Days 25-27 Wednesday 16th- Friday 18th July

Cairns (Crystal Cascades Caravan Park, Redlynch)

Packing up at Cape Trib was made a little more difficult because of showery weather, and therefore wet canvas, but since we unpacked the canvas a few hours later, it didn't really matter. At least we were not in a hurry so could wait until the rain stopped. We got a take-away coffee and were on our way around 9.30 am. We have had a relaxing few days.......maybe the only disappointment during our stay up at Cape Tribulation, was not seeing a Cassowary in the wild!

On the way back to Cairns we were able to stop at a car wash in Craiglie (industrial area of Port Douglas) and hose down the car and trailer. We then decided to call in at Trinity Beach for an early lunch.

Our camp site in the Big 4 Caravan park out at Redlynch, is very pleasant and we have plenty of space. The amenities block is super clean and has vases of fresh flowers! This is a lovely contrast to some caravan parks we have been in, (not many.....but the one in Normanton comes to mind), where you would probably not even want to wash your dog in the shower cubicle.......

Thursday saw us up early to drop the vehicle off before 8am for a scheduled service.

A courtesy bus dropped us at the Esplanade in Cairns and we had a lovely walk along the wharf area before stopping at a cafe for breakfast. We then walked into town to the main shopping centre where we sorted out a problem, (we hope), with our Wireless modem. Then we got a call just after 11am to say our vehicle was ready and did we want a lift back? Great service!

We drove back into the city, parked and had a lovely seafood lunch at one of the wharf restaurants. We also bought some prawns and barramundi fillets from a 'fresh seafood' outlet moored at the wharf.

Overnight Thursday was noticeably cooler and Friday morning brought a very heavy dew......our awning was dripping wet!

After breakfast we went for an hour's walk along a little creek at the back of the Caravan Park and then spent the rest of the day exploring in the vicinity of the area. We went to the Barron Gorge Power Station and then Lake Placid, where a sign suggesting 'Things to do at Lake Placid', and listing as one possibility ......'have a swim', was bizarrely next to a sign warning of crocodiles!!!!! There were lots of ducks on the lake, so maybe there aren't too many crocodiles! I wouldn't be willing to find out!!!

We then drove 16km up a fairly steep and winding road to Lake Morris and the Copperlode Dam. This man-made lake supplies all of Cairns water. The views of Cairns city and out into the sea, from vantage points on the drive up, were spectacular. We had our picnic lunch up at the Lake.

Our last 'tourist stop' for the day, and easily the nicest, was Crystal Cascades. This is a popular spot with great, (apparently safe), swimming holes and waterfalls, all in a wet tropics rainforest environment. It was reasonably busy today since, although schools went back on Monday, today was 'show day holiday' in Cairns and schools and many businesses are closed.

We did some food shopping and then spent the late afternoon at our campsite.

We ate our prawns and fish for dinner. Barra burgers again!!

Tomorrow we are taking a fast boat to the reef!!