Finally! We are Back!

Hi everyone, sorry it’s been so long since the last blog (special apologies to Helly and Gillieweed as they have put in requests for more). Hard to know where to start this time……we have been through something that has made us realise that this trip is a very special and important thing to be doing, I won’t go on about it but I have to write that if anyone I know and love feels like life is too short sometimes and that they wished they were doing something else, make it happen. It might take a while to come to fruition but get the ball rolling or the wheels in motion or the kettle on the hob or however you want to think of it. Sometimes just one little action towards what you want snowballs into living your dream. And just knowing that you are being proactive with what you want can make life feel more meaningful. Heaps of you may already be living your dream, this is just a little shove for those who are currently living life like I did before this trip (well for the last couple of years anyway) Living with the feeling that there may be something I would like to do more than what I was currently doing. Ok. With that out of the way, oh sorry, one more thing, I love you guys. Ok. Now really back to blogging about the trip instead of preaching.
So, we had an unexpected trip back to Brissie and stayed with Sel and Ben (again! thanks guys) and with our favourite island girls Soph, Lin and the Tonester. Also had more time at mum’s apartment while she treks over the top of Spain (hi mummas – buen camino!). Then we came straight back to beautiful Port Douglas where we have been living and working for about 3 weeks now. (Gillie, I know I haven’t added the map of oz for you yet but you can google surely?) We had come here for a 10 day holiday about 3 years ago and knew that on this trip we wanted to hang here for a bit. It’s such a nice place to be, for those of you who haven’t been before, it’s an hour’s drive north of Cairns and Christopher Skase basically developed the place in his hay day. Palm trees everywhere, a 4 mile beach aptly named ‘4 mile beach’, ocean that you can walk into easily as the water is tropically warm. Bike tracks and paths everywhere. Long main street with lots of shops, cafes, restaurants and dive places. Of course, very importantly, Port Douglas is the main access point to the Great Barrier Reef. Markets every Sunday in the park by the water. Nightly cane toad racing at 8.15pm at the Iron Bar and one of the best pubs in Qld, The Court House Hotel with an upstairs verandah where you can watch the sun set over a cold one. If it sounds like I am making it sound irresistible on purpose to lure visitors up here, I am (we have room for 2 extra people….) So I started working straight away as I am so legendary that I just have to walk in to a place and managers and owners fall over themselves to offer me a position. Yes, anyway, I work in a chemist! Always said I never would, but there you go, I’m temporarily working for my enemy - the pharmacist (no, I admit everyone has their place and they dispense a lot of life saving pills but sometimes I feel like throwing the codral bottles and other cold and flu syrups on the floor). Scotty is, wait for it, cleaning 5 star holiday units in a resort ! I have said to him of course, that when we are back in a house one day and his housework isn’t up to scratch that he will have no excuses as he used to do it professionally! We work the same days 3 days a week which gives us 4 days to explore the surrounding area – Mossman gorge, Cape Kimberley, Cape Tribulation (I love that name), Cooktown, the Daintree etc. We are living at Tropic Breeze Van Village, 24 Davidson St, Port Douglas, which is one street away from the beach and 5mins walk to the main drag (Macrossan St). We have a sweet little set up with our Oz tent erected next to our van, hammock, camp oven, swimming pool (oh, yeah, it gets quite hot up here, as soon as you finish exercising or riding bike, you need to jump straight into the pool, I am often beet red faced after any exertion). So that’s us for the moment…..we have a friend Tina up here who lives across the road, she has been in Port for 8 months now and has no plans of leaving so it is nice to hang out with her again…tonight for our 4th wedding anniversary (how time flies) we are off to the restaurant she manages, On the Inlet, a seafood restaurant right on the water, famous for their daily feeding of George the Groper, a fish that measures about 3 metres long and half as wide. It reminds me of something out of a movie. Also we were so lucky to see my good mate Iain, up from Melbourne for a few days to relax in Port, got to meet his beautiful new girlfriend Jacqui and drink far far too much wine (bloody Scottish - yes Iain, I blame you for not being able to lift my head without stabbing sensations over my scalp and temples for the best part of the next day and you broke the phone). Finally, we are looking forward to seeing Scott’s brother Mick (Pickle), his wife Elissa and our niece and nephew Charlotte and Findlay. They arrive from Melbourne on Nov 3rd (wonder what else is on that day??? Hmmmm) for a family holiday and we can’t wait as it’s been way too long since we’ve seen them. So guys and gals, if you need a break somewhere warm, drop us a line, take care and be good (sometimes). Leashy and Scotty xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ps. We are now addicted to the tv series Weeds, have seen 2 seasons so far…1 to go
Pps. Over and Out winking puffin xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx