Truly Tropical

  2/10/2011
  So that was Townsville, we have moved north into the truly tropical Queensland  ……north of Cairns at Clifton Beach. The drive up took us through the towns of Cardwell, Tully and Innesfail which were devastated by Cyclone Yasi in February this year. The destruction is still evident with whole forests flattened just leaving more mature trees standing, but with the top halves snapped off. There are still some buildings minus their roof and more with brand new shiny ones. After Yasi came the floods which destroyed the banana crop but didn’t seem to affect the sugar cane, mangos and pineapples.
  In Clifton, we have been made welcome by our friends from 2008/09 Phil and Julie Dunn and we are staying with them, our van parked in their garden. Phil and Julie manage a block of apartments on the beach front, literally 20m from the sea.. And we are parked next to the pool and the BBQ. Tonight we have no power supply as the electrical fittings are not compatible, something we have to sort out if we are going to stay here a while.

  03/10/2011
  A bit sluggish this morning after a boozy night having supper (takeaway pizza) around the pool with Phil, Julie and a couple of their friends, Glynn and Leanne.
 A hours walk along the beach put that right so we have decided to make it our morning routine.
 The electrics are sorted so we are now fully self sufficient, with a constant supply of cold beer from our overworked fridge.
  A chill out day, only decision to be made was whether to swim in the pool or wander across the road to swim in the sea …….the sea won.

  04/10/2011
  Clifton Beach is about 20K north of Cairns, on the Captain Cook Highway, and an easy drive into the city. Wandering around Cairns it was noticeable how quiet it was, not as many tourists. There isn’t a decent beach in Cairns, so they built an artificial lagoon next to the shore. The lagoon is a big open air swimming pool, with fountains and features, and a sandy area that simulates the beach for children to play on. The remainder is grass and is where the backpackers usually congregate, but they don’t seem to be here in numbers.
  Back at Clifton Beach, Phil and Julie hold happy hour  every Tuesday with the guests from the apartments and us lodgers. Everyone brings there own drink and plates of  nibbles and we sat around the pool until bedtime. Needless to say we four were the last to leave!  Happy hour, 5 to 11!