DAY 1: CAIRNS TO HORN ISLAND

A very early start because we were to be picked up at the caravan park gate at 6.25.  We were early (of course- we're always early).  This time, so were they, so we were well on the road before that time, ending up at the next pickup fifteen minutes early with nobody waiting, so the driver showed us the sights of Cairns CBD until closer to the given time for the next couple.  We passed by Harbour Lights, where Chris and I had enjoyed our degustation meal at Marina Paradiso, the brand new restaurant overlooking the marina which is owned by my niece Sarah and her husband Biagio.  They'd just received their long awaited liquor licence and were planning to officially open on the Monday, but Saturday was a practice night, to introduce the new staff to the menu, get them used to working together etc.  Sarah and Biagio live in the apartment block above the restaurant, and had invited their neighbours as well as a few other friends (and Auntie Val and Uncle Chris, who just happened to be in town at the right time.)  We had little bits of 16 courses, which all went down very well, with the help of some very nice wine.  Delicious.


Back to early Sunday morning.  We continued picking up the two other couples (as well and John and Marg, and ourselves) who were taking the flying to Horn Island option.  Later we'd meet up with the people who'd opted to go by ship.

                   Deplaning at Horn Island
We were surprised to be boarding a pink plane, but it flew the same as any other, landing at Horn Island a couple of hours later. As we circled Horn before landing, the flight attendants pointed out Thursday Island, just across the bay, and we could see many other small islands.  We could see why the airstrip isn't on Thursday- there isn't a level place to put it!  


Horn Island is not your dream tropical isle, far from it.  As far as we could gather, nobody was much interested in it at all until WW11, when the airstrip was built and an airforce base put up in the face of the advancing Japanese army.  The island was bombed a number of times, and people were killed.  Horn doesn't seem to have much more history than that.  We were taken on an island tour which showed us the old fortifications, which left us rather under-impressed.  I used to play in old gun emplacements in Stockton when I was a kid, and Chris has shown me others in Wangi and various places so these ruins were not exactly exciting to us.  The tour driver, of Chinese extraction, was named Liberty, and what an exuberant personality he has, which made the otherwise fairly ordinary tour interesting.  


We were staying at a "Resort", which brings up certain expectations, doesn't it?  Wrong.  It was an old 60's motel, really- had all the necessary bits and pieces, but a bit tired, not particularly attractive decor,  and a bit of a letdown.  On the plus side, it did have a lovely pool, and the food was plentiful.  There's also a free museum which belongs to the owners, Liberty's family. Lots of war photos and relics, but also some indigenous artefacts and history.  The items had handwritten notes and one amused me- a turtle shell was labelled "flat back turtle not so good eating and very smell." Apparently the green sea turtle is very good eating and presumably not smell.


It was hot, very hot.  Chris wanted a walk but he went by himself.  I made for the pool and had a lovely swim alone until joined by Faye and Bob, whom we'd met on the plane.  (The seating was jumbled and Faye was my companion- we were talking about exchanging email addresses by the time we landed). 


Later Chris returned and took a short dip before the four of us walked down to the jetty to see the sun set over Thursday Island.  The jetty was crowded with local people, young and old, fishing in an intriguing manner.


There are a number of holes let into the deck of the jetty.  Through these holes, people catch small fish they call "herrings" (though they're bigger than any herrings that come in tins). These fish are in enormous numbers under the wharf- a boatload of people went in there with a net and landed about 30 fish in seconds- then back out to deep water using the little fish for live bait.


 A few young boys and a couple of adults were fishing from the wharf but we didn't see anyone catch anything.  The tide was out and a kid caught a big mud crab using his hands and feet in knee deep water.  There are crocodiles in this water but the people didn't seem scared of them.  There are sharks too.

Sunset over Thursday Is., seen from Horn Is.
Dinner was pleasant enough but we all headed for bed early, after our early morning start.