Cairns (August 2015)

We will be staying in Cairns a bit longer now that work in Yarrabah is over. Jolmer needs to go to Brisbane to become an examiner for our GP college. A well set up campground will help me entertain the children while he is away. Luckily for us we find a spot at the Coconut resort. There are tennis courts, swimming pools –plural- and jumping pillows –also more than one- as well as midget golf, splash zone and plenty of roads to ride a push bike.

They organize free pancake breakfast on Thursdays and an open air movie on Fridays plus: we can order pizza from the on-site café. We do not need more than this. In fact we are doing well considering we are one adult short.

Apart from the outdoor movie Chicken Run, we also go to the cinema to see Disney’s ‘Inside Out’. A far-fetched story line, very abstract in fact but cleverly animated and executed. Not bad.

Jolmer decides the camping is such a option that he decides to stay there with the boys when Laura and I fly to Sydney for her three-day Dance Workshop!

What a lucky ducky she is. And me too, because I get to go with her. First thing we do when we arrive in the big city is taking a train to the city centre to buy a dance outfit, we need leotards, shoes, dance-pants and whatever else we fancy. I just worked, so we take the opportunity at Bloch to snatch our catch.

Then we check in at our favorite hotel on Pier One and get ready for the next day.

In short Laura is dancing till she drops and is having a blast. It is such a good way for her to reconnect with her passion to move. She no longer needs me there all day, so I go shopping. Sounds like I bought lots of clothes and other girly things, but actually I spend most time in the office section of Dymocks, because I love paper, note books, pencils, writing pads, wrapping paper, little gifts, cards, those sort of wonderful things.

Furthermore I am on a mission, together with Laura we set out to find a bed-linen shop to buy a present for Jolmer. Our twelve-and-a-half year wedding anniversary is coming up and I want a new set of luxurious bed sheets, so that is what I shall give him. Win-win. I enjoy spending time with Laura, she is a wonderful travel companion.

All good things come to an end, and flying back into Cairns is certainly not punishment either.

Jolmer “In the mean time”: I take the boys on a last ditch effort to catch mudcrabs and fish. 3 days in a row we go out in the mangroves that lie behind Cairns to catch the buggers as well as going out into the harbor itself to catch some fish. The boys are all having a go at steering the boat. I think before long I will only be a passenger on my own ship. It is starting to get very irritating that we again do not manage to catch anything size. There are lots of undersized crabs which in itself is a good sign I guess.

When Christel returns it is time to celebrate our 12.5 year wedding anniversary. We have decided to go out on a sailing charter for a day of snorkelling.Unfortunately the boat was booked for the wrong day and we where left standing at the harbor without a ride. Not to worry, our time will come…….  

12 years ago we bought a box of port and stored it in the whine cellar of my aunt and uncle. As our marriage matures, so does the port. We greatly enjoyed it now, surely it can only get better with time!

It is time to do some more work and now it is my turn. I am booked for 6 weeks at  Tully hospital after Christel did her stint in Yarrabah.