Mission Beach

Sat 27 June… Got a bit more done on the computer last night before it gave up the ghost and refused to do anymore. We are informed this morning that the fault lies with the service provider and as it’s weekend we don’t expect to get any joy until Monday. It’s so frustrating.
We are going to have a look at Mission Beach which used to be famous for Hippies in the sixties, now, it’s still a youngsters place, mostly backpackers with a few ageing juveniles like us. First we called in at Tully to do some shopping. Tully is reputed to have more rain than anywhere else in OZ all to do with the mountains and the tropics. It went over our heads. It rains lots in the mountains in Wales but tropical it aint! Anyway to commemorate their claim to fame there is a 20 foot Wellington in the main street, The Golden Gumboot which you can climb up inside, up a spiral staircase. Honestly!! Navigator goes up for a look--- A bit of an old boot in a boot! On the way to Mission Beach is mostly a conservation area with lots of Cassowaries supposedly running about. Road signs say to look out for Cassowaries, so we did, but didn’t see any. South Mission Beach is very picturesque and looks out towards Dunk Island which is said to be a lovely unspoilt island. There are a few people about swimming so we decide to join them before going on to Mission Beach Town, a few Ks up the road. It’s very commercialised and aimed at the younger travellers. There are boat trips out of the bay and round the islands and you can do tandem sky diving or scuba and snorkel around the reefs. All a bit expensive though.
Back at base having driven through more sugar cane and banana plantations we wait for the evening entertainment ( but it won’t be on this shiny thing!) Around six we have a pair of Kookaburras letting rip before going to roost. They sound as though they have just cracked a good joke! Then we have the evening fly past of hundreds of fruit bats as they go off to wherever they go at night. Then we are treated to the Bush Stone Curlews whistling and calling to one another. It’s all very tropical!