Fly to Cairns - Next stop Port Douglas - Day 21 & 22

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We leave for Cairns later today and this morning we arrange to go and have a look around Hastings Street shops for a little souvenir shopping. Martin doesn't do shopping so says he will take his rod out down the jetty. We mooch around a little aimlessly and then I remember reading about a local market. We call in at the visitors centres and they confirm that the 'World renowned Eumundi Market' is just 20 mins away in the direction of the airport so we go looking for Martin on the jetty. He doesn't carry a phone if he can help it and we can't find him anywhere so we return to the hotel to find that he has chosen not to go and simply put his feet up watching the telly!

Melissa drives us to the market and it is an interesting mix of local arts and crafts mixed with fortune tellers and massage services and the like but nothing that any of us wanted to take home or experience.

We return the hire car and catch the flight to Cairns and make our way to Port Douglas.

The next morning Melissa and I head to the information office on the ground floor to choose our activities for the next 3 days. After a couple of trips up and down the stairs to consult with Martin we are sorted.

That leaves today to go and explore Port Douglas town itself. As it happens there is another local market on and Melissa and I stroll around while Martin takes himself off to the sea front.

We meet for lunch and order a bucket of fresh prawns before walking around a bit more to explore what Port Douglas has to offer before we start to wilt in the heat. We return back to the apartment to shower and change for our evening meal and plump for a restaurant overlooking the estuary. Over dinner you can not fail to notice the display of fruit bats flying around, there are so many they actually look like migrating birds.

The weekend has been less frenetic but after Fraser Island and the trip to the cow farm, we were in need of some recuperation. Now we feel ready to start again on what this part of Queensland has to offer us.

It has been 3 weeks since we left home and 3 weeks in Skye's life time is massive - FT is great but it's not a cuddle and will she remember us when we get back? Apparently not!

More photos below

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