Here we sit at our nice breakfast in Cairns, the tourist town in tropical Queensland .
But until we were there…..
Yesterday, our plane was late due to heavy thunderstorms and rains in Melbourne. We finally arrived at 2 a.m. in Cairns at our hotel. We arranges for this late check in – no problem. The Abbot Boutique Hotel is nice, with a comfortable bed which we unfortunately could use very long. We had to get up rather early as Wendelin had to get the car at 10 a.m. It is a 4 WD, new and spacy.
And we still have to do quite a lot. First some breakfast, then shopping. We have to fill up our reserves of food and drinks. Then some booking, the train to Rockhampton and from there to Brisbane. Afterwards, we got a big tent at K-Mart, quite a good bargain, for 100 AUD. Packed it looks quite normal:
At 3 outdoor shops we got further camping gear: air mattresses, pump, hammer, cooking gear, stove etc.
Then we need a lunch stop (it is already 5 p.m.): got some Asian food and ate it at the Esplanade of Cairns. There is a huge public swimming pool at the public beach with quite good equipement:
But then we start with our nice car to get away from the heat. We drive Southwestwards, up to the Atherton Tablelands, a mountain „table“ (in fact it is hilly) about 800 – 1000 m high where the climate is different. Uphill means 25 km of crazy serpentines – we have hardly seen something before.
Shortly after dawn we reach the little camping plae we have chosen, Lake Eacham Tourist Park. Very friendly people at the receptions helped us find a good spot. And then the challenge of pitching up the new tent in the dark startet. How good that Wendelin is fit in reading instructions and putting them into actions. We proudly present:
(It is bigger than it looks, for 8 people, with 2 „rooms“)
Now we go to bed, oh no, to our sleeping bag and air mattress….
