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Published: July 29th 2009
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We are well settled in and have met most of the locals (people who come here from Vic, Tas & NSW every year) and even one from Balnarring who recognised the car. It is their home away from home. After seeking help from the Ultimate website on where to find the parts needed to fix the camper, we headed into Smithfield and found them, fantastic. Continued on to Cairns to look around and booked a cruise with Quicksilver to the Outer Barrier Reef for Tuesday. Hopefully the weather stays good and not too rough for the crossing. Bought the kids some RipCurl thongs after much nagging and sick of seeing their feet sweat in the ones we bought in NT. They are now happy as they can be; still fighting with each other and we have to referee about every 2 or 3 days. What a chore!
Back to camp to get washing off the line and Steve & Jenni (do the markets with us) called in to see us. They took the kids back to their resort for a swim in the pool. We finished cleaning up and repairing the camper, then walked to Peppers Resort. They have a
very nice apartment within the resort. The kids changed and we went out for some authentic Italian Pizza. It was very thin and crispy with not too much topping. Back to Steve & Jenni’s and the kids had a game of Monopoly with them. Eventually got the kids to bed at 11pm. A bit late considering we have to get up and to the Port Douglas Marina before 9.15am.
We were early to the Marina, got our boarding passes and then the gates opened for boarding. Everybody piled on. They were offering ginger tablets to help with sea sickness. Half the crew had taken them because of the forecast. We thought it prudent to take some as well. I didn’t think it was that rough, but it did rain on the way to the pontoon. The trip took 1.5hours (travelled at approx. 29knots/60kmph) and it was blue sky and a few clouds when we arrived. Quite mild at 27 degrees I thought. Lunch (Cold meat, salads, seafood, rice, stir fry, curry, bread, fresh pineapple, watermelon, & cantelope) was served when we docked, so we ate and then looked around the underwater observatory, then queued for the glass bottomed sub.
Lots of fish and coral to be seen, even a reef shark. Then back to the pontoon for some snorkelling. Can’t go out to the Great Barrier Reef and not swim with the fish and coral! Rod thought it too cold, but I went in with the kids. Kate was very unsure, so decided to put on a safety buoyancy vest, so she could relax and just float around. Well once they were in there was no stopping them. I gave up chasing them and the fish and decided to get changed for the trip home. Finally conned Rod into going in and getting wet, his only excuse was he was comfortable as he was! Anyway over that hurdle, next was the queue for the shower & change room. I was just changed and the horn sounded for time to get out of the water. Everyone bailed out and then on to the boat. They offered ginger again, but we didn’t worry this time. Rod & the kids were up and down the boat, stairs and inside as well as out. It rained most of the way home and some of the waves were up to 3 to 3.5 metres.
Well we lost count of the amount of green gilled people getting replacement sick bags. Luckily we were all fine. Got back to the Marina and it was still raining, so we made a dash for the car and drove back to Palm Cove. We were all pretty full, so not much was needed for tea. Early night should have been called for, but the kids were at it hammer and tong (so very, very tired). Everyone calmed down and time for bed.
Had a lazy morning cleaning up and catching up on journals, school work, recharging batteries (Ross across the way has a powered site and is allowing us to charge whenever we need) and travelblogs. This afternoon we will probably go for a walk around town.
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LeeFamily
Gill Lee
Flying birdman calling Noel
Rod said you had better look out, or we might catch you - just as I was reading your second comment about the flying birdman. Rod says "Do you travel slower as you get older???"