The Boulders

Almost at Cairns now, we stopped at 'The Bolders' which was a great place to cool your heals (Boy that water was cold!)

I'm getting out of step again as before rocking up there, we stopped off for a stroll along Mission Beach, which is a very beautiful beach!

We were expecting to see Yasi devistation as Mission beach was almost ground zero. but it was not too bad, just a few more trees mown off at half height than you would expect to see in a forest.

Any way... Back to the bolders, We drove up an found a site that the last people had left minutes before. You see, its a free camp site, and its first in, best dressed. For the rest of the afternoon, there was an intermittent stream of hopefuls doing the circuit, but to no avail.

It was in this place that we had our first encounter with Cassowaries. There was one that would wander through the campsite at breakfast and dinner almost like clockwork.

They are remarkably big birds ( ...as in Big Bird from Sesame Street) and when it looks you in the eye, you begin to think that its come to dine in (or take out)

Tanya had much mirth watching the blasted bird chase me around the camping ground as I tried to finish my toast each morning. Crazy blue headed birds!


There was also a Sunbird nest right opposite our tent (as shown in the photo - Yellow bird)
Now these are at the other end of the scale being only about as big as your thumb - but beautiful! The male has a blue breast, but we only saw him a couple of times and we didn't get a pic :(

Through the night there was a bandy coot that would fosic around our things (think somewhere between a rat and a wallaby) so the boulders had wildlife in spades!