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Waterfalls!
One of the lovely waterfalls along the Waterfall Circuit south of Cairns For our first anniversary, we decided an escape to the beach was in order. Specifically, an escape to a tropical beach. So we packed our bags and north we went!
We rented a car in Cairns and immediately drove north to Port Douglas, where we checked into our home away from home. The warm sand, the warm sun, and the warm water were exactly what we needed after months of shivering in Orange, NSW.
Over the next few days, we explored the Port Douglas area, including a trip to Mossman to see Mossman Gorge and the amazing
Botanical Ark! The Botanical Ark, a private ethno-botanic garden home to thousands of species of fruit and nut trees, was started by planting a few fruit trees on land that was once razed for cattle farmers and sugarcane. Unfortunately Alan was away on business in Singapore (he's a consultant to the Singapore Botanic Gardens as well! The Ginger Garden is one of his projects), but we were able to meet with Susan, who greeted us with lovely tea and the most amazing fruitcake and cheesecake, made from fruit picked from her gardens. We couldn't get the full tour, as the Tranquilla Villa was
Mossman Gorge
The water was cold but it was refreshing! occupied. As part of the Tranquilla Villa experience, Susan ensures that they have complete privacy. But we were still able to see a bit of the property, and we fell in love with the thought of having our own tropical garden one day! It was also fun chatting with Susan, reminiscing about life in upstate NY where we both grew up.
After dreaming of botanical gardens, we went for a swim in Mossman Gorge with all the other tourists. It was cold but oh-so-refreshing on a hot day!
We also enjoyed the beaches at Port Douglas, Palm Cove, Trinity Beach, etc - October is a great time of year to swim in the ocean as the stingers and jellyfish are not around. Aparently there are times of the year where it is too dangerous to swim and if you dare to go for a swim, it's only safe inside special nets and/or wearing special stinger suits. How cruel of Mother Nature to provide a picture-perfect beach that you cannot swim at for most of the year!
Our Cairns trip also included staying in Cairns with some friends who lived close to the Botanic Gardens. We enjoyed walks
A slice of paradise
We visited the Botanical Ark, near Mossman, QLD, Australia. in the Gardens, ate lots of fresh seafood, visited the night markets downtown, walked along the Esplanade at night, and escaped the heat with a swim in their pool. While in the area, we also visited the town of Kuranda and the nearby Barron Falls, and swam at Lake Placid.
And what is an escape to the tropics without seeing some tropical waterfalls? We took a day to drive south to the Atherton Tablelands to see the Waterfall Circuit. We saw Malanda Falls, the Curtain Fig tree near Yungaburra, Milla Milla Falls, Zillie Falls, and Ellinjaa Falls. My favourite had to be the Ellinjaa Falls - I found these the prettiest, although Milla Milla is the famous waterfall.
We discussed the idea of moving to the tropics, or at least investing in one of those vacation rentals so we have an excuse to keep coming back. We dreamed of a lifestyle where fruit is always in season, a swim before and after work are almost obligatory, and where 10°C would be considered cold even in winter.
But soon our trip had to come to an end...and back home we went, to dream of our next escape...
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