183 - Palm Cove and Trinity Beach

Double Island or better know as Dolly Parton Island

 

Wednesday 26th September, weather still perfect, so I took the grand son down to the jetty at Palm Cove to do some fishing off the wharf. Being another glorious day it was just perfect for some happy snaps.

The pikkie above is seen on our previous posts taken from Ellis beach, which is basically around the corner from Palm Cove. There is an exclusive resort on the island, and various movie stars book out the resort for their own use, like......Kenau Reeves, Donald Sutherland, The Retro Roamers.  About $25 grand a night.

The jetty @ Palm Cove

 

Palm Cove taken from the Jetty

 

Further down heading towards Kewarra

 

Right around to the Trinity headland

 

Palm Cove is a huge beach, and is divided into three parts. Palm Cove proper, Kewarra and Clifton Beaches. Palm Cove is the trendy tourist beach area with resorts, restaurants, cafes and the famous Palm Cove caravan park. Kewarra and Clifton beaches are all about residential, and even though the beach is just as good as Palm Cove, doesn't attract the tourist numbers for obvious reasons.

 

Scout Hat Island

 

This island is just to the right of Dolly Parton Island....and the reason it is called Scout hat Island, if you look close enough, it looks like a scout hat.

 

All the mad fishermen

 

Now to set the record straight, the only reason I am hanging out at fishing areas, is because the grand son is fanatical. Me personally, I hate fishing. I don't have the patience, hate the smell of bait, hate getting all that gunk on my hands, detest hooks, sinkers, jiggers cause they always end up in my bloody hand. So all in all, I am the worlds biggest sook when it comes to fishing. But in saying that, I love eating fish and Calamari, but because I am allergic to shell fish....I can't have crustaceans. Anyway enough of that.

 

Now Thursday 27th of September, the weather is finally starting to turn. There is a south easterly trade wind now bring moisture onto the coast, so we anticipate a few cloudy showery days to be with us. The grand kids have gone into Cairns to the lagoon with Haylee, their Mum, so the bride and I decided to re visit Trinity Beach and have lunch at the pub.

 

Trinity Beach is a second cousin to Palm Cove. Yes it has resort / apartments and a few restaurants, but is only a quarter of the size of Palm Cove. The pub (Trinity Beach Hotel) has been redeveloped from the original "fountain on the mountain" which was blown down in 2000, by Cyclone Steve. The redeveloped hotel / apartment, does not have that same feeling as the old original.

 

The famous original Trinity Beach Hotel was a typical north Queensland bare arse, rough as guts pub, but the atmosphere was tremendous. We managed a property two doors up from the pub '99 - '03. You can go back on our blogs around the middle of winter 2010, and tells you a lot more about Trinity Beach and our "tour of duty" at Amaroo Beach Resort.

 

The dining area of the Trinity Beach Hotel

 

The view from the Trinity Beach Hotel

 

Had some lunch then headed off for walk along the pathway to the southern end of the beach. Being school holidays there were lots of families around.  There are BBQ's, surf patrol and the far southern end is quite protected from the southerly wind. The northern part of the beach is not easily accessible as the road stops just past the pub. If you want to go to the northern and quieter part of Trinity Beach you just have to walk along the sand....pretty easy really....however be prepared for the odd au natural folks.

 

Looking down towards the southern end of Trinity Beach

 

Looking north you can see Double Island  (Dolly Parton Island) and Scout Hat Island

 

The bride posing....don't mind the lady in the back ground (he he!!!!!!!!!)

 

At the current rate of travel we will be out of here (Cairns) in about 10 days. We are off to PD the weekend after next for an over night stay. Also if the weather settles we will do a visit to Buchans Point, which is just around the corner from Palm Cove. Why Buchan's Point.........................................mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

So stay toooooooned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

182 - This fun has to stop

Monday Tuesday 24th and 25th of September and the fun continues.

Were do we go to when the weather is just sensational, back to Ellis Beach of course. Today we took the grandees.

Here are few more photies:

There's a grand child in there I think

 

Our son Micheal.

 

Micheal and his bride Haylee

 

Brodie the mad fisherman

 

Shaylah, Nana and Brodie

 

"Help Nana, a whale has got me!!!!!!!!"

 

"Don't worry Shaylah I will get the sucker"

 

Bugger!!! Missed it by that much!!!!

 

The bride practising for the Sports Illustrated swim suit model of the year

 

Aaaaaaah

 

Hey Brodie watch out for the crocs.

 

Both the bride and I still managed to get our long walk in, although separately for obvious reasons.

By starting at the south end of Ellis we walked all the way to the far north of the beach. As the tide was low I kept on walking past a set of rocks, and came across a lovely young couple, who forget their swim wear.....must be global warming!!!!!!!

 

The bride and I will catch ya tomorrow (he he!!!!!)

 

Stay tooooooned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

181 - Another day in paradise

Part of Cairns proper taken from north of the esplanade

 

The weekend of 22nd and 23rd of September was all about watching the real footy on Friday night, and happy to see the Melbourne Storm, beat the crap out of every body's team they love to hate, Manly of course. A'h very enjoyable sucking on a "Naked Blonde," beer of course, seeing Manly getting hammered in all directions.

Saturday the main event was taking the grand children to a five year old birthday party....now that was different. Our son and his bride were off to separate hens and bucks nights for an up coming wedding, so we bundled the kidz up and off we went. The party was at the far northern end of the Cairns Esplanade, which is about 20kms for where we are at the moment. I will say the the Cairns council have dome a lot of work here, however Townsville water front precinct wins hands down.

So before we left for the party, we took some photies of the grandees and the animals, then some more photies of the birthday. Hey this is pretty tame for me. (he he!!!)

The grand son Brodie

 

The grand daughter Shaylah

 

"Charger" The 13 year old Pit Bull/Ridge Back

 

"Baby" The 13 year old cat

 

"Chewy" The three month old pain in the arse

 

Izzy (birthday girl) and Shaylah

 

Birthday parties don't change much...just lots of cake, lollies and as much junk as can be found

 

On our return from the party, just did the usual thing of getting kidz organised for the evening, but were met with a chorus as in "I'm hungry", "I'm bored," "What's for dinner" "Where's Mum and Dad". I left all that goings on to the bride, and I hid in the RetroLiner, with a half dozen "Naked Blondes" and copious amounts of red wine. Why......because it was the sudden death Grand Final Qualifier between South Sydney "Rabbitoes" and the Canterbury Bankstown "Bulldogs"

 

Now as I was right behind the "Rabbitoes" or the "Bunnys," mainly because I went to South Sydney High School, and played rugby league competitively during those years. Although I didn't raise to any great heights on the footy paddock, cause I was more interested in riding surf boards and chasing the surfers chicks.

 

Any way it is history now, as the "Bulldogs" beat the "Bunnies", unfortunately quite convincingly...but that's footy. Next week the grand final between Melbourne Storm and the Canterbury Bankstown Bull Dogs. Should be a ripper of a game.

 

Sunday 23rd was another glorious day, so with Mum and Dad home with the grandees, the bride and I headed back to the beach to enjoy some more R & R. at Ellis Beach.

 

The mermaid

 

The far northern end of Ellis Beach

 

Where the rain forest meets the sea

 

Yoo Hoo!!!! Any body home???????????

 

We went for a long walk as we both need to lift our fitness levels, as we are both two tonne over weight. We enjoy walking along beaches, beats pounding the cement somewhere.

 

Just a note to Dave & Shell, I popped in and said gidday to Rob at the Ellis Beach CP. They send their regards. They seems to be heading south the same time as us, so we might meet up.

 

Stat tooooooooooooooooned for more on Cairns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 



180 - More On Cairns

The RetroLiner all tucked up on the front lawn

 

We are going to stay another two weeks, to get us through the Queensland school holidays. We will do our share of looking after the two grandees, then hit the road early October, south bound.

People have often asked me the best time to come to this part of the world, and even when we managed a resort here, the best time of year is spring....September, October and November. The traditional trade winds have dropped from the south east, the stingers are yet to raise their ugly head, plus very little rain. The traditional winter for the tropical north is always miserable.

I have taken a few more photies of the northern beaches of Cairns. Cairns itself does not have any beaches. All beaches actually start just north of the city, going all the way to Port Douglas and beyond.

As we are staying at one of the northern beaches it is only a hop skip and a jump to our favourite stretch which commences at Trinity Beach. We favour a little further up, starting from Buchans Point, which is a less visited than the traditional Trinity, Kewarra and Palm Cove.

Today we wentb a little further north to Ellis Beach.

Not in the kitchen this time but watering the yard

 

Now stretch up and water those plants dear

 

Northern end of Ellis Beach with Double Island in the back ground

 

A couple of fine young ladies, gass bagging as they do

 

Ellis Beach looking south

 

Ellis Beach looking north

 

 

 

 

179 - Cairns

Over looking 4 mile beach Port Douglas

We left Mareeba Rodeo grounds and now camped on our son's front lawn here in Cairns.

We will stay here until early October. This time frame will give our son Micheal and his bride a bit of breathing space as the school holidays commence around the 27th of September. After the kidz go back to school we will "nick off" and will head down the highway to Townsville before heading inland.

While we are here we will take a couple 'tours" to places we have been before, some not. On Sunday we decided to do the run from Cairns to Port Douglas, on one of the extremely senic roads in Australia.

Of course being a Sunday Port Douglas was hoping, being market day. The markets have a great atmosphere, however pretty much the same of everything, however no food stalls. When you consider Mindil Beack Markets in Darwin, they are predominantly food.  


Where else would the bride be at a market

Born to shop.......hey ladies

We had a wander around the main street of Port and nothing really has changed since we last visited a couple of years ago. The Court Hose Hotel still goes off on a Sunday as well the Iron Bark Inn.

The Court House Hotel

Port Douglas main street

We had a bit of lunch at Rattle and Hum and wandered back to our base at Trinity Park.

The Captain Cook Highway which is the main drag between Cairns and Port Douglas has a lot of secluded little beaches on this run.....so what does one do, had to check out a couple.

Rex Lookout overlooking Wangetti Beach

The bride posing on Pretty Beach

One of the many isolated beaches on the stretch Cairns to PD

A very populat spot the Rex Lookout for the hand gliders

Stay tooooooned for the next entry.