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Published: July 20th 2015
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The trip down the mountain from Kuranda is very steep but very scenic! We drove around Cairns, as busy as ever, filled mostly with young backpackers - it's a popular spot. We stay at the Coconut Caravan Park a few kilometres south, a nice park with lovely gardens and lots of fun things for children - pool, water park, mini golf etc. and, a plus which appeals to us, they have a shuttle bus to take people to and from Cairns - parking there is at a premium, especially for a motor home.
We took their bus into Cairns on Saturday and wandered around the markets that were along the Esplanade, in front of the pool. I love the pool in the Esplanade, large and popular with well kept grounds - grass,trees and even a little sandy beach surrounding it, complete with lifeguard. There was an exercise class taking place in the pool, we watched for awhile, before leaving to walk around Cairns streets looking at their shops and their big mall. We had lunch back at the Esplanade at the Marina, with a view of the snazzy boats, it was a shame there was a cool breeze blowing -
though when we sheltered from it, the sun was warm.
We left the caravan park on Sunday and drove north to Port Douglas for the Sunday markets. These have become much bigger and more crowded but fun to visit once more. I like Port Douglas, with it's many palm trees, its beautiful Four Mile Beach, it's large resorts, and the riverfront where the markets are held, and where sits the little St. Marys by the Sea church which evokes memories of past times in this tropical town. We decided we'd have a better look at Port Douglas on the way back (such a popular phrase in our travels!) as we were still heading north.
Once out of Port Douglas we were once more back into sugar cane country, to Mossman. Once when we'd visit Mossman we'd walk up the Gorge, tumbling water over big boulders - I remember the blue butterflies that fluttered around there. Now it is more organised with different tours, which no doubt shows the area well. Seeing that we've done it a few times, we didn't bother this trip. We crossed the Daintree River by car ferry, ever on the lookout for crocodiles which
are prolific but which we've never sighted up here, thank heavens, unlike our travels in northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory where they abound. I've seen enough crocs to last a lifetime.
What Doug did see though was a wild pig racing across the road and up the bank and also a very quick look at a small cassowary - I, however, managed to avoid seeing both, probably because I was getting my iphone ready in case of sightings! The scenery is quite spectacular driving through the rainforest, very jungly, with thick growth and vines, up the very steep mountains and glimpses of the sea. We reached Cape Tribulation 'where the rainforest meets the reef', walked on the beach with the other tourists, took a picture, ticked it off (we've been there several times). We spent the night in a caravan park in the area - really just a grassy area with power and water - so glad the accommodation places aren't glaringly obvious - and headed back next day, across the ferry, through Daintree Village and Mossman, along the northern beaches of Cairns and back to the caravan park for the night.
We have 'done a
Uey' and head south today. We are so tempted to stay - N&L and the girls arrive at the end of the week and we'd love a day with them. We'll head back to Mission Beach and see where we'll go from there.
Have a great holiday, C.L.a.N.S!
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