Sri Lankan curry in Cairns

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DAY 302


Oh Saturday morning, what bliss. Hang on a moment what am I saying? Everyday is like Saturday for us, although you do still get that Saturday feeling, maybe its being in a real house that does it, some kind of normality that kicks in those normal emotions, I always remember thinking how great Saturday mornings are with the whole weekend stretching out ahead of you and 2 whole days of no work.

Not long after getting up I hear a noise outside, it is fairly loud but difficult to describe, I look out the window and see a rope or cable being dragged up through the trees next door, I look even further up to see what was at the end of the rope, it is hanging off a pylon, and the pylon is completely void of any other cable. Julie told us that they were working to remove the power lines overhead and today is finally the day that they have all gone.

We did have the intention of doing that walk today, the one from Copperlode to Crystal Cascades, but in all honesty we are not prepared, that is to say we don’t have anything for sandwiches and need to be sure we have a packed lunch just in case the walk takes longer than expected. So we postpone for another day and decide that we need to go to Woolworths for groceries instead, how exciting.

So when we were ready off we went down to Earlville Shopping Centre and very soon we were busy filling up the trolley. It was not too busy for a Saturday morning so it was actually quite a pleasant experience shopping, not quite like popping up to Asda (Chandlers Ford) on a Saturday morning people usually queue just to get in the car park and then when you have managed to find a space you have to do battle with everyone else with trolleys, especially when you get the one with the dodgy wheel!!

Anyway, job done, Andy went to load the shopping in the truck and I popped into the chemist to get some bits and pieces to replenish the first aid kit, we had a review and decided that we have an important item missing, a thermometer, so I find a digital one, the only one that they actually have and we are complete again. I know a thermometer is not vital or the most important thing in the world, but believe me when Andy was unwell back in Darwin, it was an item that I would have preferred to have.

On the way back we look up at the mountains that surround Cairns and the mountain that overlooks Bay View is on fire there is smoke all around.

We had a light lunch, read the newspapers and then I got into doing some photo management and finish burning a couple of discs. I was engrossed with what I was doing, but I heard a noise outside, I must say that there are always noises outside of one thing or another but you do get to pick out some different noises, something was definitely moving around out there. So I grabbed my camera which was sitting next to me, and gingerly opened the mosquito screen I stood on the back veranda just looking and concentrating on the leaves laying on the ground.

I see a Lizard, a tiny lizard I take a quick photo before it vanishes, it knows I am there so I see that it is trying to hide by keeping still it does blend well in the undergrowth, but as it moves I see that there is something in its mouth, I take another couple of photographs, it is hard as he moves again, very quickly. I zoom in on one of the photos that I took and find that there is another lizard in its mouth, a smaller and perhaps younger one. I am sure it is not going to eat it, I just wonder if they look after their young this way.

I have since done a bit of research and think, maybe, that it is a Rainforest Skink, the colouring is fairly similar and after all we are in a rainforest. I need to do some reading to find out more about them.

Once I have done some lizard research, we get our trainers on and go and have our walk up to the top of the hill as we have done most days, we are feeling better for it.

The highlight of today, I ironed some clothes for me and Andy as we have been invited out to dinner tonight, so the real highlight of the day is going out for dinner this evening.

We head off to Cairns Northern Beaches to Sen’s place (Julie’s partner) and soon we are introduced to Sen’s other guests, Dee, Pamela and Terry.

Terry is a very interesting man, we find out that he is a retired Captain and used to work on Princess Cruises, he recognises instantly that I am from the West Country in England; I am surprised as I don’t think I have an accent at all that gives it away. He was brought up there and mentioned many familiar places, I need to check with my Dad but it sounds like where my Dad was also brought up.

We find that Pamela used to be married to one of Australia’s top Cardiac Surgeons who is a professor in his field, so of course with Andys history they find a lot to talk about.

I explained about our trip to Pamela, she shared with me that she spent her honeymoon travelling around Australia, back in 1966 (sorry Pamela!) but of course things were different back then, we have the luxury of Camps 5 and sharing the roads with the grey nomads and many experienced travellers, despite long distances between some towns we were still at least able to stock up on basic provisions and of course the very necessary water supply. Pamela told me that when they were over in Western Australia they had in fact run short of fresh food and were runnng out of water, telling me that when they arrived in Wyndham they were able to stock up on fresh food and how exciting it was to actually eat a piece of steak and fresh vegetables without having to open a tin!

I should say that of course now we have it easy, Australia must have been a very different Australia back then, there is more bitumen now, in the 60's the Nullarbor was a dirt road, the one thing that won't change is the corrugations they still exist and that will never change unless a road is layed down to bitumen. Pamela told me that they did the Gibb River Road and even went up to Kalumburu, which even the now seasoned traveller can have trouble with (clarified by comments from many people we have met on this trip). Even Purnululu (the Bungle Bungles) had not been "discovered" then.

Anyway roads will continue to be redeveloped and the busier ones will be laid to tarmac, we have even seen on television (yes televsion!) that they are planning to lay another bitumen road into Alice Springs to make it more accessible to Australians and tourists alike. The residents of Alice Springs hope that an easier perhaps more direct road will mean lessen transportation costs and therefore means cheaper goods. However there are many trvellers that enjoy the solitude and the adventure that these roads give, but when they are laid to tarmac that will also change, but you cannot stand in the way of progress.

Sen is originally from Sri Lanka and admitted to making a mean curry, so that is what’s on the menu tonight. Sen has cooked a Beef Curry, a Prawn Curry, and various dishes to complement them.

We agree with Sen he does make a mean curry, the food was absolutely excellent and very traditional, and of course Andy being a curry connoisseur and ate curry for breakfast lunch and dinner while we travelled around Sri Lanka, agrees that Sen is indeed a curry master.

We have a fabulous evening, the conversation with everyone just rolled, I would swear that we would have talked all night given the opportunity, but time moves on and we all get tired. However before we go Sen walks us over to the beach, to show us how marvellous it is.

It is a beautiful night, the moon is full, albeit a bit cloudy there are plenty of stars out, we stand and watch and listen to the waves crashing against the sandy shore. It is 1.30 in the morning, we have not been so late to bed in a long time, probably the last time I was up this late to bed was probably my farewell party with my girlfriends back in England.

The good news is that Sen has kindly offered to take our back up photo DVD’s back to England for us, he will leave them with Julies parents so that I can arrange for Mum and Dad to go and collect them (thanks Mum and Dad, I know this will be the first you hear of it, but I am sure you won’t mind!)

We finally get back at 2.35, wow a really late night, or should I say morning, any later and the birds would be tweeting!

The evening was amazing, it was great to get dressed up and “Go out” normally, so until tomorrow bloggers.

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Photos

Caroline
All dressed up for a "Normal evening"

Rainforest Skink
With another one in its mouth.

Rainforest Skink
I believe this is a Rainforest Skink, from he research that I have done.

Gecko
I found this tiny Gecko on the veranda, this one looks very young, also look like it is shedding skin.

Who let the dogs out
We saw these dogs in th back of a Ute at the traffic lights, the pup had suh a gorgeous face

Sri Lankan Curry
What excellent food.

Dinner Guests
Dee, Sen and Pamela

Comments

[Mum and Dad]

Skinks, dogs and all that
Hiya.......Caroline you look very beautiful as always.....we do miss you with your always smiling face and your zest for life, We are very happy to see you so happy though.......so many contestants on Deal or No Deal are after winning money to go to Australia....we don't blame them. one contestant wanted enough money for her, her partner and her cat to go and live in OZ.....joyfully she won enough with a bit left over..It is great that you found someone to bring your DVD's back to Chandler's Ford....the world is becoming a very small place! We will be delighted to collect them from Ruth's parents. We are suffering at the moment, won't explain how but you will guess.....it is all very well this five fruits and veg per day, but we have a glut of tomatoes and apples at the moment.....delicious made into various dishes, but our tums are not happy!!! Dad has finished pickling all the beetroot..happily did not allow the pressure cooker to blow like he did when I was working and I came home to find the kitchen sprayed red, with a red spotted ceiling. Another young chap at this moment has taken £25 thousand offered so he will be buying his ticket to OZ. From your blogs it seems that there is plenty of space there. Love you...take care Mum and Dad xxx