Back to Clifton Beach

 14/02/2012
 All of our flights to and from Bali have been quite comfortable, none have been full so in every case we had three seats between the two of us. Last nights’ red eye flight to Brisbane had loads of room and we managed 3 seats each meaning we could lie down and get some sleep. We had no real dramas transferring from International to Domestic at Brissy, the baggage trolley multitasking.. We did get some funny looks from other passengers and even offers of help but what could they do? Anyway I’m now a fully trained leg iron shunter! Each airline is a bit precious when it comes to wheelchairs and don’t like them going out of their domain. Once outside the terminal door, you are on your own, Mate!
 All was good and we were met at Cairns airport by Allen who brought us back to good old Clifton. We have got really attached to this place and it almost felt like coming home.
 Just like coming home you spot things the have been neglected for a week. Our stand in caretaker Gavin has done some stuff but I need to get at it.
 Just fed the freezer a couple of six packs, we will be having a few coldies soon!


 15/02/2012
  Spent an exciting morning at Cairns Base hospital fracture clinic and x-ray department, shuffling between the two several times. The upshot being the backslab has been removed and a brand new full plaster cast (acrylic) put in it’s place for the next 5 weeks. Trudy Baddeley would be proud to own one as it is bubblegum pink! It nearly matches the pink bike that is sitting going rusty in the storeroom. We were so long at the hospital, we thought we would drive up to Palm Cove for a late lunch at our favourite coffee shop…..shut due to lack of interest!
 So, it’s back to caretaking duties, as I am in charge again. Gavin seemed quite pleased to hand over his duties and has bogged off up to Cooktown for a couple of days before he flies home next Wednesday  He has been kind enough to leave me lots of mowing, he didn’t think it needed doing as it hasn’t rained for a week.  It’s a very dry wet this year so far.

 16/02/2012
  Spoke too soon, lots of wet arrived just as we were about to start an evening BBQ with Allen and Lorraine.  Cooking on the Barbie in pouring rain with an umbrella in one hand and a cold stubby in the other doesn’t exactly epitomise the Australian ideal, besides it’s bloody difficult to turn the snags. No worries, we managed and the grub was good, if not a little steamed and later the beer turned into wine. Allen and Lorraine are becoming our new best friends as we seem to see more of them than our other pals, probably because they live close by and we get on very well.
 The day started with work, mowing, cleaning, boring stuff with Leg iron supervising from a recumbent positioning her new day glo pink leg,( there are no go faster stripes yet!) Do you know, I got sent for beers? If I had broken my leg I I bet I could make it to the fridge!!

 17/02/2012
  For the few days we were in Bali it didn’t rain here at all. Now we are back…..50mm last night. Is it us? Most of the morning I spent in general duties, cleaning up. It is Friday and we have got into a sort of routine, meeting friends at Centrals Rugby club late afternoon/ early evening for beers. Today we met Frank and Julie, Glyn (Alana jetted off to Borneo this morning, Glyn follows on Tuesday)and Paul. We had a few schooners and won third prize in the meat raffle, a tray of 30 odd tiger prawns, ready cooked. It saved cooking later and along with a few more beers for me and some sauvy blanc for the leg iron it finished the day.

 18/02/2012
 The day started with a good lot of cloud cover, ideal for gardening, so I planted a couple of pot plants I found. They just appeared a couple of days ago and I couldn’t work out where they had come from. I thought maybe one of our friends had dropped them off. Just got them nicely bedded in when our only guest came wandering around the garden looking for the plants she had bought for her garden up north. I quickly dug them up again and now have 2  holes that need filling in.
 We found out today that the large shopping mall we sometimes use, provide wheelchairs for use in the mall,  which is really handy, they are free of charge too. Now instead of negotiating potholes and steps, it’s shopping trolleys and pushchairs and suddenly we have become invisible.