7th May 2017 - Blue Water marina - rain - Kewarra Beach - Trinity Beach - Tavern - Cairns

Sunday 7^th May 2017

Blue Water marina

Cairns Qld

So…yesterday I went for a beautiful walk. 

I saw beautiful trees

and I collected a gorgeous big seed pod, photographed here, tastefully, next to my (size 7) foot.  For reference.

and I took a photo of Ken Next Door (SV Alkina) way up his mast.

Today…it rained, and occasionally poured, all day.  Ken spent a lot of time up the mast today in the pouring rain.  Not so much fun!  (No photos of this; I didn’t want to get my phone/camera wet.)

So…this afternoon the rain cleared a bit and Pete and I set off on An Adventure.  We walked 10.95 kilometres (17710 steps - I LOVE my step counter app!!)  Blue Water marina to Kewarra Beach and then Trinity Beach.

I showed him the landscaping I had seen yesterday, done with much love.

and some beautiful flowering bushes.

Pete Attenborough saw a family of large marsupials.  He thinks kangaroos, 5-6’; I think Agile Wallabies but I am more than likely wrong.  Loved them regardless

of nomenclature!!

Up and over the hill and along Kewarra Beach, past beautiful glorious houses including that of our friends Rosemary and John. 

Lovely windows in their guest bathroom

I couldn’t take photos because it was very rainy and my poor phone didn’t want to emerge from its hiding place in my plastic pouch in my golden bumbag…(LOVE my new bumbag…$20 from Typo!!)

We sheltered from a very heavy downpour in a very convenient pavilion.  And there we met the most lovely dogs – brown border collies, Zena and Ziggy, totally adoring of and responsive to their hippiechick owner.  (And not the least bit interested in us!!)

Then we walked aback along Kewarra Beach, hoping to get to Trinity Beach.  I knew there would be a tavern or two and that was my goal!  Ten kilometres and maybe a cocktail!

But first we had to negotiate a bushy prickly  track

And a very mangrovey creek

And a big high fence leading to The Burbs!!

Eventually we did get to Trinity Beach Tavern, where we had a drink and a trio of chips.  And a lovely bus back to Blue Water where Pete and I met a very cheery small ukulele-playing woman called Jan.

And now…couch time!

6th May 2017 - Blue Water marina Cairns - 2XS on the beach - scrubbing the hulls

Saturday 6^th May 2017

Blue Water marina

Cairns Qld

We are paying the price for our exertions yesterday…achey limbs!

But it all went well.

2XS sat gallantly on the little beach while we scrubbed and scrubbed at her hulls.  No crocodiles emerged from the murky water to terrorise us.

Restoring the hulls to rusty red

The slime and grime was relatively easy to scrub off.

Just a bit more under and then around the corner

Pete’s shorts did not survive…

We were back on our F13 pontoon a bit after five.

Time for a beer (and ultimately dinner) with Neighbour Ken, who brought us some Doritos and a roast chicken.

He had some very funny stories…One not so funny but memorable involved 5 kilos of frozen prawns which he left in the freezer on his beautiful Outremer (catamaran) Alkina while he went back to Melbourne for a few weeks…The power went off and when he returned he found his lovely boat two inches deep in maggots which had been thriving on the ooze seeping out of the freezer…Pete went pale when he heard this.

5th May 2017 - Blue Water marina - Earl Hill

Friday 5^th May 2017

Earl Hill flowers

Blue Water marina

Cairns Qld

2XS has been quite happy securely tied up on F pontoon in the marina.

2XS and friends

But today we have moved her out of her comfort zone…

Waiting for the tide to go out

We are backed up to the little beach near the Blue Water Bar & Grill – this will give the customers something to stare at over their lattes.

We are waiting for the tide to go out and we will be high and dry.  This was initially so the welder could come and weld but…strangely, he doesn’t want to, not without a bit more preparation time. 

Pete is undaunted.  He has found a suitable little beach for 2XS; 2XS is going up!

The plan is…we will clean the hulls.  I am not wildly enthusiastic about this task.  We have a small green scouring pad each and…the hulls (TWO of them!) are very big.  But I will slosh and scrub to the best of my ability and will try to avoid being bitten to distraction by the midgies which live in the foliage on the edge of the beach.  Pete, on the other hand, is glowing with joy – messing about with boats is what men like to do!

Yesterday I went for a beautiful walk, through the suburbs

Some of the houses have fabulous stone retaining walls

and along to Earl Hill.  This is a steep hill with a very VERY popular walking track.  It really is beautiful, shady and leafy. 

And at the top a fabulous view of Yorkey’s Knob.  (I sent a photo of Yorkey’s Knob to James; he found the name inordinately funny when he was with us.)

On the other side an equally fabulous view over Trinity Beach and Double Island.

I went up very slowly and was passed by dozens of joggers, speedy walkers, dogs.  I didn’t care; I just wanted to get up there without breaking an ankle.  I was a bit in awe of the joggers who hurtled back down the track without worrying about their ankles at all! 

I love the paperbarks

Last night we invited our neighbour Ken for a beer at beertime (5-ish.)  He ended up staying for dinner because he revealed that in fact he had completely forgotten to buy any food at all when he went to town earlier in the day.  When I offered pasta with Bolognese sauce enhanced with many vegetables he was thrilled to bits – his alternative was a small packet of cocopops with no milk…

More Earl Hill flowers