South of Cairns
We were all up and eating breakfast by 7 am. With that done we were easily on the road around 6 am and heading south around the back of Cairns.
Our first destination was the Boulders, at the foot of the mountains behind Babinda. Majella and I had been there often when we lived in Innisfail and had visited again with the family in 2019. It is a favourite place to visit. There is the swimming hole with its crystal clear water and sandy bottom, the path through lush green forest, and the tumble of boulders and rocky creek bed carved by water.
We had no intention of swimming this time, knowing that it was cold even in summer. After a look at the pool and some hesitation when there was a short light shower of rain we walked the path through the forest to look at the rapids. The track has improved over the years with extensive signage warning of the dangers and strong rails to limit access off the track and viewing platforms. It was morning tea time when we finished at the Boulders so we paused at the bakery in Babinda for light refreshments before driving on.
Our next destination was Etty Bay where we hoped to see a cassowary but Majella deviated from the highway through Innisfail. She drove past Good Counsel College where I had been principal from 1984 to 1988, on past the church, through town, across the river and along Ryan Street past the house where we had lived.
There was no cassowary to be seen at Etty Bay. Majella asked at the store and was told they came out around 4 pm – too late for us. We walked on the beach for a while and then headed back the way we had come. Along the way we called the Coco Mojo restaurant we had seen last night and reserved a table for dinner.
On our way to Paronella Park we stopped at the Criterion Hotel in South Johnstone and ate lunch in the cafe at the rear. Majella had a salad wrap and I had a ham, cheese, and tomato toastie. Peg and Dave shared a chicken burger.
At Paronella Park we did not go into the park proper but walked across the suspension bridge and down to the platform on the other side of Mena Creek from which we could view the falls. We could see enough of what remained of the Spanish style buildings from there.
Majella had one more card to play in her quest to find a cassowary for Peg and Dave. She drove back into Innisfail and out to Coquette Point on the south side of the river mouth. We had seen cassowaries there in the past and there was one this time, feeding by the roadside near a sign warning of cassowaries. She paused for Dave to take a photo of the bird and then continued to the top of the hill where we enjoyed the view over the river back to Innisfail. Watching us from a yard across the street was a wallaby, another photo opportunity for Dave.
Our drive back to Clifton Beach took us around Cairns at school rush time so there were some delays in traffic. Despite that we were back at the apartment around 4 pm with time to relax and enjoy a glass of wine with cheese before dinner.
Shortly before 6:30 pm we walked to the nearby restaurant, Coco Mojo. Majella could not resist the special, a surprise share platter with samples of different foods. When it arrived it was large enough that we all tried some nibbles – calamari, cheeseburger spring roll, bang bang chicken, and more. As main I had the Thai beef salad and everybody else had the curried prawns and rice. The meals were tasty and sufficient to fill us.
We walked the short distance to the beach to see if we could see the Southern Cross but the combination of trees, buildings, and light pollution did not permit us to see it. We walked back to the apartment and relaxed for a while before taking an early night.
