Beach Walk

Last weekend (21st Jan), we headed off for a Sunday drive.

Mr Sparky suggested a drive down to Kurrimine Beach, just for the fun of it.

So off we headed, avoiding housework, for a morning drive.

Despite how often I've driven between Cairns and Townsville and around the ridges at this end, I've never stopped off at any of the beaches. 

It was nice to do a bit of exploring.

Kurrimine beach will be forever etched in my head at the place where everyone has a tractor to go with their boat.

We had a quick wander out on the sand but the sun was burning and that didn't last long.

It was a gorgeous day for it, so we decided to dip in and out along the coast on our way back north and visit a few more of the beaches.

Next we stopped in at Cowley Beach.

What a pretty beach that is.

Kurimine had nets up for swimming but there was nowhere for swimming here.

It is also a turtle nesting ground. I wonder if you can come watch them hatch, that would be cool and probably something you have to fluke seeing.

Mr Sparky did a bit of beach combing, looking for shell while I tagged along behind taking photos.

We did one more beach stop after that, it being about lunch time, Etty Bay.

Now Etty Bay is one that has been on my list to visit, the list I keep forgetting.

The beach was pretty picturesque with the forest meeting the sea.

I'd love to spend more time exploring around the rocks, when it isn't so hot and the middle of summer.

But as pretty as the beach was, that wasn't the reason I had wanted to visit.

This was the reason I wanted to visit, the resident Cassowaries.

I kind of figured, knowing my luck, we wouldn't see them.

I was so wrong with one turning up for lunch time, to see what it could find.

Now Cassowaries are one of those animals you give a wide berth to. Check out those feet! They are known to go on the attack and do some pretty major damage when the mood strikes them, or when they have chicks (yet another Aussie animal where daddy does the child rearing).

This one however was happy to wander among the cars and people, probably a little too happy to.

After trying to convince some people eating near the beach that they should share their food, they didn't, it wandered off down onto the sand to find some more bird friendly snacks.

Now I have no idea whether this is a male of female. It turns out they look pretty much the same except the female is bigger and possibly brighter coloured.

After reading up a bit I am going to make a guess that is is either a female or a younger Cassowary. Breeding season is May to October and the male sits on the eggs for 2 months and then rears the chicks.

I put up a couple of photos on instagram of the Cassowary hanging out on the beach. Most exciting was that I made a repost 'Explore Tropical North Queensland' and their facebook for 'best of the week' as well. Woohoo! Although nothing tops actually getting to see the Cassowary. A few people on the repost wanted to know if it was for real, especially that it was down on the beach. Definitely 'for real' and definitely made my day.

I did a little Cassowary stalking as it wandered along the beach and out of sight.

Then we went off to find some tucker of our own.

We had fish and chips at the shop right there, opposite the beach. They were pretty good too.

Just as we were finishing up, we spotted that Cassowary heading back along the beach, checking out what it could see through the windows of peoples' cars and undoubtedly being hopeful about offerings of human food.

I think I'll be heading back to Etty Bay again, that is for sure.

It made a good 'birthday' drive for my birthday during that week.

It also made for a great pre Australia Day drive. You can't get much more Australian than an iconic Aussie animal wandering around one of our gorgeous beaches.

The 26th of January, Australia Day, looked a lot less beach weather like and a lot more typical wet season. Funnily enough, the public holiday, was the only day in the week where it was cloudy and rainy. The one day when people want to get out, spend some time around the BBQ and just generally celebrate the awesome things about this country.

We spent ours at home, doing nothing much, enjoying the air con and snoozing. Exciting bunch that we are.

Reflecting ... and Happy New Year!

On the last day of 2015, I thought it only fitting to head to the Barron Falls. A river and waterfall that have carved their own way through the landscape just as we all carve out our own journey through life.
Actually that sounds pretty good, very thought provoking. Really, I went just because I wanted to.

With all the rain around the falls are putting on quite a show to impress as the water tumbles and crashes down the rocks to the gorge below.

 Obviously this post is going to get a little bit deep and meaningful .... and reflective, as per the title.

So many of the people I have talked to are excited for the new year and wishing the old away, saying "2016 is my year". I'm on the fence, I am actually sad to see another year pass but I also look forward to the next. Another chapter in my life's book yet with none of the others erased because they were needed to get the story to where it is. Just like that at midnight the page will turn and it will be 2016. Wishing away the year that has been won't change it.

Yes ,we have plans and dreams for the coming year, together ones and our own ones, but I don't want to write off 2015. Actually I wouldn't have minded if it had hung around a little longer, this year has gone way too fast. There have been ups and downs, good times and blah times. The good times wouldn't shine so brightly in my memory without the not so good to counter them. This blog has been written through the good days and not so good days which are often a result of missing family. I'm happy at the moment and reflective, as this time of year often is.

So 2015 hasn't been anything particularly spectacular but there were memories made, places visited and people loved that filled it to the brim. There were times with family and times without, there was a new niece welcomed to the family that came with the growth of my sister's family, there was the growing up, moving and achieving of my youngest sister, there was Mr Sparky by my side, there was travels and exploring, there were lovely moments and weekends together with family and friends, there was trying new things, there was the end of a job, there was the excitement of Mr Sparky becoming a proper sparky, there was the happiness of the long awaited wedding of my Aunt, there were card card games with my brother and there was laughter and tears and everything in between along with so, so, so much more. I never know what a year will look like (does anyone) but it is always lovely to look back at what has happened in a mere 12 months, to look at the photos, to recall memories, the see the changes and to see what shape the year took in the end. Every year is different. There are always new experiences to have.

Mr Sparky asked me if I had any resolutions for 2016. I'm not really one for New Years resolutions, who keeps them anyway, but I do have hopes and wishes for the next year. 

I would like to share some of these hopes with you, some hopes for you and for me. 

May you laugh, cry and do everything in between. 

May you live your life by doing things you enjoy.

May you love and let those you love know they are loved.

May you work towards achieving hopes and dreams.

May you care for yourself just as you care for others.

May you enjoy the little moments, along with the big.
May you make memories.

 May you be open to whatever 2016 brings you.

Something I want to do in particular is look after myself better. I need that. That, however, is more of a lifetime commitment. Mr Sparky wants to clean our home (meaning sorting his electrical and tool bits and bobs out).

Here is a brief look at my 2015.
All the photos are linked back to their respective posts.
Looking back has made me realise how much I have seen and done this year even though the year seems to have sped by in the blink of an eye.

January

February

 

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

 

October

November

December

And just because I felt the need to make sure the Great Barrier Reef was in there to go with the rainforest, waterfalls, mountains and beaches.

And so with that, I wish you a Happy New Year. 

May it be filled with love and happiness and be all that you wish for.