CAIRNS – Heritage Boutique Hotel–19/09/11

Cadet Reporter:   Michael Gavin

Ground Hog Day  - up at 6.00 pack-up tent and have breakfast and be ready by 8.00am for departure.  Farewells to our MVP – Peter & Sue Daunton as they were heading towards Atherton on their way home to Brisbane.  Greg & Wanda, Dean & Karen were going to tackle the difficult Creb track, high up on the ridges of the mountain ranges – estimated distance /time 62 klm in approx 4hrs.

Dot & Michael, Tony & Jen moved off to tackle the Bloomfield Track [38klm] which meandered through the Daintree rainforest and came out at Cape Tribulation.  Stunning views of rainforest reaching down to the beach.  A stop and walk to the beautiful beach and bay. Intricate patterns of small micro ball bearing size sand balls had been left all over the sand by small crabs.

On the coastal plain we passed sugar and banana plantations in production – many of the cane fields had been. Visits to Daintree Village and Port Douglas for refreshment breaks.  Port Douglas obviously the trendy area for the affluent, however many of the shops were either closed or for sale.  Property prices are advertised as having $250,000.00 reductions……..they must be doing it hard.

The satellite suburbs of Cairns start some 30klms out from the City centre.  We reach our boutique Hotel – “Tropical Heritage”, which is in a great location – which is within walking distance to the City Esplanade and eating houses.  Cairns is a real tourist town – a melting pot of cultures.

Peter C & Jill P arrive and settle in to the hotel.  They advise that they by-passed Ayton and stayed in the Daintree overnight.  This morning they spent 4 hrs in the Daintree Discovery Centre [aerial walkway] – mind blowing Peter C’s description of this facility.  Peter C advised that they were picking up the CB radio transmissions, on and off, of Greg/Wanda and Dean/Karen high up on their 4wd of the mountain ridges.

We all walk into the city along the Esplanade foreshore and Tony & Jen direct us to the Night Market, where the food vendors [ mainly Asian] charge you for the plate size  [ 4 sizes ranging from $9.00 – $14.00] and then you self serve from up to 24 different dishes.  Some New Zealand Maoris or Tongans/Samoans were there and their plate was piled so high – if we attempted to consume this volume we would have been sick.  The dinner was concluded with luscious ice cream/sorbet from the New Zealand Ice Cream company.

At the back of the food court section, were a range of market vendors with diverse product lines aimed at tourists to buy as a memento of their trip to Australia.   Bulk of these vendors were from Asia.

Walk back to the hotel in the balmy evening for a sleep in a real bed!!!!!!!

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