Tropical North Queensland- Cairns and surrounds

This post is dedicated to one of our amazing friends who is currently recovering from a successful lung transplant, we wish you all the best for a successful, speedy recovery! (This area and further north- Port Douglas is his playground, and the first year in nine that he and his wife haven’t holidayed here- YET!)

Cairns- paradise on earth! What a beautiful, tropical wonderland, with pristine mangrove beaches lined with coconut palms and spectacular ferns and palms, excellent facilities, great playgrounds and water parks and friendly people. We enjoyed our week in the town, perhaps more so given we stayed in an apartment! There’s something about having your own kitchen, laundry and personal bathroom in close proximity that cannot be understated. Sure, the tent is nice- but so are home comforts.

Love these signs on the roads from Townsville to Cairns... be wary of cassowaries...

They actually look like this (from our visit to the Darwin Crocodile Park)...

Colourful- yes, Friendly- not so much! 

By the way we didn't see any on this road- they are endangered.

Cairns was great, with a fantastic water park for Amelia and a beautiful foreshore area.

 

Mummy didn't even ask her to pose like this- she's a natural!

 Stopping for a snack

The drive north to Port Douglas was scenic, windy and reminiscent of our very own Great Ocean Road (but with infinitely better weather!).

 Port Douglas waterfront near the market

 Market Day at Port Douglas

NOTE: pearls were cheaper here than anywhere else- Broome, Darwin and Cairns combined. ANd the red coral necklaces were fantastic, as is the one that joined my collection that day.

 View from  Flagstaff Hill

Dale- these ones are for you! It looks like so much fun.

Walking  along the extremely tidal beach, looking for shells (obviously), coconuts which haven't been already opened and admiring the mangroves, which are a little bit smelly sometimes.