Apparently the long walk didn't tire us enough. After a few hours of splashing and lazing around the luxurious hotel pool, we felt re-energised and decided to drive to Cairns for a late dinner that same evening.
I don't know whether it was the lure of the 'fill-your-plate' meal or the thought of a 40-minute massage for $15 that was stronger but either way it got us driving...
Mig fell asleep on the drive (seems like he was the only one exhausted) so by the time we got to Cairns he was knocked out. We know a golden opportunity when we see it! We carefully transferred him to his stroller without waking him and headed straight for the massage stalls at the Cairns Night Market! As he slept peacefully in his stroller, the rest of us indulged in massages. All of us had a 10-minute foot spa (more like a foot soak), then Hubby and I continued on for a 30-minute full-body massage while the girls had a leg and foot massage. It was the best treat after our day of 'hard' walking all for a grand total of $60! (In hindsight, I should have just skipped the dinner that followed and gone for another round of massages).
Feeling refreshed (or groggy) from our massages we drifted off to the food court for the 'fill your plate' meal we had on the first night. After dinner, we walked around the Esplanade but it started to rain. Happy that we had done what we wanted, we decided to call it a night and head back to Port Douglas.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Daintree Village and our version of a 'Bear Hunt'
Today was going to be about seeing the 'real' Daintree rainforest so we had the Daintree Village and Cape Tribulation on the agenda.
We got to the Daintree Village naively expecting a little quaint town with some cute shops, maybe? There was nothing much to see there but a General Store and an Information Centre. Surely there had to be more to the world-renowned Daintree Rainforest than this?!
I enquired at the Information Centre about self-guided walks to see the rainforest. The lady at the counter told us of a 2km walk we could do. We would see the rainforest and a swimming hole. Swimming hole? What about crocodiles?! At this stage we had been in the region long enough to ask this vital question! She assured us there were none - the water was too cold. I love swimming holes so I was sold. We HAD to do this walk. We paid $30 for a family pass, she handed over a photocopied trail map, gave us directions on how to get to the start of the Kingfisher Trail at the Riverhome Cottages and we were off.
We got to the beginning of the trail and there was absolutely NO ONE there! I usually like going to places that aren't so 'touristy' but this was a bit scary. Out in the middle of nowhere, just the 5 of us, on foot!
We took our stuff - water bottles, insect spray, sun block, towel, camera bag, kids' spare clothes, food - and started to walk. We weren't packed very lightly but we were prepared. We had barely stepped through a gate that marked the beginning of our walk and we were attacked by mosquitos - big ones, and lots of them from every direction. Out came the insect repellant as I frantically sprayed everyone as we were getting attacked. Phew! Ok... now that we have that sorted, let's keep walking.
We continued to follow the trail through grasslands. A bit odd since we were expecting a rainforest but we kept going. Maybe eventually we'd hit the rainforest. A third of the way through we encountered a little stream we had to cross. Uh-oh.... we all had socks and running shoes on, except for Bee who had her Crocs on (smart child!). It was a scene straight out of the children's picture book "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" by Michael Rosen. I reminded the girls about this when they started whinging about crossing it and getting their feet wet. It's a stream... we can't go over it, we can't go under it, we have to go THROUGH it!
Hubby just walked straight through it dragging Mig behind him... shoes and all. Cat tried to tiptoe her way across on the rocks and tree branches but it eventually got too deep so she had to step in with her socks and shoes. Bee just walked straight through with her Crocs. I was the last one. I couldn't stand the thought of squishy socks and shoes so I took them off and walked across in my bare feet. On the other side, Hubby rolled his eyes in exasperation as he watched me towel dry my feet and put my socks and shoes back on. I just gave him a "Ha!" grin because I was now the smart one with dry feet.
Further down the trail we encountered a herd of cattle that stopped me dead in my tracks. They look harmless when you're in a car and they're grazing in some distant field... but we weren't in a car and they weren't at a distance! We had to walk through this herd! I nervously asked Hubby if cows were known to attack people. He reassured me they didn't, unless there was a bull in the herd and only if you were in red. GREAT! Both Hubby and I had red shirts on! We cautiously walked along the path and held our breath. Hubby took the lead with Bee while I was behind carrying Mig with Cat by my side. Thankfully they started to move aside as we approached. I have never felt so vulnerable to nature as we did then. Ok, well maybe not. Snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef gave me the same feeling. What on earth were we going to do if they decided to attack us? We had nowhere to run.
We started asking ourselves if we were ever going to find this rainforest. So far it had been a few trees, grassfields, a stream, and some cows. Were we ever going to get there? Then... we hit another stream. Here we go again...
Hubby walked through... this time carrying Mig (thank goodness!). Cat already had soaking shoes and socks so she just walked straight through. Bee's feet and shoes had already dried up so she just walked straight through. Again, I was last. I started to remove my socks and shoes as Hubby just grunts in exasperation from the other side. "C'mon! Is this going to be a ritual every time now?", he shouts. A bit embarrassed for being such a princess about it after telling the girls to stop being little princesses, I reluctantly put my shoes back on and crossed. Yuck!
Further up I turned to Hubby and asked if we should just turn back. We had come so far and still hadn't seen a rainforest. It was starting to feel like a big waste of time. We looked at the map which told us we were almost at the swimming hole so we decided to continue. We walked through some trees (hardly the rainforest I expected) and could start to hear the rush of water. We were excited to be nearing the end. Further up and through the scrub we could see it... a huge waterfall into a rock pool. It was worth the walk.
We all rushed to the waters edge to feel the water. At this stage we were all hot and sweaty so the cool water was very refreshing. Hubby took his shirt off and waded straight in splashing the cold water on himself. I quickly took of my socks and shoes (to let them dry in the sun!) but was a bit more cautious about our surroundings. We had the place to ourselves. No one in sight. What dangers were lurking in this water or by the river banks? Nope. I wasn't going in. I climbed on a rock and put Mig (who I considered to be a perfect 'bite-size' portion for a crocodile) on my lap. That's where we stayed. Cat kept telling me I was paranoid about the whole croc thing but I couldn't help it. I know nothing about these creatures and being in their territory felt like swimming in the middle of the ocean waiting to get bitten by a shark.
I brought some lunch out and the girls started to throw their bread crusts into the water to feed the fish. Pretty soon there were so many, big ones too. Then a 'kid' turtle and 'baby' turtle swam close for some food too. They were so cute and the girls loved feeding them. We stayed for a while enjoying our surroundings and the sound of the waterfall (but also because we dreaded the long walk back to the car!).
After a few family photos, it was time to head back... back through the grassfields, through the streams, through the herd of cattle, through the mosquito forest, through the gate and back to the safety of our car.
We were all exhausted and decided to head back to the hotel leaving Cape Tribulation for another day.
We got to the Daintree Village naively expecting a little quaint town with some cute shops, maybe? There was nothing much to see there but a General Store and an Information Centre. Surely there had to be more to the world-renowned Daintree Rainforest than this?!
I enquired at the Information Centre about self-guided walks to see the rainforest. The lady at the counter told us of a 2km walk we could do. We would see the rainforest and a swimming hole. Swimming hole? What about crocodiles?! At this stage we had been in the region long enough to ask this vital question! She assured us there were none - the water was too cold. I love swimming holes so I was sold. We HAD to do this walk. We paid $30 for a family pass, she handed over a photocopied trail map, gave us directions on how to get to the start of the Kingfisher Trail at the Riverhome Cottages and we were off.
We got to the beginning of the trail and there was absolutely NO ONE there! I usually like going to places that aren't so 'touristy' but this was a bit scary. Out in the middle of nowhere, just the 5 of us, on foot!
We took our stuff - water bottles, insect spray, sun block, towel, camera bag, kids' spare clothes, food - and started to walk. We weren't packed very lightly but we were prepared. We had barely stepped through a gate that marked the beginning of our walk and we were attacked by mosquitos - big ones, and lots of them from every direction. Out came the insect repellant as I frantically sprayed everyone as we were getting attacked. Phew! Ok... now that we have that sorted, let's keep walking.
We continued to follow the trail through grasslands. A bit odd since we were expecting a rainforest but we kept going. Maybe eventually we'd hit the rainforest. A third of the way through we encountered a little stream we had to cross. Uh-oh.... we all had socks and running shoes on, except for Bee who had her Crocs on (smart child!). It was a scene straight out of the children's picture book "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" by Michael Rosen. I reminded the girls about this when they started whinging about crossing it and getting their feet wet. It's a stream... we can't go over it, we can't go under it, we have to go THROUGH it!
Hubby just walked straight through it dragging Mig behind him... shoes and all. Cat tried to tiptoe her way across on the rocks and tree branches but it eventually got too deep so she had to step in with her socks and shoes. Bee just walked straight through with her Crocs. I was the last one. I couldn't stand the thought of squishy socks and shoes so I took them off and walked across in my bare feet. On the other side, Hubby rolled his eyes in exasperation as he watched me towel dry my feet and put my socks and shoes back on. I just gave him a "Ha!" grin because I was now the smart one with dry feet.
Further down the trail we encountered a herd of cattle that stopped me dead in my tracks. They look harmless when you're in a car and they're grazing in some distant field... but we weren't in a car and they weren't at a distance! We had to walk through this herd! I nervously asked Hubby if cows were known to attack people. He reassured me they didn't, unless there was a bull in the herd and only if you were in red. GREAT! Both Hubby and I had red shirts on! We cautiously walked along the path and held our breath. Hubby took the lead with Bee while I was behind carrying Mig with Cat by my side. Thankfully they started to move aside as we approached. I have never felt so vulnerable to nature as we did then. Ok, well maybe not. Snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef gave me the same feeling. What on earth were we going to do if they decided to attack us? We had nowhere to run.
We started asking ourselves if we were ever going to find this rainforest. So far it had been a few trees, grassfields, a stream, and some cows. Were we ever going to get there? Then... we hit another stream. Here we go again...
Hubby walked through... this time carrying Mig (thank goodness!). Cat already had soaking shoes and socks so she just walked straight through. Bee's feet and shoes had already dried up so she just walked straight through. Again, I was last. I started to remove my socks and shoes as Hubby just grunts in exasperation from the other side. "C'mon! Is this going to be a ritual every time now?", he shouts. A bit embarrassed for being such a princess about it after telling the girls to stop being little princesses, I reluctantly put my shoes back on and crossed. Yuck!
Further up I turned to Hubby and asked if we should just turn back. We had come so far and still hadn't seen a rainforest. It was starting to feel like a big waste of time. We looked at the map which told us we were almost at the swimming hole so we decided to continue. We walked through some trees (hardly the rainforest I expected) and could start to hear the rush of water. We were excited to be nearing the end. Further up and through the scrub we could see it... a huge waterfall into a rock pool. It was worth the walk.
We all rushed to the waters edge to feel the water. At this stage we were all hot and sweaty so the cool water was very refreshing. Hubby took his shirt off and waded straight in splashing the cold water on himself. I quickly took of my socks and shoes (to let them dry in the sun!) but was a bit more cautious about our surroundings. We had the place to ourselves. No one in sight. What dangers were lurking in this water or by the river banks? Nope. I wasn't going in. I climbed on a rock and put Mig (who I considered to be a perfect 'bite-size' portion for a crocodile) on my lap. That's where we stayed. Cat kept telling me I was paranoid about the whole croc thing but I couldn't help it. I know nothing about these creatures and being in their territory felt like swimming in the middle of the ocean waiting to get bitten by a shark.
I brought some lunch out and the girls started to throw their bread crusts into the water to feed the fish. Pretty soon there were so many, big ones too. Then a 'kid' turtle and 'baby' turtle swam close for some food too. They were so cute and the girls loved feeding them. We stayed for a while enjoying our surroundings and the sound of the waterfall (but also because we dreaded the long walk back to the car!).
After a few family photos, it was time to head back... back through the grassfields, through the streams, through the herd of cattle, through the mosquito forest, through the gate and back to the safety of our car.
We were all exhausted and decided to head back to the hotel leaving Cape Tribulation for another day.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Mossman Gorge and Horseback Riding along the Beach
One can only do so much lazing around. Today we needed some adventure.
There were so many things to do. We decided not to do a trip out to the Great Barrier Reef since we had already done that from Hamilton Island a few years before. Besides, trying to go snorkelling with a 1.5 year old is virtually impossible. So we let the girls choose their 'big activity' for this trip and they miraculously agreed on horse riding along the beach.
We scheduled our ride for that afternoon with a local company called Ride the Beach. It was a 2-hour ride along the beach and through rainforest. I would go with the girls while hubby would stay with Mig. Since we needed to head about 25 minutes north of Port Douglas for the horse ride we decided to leave early and explore Mossman Gorge on the way.
Mossman Gorge was beautiful. Crystal clear waters with huge fish. It's quite a popular spot so I felt safe in the company of others. If we had more time it would have been an excellent way to spend a day, just swimming in the Gorge and having a picnic lunch there. The girls decided not to get wet as the water was quite cold. If we ever find ourselves in this region again, this place will definitely get more time in our itinerary.
After our stop at the Gorge we followed the track up to the swinging bridge. Conscious of time, we decided to head back so we could have a quick lunch before our horse ride at 2:30pm.
It was Bee's first time on a horse so I wasn't really sure how she'd cope. I gave her a little pep talk in the car to make sure she wouldn't pike out at the last minute after we had paid! Kat, on the other hand, was very excited. Apparently she had 'horse riding along the beach' as one of her Top 100 Things To Do. I was quite happy to help her tick this experience off her list.
After getting geared up and a quick safety briefing, we were off. We slowly made our way through the fields and forest out to the beach where we picked up the pace to a trot. While she was on her own horse, Bee was under the constant supervision of one of our guides. Surprisingly, they too picked up the pace to a trot. Bee just sat there and bounced up and down with the horse making a funny noise. It was quite cute!
Kat on the other hand held her own and rode independently all the way. Even the guide complimented her and told me she had a "very good riding seat" - I guess that meant riding posture? I joked telling him he had better not tell Kat to ask Daddy for a horse when she got back.
There were so many things to do. We decided not to do a trip out to the Great Barrier Reef since we had already done that from Hamilton Island a few years before. Besides, trying to go snorkelling with a 1.5 year old is virtually impossible. So we let the girls choose their 'big activity' for this trip and they miraculously agreed on horse riding along the beach.
We scheduled our ride for that afternoon with a local company called Ride the Beach. It was a 2-hour ride along the beach and through rainforest. I would go with the girls while hubby would stay with Mig. Since we needed to head about 25 minutes north of Port Douglas for the horse ride we decided to leave early and explore Mossman Gorge on the way.
Mossman Gorge was beautiful. Crystal clear waters with huge fish. It's quite a popular spot so I felt safe in the company of others. If we had more time it would have been an excellent way to spend a day, just swimming in the Gorge and having a picnic lunch there. The girls decided not to get wet as the water was quite cold. If we ever find ourselves in this region again, this place will definitely get more time in our itinerary.
After our stop at the Gorge we followed the track up to the swinging bridge. Conscious of time, we decided to head back so we could have a quick lunch before our horse ride at 2:30pm.
It was Bee's first time on a horse so I wasn't really sure how she'd cope. I gave her a little pep talk in the car to make sure she wouldn't pike out at the last minute after we had paid! Kat, on the other hand, was very excited. Apparently she had 'horse riding along the beach' as one of her Top 100 Things To Do. I was quite happy to help her tick this experience off her list.
After getting geared up and a quick safety briefing, we were off. We slowly made our way through the fields and forest out to the beach where we picked up the pace to a trot. While she was on her own horse, Bee was under the constant supervision of one of our guides. Surprisingly, they too picked up the pace to a trot. Bee just sat there and bounced up and down with the horse making a funny noise. It was quite cute!
Kat on the other hand held her own and rode independently all the way. Even the guide complimented her and told me she had a "very good riding seat" - I guess that meant riding posture? I joked telling him he had better not tell Kat to ask Daddy for a horse when she got back.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Time to Chillax
I woke up before everyone else and decided to sneak off to the hotel gym. The events of the day before left me feeling tired and stiff. Nothing a trip to the gym couldn't fix. The gym was across the road attached to the hotel golf club so I needed to ask the front desk for a ride. I would have walked but had no idea where it was and didn't fancy getting lost on my first day there. Shortly after, my 'ride' (a silver Tarago) pulled up to the front of the hotel to pick me up. To return to the hotel, I just needed to ask the staff at the pro-shop to call for a pick up. I was starting to like this service already!
I felt so much better afterwards and returned to our hotel room fully energised for another day ahead.
We were thrilled with the location of our hotel room. Our balcony was overlooking the blue oasis of a pool. We could hear the water the night before but couldn't really see much in the dark. It was perfect. If Mig needed to take a nap, he could and the girls could continue swimming outside our balcony. It was such a treat and I was even tempted to let the girls jump into the water from our balcony. My parental sensibilities got the better of me.
We decided to head into the main strip of Port Douglas for a few essentials. I needed to get Mig a swimming nappy and stock up on his soy milk for our stay. We were happy to take it easy and just soak in our surroundings.
The main strip of Port Douglas (Macrossan Street), reminded me very much of Hastings Street in Noosa. Little boutiques, holiday rental apartments, and restaurants lined the streets. I wasn't after anything fancy for a swimming nappy so was relieved to find a Target store. Once we got what we needed from Target and Coles, we wandered along the street looking for a place to have brunch. We found a little cafe on Grant street that was full but the waiter offered to serve us at the park across the road. Brunch at the park? Sure! Why not?
The rest of the day was spent back at the hotel enjoying our new 'home'. Mig and I even managed to have an afternoon nap as Hubby and the girls explored more of the hotel grounds and Four Mile Beach.
I felt so much better afterwards and returned to our hotel room fully energised for another day ahead.
We were thrilled with the location of our hotel room. Our balcony was overlooking the blue oasis of a pool. We could hear the water the night before but couldn't really see much in the dark. It was perfect. If Mig needed to take a nap, he could and the girls could continue swimming outside our balcony. It was such a treat and I was even tempted to let the girls jump into the water from our balcony. My parental sensibilities got the better of me.
We decided to head into the main strip of Port Douglas for a few essentials. I needed to get Mig a swimming nappy and stock up on his soy milk for our stay. We were happy to take it easy and just soak in our surroundings.
The main strip of Port Douglas (Macrossan Street), reminded me very much of Hastings Street in Noosa. Little boutiques, holiday rental apartments, and restaurants lined the streets. I wasn't after anything fancy for a swimming nappy so was relieved to find a Target store. Once we got what we needed from Target and Coles, we wandered along the street looking for a place to have brunch. We found a little cafe on Grant street that was full but the waiter offered to serve us at the park across the road. Brunch at the park? Sure! Why not?
The rest of the day was spent back at the hotel enjoying our new 'home'. Mig and I even managed to have an afternoon nap as Hubby and the girls explored more of the hotel grounds and Four Mile Beach.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sydney to Port Douglas in... 17 hours???
What a day! What should have been an easy 6-hour journey turned into a whole day affair.
We started the day on schedule, everything was running smoothly. We were out the door at 6am ready to catch the 8:10am flight to Cairns. We parked our car and arrived at the departure terminal at 7:15am. Plenty of time we thought... until we got to the check-in counter. The gentleman asked us where we were going and we said Cairns, then came those dreaded words: "Gate's closed". "WHAT??!!", we said.
Long story short, we were at the Sydney International Terminal 1 (as stated on the itinerary) and at no point in time did my little brain make the connection that this meant we were on an international flight (we later found out our flight was to Osaka, Japan via Cairns!). Hence we should have been there 2 hours before to check in, not 1 hour we normally allow for domestic flights. So, after feeling like a complete dim bulb for missing yet another flight, we just had to move on. (Thought balloon: if we did make it through check-in, would we have needed to clear customs with passports which we didn't have with us given it was a domestic flight??)
The next flight to Cairns was at 3:40pm which, thankfully, we could get on. This time it was leaving from the domestic terminal. So we packed our bags back on the shuttle bus (which we just paid $22 for to get to the international terminal!) and headed back to the domestic terminal. Unfortunately, not only did the delay mean an 8-hour wait at the airport, but that the rental car office at Cairns would be closed by the time we got there. A few phone calls later, plus an extra $37 charge for after hours pick-up (not happy!), and it was all sorted. So we put our luggage in storage for $20 and settled into the airport to wait for our flight. I hate wasting money so these incidental expenses were very annoying.
After what seemed like an eternity, we finally landed in Cairns airport at around 6pm that evening. The car rental company needed us to drop off some paperwork at their office in Cairns city so we headed into town before making our way to Port Douglas. Excited to be in a new city, we didn't mind the sightseeing.
As we drove around Cairns taking in the new sites, we stumbled upon the Cairns Night Markets. It was an excellent brief introduction to Cairns! Walking into the markets felt like we were instantly transported to some Asian country. It was alive with activity. I love visiting local markets whenever we're in a new place. It gives me an instant feel of the place and this was no exception. Scores of sun burnt travellers in beachwear filled the aisles. There were stalls and hawkers all offering full-body massages at $15 for 40 minutes. Most of the massage tables were full so there was definitely no shortage of weary travellers needing a little treat. We, on the other hand, were starving so it was easy for us to just walk passed and head towards the food.
The food court was equally busy with activity. They had rows and rows of Chinese food and a great value 'fill your plate' system. It was an excellent way to feed our family of 5 for under $30 with something other than nuggets and chips!
With our tummies all happy, we took a quick look around the markets, even managing a few purchases along the way. The massages were very tempting but we just didn't have the time to spare (we hadn't even reached our destination yet!). After a quick stop for some gelato, it was time to leave Cairns and continue our journey with the 1-hour drive north to Port Douglas. We liked Cairns already so we knew we'd be back.
We arrived at our final destination - Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas - at about 11pm. It was 17 hours since we left our home in Sydney but we finally made it. Even in the dark we could tell this place was pure bliss but all we wanted at this stage was a nice, cozy bed. As I crawled under the crisp cool white sheets and lay my head on the soft hotel pillows, that's exactly what we got!
We started the day on schedule, everything was running smoothly. We were out the door at 6am ready to catch the 8:10am flight to Cairns. We parked our car and arrived at the departure terminal at 7:15am. Plenty of time we thought... until we got to the check-in counter. The gentleman asked us where we were going and we said Cairns, then came those dreaded words: "Gate's closed". "WHAT??!!", we said.
Long story short, we were at the Sydney International Terminal 1 (as stated on the itinerary) and at no point in time did my little brain make the connection that this meant we were on an international flight (we later found out our flight was to Osaka, Japan via Cairns!). Hence we should have been there 2 hours before to check in, not 1 hour we normally allow for domestic flights. So, after feeling like a complete dim bulb for missing yet another flight, we just had to move on. (Thought balloon: if we did make it through check-in, would we have needed to clear customs with passports which we didn't have with us given it was a domestic flight??)
The next flight to Cairns was at 3:40pm which, thankfully, we could get on. This time it was leaving from the domestic terminal. So we packed our bags back on the shuttle bus (which we just paid $22 for to get to the international terminal!) and headed back to the domestic terminal. Unfortunately, not only did the delay mean an 8-hour wait at the airport, but that the rental car office at Cairns would be closed by the time we got there. A few phone calls later, plus an extra $37 charge for after hours pick-up (not happy!), and it was all sorted. So we put our luggage in storage for $20 and settled into the airport to wait for our flight. I hate wasting money so these incidental expenses were very annoying.
After what seemed like an eternity, we finally landed in Cairns airport at around 6pm that evening. The car rental company needed us to drop off some paperwork at their office in Cairns city so we headed into town before making our way to Port Douglas. Excited to be in a new city, we didn't mind the sightseeing.
As we drove around Cairns taking in the new sites, we stumbled upon the Cairns Night Markets. It was an excellent brief introduction to Cairns! Walking into the markets felt like we were instantly transported to some Asian country. It was alive with activity. I love visiting local markets whenever we're in a new place. It gives me an instant feel of the place and this was no exception. Scores of sun burnt travellers in beachwear filled the aisles. There were stalls and hawkers all offering full-body massages at $15 for 40 minutes. Most of the massage tables were full so there was definitely no shortage of weary travellers needing a little treat. We, on the other hand, were starving so it was easy for us to just walk passed and head towards the food.
The food court was equally busy with activity. They had rows and rows of Chinese food and a great value 'fill your plate' system. It was an excellent way to feed our family of 5 for under $30 with something other than nuggets and chips!
With our tummies all happy, we took a quick look around the markets, even managing a few purchases along the way. The massages were very tempting but we just didn't have the time to spare (we hadn't even reached our destination yet!). After a quick stop for some gelato, it was time to leave Cairns and continue our journey with the 1-hour drive north to Port Douglas. We liked Cairns already so we knew we'd be back.
We arrived at our final destination - Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas - at about 11pm. It was 17 hours since we left our home in Sydney but we finally made it. Even in the dark we could tell this place was pure bliss but all we wanted at this stage was a nice, cozy bed. As I crawled under the crisp cool white sheets and lay my head on the soft hotel pillows, that's exactly what we got!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Port Douglas in October
We've done it! Our accommodation is booked for October so things are starting to take shape. Admittedly, we will be staying at a more 'luxurious' accommodation than anticipated. Hubby and I (okay, more Hubby but I was easily convinced) decided to splurge a little since this trip is a gift to ourselves for our October birthdays - don't you love the excuse?
We'll be staying at the lovely Sheraton Mirage. While I say 'lovely' I really have no idea. We've never been there. The pictures look lovely... so we'll see. I just can't get over the '2 hectares of magnificent swimmable blue lagoons' they claim to have. Hubby and I tried to get our little heads around exactly what this means and worked it out to be a neighbourhood of roughly 40 suburban homes!
Given the jelly fish sting on our last trip up north to Hamilton Island, I'm not too keen on getting in Queensland waters - so 2 hectares of swimming pools suits me just fine!
It's hard not to get too excited by the thought of a week of absolute bliss doing nothing BUT there's so much I want to see up there. It'll be a battle trying to convince the kids to leave the pool behind for a couple of days checking out the rainforest and the Reef, looking for some crocs (not the shoes!), and just exploring the general area but I'm determined to make it happen. It just seems really crazy to fly all the way up there for a pool!
We'll be staying at the lovely Sheraton Mirage. While I say 'lovely' I really have no idea. We've never been there. The pictures look lovely... so we'll see. I just can't get over the '2 hectares of magnificent swimmable blue lagoons' they claim to have. Hubby and I tried to get our little heads around exactly what this means and worked it out to be a neighbourhood of roughly 40 suburban homes!
Given the jelly fish sting on our last trip up north to Hamilton Island, I'm not too keen on getting in Queensland waters - so 2 hectares of swimming pools suits me just fine!
It's hard not to get too excited by the thought of a week of absolute bliss doing nothing BUT there's so much I want to see up there. It'll be a battle trying to convince the kids to leave the pool behind for a couple of days checking out the rainforest and the Reef, looking for some crocs (not the shoes!), and just exploring the general area but I'm determined to make it happen. It just seems really crazy to fly all the way up there for a pool!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Upcoming Adventures
Our next family adventures are set.
A week in Cairns or Port Douglas or Cape Tribulation in mid-October and a week somewhere in Fiji end of January next year. OK, maybe not quite that set. Well, we've booked the plane tickets, the itinerary will just have to follow.
The original plan for the trip to Cairns was to check out Port Douglas. Family and friends have raved about the place so we thought we'd check it out. The more I research the area though, it's starting to look like the luxurious Port Douglas resort holiday may quickly be replaced with a more adventurous exploration of the region. On our list - Cape Tribulation, the Daintree Rainforest, and possibly another look at the Great Barrier Reef.
A week in Cairns or Port Douglas or Cape Tribulation in mid-October and a week somewhere in Fiji end of January next year. OK, maybe not quite that set. Well, we've booked the plane tickets, the itinerary will just have to follow.
The original plan for the trip to Cairns was to check out Port Douglas. Family and friends have raved about the place so we thought we'd check it out. The more I research the area though, it's starting to look like the luxurious Port Douglas resort holiday may quickly be replaced with a more adventurous exploration of the region. On our list - Cape Tribulation, the Daintree Rainforest, and possibly another look at the Great Barrier Reef.
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This is a place where we will share anything and everything related to the world of family travel - from a Bucket List of dream destinations to actual (mis)adventures along the way, and everything in between. We hope to capture it all and in the process inspire all parents to take their children and experience the wonders of the world together.
This is a place where we will share anything and everything related to the world of family travel - from a Bucket List of dream destinations to actual (mis)adventures along the way, and everything in between. We hope to capture it all and in the process inspire all parents to take their children and experience the wonders of the world together.
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