Kurrimine Beach and Cairns

Rain
First day at Kurrimine Beach (next beach up from Mission Beach, 100km or so below Cairns) was pretty good weather and we took the boat out about 200m offshore, there was a coral reef that Rob dived over to and had a look around. During low tide you can walk to the reef, but if you don't time it well, you get into trouble when trying to come back. He pulled up a huge painted crayfish but lost it trying to lift it into the boat. Bummed! Rob went off to Cairns to pick Dad up off a late night flight, and they arrived back the next afternoon. Unfortunately the rain followed shortly after. And stayed with us for many days to follow...

We tried to do the touristy things around Kurrimine and Mission Beaches and inland at Tully, but it was pretty wet. All the sugar cane factory tours were cancelled as the factory shuts down when its wet (unbelievably as Tully holds the record for the most rainfall in Australia!) Spent around 5 days at Kurrimine before packing up - our first pack up in the rain. Miserable.

Dads tent, he'll be travelling with us to the tip of Cape York.

So off to Cairns for a week in luxury (a Motel). Four walls and a ceiling sounded great in theory, but we missed the camper trailer after the first day. We met Sally (Rob's sister from Sydney) in Cairns, and Rob's parents too. It was good to catch up after two months away. Spent the week with family doing touristy things:

Spent a day at Palm Cove, gorgeous resorty beach north of Cairns. Watched fire dancers from the circus performing at the esplanade. A waterfall tour south of Cairns - 4 or 5 waterfalls in one day, very muddy, still raining on and off.

Milla Milla Falls

Did the obligatory GBR reef trip - bit of a rough day and a number of people throwing up on way out, none of our party luckily, although Ruben went a bit pale and clammy at one stage. The trip we chose had a glass bottom boat, semi-submersible, touch tank, kids pool and easy snorkelling zone which we did all of. Snorkelling was awesome, once I relaxed enough to manage breathing. Rob of course entertained the specialised snorkelling tour groups by following them around (they got taken to all the best spots) and swimming around below them to see the huge fish and turtles.

Went to a coffee factory (good, but not with kids) and spent a short afternoon at Port Douglas at the markets and on the beach. Beautiful area. Oh, Mossman Gorge was good too. I spent a day shopping while the boys went to the zoo. They loved it (as did I) Saw hippos and rhinos for the first time - and Ruben got to pat the Rhino, Ash still not big on getting close to animals. They also got talking to a zoo keeper who took them into a 'keepers only' area out the back of the lions enclosure to see the cubs. The cubs were 18 months old and were huge apparently, and separately from the humans only by some wire mesh - dodgy but very exciting I'm sure. A really friendly small zoo, that obviously loves their animals.

free entertainment and face painting at the esplanade Ruben, of course, was a pirate 'Capn Rubensword'

Sally went back to Sydney after a long weekend with us, and Joy and David headed back to Wellington after a week in 'the tropical north' - unfortunately for all of us it rained most of the time, but at least it wasn't cold eh! Cairns was an interesting town -very resorty and touristy on the one side, but also a lot of crime and violence on display too. Everything seemed ridiculously expensive.

Coconut Resort

After family left we needed to get organised for the next leg of the trip - servicing the patrol etc so we moved to the Cairns Coconut Resort Caravan Park. This campground has 5 stars and is supposed to be the best in Aussie, depending on who you talk to of course. We weren't disappointed. From the fake croc at the entrance, and the fishpond with fish AND turtles in it, to the entrance waterfall with bronze dolphins. Onto the play area - outside movie screen, lifesized chess game, spider climbing frame, 'garden pool' with toddler pool, next to large playground with track around it for bikes and scooters (with bridges, jumps etc). And if you need more two jumping pillows (like big bouncy castles with no sides), one was HUGE. Then round the corner a gorgeous pool with hot and cold spas, toddler end with whale slide, water stools against a leaning bar. They also had different activities every day - the trip on 'big red' fire engine was a real hit with the boys.

Jumping pillow at Coconut Resort

Ruben with a new buddy, Charlotte at the whale slide

The vehicle needed extra work (repacking the front wheel bearings - they did a 'cape york' service on it, so touch wood we'll be all good up the Cape) so we ended up staying about 5 nights at the resort (no complaints from me or the kids). Next, onwards to the Daintree...