Mission Beach - Sunday 19th September

The last two days have been overcast and humid. We've both been suffering a bit from coughs/jet lag - Amie (surprisingly) more than me, with, "Man Flu". Yesterday was spent preparing and travelling (2hrs) from Cairns to Mission Beach. The Greyhound bus past through massive sugar cane and banana plantations. The bananas appear to be ripened or protected inside large plastic bags which gives the plant a rather surreal appearance, as if they are off to school with their plimsoll bags. The friendly and entertaining driver could have spent a little more time concentrating on the road. If I'd been driving, Amie would've been shouting "brake brake brake" sometime before he realised he had to and thus wouldn't have left so much of his own and the car's behind, rubber on the tarmac. He was, however, very quick to blame the truck in front. So I guess it wasn't the first time it had happened and no one left the road or died, so alls well. The drive was good but as he had a dvd player, it had to be used. The entertainment (and I use that term loosely) was a film about a girl with short term memory loss. Sadly the only thing I can't remember about it is the title. (Amie - it was called 50 First Dates). (Steve - Thanks Amie i didn't need to know that). We were deposited at Woolworths Mission Beach and picked up by Scotty's beach house bus. It's a large Woolworths/gas station/bottleshop/bank. Doubtless built to accommodate the requirements of the developing area. Imagine building Asda Shoeburyness (and some of you will have to imagine this) in the mid 1960's before any of the modern development had taken place! Perhaps it just secures the infrastructure. Anyway it was busy and closed at 5pm, so fairly civilised. Well stocked with everything that you could need but at a price us pommes are not familiar with. I suppose no competition keeps prices high.

We just came here to relax with maybe a trip to Dunk Island. Apart from the lack of sun, it's good. Long empty beaches and clean basic accommodation in what, at first glance, looks like beach huts but on closer inspection, are more like metal box containers with doors, windows, a bed, shower, sink, kettle and a fridge. Oh and thank god for aircon. We slept for 12 hours last night 18:30-06:30 and Amie's just gone back to bed (afternoon). I'm still amazed by the birds whose loud and unfamiliar calls are a constant reminder that we are living in cleared rainforest and thus the soundtrack should be that of the African Queen.

I've just watched a small yellow breasted, long beaked bird feeding on, probably, nectar from a large red mimosa flower. Less spiders here than we have at home and long may it stay that way.

10:45am

Still very humid and it rained very hard for 5 minutes. This is not the ideal environment for a mother arrowroot biscuit to bring up her offspring. If the moisture doesn't get them, I will.

11:50am

Amie just said she had no energy but I've never seen her move so quickly as when she caught sight of the 1 and half inch, brown with yellow stripes spider, that's sitting in its web under the table!

Lunch - Gleaned a coconut from under a palm tree off the beach and opened it on the purpose made spike in a log. Then drank the milk and ate the flesh. Pizza for dinner.

Monday 20th September

RAIN, RAIN AND LOTS MORE RAIN! All night and now this morning too. Eased up at midday, got provisions and Amie did the photos and at 5pm has gone back to bed for a short snooze before pasta and pesto. I've decided that the hostel has been styled after a WW2 Japanese prisoner of war camp. We are staying in luxury but some of the rooms have 16 beds (8 bunk beds). That can't be fun - just one snorer or farter could spoil the whole night!

Enjoyed Cider with Roadies by Stuart Maconie and am now re-reading Bill Bryson's Down Under.At 5:50pm its beginning to get a bit dark for reading so its ipod time.