, I have f i n a l l y reached the 1000th post mark.  

And to mark the occasion, I am blogging about the eldest, whom was the main motivation behind me for first blogging.  And to think she was only a wee little cherub and now a just-about-9-year-old.  

Monet began a program back in March, Netta, which teaches young girls and boys over the age of seven the skills of netball.  It went for a total of eight weeks, which kinda dragged out to about 12 due to rain interruptions.  

Last week the season started up again, but in great confusion, only four of the original eight in her team had re-signed, which left Monet and the other three girls, team-less.  It had been decided on the week leading up to re-starting that a new junior team would start as there were 14 girls in total without a team.  They are now 'Cairns Saints' players and affiliated with the AFL team up here in Cairns.  They have four (yes, FOUR) coaches and I can already see a marked improvement in Monet learning the game, much better than last season where there was basically zero training in the skills department.  

I already have Lily telling me that when she grows up, she wants to be a netball player.  What a great inspiration this new team is having on both my girls.

Blue

MrL was fortunate that during the eight days he had off, the weather was lovely.  Big blue, cloudless skies and not a hint of rain.  (When he returned to work yesterday morning the weather turned - it's been grey and dreary since!)

Cairns always looks inviting on the clear, warm days.  The Lagoon, Cairns pride and joy and centrepiece, is proof of that.  

It had been a while since I had been in town when the tide is in.  Usually that area below is a big area of mud flats...

I'm hoping today's dreary weather improves over the course of the next several days, as my London-dwelling sister is coming to visit for a couple of weeks.  C'mon Cairns, show me what you're made of!!

FORTY

March 5th saw me reach a significant number.  And I have to say, it was one of my best birthdays ever.  

Special flowers from my Big Sis & her life partner, in the UK

I'm not into parties.  I'm not into being the 'centre of attention', a party of any kind was never on the cards.  MrL suggested a couple of weeks beforehand that we could all perhaps spend the night at a hotel.  I quite liked that idea.  So he went ahead and booked a room at The Shangri-La on the Marina in Cairns.  

The weather might have taken a bad turn that afternoon....

We had a big storm in the afternoon of my birthday.

...but it didn't worry me.

The view from our room was just beautiful.  I've said it before and I will say it again, I love me a marina.

A nice champagne was the order of the afternoon for me.

MrL and the girls bought me a lovely bangle for my 40th.

The girls had a great time in the pool and convinced MrL to get in there too...

...whilst I sipped a cocktail or two.

We had a sensational dinner eating at The Salt House, which is part of the Yacht Club at the Marina.

The next day it was great to get up early, enjoy the view and have a family swim in the massive rooftop pool at the Hotel.  We walked along the Esplanade to a popular Cairns restaurant for breakfast before biding MrL on his way off to work.

Monet still had school to attend so after packing up our room (who knew that four bodies could make so much mess over the course of one night) Lily and I went home via school.

The Marina view at 6am

Breakfast view

A fantastic birthday.  Definitely what I wanted and definitely one to remember.  Awesome.

Early Morning Walks

For over three months now, I have been rising out of bed most mornings, bright and early and going on a 3 kilometres 'power' walk.  I have it down to 26 minutes.  

Each day, I take a photo of the dawn breaking.  I have rarely seen two days the same.  The colours are amazing and every time I think to myself that it has been worth getting out of bed at stupid o'clock for.  

Pretty sure I am considered a local now, seeing a handful of 'regular' walkers.

I see the lady opening up the corner shop every morning and the guy who cleans and organises the outside furniture at L'unico.  I see the lady in the bright pink floral shorts walking her two dogs.  I see the old, very thin lady, who jogs around the place, the old man in his walking gear power walking, the lady who runs with her tiny Jack Russell dog, the lady in specks riding her bike with her reflective gear on.  An elderly lady who I have only begun seeing in the past few weeks, who walks up and down the beach road pushing her walking frame.

I wonder if they all think, "There's that chick in the stripy top"....

Each and every morning I also see one of my neighbours who lives in the same complex as us.  Sometimes we stop and have a brief chat.

I decided in celebration of my 50th morning walk, to get a poster made of my photos.  Most are taken in the same spot each morning.  I swear those two palm trees are the most photographed trees in all of Cairns, especially if I have anything to do with it.

My poster arrived on last week.  I had two printed up.  I gave one to my neighbour, who was very (very) appreciative of it.

Angry Water

The wet season has hit the tropics in a big way.  It has basically been raining non stop since Saturday, bar a few lovely sunny hours on Sunday.  So the humidity doesn't give up along with the rain.  I am addicted to watching the rain radar on my phone...  The screen has been seeing a load of green with flecks of orange. 

Back at the start of September I had taken my parents up to see Barron Falls, not far up the road (about a 25 drive away).   This is what the Falls look like during most of the Dry Season.

Then the other week when the girls and I hit the Kuranda train, which stops at Barron Falls, I didn't even really bother to take a photo of the falls.  More like a little trickle.

Hard to believe that was only a few short weeks ago.

This was the Barron Falls today...

 As soon as the girls and I stepped out of the car in the carpark you could hear the mighty roar.  I couldn't wait to see the water!

Spectacular.  I have never witnessed the Falls like that as I have never driven up during 'the Wet' to see them.  Worth the drive up, that was for sure.