2 September 2011 - Cairns Sunland Leisure Park

Late afternoon, enjoying the wonderful birdlife in this lovely camping ground for the last time for a few weeks. We will no doubt return here when we arrive back in Cairns and pick the cruiser and caravan up. Better the devil you know than the one you don’t as they say.

Rain, real rain, fell during the night, and the day dawned overcast with the mountains behind the city shrouded in heavy cloud. Forever the optimist, I did a couple of loads of washing, then dodged intermittent showers to hang it all on the line.

We drove around to the storage yard’s office and filled in all the forms, crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s so that all we have to do tomorrow is turn up at the gateway, have Ben let us in and hope the two savage dogs (one who would lick you to death and the other who would gobble up the remains) are safely chained up when we set the caravan up for several weeks storage; the electrics such that the solar panels will look after all the batteries and the feet filled with talcum powder to deter any ant invaders.

Returning to camp, I relented and moved the laundry in to the driers, the first time I have done so in the seven and a bit months we have been here. After lunch the sun came out and it has been fine ever since. Moral of the story: if you want fine weather, waste your money using a clothes drier.

With everything pretty much under control, including the Sim card in my cellphone changed over and a late (11.30 am) check out sorted for tomorrow, we decided to visit the Cattana Wetlands north of Cairns. We had passed the signs several times and until now not had time, or rather, not made time, to visit. The turnoff is not far past the Cairns airport, and one turns toward Yorkey’s Point Beach. If like us, you miss the next turn, you end up along the esplanade at Yorkey’s Beach, a very pretty stretch of expensive housing set back across the road and a row of Leichardt trees from the beach. Several kite surfers were plying their rental trade and those mad enough to take to the sea were whizzing across the low waves at great speed.

We were directed back down toward the Captain Cook Highway and toward the Cattana Wetlands by one of these adventurers and soon found our way there, wondering how we had missed the sign.

The area is an 80 hectare manmade wetland with board walks and wide paths around the three small lakes filled with wildlife; swamp wallabies, jacanas, a variety of ducks and geese, willy wagtails, parrots, goannas and amethyst pythons; the latter two unseen. Apart from the occupants of one other car, we were alone and so the wildlife was relatively undisturbed by our presence, which was a bonus for us.

On the way back, we checked out the airport, racing in and out of the international terminal building under ten minutes thus not incurring any parking fee. We were suitably impressed by the size and facilities, and so are not too upset about the thought of hanging about there for hours and hours tomorrow until we fly out at 11 pm.

So on that note, let this sentence be my last in this blog until we return in about a month, to resume our travels in this great land of Oz.