We make a quick stop at The Tanks Arts Center in Cairns. Nothing is open but I still wander the ground a bit to check out four retied fuel tanks that have been converted to suites for the arts: a gallery, a performance venue, studios and art itself. Independent artists designed and created gates, sculptures and murals. The curator claims performance acoustics are phenomenal. I wonder?
Stop one for the day, Babinda Boulders. A creek that tumbles through a wild boulder strewn gorge. It is a lovely morning walk. Well, we actually stop at the Babinda bakery on our way. It is a small storefront right downtown with a bit of outdoor seating and every delicious treats: a peach blossom with cream and an apple turnover with blueberries. I can’t resist a loaf of fresh bread. It tastes just like freshly homemade.
It is raining so we keep moving with just one more stop at the Coles grocery in Ingham. Wo, we are astounded to see that the shelves are really picked over. Looks like folks are doing a bit of panic buying here over the virus scare.
Tonight, we wander a bit off path to Etty Bay where the Cassowaries make regular appearances. One greets us on the way in and another is sitting guard near the check in. We even get to see one run when a couple vie for the best spot around camp. What a strut! We see a giant Cassowary poop, freshly made. Wow, no wonder the seeds they poop out nearly always grow. Through the evening the birds wander around sometimes quite close but never threatening. When I see those giant feet and toenails, I give them plenty of space!
We get our first look at the stinger nets we keep hearing about at Australian beaches. They use a cable and winch mechanism to manage a weighted net suspended on buoys to filter out the floating stingers/jellyfish. A number of people go swimming but we just watch the waves. It is pretty rough tonight.