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.

Our Girls love the pool...

...just like I used to when I was a young girl.  I remember spending four weeks in a complex in Coffs Harbour when I was around Monet's age and spending as long as possible in the pool there.  Our girls are fortunate because they have assess to a pool every day of the year.  It's just not a holiday thing.

Lily has become very confident in the pool now.  She's recently gone from wearing her swim vest, to floaties and the last time I was in the pool with her, there was an absence of any floating equipment attached to her body!  However, if I am not in the pool with her, it is swim vest all the way.

The girls do all kind of games in the pool together which is nice to see.  Above is a photo of their 'circus trick' where they would be both underwater (with Lily on Monet's shoulders) and when Monet stands Lily yells out 'Ta-da!'

Monet has gotten quite good at doing underwater handstands with legs very straight and Lily's latest trick is doing awesome proper water somersaults!  Very amusing to watch.

If this hot humid weather continues, I can see us all getting quite a bit more use out of the pool....

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.

They say it is one of Cairns best kept secrets...

Since moving back to this part of the world, I had been told a few times from various people about Kewarra Beach Shack and people have been surprised when I had said we hadn't gone.  Just by chance, one Sunday midday, we visited.  (I  think it may have been early November.)  

Kewarra Beach is located the next suburb up from ours - it is mainly a housing suburb but with a Resort located on the beach.  This is where 'Cairns best kept secret' is.  As you stroll a hundred or so  metres along the beach from the car park, there is 'The Shack'.   It is like something out of Gilligan's Island.

We ate a couple of bowls of delicious beer battered hot chips and downed a couple of icy cold beers.  (Not the girls of course, they had cool water!)  It wasn't long before the place started to fill up, as it was a Perfect Sunday.

The Shack is popular on Friday nights for wood fired pizza and a live band and apparently bookings are a must.

But I'll be happy to return on a Perfect Sunday any time.

Late Afternoon Beach Fun

I really should update this blog more often!  Sheesh, where does the time go?  Monet has already been back at school for final term for two weeks now and I haven't even blogged about little things we did.  I will get there eventually.

So....

Quite a few Sunday evenings ago (three weeks ago in fact), MrL and I decided that instead of having a beer or two on our balcony at home that we'd venture down the beach and have a couple there....as you do in Queensland.  It was a perfect evening, busy with tourists still splashing in the water, people chatting and grouped together on the beach and two little sisters besotted with one another.

It's times like that, that makes me appreciate where we live.

And with the sun setting, it was time to enjoy some (perfectly grilled) fish and chips on the foreshore.  I'm not sure of the photo below (lol) with the girl's expressions (lol) but we had a pleasant evening together.

A Two Night Getaway

A few weeks back it was a 'Cairns' long weekend.  Instead of us going stir crazy in our apartment MrL suggested we go and stay up at Port Douglas (a 45 minute drive north from our place) for a couple of nights.  We found some cheap accommodation (cheap by Port Douglas standards) in a fabulous spot, opposite 4 Mile Beach and just off the main shopping strip.  

We got up to Port a bit too early so I suggested to go up to the 'Lookout'.  The view up there is stunning.  Below is a photo of the 4 Mile Beach....

After lunch and finally being able to check into our apartment, the girls could not wait to get themselves down to the beach.  They had a fun time running about, paddling and playing in the sand.  It was a bit too windy though and the wind did get the better of us so we left after an hour or so...

Saturday morning we took a walk around the main part of Port Douglas.  It is a very photogenic place to visit, if you enjoy taking photos...

This boat is off to the Great Barrier Reef

I think I have mentioned time and time again on this blog, how I love a Marina.  This one is no exception.  

In the afternoon we ventured to the beach again.  It was windy again.

In typical Melody and MrL style, Sunday morning saw us all set and packed to leave early.

It is always pleasant to visit Port Douglas and we are fortunate that it is a short (very scenic) drive from our place.  It was nice to go and stay somewhere else for a couple of nights and the girls had a blast.

Winter is Definitely Here...

But winter in the north of Australia is much different to the winter in the south of the country!

To us in Far North Queensland, it means cool mornings (of around 15 degrees) and beautiful sun filled, blue, cloudless skies and the temperature steady at 25 degrees.

It is also the time of year when the Coral Sea changes from a murky, sandy brown (due to continual rain and rivers flowing into the ocean) to beautiful sea greens and blues.

It also means you can eat ice creams without them melting instantly.   But you can still get them all over your face given half a chance.

I can't stand being cold for too long (I get sick of hearing myself whinge) so I think living in the tropics suits us all...

Iron Man Triathlon

We went to go on a 'Sunday drive' yesterday but as soon as we left, we remembered something as we got stuck in slow moving traffic...

The Iron Man Triathlon.

There were something like 3000 competitors who attempted the course - though there was a half version (photographed here by me!) and a full version, which started and ended in Cairns city via Port Douglas up the Captain Cook Highway.

Yesterday the gods were truly smiling as it was the most beautiful topical day, after a week of continuous 'grey' and rain.

You really have to admire the men and women who do triathlons, in fact any form of strenuous exercise for such a long period of time.

Monet wanted to know if any of the competitors would spew in the car on the way home, like she did after her School's Cross-country run.  (I had to giggle at that and said 'yeah, probably!')

You can read more about the event here.