Northern Exposure

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It's hard to believe that I have been in Port Douglas for 3 weeks now. The weeks have flown by as I have been entertained by this town I love so much. With rainforest surrounding this region, lush greenery everywhere and warm, sunny and even humid days, these are just some of the reasons my heart beats differently here than anywhere else I've ever been. To easily fill in my time here I have been spending it with friends, namely Sam and Eug and their two beautiful kids Eva and Coen, up here on holiday from Melbourne. Each day for a week I found myself at their hotel, by the pool or lazily lounging around the balcony, eating and often kicking back with a gin and tonic in hand. One night I babysat the kids, without coersion, which I am proud to say is the first time I have taken on such responsibilty willingly. Thankfully we all survived with physical and mental health intact effortlessly.

While here in Port I have divided my time between staying with long-time friends like Kim and Pete and their gorgeous son Willow. Also I have camped in the driveway of my friend Colin, who has always kindly had a room for me whenever I have taken refuge in Port. Lastly I have stayed on and off in one of the two Caravan parks here, however they won't let me work within the park. To combat this problem I landed work with my old boss who owns a day spa on the main street and also has a beach stall. I thought I would try something different as I spent my days enjoying the scenic beauty of Four Mile beach, battling the wind that Port is known for, as I set up the "luxury" tent and attempted to impress the tourists with my massaging talents. Thankfully I was only reminded once or twice how much cheaper it is on the beaches of Thailand to get a massage, and with a smile on my face and minimal grinding of my teeth I restrained myself from reminding these people that it costs Thai people about $20 a week to live, unlike here in Oz! This aside, I felt pretty lucky to be working at my own pace, charging whatever I wanted, and when I wasn't hard at it (which for the most part I was booked out from start to finish each day) I could sit back and read as the clients came in at their leisure.

The rest of my days have raced by as I meandered around town, dining out, people watching, reading, exercising...the usual stuff. I've also spent time with my good friend Michael who was once my manager at one of the day spas I worked at years ago. Our friendship is one of those easy familiar mateships, cemented by conversations which extend to all and every topic possible and is enriched by laughter so hard that my belly hurts.

Tomorrow I leave Port, my bus parked out the front of Kim and Petes place as I venture to Adelaide. I'm heading home to visit family and friends, work with some clients and sort out some things to do with my business. After this I will make my way back up here to go forward on this trip, hopefully with new travels on the horizon as I make my way a little further north and explore the unknown.

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Photos

Port Douglas
Stinger Park

Port Douglas
Macrossan Street at 7.30am on my morning walk

Port Douglas
The beautiful Four Mile Beach

Port Douglas
My massage "retreat" on Four Mile Beach

Port Douglas
Sam, Eug, Coen & Eva at Stinger Park

Port Douglas
Gorgeous Willow