Wednesday 8th August.
Today is my ex, Rob’s birthday so I send him a funny animated dancing frogs e-card with great blues style singing. I am sure he will laugh at it.
The jaw is still bruised but I will live after all. John and Annie are fine with my changed plans and I can stay here anytime I want.
Annie proudly shows me her 2 new tiny rescued baby bats. They haven’t even let last year‘s ones back into the wild yet and I know that although John loves Annie to bits, he is very disappointed that they can’t have any time to themselves for a holiday away. Bats are her passion and a holiday is of no interest to her. I am amazed some marriages survive.
I ferry a guest family into the town on the way to the club. They are Californian Vietnamese with the cutest tiny kids. After sailing tonight I am collected by Liz and Pete and taken to their gorgeous hacienda tropical home about 5 kms from Port Douglas up in the bush. It is a delightful and very spacious house over many levels. I offer to be their live-in housekeeper then change my mind over the housekeeping bit. There is so much of it. Their 2 dogs are gorgeous. Lily the spaniel dances on the floor boards and Max the spoodle looks and sits on his bottom like a teddy bear. The cane fields below the house have just been cut so we are all wondering which way the snakes went. They need a few geese as pets. The torch is by my bed.

Thursday 9th August.
David arrives early all dressed in his tour guide uniform looking very spiffy. We head north over the Daintree River, through the World Heritage listed rain forest to Cape Tribulation. Pete is whining for a chook for lunch from the beginning and attempts to catch a rooster in one of the stops along the way. No luck. The conversation is a hoot with these 3 bouncing the wit between them. It is fun. Next stop is Emergen Creek where the water is really clear and being high up enough to be guaranteed no crocs, I can’t resist a swim. We venture onwards and although I am disappointed that the 4WD aspect is very tame and there is only one stream to ford the Bloomfield Falls are worth the visit. The local wild brumbies wander around Wujal Wujal (the Aboriginal name for Bloomfield) so tame that one even sticks his nose in our car window. On teh way home we stop at the wonderfully deserted Cowie Beach. The tide is way out and David points out the dips in the sand marking where the stingrays have rested. David is so passionate about the environment and explains the various vegetation and eco systems brilliantly.
This is truly a stunning part of the world. I am struck by how lucky I am to be here. My heart wants to burst.