Our trip to the Far North of Queensland Australia

Our trip to the Far North of Queensland Australia last year.

Hi Everybody,
We had a lovely holiday in the Far North of Queensland, Australia, last year. and thought some of you might like to hear about some of it.
First we went to Townsville to visit with family for 4 days and we sure had a fine time, spending every possible moment with Erle’s son and his sister. I managed to win a Jackpot playing the machines that meant we had extra spending money to enjoy the city, before catching the train up to Cairns.
We arrived so hot and tired that as we started to walk the short distance to the accommodation of our choice, we came across a place called Leos with rooms vacant so didn’t bother going any further. That’s how we came to stay at the Backpackers! So cheap was this accommodation only $40.00 with free breakfast and dinner thrown in. The young people have it all too easy, but the food was a little basic to say the least (we upgraded it) but the room was just the same as a motel with air conditioner and a fan and fridge and hand basin etc, plus swimming pool and pool table etc available also the full bar.
Next morning after a good sleep we hired a rental car and headed up to Port Douglas, where we stayed for 3 nights. There is so much to do around this area we could have stayed longer. We went out crocodile hunting on an evening cruise up the Cairns River and we saw two great big ones, went to a wildlife reserve as saw many of the native birds and lizards and more huge crocodiles, dinned on a upstairs balcony in the sunset, also did heaps of sight seeing all around the city, while swimming every day and eating masses of tropical fruits, before going on up to Daintree and Mossman. The Mossman Gorge was so nice and cool and lush with nice walks in the forest. The Daintree was where we saw a Kangaroo family under some trees.
There was a wee Joey in the pouch of one of the Kangaroos. Also we saw the Daintree River Ferry that we didn’t go over.
Our original plan had been to go to Cooktown but short of hiring a 4-wheel drive vehicle we just couldn’t go there, we gave up that idea. Still we saw and did other good things, and we got to go stay at Palm Cove the expensive beach mainly for the rich and famous. We were so lucky to be able to get rooms in a posh place right on the Esplanade just a step across from the beautiful beach. The Hotel was virtually closed up because the wife of the owner was in hospital ill and he couldn’t manage it on his own. We were the only people staying in the whole huge building, I think the reason he allowed us to stay, and fairly cheaply too, was for security reasons, so we had the run of the place and used the spa and the pool up on the roof just as we wanted. Wish we could have stayed longer, but the Atherton Tableland up from Cairns was calling us, actually it still does, as we didn’t really get there completely! We drove up the Gillies Highway and didn’t find it too bad at all, enjoyed Devonshire tea at Lake Barrine, looked at lots of beautiful waterfalls then where drawn to a place called Ravenshoe, it was just the name. Auzzies say ravens hoe we said raven shoe! However the great taxi driving team of Erle and Glennis got hopelessly lost, took the wrong turning somewhere and went charging down the Palmerston Highway. I don’t recommend this drive to anyone, it was very, very steep, but a pretty drive with lots more waterfalls and lookouts, eventually we ended up in Innisfail, not a town you will have heard of, but its quite a nice fishing village and we stayed overnight in a room the size of a shoe box but it did have air conditioning and it was cheap. Went to the RSL where I won another Jackpot on the poker machines. It was on the way back to Cairns we discovered the Babinda Boulders, which was a very nice side drive to a beautiful mystical place that’s important to the Aboriginals. When back at Cairns we went to the Casino (surprise, surprise) and up to the wildlife dome on top to see the Koala and other wildlife all loose and free inside the huge dome, you could touch most things if they let you. Sadly I lost a few wee dollars at the casino! But won quite a lot in the hotel later. Australia might pay for me to stay home in future or at least to stay off the machines, I did really well everywhere except the casino.
The next morning at 4am we departed for the airport and home, arriving at 8pm NZ time a long day of travel.
And that folks is the short story of our holiday. We plan to go back; we didn’t see Ravenshoe!
Thanks for reading. I hope you feel inspired to go there too, its a great place for a holiday.
I took heaps of photos and have them on Webshots, link below.

Link to my webshot photos.

Link to my webshot photos.
I really enjoy photography using my digital camera, specially scenery around the beautiful Marlborough Sound of
New Zealand and my Burmese Cats.
If you would care to have a look at all my albums your very welcome to click on the link http://community.webshots.com/user/glennisnz
Please leave me a message either on my guest book or here on my blog so I know what you think of my efforts. Thankyou.

Bohally Intermediate School, 50th Jubilee.

Bohally Intermediate School 50th Jubilee Reunion.
1956 -2006
School days are said to be the best days of our lives; I have always had trouble reoncilling this to my school days, except for the two years I spent at Bohally Intermediate School.
I was among 116 other young 11 year olds who were the foundation intake of students when the school openned in 1956.
Bohally Intermediate School was the very first Intermediate School in New Zealand, built to cope with all the 'baby-boomer' students.
I was in Mr Dixon's class for Form 1 and Mr Petrie's class for form 2. Classes were large at that time with about 35 mixed sex students in each class room.
On the first day of School when I stepped into our brand new classroom I said to fellow students " I shall return here in 50 years time - If I am still alive, for the 50th Jubilee." And I did!
There were only 38 as far as I know of the first year students at the reunion, plus ofcause thousands of students from all the later years, but we the 'first years' were the important ones. We sat at the two top tables for the big Banquet, and had our Photos taken first all that sort of thing.
We also had a packed school lunch given to us all to eat in the school lunchtime. All of us wanted to take it out and eat it by the old creek that featured in all our old memories, but the old creek no longer exisited, it had been piped and filled in completely - for safety I guess, as we were always falling into it or being pushed!
After the lunch we were photographed in year lots then given a guided tour of the school as it is now. Such a huge differance to the brand new buildings set in a ploughed paddock with just a large block of concrete to hold assemblies on every morning and a strip in front of class rooms to play on. Now there are many new buildings with all modern learning equipment. After the girls had showed me the school I took them to see where the old creek used to be, and showed them how we used to run over and jump over the water, I demonstrated this! Jumped onto a patch of fallen leaves that had come from an old oak tree, that completely covered a hole, which I jumped into, fell over and broke my leg!
So that is how I broke my leg jumping over an imaginary creek!
I was then taken to hospital for xrays.Fortunately only my Fibula not the main tibia or femir bone in my leg so I didn't require plaster just bandaging, as long as I used a wheelchair to rest my leg.
I ended up attending the big banquet in a wheel chair, my friend Judith is in wheelchair so we sat one at each end of the big top table.
Still a very enjoyable evening.

Erle and Glennis, in Australia at one of the lovely beaches just Nth of Port Douglas, Queensland, taken last year during a wonderful holiday.

Mother's Day

Mothers Day
Sunday 14th May, Mother's Day.
My Dear Daughter Nyle and second Grandaughter Shakara, came over from Nelson to visit me and to bring me a yummy Chocolate basket of goodies, and to have lunch with Erle and I, and to play with our adorable kitten Porsche. Later I went to visit my old Mother to have afternoon tea with her. Good day.
Monday 15th May 2006
Porsche
I took our Silver Blue Burmese Kitten, named Jolichat Porsche, who is now 3 months old to have her second cat flu vaccination. Then I took her to visit her old Mother cat and her breeder. Mrs Stickney, was very pleased with how she is growing, her coat is perfect and her eye colour is perfect. We just knew Porsche was perfect anyway.

Glennis's Blog Page

Hi I am Glennis, I am from New Zealand.