Mission Beach

22 - 23 October 2014

We're off again today - heading for Mission Beach, Cairns then Atherton Tablelands - our favourite "short break". While we are away we will be trying out another blog tool - will post the link this evening - we hope!

Update: not happy with the new tool yet so...

We're on the road again!

We left home this morning for the relatively short drive to Mission Beach. As usual, we stopped in Ingham to check out the op shops, and in Cardwell too. Lunch in Cardwell and then in to Tully to browse "Kitchen Essentials". This is a fantastic local kitchenware shop with a huge variety of merchandise and some of the best brands available as well as some really quirky items. (If anyone is interested, they have carrot sharpeners. I know I'm sick of eating blunt carrots. Mick) They have their Christmas stock in too.

On to Mission Beach, to stay at Rainforest Motel - close to the village and beach. We went for a walk to the beach and for a look at the shops and restaurants. There are lots of businesses closed and for sale - a legacy of a couple of cyclones. 

It's good to not be the only nut on the beach.

We had dinner in one of the few restaurants open and naturally it was quite busy, despite the average food. We might try a different one next time.

Breakfast was at an old favourite - Early Birds. The business has been there for many years - at least 10 that we can remember and they do a great breakfast. Mick is a creature of habit and always has bacon and eggs, but I went for pancakes - with fruit salad and ice cream! Yum.

I don't know about the ice cream but I do know that breakfast here has become a tradition with us.

 A short walk to see if any fig parrots were feeding in the fruiting trees - but no luck. Then into the car and on the road again. The trip to Cairns should take about 2 hours - but we managed to stretch it out to 5. 

Mission Beach is a very reliable place to see Double-eyed Fig Parrots and although I couldn't find any to photograph, some were seen and heard flying by. This is also a prime place for Southern Cassowaries. One bird was spotted in somebody's yard as we drove past but I didn't get the camera out thinking we were sure to see another later in on our travels. Didn't happen. Mick.

Our first stop was a second hand shop just before Innisfail, then the op-shops in Innisfail. A quick coffee and cake - at the pub - and then on to Babinda and the Boulders. This popular swimming hole is really beautiful and we hadn't visited before. We went for the walk along the creek to "Devil's Pool". The warning signs leave the visitor in no doubt  that this can be a dangerous place. Many young lives have been lost in the treacherous waters - and there is an Aboriginal legend about the danger - or maybe this particular swimming hole invites the foolhardy and bulletproof. There is a designated, safe swimming hole right at the picnic area, which looked very inviting.

Detail of hydro sculpted granite.

There are signs like this and barriers at the dangerous sections of the river.

Not much water at the moment but it's not hard to imagine this scene during the wet season.

The power of water is evident in the sculpted rocks.

 I didn't see many birds but that's not surprising up here around the middle of the day. It gets pretty hot and our feathered friends like to find a cool shady place for a nanna nap. As we were about to leave, I heard something hit the roof of a shelter shed. I looked above the shed to see a Blue Quandong tree with lots of fruit and a lone Topknot Pigeon feeding. I was happy to point the pigeon out to a visiting English birder who was thrilled to see such an unusual creature. It was a long way up so my pics didn't turn out so good but they are better than none. Mick.

Topknot Pigeon

 After lunch in Babinda, it was on to Cairns - via the op-shop Edmonton of course.