Thursday 31st May.
Down to Cairns today to run errands for Annie and visit the dentist, embarrassingly for the first time in years. At JCU they have a dentistry training centre where, if you are old and grey like me, you can have your teeth done cheaply. The 50 or so 4th year students churn through hundreds of patients in a few hours most afternoons in extremely well equiped cubicles. Every 6 students has a supervisor checking their decisions and their work. It is most impressive. My mouth is a mess which I already knew so many more appointments are made for later in July – oh what fun. Can’t wait for that!
Last year I visited tourist attractions here again so I can recommend them or not to guests. Time to knock off a few more. The closest is the Barron Gorge so I divert for 8 kms. It has plenty of water gushing down and a few rafters are braving them. Without meaning to be condescending I note that it is beautiful but much like many in New Zealand or Canada. Certainly a different and spectacular sight for Australian tourists. Personally, when in Australia I would rather see what is unique to Australia.
Gym again feeling better for it although biking home in the pouring rain is not funny when it is also pitch dark and the bugs are flying in my face.
Finally contact Nelson for a chat but he had a quiet birthday it seems. Maybe he is growing out of nightclubs at last.

Friday 1st June.
Some apartment checkouts today so there is work to do. It is humid and sticky with thunderous clouds threatening the parade again tonight.
Mike has left a bag of stuff I wanted on my doorstep this morning and I find it a bit creepy to think he has been around so early while I am still asleep so I phone him later to 1) tell him not to do that 2) to invite him to accompany me (because he already said he wanted to go) to the theatresports evening June 9th.
He is about to come home to collect his son Taylor to go to the parade. The rain is hosing down so he offers to collect me too. OK. After a quick pizza dinner the three of us wander to the main drag to wait for the parade. Finally the rain stops and the parade begins. Thankfully it is much better than last year. It is worth waiting for. There are plenty of floats representing all the various businesses in town all with the general theme of Heavenly Bodies ie. plenty of angel wings. My favorite, and I wasn’t alone here, would have to be my gym teacher’s float, with 5 stunning male bodies dancing around showing off their washboard chests. Woohoo!
A fireworks display sprouted from the edge of the inlet to complete the celebrations, beautiful and very loud.

Saturday 2nd June.
Most of the kite surfing guests have left so there is plenty of work to keep me occupied for the next week. I manage to clean 3 apartments before collapsing in the pool, even though it is not a warm day and the locals think I am crazy. 23 degrees is ok for me. Mike turns up after lunch for a ukelele lesson – but with a bottle of champagne and chocolates!! Crikey!
Needless to say this provokes long talks followed by several promises of future behaviour and the ‘state of the nation‘. I am really not planning on staying in Port Douglas. He is far too young for me (13 yrs my junior!). He is only a year out of his marriage and still helping his wife to resettle in NZ. He can’t afford my dreams and worst of all, he sometimes says ‘yous‘! Sigh. Some things are deal breakers for me or is it the same old story of me wanting the perfect guy.
He has answers for most of my objections. Apparently I think too much and he promises to stop saying ‘yous’ so he gets a few hugs and I feel him melt. This is a man who obviously misses affection. It is so sad really because he is a good genuine guy, if unsophisicated. I like his dead straight hair and beautiful eyes. He should be able to find someone his own age for company rather than me.
We do actually have a ukelele lesson but he forgets to take it home with him.