One night on the run up to Christmas...

...I took the girls into Cairns City.  MrL was having some Christmas drinks at work and both Monet and Lily were keen to see some of the lights around the traps.  I wanted to see the giant Christmas tree the council had set up at the Lagoon, so that was our first port of call.  

After a McDonalds dinner (as you do) and a mandatory Baskin Robbin's ice cream, it was time to pose next to the beautiful tree.

We drove home, the long way, via a couple of suburbs which I had read on the internet, that had some cool Christmas lights.  Both girls oohed and ahhed at particular homes.

And then we came to this house.

Rhonda and Barry had done a spectacular job on their yard.  (And no, I do not know Rhonda nor Barry but I had heard it took a good three months to set it all up!  Heck!!)  The lights all flashed in time to particular music and was pretty special, truth be told.  The girls loved it and Lily's face seriously lit up and she didn't want to leave.  It was nice to see some Christmas Spirit after spending previous Christmases in a Muslim country.

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.

Our mission to Mission

MrL and I like to organise a trip for a night or two on spur of the moment.  My latest example was Friday evening.  Before we knew it we had booked a two night getaway to Mission Beach, a 170 kilometer trek down the Bruce Highway.  We have visited that part of the Cassowary Coast on numerous occasions but have never stayed there.  

We left early on Saturday morning with MrL's car loaded with suitcases.  As you do with two young children.  

You know when you are nearing Mission beach when the signs below are scattered along the road leading into the area....

It was hot there.  Really hot.  A different heat from that of Cairns when we say it is hot and humid.  A different heat from that of the UAE and once again, a different heat from a hot day in Melbourne.  We had parked the car in the main drag of Mission Beach and headed to the beach for a stroll.  By the time we got back from our walk we were all dripping with sweat and the cold water from the local little supermarket went down a treat.

After lunch at a local 'resort' we headed to 'Woolies' and got a few supplies before checking into our cottage along Wongaling Beach.  A reasonable sized two bedroom cottage.

The girls had a swim in the (shared) pool after a play and a relax.  Our dinner was at a bar and grill down the road.

The girls before heading out for dinner

Sunday morning I headed out for a early lone walk along the beach.  The sunrise was beautiful and it was lovely to walk along the beach, sharing with a few other walkers.  The length of Mission Beach runs some 12 kilometres or so, with views over to islands, the main being Dunk which was ravaged in 2011's Cyclone Yasi, which destroyed the beautiful resort we had stayed on about six years previously.

After a lazy morning of driving around and a swim in the pool we headed off for lunch.  We couldn't complain about the view.

Monet took this photo of Lily and I

 The afternoon was spent back in the pool (as you do), a few Sunday arvo sippers (Coronas were of choice), we headed back to the Bar and Grill we had visited the night previously.  (There are not a lot of choices close by at Wongaling Beach.)  It was two Coronas for the price of one so that was nice.  (*heehee*)

And because the meal we had there the night before was delicious and the view was picturesque, we ate there again.

I had the same meal two nights in a row!  Red Emperor on top of a potato croquette, roast pumpkin, spinach, pesto and some lovely sauce.

We left yesterday morning, at around 8:30, which was absolutely perfect timing, as the rains set in from across the sea.  The rain home was unbelievably heavy and slow going, but we got home safe and sound and in one piece.

how long is a piece of string?

Answer?  Too long.

It's been yonks since my last post and Monet keeps asking if I have updated my blog.  Every.  Day.  So here you go Monet, here is a post for you to read.

My camera kind of died a while back (too many leaky water bottles unfortunately without me realising! URGH) and being in Cairns my camera would have to be sent away to be fixed.  Not sure if it is worth the time and hassle...  My iPhone has been working away as my camera for the past few months - I kid you not.

We've done a bit and seen a lot since my last post back in October.  I will get around to blogging about them once I upload my phone photos onto the computer.  I have a lot to share.

I will be glad to put 2012 to rest.  It hasn't been the easiest or best year.  We've had regrets (and regret is the pits) and it has not been easy moving back to what seems like the past.  Hoping not to have any regrets about 2013, things can only go upwards.

Happy new year to you all.  =)

A Must

A few weeks back MrL took a well deserved break from work and headed down to our home state of Victoria for 4 nights.  It had been close to three years since he had been to see family and friends and so it was a must.  

Monet was on her last few days of school holidays so we went to the cinema to see 'Tinkerbell' which Lily just adored, ate McDonald's, had a picnic party on a rug in the lounge room, had toasted sandwiches for dinner and went shopping along other things.  One thing we did too was drive up to Port Douglas for lunch.  

Both girls insisted on an ice cream from a certain ice cream parlour we hadn't had one from ever.  They certainly won't be our last ice creams from there either - ohh they were delicious and thoroughly enjoyed to say the least.   Can't you tell?

After a walk up and down the main drag and browsing in a few stores, we settled on the Central Pub for lunch.  It ended up being a wise choice as it was enjoyed by the three of us.  I indulged in a serving of Barramundi Spring Rolls with a mandatory schooner of XXXX Gold.

Monet surprised me with her choice for lunch; steamed veggies served with a dollop of mash.  It made a nice change from chicken nuggets and chips which was Miss Lily's typical choice.

No visit (ever) is complete to Port Douglas without visiting The Point.  We always end up there, with good reason - it is picturesque, even if it had been raining on and off.

And there is a playground.  In the girl's book, it is therefore a must to visit.

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.

Giggles

I *know* how many times I have blogged before about dress ups but my girls love to dive into the dress up box at least once a week.  I'm not sure who has the most fan, but I would put my money on Monet who loves to dress up her younger sister.  

Part of Lily's birthday parent from MrL's parents was a Dora dress up outfit.  Lily was not too sure at first but lately it has been getting a good run.  I laugh when I see her wear the Dora wig as I imagine that's what she would look like as a brunette. 

Monet does like to get involved too.  However she's growing up so much and those legs of hers are getting longer and longer.  It's getting harder to find outfits to fit such a tall girl...

I am pretty sure that's part of the reason why Monet likes to play 'schools' with her younger sister.  Meet Monet's alter-ego, Miss Lulu.  (A glimpse of the future I imagine...)

And here's a giggle for you all.  My Hawaiian hula girls, cross with a clown...

Instagram

Do you 'Instagram'?  I have had an account for a couple of years but this year, since moving back to Australia in January, I began to use it more and more.  I love it.  I love following people with similar interests and people who have nothing in common with me!  I only follow a couple of celebrities (Brendan Cowell makes me laugh) but I mostly just do it for me.  

So with an account of close to 500 photos stuck on my iPhone and on my computer, I googled the possibility of getting them printed up some way.  (As all photographs are square in shape, kind of makes it impossible to print them via any other means, except your own printer.)  

I struck gold when I came across an American company called 'Prinstagram'.  Awesome.  Different printing options of all shapes and sizes. Not at all expensive. But what caught my eye was a poster.  After selecting photographs from my account, it was sent off and arrived at my doorstep around two weeks later.  

The result is fabulous.  

It is normal poster size and I will get around to getting a frame for it.  (IKEA do have reasonable priced frames to fit this size) I love how it is a snapshot of the past eight months or so in Australia.

Are you on Instagram?  If you'd like to follow me (I have a private account), look me up - biglittlemelody. =)