Cairns

30 September – 4 October 2023

It’s a relatively short drive from Yungaburra to Cairns so we stopped in Kuranda for a look around and a coffee. Towing the trailer makes parking a challenge but there are a number of long vehicle parking bays one street back from the main street. We were early so found one easily. Disappointingly, when we returned later, every other spot was taken by a single vehicle.

We drove down the Kuranda Range and arrived at the caravan park in time to set up and have lunch. This park allows check-ins for powered sites from 11:00 am – very convenient and helpful. We had stayed at this one before and chose it again as it is on a creek, has lots of shady trees and a lovely pool.

Mick had a number of things on his Cairns wish list so we had a fairly full schedule planned, most of it involving photographs of birds. We started with a drive to the mouth of the Barron River at Machan’s Beach. The tide was out quite a long way so Mick had a bit of a walk to get close to the birds there.

On Sunday morning we headed into The Esplanade – always a favourite spot and usually a great place to photograph birds, if the tide is right. It wasn’t, but we had a good morning visiting Rusty’s Market, walking along The Esplanade and having an ice cream. We also did some grocery shopping while we were in town. Later in the afternoon we walked along the creek out of the caravan park and into Goomboora Park. This lovely, “rainforesty” park was being well used by locals to fish, walk, exercise dogs, cycle and play.

On Monday morning we set off early to Catanna Wetlands. Once part of a cane farm, and sand quarry, this environmental park has been rehabilitated into a fabulous network of walking tracks and wetlands, with a number of viewing platforms, bird hides, seats and BBQ areas. We spent a few hours spotting birds and enjoying the surroundings. Later in the day we visited the Cairns Botanical Gardens but the sandflies were biting so we didn’t stay long. After the Botanic Gardens we returned to the Esplanade where Mick met up with some fellow birders – including one he had met on a Pelagic out of Eaglehawk Neck. As always the locals were very generous with their information and shared photos of a rare sighting – a laughing gull. Despite everyone’s best efforts it wasn’t seen again – but they did have lots of photos to prove it had been there.

On Tuesday morning we made another early start – this time to the Mangrove Boardwalk near the airport. We knew from past experience to expect sandflies there so we were well prepared with long pants and shirts, as well as heavy duty insect repellent. Even so they managed to find those exposed parts of the body that hadn’t been smothered in spray. It was still a great walk along the boardwalks above the mangroves. Late in the day, we went back to the Esplanade – again – just in case the Laughing Gull returned. It hadn’t, but it was a nice afternoon there anyway.

We had one more night before returning to Townsville so decided Kurrimine Beach would do us nicely, so that’s where we headed when we left Cairns.