Thursday Island

It's Sunday morning and the sun is shining - we haven't seen much of the sun up here really - and this is our view! Not a crocodile in sight! The solar panels are out and that makes the boys happy! And Tops and I are happy to have the washing out! Port also had a win, we've captured photos of some different birds so it's all good! 

      

            

     

Last night we took our chairs down for a drink on the beach and the sunset was beautiful.

     

Yesterday we were up with the curlews (they make these terrible screeches at dawn!) to catch the ferry across to Thursday Island. It was just over an hour trip and the sea was nice and calm so no need for Kwells! We enjoyed a bus tour of the island - seeing the area is 4.5 square kms it didn't take long! It's still a centre for many government agencies and is the centre for health and education. It is a great little Island - pleasantly clean and tidy and the beautiful frangipani trees were starting to flower in an amazing array of different colours. The people are friendly and in their Main Street some great little shops all beautifully presented enticed some retail therapy! Darryl bought a pair of thongs (he lost one at the creek crossing) Tops bought some lovely new unbreakable (?) wine glasses plus a shift to wear to the showers and Dennis got heavy duty nail clippers!! I got nothing - poor me! 

      This is a view of the main harbour and town from Green Hill Fort.

We enjoyed a lovely drink and lunch at the local pub overlooking the harbour.

      

It was a very pleasant day and a nice change from driving.  We are enjoying a rest day today and as it's our last night this far north, we are shouting ourselves a dinner at the restaurant here - it's set up very low key Bali style and the fish'n'chips in paper should be very pleasant. Then we head south! Darryl and Dennis are keen to see Gunshot crossing so think we'll camp there - but not go through! It's a real bush camp so maybe Dennis can get his brand new toilet out!! It's travelled 4500 kms and not been out of its box!

We've heard worse stories of people crossing Nolans Brook - evidently it's quite steep and deep and one chap got stuck and his car got very wet!! He is still trying to dry it out. Not what we want to do! It's amazing how you develop quite a relationship with fellow travellers who we see from camp to camp.  Everyone has a story to tell and we've learned such a lot from just listening - and we can tell a tale or two too! 

This morning I snuck a photo of the bike group - the 2nd lot to camp here while we've been here. The first lot were very late going to bed but this last lot must have been exhausted as we didn't hear a squeak from them and when they arrived they looked done in. 

        

Well, until the next blog, we sign off and hope life is as good for you all as it is for us.

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