Frog Parking Only, Others Will Be Toad

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DAY 308


We made a comment the day before yesterday, that our days were not very exciting at the moment but a message from Helen at Woodstock reminds us that, like her, there are probably many others longing for a day like ours, just lounging around, reading, catnapping and the occasional walk (a day without sheep), so we should not take it for granted that things are not terribly exciting, I have to admit that it is a real pleasure to be able to do these things and make the most of it before our year is out and we will find ourselves back at work. Our only concern is that if we are lounging around doing nothing then we have nothing to blog about!

So for today it is a little bit more exciting, we have decided to head out to the Cairns Botanic Gardens, so after a leisurely start to the morning we pack some drink, our hats and cameras in hand we venture out. It already has the makings of quite a hot day, so the hats will be important today.

First we have to stop at Rays Outdoors and pick up a new bite for the CamelBak, it is getting a lot of use and has worn out and is a bit leaky. We are also looking into buying a CamelBak for me, but it is tricky to know what to get as I need something that is suitable to hold the fluids but also able to protect my camera equipment, I have seen something online that may be suitable however it is currently only available in the United States and I notice that prices are quite high in Australia, but I am sure that is mainly import costs.

We park in the street just outside the main entrance to the Botanic Gardens, entrance is free, we find the information centre and souvenir shop, grab one of the free glossy maps and a couple of pamphlets which details some of the flora we are going to see.

The good news is that because I forgot to spray up for protection against insects that bite we see outside the shop that they have a shelf with mosquito protection sprays, so in a bid to ensure that I don’t get covered in bites I spray any exposed skin, well anything could be lurking around in these gardens, I wonder if it repels snakes too!

We first wander around the aboriginal plant use garden which explains the types of plants and the remedies that they were used for, including how they were used. We then wander into the rainforest section, which provides ample cool shade from the now searing heat of the day, I see a cobweb that contains something that is probably a spider but I cannot identify it, it should be a spider but Andy said it could be a beetle, I might have been inclined to agree, however walking on we see several others in their webs.

The Gardens are not crowded but there are a few people wandering around, there is even a group of schoolchildren sat on the lawns having a packed lunch, we often see a lot of school groups out and about on trips, it is great that they do get out and explore their fabulous country.

There is an Orchid house, but only a small piece is open to the public. I think again we are not seeing things at their best, although we are now in Spring, it is not very wet here, I am sure that the wet season brings a lot more colour with it. A creek runs through the middle of the gardens but it is as dry as a bone, I would love to see all of this in the wet season.

Finally after a good few hours wandering around we sit in the restaurant and have some coffee, we chat (we never seem to run out of things to talk about, despite being with each other 24/7) and read the newspaper.

We jump back in the truck and head back to Bayview Heights for lunch followed by a peaceful and relaxing afternoon.

I see that the postman has been to deliver some mail however it needs a signature, so a card has been left for me to take to the Post Office. I know exactly what it is, I am expecting the two pieces of Topaz from Mount Surprise, although I am looking forward to receiving them I decide that it would not be worth going out again today, we can do it tomorrow when we go out.

We sit on the veranda with a cup of tea, I do some Brain Training, but soon I see Andy still sitting up but fast asleep, he has succumbed to this lovely environment, I don’t sleep but manage to do some Sudoku and read the papers.

We have been seeing road signs warning us not to spread Electric Ants, Andy and I have been puzzled by this phenomenon, now we have seen allsorts of signs about fruit fly exclusion zones (wondering how a fruit fly knows not to fly into an exclusion zone), you remember the Car Wash at Mount Surprise that we drove through several times in order not to spread the seed of weeds, but how do we stop the spread of Electric Ants? Unplug them?? (Andy’s joke, mine)

Little pictures on the signs depict how they may spread, but I have to be honest here, how do we know if we have them, we have had ant problems but are they electric ants and how can you tell?

So I start doing some internet research, but I will share that with you another time, perhaps on a day when there has not been so much action and I get time to read about them properly.

While I do the blog and some Electric Ant research, Andy starts cooking our dinner and despite the lack of the camp oven and an open fire we have a first class chicken curry to tuck into, nice and hot with loads of chilli’s.

My Mum and Dad Skype me, Andy talks to them for a while before I take over, however we are on Skype for over an hour, it is really great to be able to speak and see them for that length of time yet, it is free time over the internet.

I need to work out if I need to get up early tomorrow morning for a Skype session, the girls are getting together for the usual Friday Night Frivolity session, so I sit down to send to check my emails, to my surprise I get a Skype call from Doris who is hosting tonight’s event (well tomorrow mornings event for me), her husband Dave was just setting up Skype to make sure that it all works, success we chat for a good half hour and arrange a time for the Skype call when everyone is there.

We watched a little bit of TV but I also got our bits and pieces ready for tomorrow as we plan to head out early to Port Douglas (as soon as my Skype session finishes). I made our sandwiches and put them in the fridge,

Until tomorrow bloggers.

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Photos

Chocolate Beehive Ginger
From INDONISIA

CV Maya Gold
Central America

CV Maya Gold
Central America

Pink Torch
South East Asia

Pink Quill
Equador

Golden Mosaic
South America

Comments

[susan]

lazy
Enjoy your free time. You will be working eventually - 9-5 long days of sitting in front of the computer dealing with the same SH** in a different country where the workplace doesnt change from day to day. Am I paintng you a good picture? hope you make it back down this end of the country later in the year. Maybe christmas?