Sunday - no can't be

Up about 8.  A sleep-in, no little feet thumping around upstairs :D  Lynne woke with a headache.  I feel sorry for her, that is usually me.  I had taken a tablet to sleep last night, hence the sleep in.

Again it is overcast and quite windy, which is making it a bit cool outside.  We walked to the bakery but they were shut.  Found out next day that they can't afford to pay the extra wages for staff working on Sundays.  Did some more souvenier shopping then walked to the ferry terminal, (not that far, about 1/2 a kilometre) where there was a bigger supermarket.  Bought some rolls and ham for lunch.  Back and read for a little then had lunch. The picture above is the newer units built along the marina next to the ferry terminal.  And yes I can now see the smudges and have cleaned up the lens on the camera.  Thank you.

We noticed this little gecko on our wall when we woke up, but he/she disappeared after we came home.  Couldn't  zoom in any closer

About three o'clock I decided I wanted to go jet-skiing.  Fortunately, Lynne is very obliging and fell in with my plans, although she didn't want to participate.  So caught a bus to Horseshoe Bay, and caught the operator just as he was about to close, lucky me.

        

and off I go.



When I came back we had time for a milkshake before catching the bus back home.  Love doing things spontaneously.


We went to Man Friday's for tea.  It is a Mexican restaurant and was just and the end of our street, so were able to walk.
These possums are quite an attraction at the restaurant and the owner brings out corn chips to feed them.

They are quite cute and very friendly.  Obviously used to being feed.  The one below had her baby with her.

I find them fascinating, but if they get into your roof they can be quite destructive and smelly. This was baby disappearing into mum's pouch.  Don't know if you can make it out.  Tried to get a photo of baby's head poking out but they wouldn't get into the right position for me.

We had nachos for tea, but too intrigued with the possums to take a photo, then came dessert.  Haven't eaten as much dessert for years.


Lynne had sticky date pudding and I had a chocolate sundae.  What a guts.  I felt sick when I had finished. :)

Got home about 9.30.  Read and into bed early.

Saturday already!

The kids upstairs left very early this morning and I 
wasn't sleeping well anyway as my legs were playing up, as they do occasionally.  Left early and went to meet the ferry Marg and Kev were arriving on.  They were surprised (pleasantly I hope) to see me, as they were going on a tour of the island before meeting us for lunch.  This is the marina where the ferry comes in.  And the end of the marina.  A little play area which we didn't get out to see.

Thought I had a photo of the passenger  ferry. But only one of the car ferry with the coast guard boat in the background.











  While I was waiting I saw these rock wallabies.  Have a video but it wouldn't load on this site.  They are about 1 metre tall. 

Arranged to meet M & K at Horseshoe Bay about 12.30 but caught an earlier bus and wandered around for a while.


These are some of the types of transport you can hire on the island. Lots of people on the scooters and the mokes.

 Don't know if you can make it out but this one is called "topless"   :)

After lunch and lots of talking about our respective trips, M&K left to catch the ferry back and we went back to our unit and had a swim.  Water was warmer and a bit clearer,but as the tide was out, and it is a bit rocky, it was a bit too shallow for a proper swim.

We went and booked into the Mexican restaurant for tomorrow night, then caught the bus (cause we felt lazy and had an all-day pass anyway) to the French restaurant, not far away.

A picture of the table next to us.

Entree, delicious garlic bread.

Sorry was so hungry, and look so delicious,  almost finished the steak before I took the photo :D

Finished up with crepes with an orange liqueur sauce.  It was all delicious and not as expensive as we thought.

Walked home to use up some calories.  Watched some TV.  Rohan texted me the scores of my teams game as it wasn't on TV and I couldn't listen on the radio either.  In bed by 10.30.

Friday in Paradise.

Kids woke us up early again.  But went back to sleep and didn't wake till 8am. Had breakfast and took our time to have a shower.  Then decided to go to Alma Bay for a swim, so changed into bathers and caught the bus.  Lay on the beach for a while and waited for the sunshine.

As you can see it finally came out.  The tide is out but still went in for a short swim.  Still a bit cold in the water.  This is the most popular beach for swimming, but as you can see not many in the water this day.

Sat around and dried off  then up to the shops for an icecream and to wait for the bus to take us back home.  Bought some cheese and tomato  and made some sandwiches for lunch.  Read for awhile then went for a paddle out the front of the units.  Saw a stingray about a foot in front of me.  It saw me too and took off in a hurry.  The water wasn't very clear, so he/she was hard to see.

Didn't get a photo,but don't think it would have shown up.  This is the beach, but on a clearer day.

Went to a market at the  RSL  (Returned Soldiers League).  Not sure if you have a similiar thing.  There were a few stalls with home made produce and other things.  (One selling dutch pancakes)  There was also two food stalls, one Indonesian and one Thai food.  We had Thai.  Teriaki Beef and fried rice.  The meat was a bit dry, and only just warm, but the vegetables were nice and hot.  Lots of people there as the food was very cheap.  Didn't stay long and had a wait for the bus, so walked a few stops.  Lovely night.  Home about 8pm.  One of my very best friends, Margaret, who lived in the same street as I did growing up, and wewent to school together.  We were also in each others weddings.  She and her husband, Kevin, left on holidays the same day as us, and they flew to Cairns, which is the Northern most city, and then drove down to Townsville.  They rang and we arranged to meet them tomorrow for lunch.  Be great to see them.



Just thought I would add these in today.  This is a beautiful hybiscus.  Looks a lot like one of your flowers and I can't remember what you call it.

This someone told me was some sort of ginger plant, but don't take that as true.  He was wrong on some other things.

This one nobody could identify, and didn't come out as well as I would have liked but it was pretty too.

Hope you had a good time at the cottage and the Venice Night.  Looking forward to your photos.

Thursday in Paradise

Kids upstairs woke us up again.  Still overcast.  Had a leisurely breakfast and said goodbye to Tony and Margaret.  Sorry they are going, as they were good company.  We walked to Picnic Bay which is on the south end of the Island and where the ferry used to come in.  It is probably about 3 km.  But a quite steep hill.  Had morning tea at the hotel.



This is Lynne, she hates having her photo taken.

Lynne had a coffee and I had a chocolate milk shake.








 And we shared a slice of lemon meringue pie.  Yummy.

   We then caught a bus to Arcadia/Alma Bay, which is passed where we were staying.  (Which is Nelly Bay, not sure if I mentioned that).  Spent some time sitting on the beach, and bought some souveniers, but not a lot to choose from, in fact, very little.  Caught the bus back home and had lunch, then lazed around most of the afternoon.

Caught the bus back to the hotel in Arcadia for tea.  Missed the first bus, and had to wait an hour for the next, so just got there before they closed.  I had sausages and sweet potato mash and Lynne had a chicken caesar salad, but forgot the photos.  Came home about 9.  You buy an all-day pass for just $3.30 and you can get on and off as much as you like.  So really cheap transport.

  Again watched a little TV and then to bed.

Day 2 in paradise

This is a young banyan tree along the foreshore.

 This is an older tree just along from it.  I found the trees fascinating with the branches coming down and growing into the ground.

A close up of how the branches start coming down.  Not sure where the trees  come from.

Srory don't know how to rotate the picture.

Anyway, Wednesday was cloudy but still warm.  Probably 27 degrees or so.  Upstairs there was a young couple with small children who woke early and ran and ran and ran.  Quite noisy.  But never mind.  The couple in the next unit on the ground floor,  were there from further north in Queensland and they had bought their car over, and offered to drive us around for the day which was really great.  A nice couple, in their early 50's or so, not good with ages.  Anyway they took us up to a place called the Forts.  Was a gun placement during the 2nd World War.   Took about an hour or so.  Good views and some of the buildings are still in tact.

This is Arthur Bay from the lookout.  This is half way up.

One of the gun emplacements.  With the powder rooms behind.

Another bay, not sure, but possibly Radical bay.

After climbing to these Forts and back again, we went on to Horseshoe bay with is on the northern tip of the island.  Here is where all the water sports are done.  We had lunch and a drink there.  Also were "attacked" by the lorikeets as you can see.

First me...................

then Tony :)  Then Lynne was very popular...............and she didn't have food, just a cigarette  :D

Came home and went to buy some supplies at the supermarket, for nibbles, drinks and stuff for breakfast.


Went for a walk along the beach and later went around a got pizza for tea.  Watched a little TV and then to bed.

Off to the Island.

Got up about 4am.  Very early for me.  Made sure I had everything and put my case in the car, or cases I should say and had a case and a beauty case (for toiletries).  Lynne arrived about 4.45 and we loaded her case into my car, put her car in the garage and off we went.

Took off the way I normally go to the airport, but there was roadworks near the airport exit of the freeway and I was in the wrong lane. Had to take a turnoff further down. Didn't know where we were going, so pulled into a service station (petrol/gas) and asked a customer coming out.

  Finally got onto the right freeway and arrived at the long term car park and left the car.  A shuttle bus picked us up and took us to the air terminal.  I had pre-printed out booking pass so just had to drop of the luggage.  As we were just a little late, we were called up quickly and just made it through security when the plane was loading.

We left Melbourne at 7am and after a 45 minute flight to Canberra, we continued on to Townsville in Queensland which took about 3 hours.  We then caught a taxi to the ferry terminal and after a short wait boarded the ferry for a 25 minute ride to Magnetic Island.

This is our motel, our rooms are on the bottom or ground floor on the left of the photo.

This is the bedroom.  We did try for a two bedroom, but there wasn't one available.  There were only four units in the motel,  two on the ground floor and two two bedroom units upstairs.







                                                                                      This was our sitting room.

And our welcome sign.

And our view from our front door.  Hard to take.








This is the car ferry but not sure you can really tell.  We came over on the passenger one which is a lot bigger.  There are three different ones and they come over from Townsville about every hour, whereas the car ferry I think only does about 6 trips a day.

  And Lynne relaxing in the swing outside our room.  The table and chairs you can see is where we ate our breakfast each morning.

Will continue the saga tomorrow, just something to whet your appetite.



 You can probably tell already, it was a great place to be :)