Far North Queensland Day! ay!

On June 6 in 1858, Queen Victoria signed an Order-in-Council to create the new Australasian colony of "Queen's land". This date is now the official birthday of Queensland. Up here in the Far North, we like to think of ourselves as a separate identity. Our interpretation  is to make it a day to celebrate being a Far North Queenslander!

A true Far Northerner will:

1. add "ay" to the end of every sentence.
2. not use indicators at roundabouts.
3. think that "non-alcoholic" is a swear word.
4. prefer to dress in their formal gear; tank top, shorts and thongs.
5. know the best way to dispose of a cane toad.
6. wear a hawaiian shirts on tropical Fridays.
7. not be afraid of deadly animals.
8. bet on a cane toad race.
9. not believe in daylight savings.

Our back yard! Paronella park!

Paronella park is the dream of Spanish immigrant, Jose Paronella. In 1929 Jose purchased five hectares along Mena creek and started to build his pleasure gardens and reception centre. Over the years, he built a Spanish inspired castle with a great ballroom, grand staircase, tea rooms, swimming pool and a museum. It was a labour of love and also hard work as every brick is hand made. Jose also designed the surrounding rain forest gardens and planted the majestic kauri avenue.

The buildings have been ravaged by fire, flood and cyclones over the years but the ruins remain a beautiful relic of Jose's dream. Today, Paronella Park is a place of peace and beauty. The present owners are lovingly restoring the park and open it to the public as well provide day  & evening tours.

 Paronella Park is 120 kms south of Cairns. Follow the "old" Bruce Highway after Innisfail toward Mena Creek.  The park is open every day from 7am until 7.30 pm. There are camping grounds plus cabins to rent if you wish to make a weekend of it. Admission price includes a 2 year pass, all tours plus one free night camping. Adults $43 or a family pass for $120.

A splash of red!

                                                              

Red is the sunrise,

blood pulsing through life's veins.

Bright, brave and sassy.

Red is new love,

a valentine rose,

a delightful blush.

Red is chili,

salsa and sauce.

A gourmet of spice.

Red is fire,

danger and stop.

Ferociously ominous.

Red is the sunset,

ending of day.

The sailor's delight!

Our Backyard! Cooktown!

 Historic Cooktown is a small town based at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland. It was discovered by Captain James Cook when the HMS Endeavour hit a reef in 1770. It became a thriving port during the gold rush era in the late 1800s and is now a unique hamlet with a population of 2339.

As we have not been that far North this century, we decided that Easter was the perfect time to go on a road trip.There are two ways to get to Cooktown; coastal or inland road. If driving the more scenic coastal route, you will need a 4 wheel drive and about 5 1/2 hours. The inland road is bitumen all the way and is a cruising 4 hour drive up the Mulligan Hwy. We stayed at Milkwood lodge in a self contained, pole cabin in a  lovely, secluded spot which overlooks a rain forest canopy. (www.milkwoodlodge.com). 

There is never a shortage of activities in Cooktown. You can hike up Mount Cook, watch the sunset and the moon rise from Grassy Hill, cruise on the river, fish to your heart's content, bird watch and learn about history: just to name a few. If you have a 4 wheel drive it is well worth a visit to Archer's Point (20 km south of Cook). This gorgeous coastal hideaway is a fabulous place for a day picnic or a camping trip.

With the picturesque scenery and lay back lifestyle, we highly recommend a visit to Far Far North Queensland!

Nepal!

Never ending peace and love: Nepal!

As you must all be aware, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake devastated Nepal on April 26. This quake has killed over 5000 people and affected over 8 million. As Nepal is not a first world country, they do not possess the infrastructure to get up and start again without foreign aid. It is heart warming to see many countries coming to their rescue with both physical and financial assistance. We are gladden to hear that all our intrepid guides from our recent trip are safe but heart broken to think of the many locals and villagers whom we met, may have lost their lives, loved ones and livelihood.


 Every little cent is of benefit.


Here is a small list of charities, if you would like to help!

Friends of Himalayan Children:  www.f-hc.org
Intrepid foundation : www.theintrepidfoundation.org/projects/emergency-earthquake-appeal/

Disaster Emergency Committte : www.dec.org.uk

Planeterra : www.planeterra.org

Nameste.

Lest we forget!

Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.

Colonel Mustafa Kemal

 

Please take a moment this weekend to show respect for our brave men and women, who made the huge sacrifice for us. Lest we forget!

In the world kitchen! Good morning Vietnam!

We adore the freshness and explosion of flavours of Vietnamese cuisine.

This is a very quick version of the rice paper rolls. You can also add cooked chicken, beef, pork, lamb, tuna or salmon for a complete meal.

VEGETABLE RICE PAPER ROLLS

INGREDIENTS

  150g of pre made coleslaw mix 

• 75 g bean shoots- washed
• ¼ bunch fresh coriander – washed and roughly chopped
• 1 chopped spring onion
• 40g toasted peanuts- chopped
• Packet of rice paper sheets
• 
  

  Dipping Sauce

 1 tbs fish sauce

 1 tbs lemon juice

 1 tbs water

 1 tsp sugar

 1 small red chilli – sliced

METHOD

Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine roll ingredients in a large bowl.

Place a rice paper sheet on a plate and brush with a brush dipped in boiling water on both sides. Don’t make too wet.

Add a third of a cup of vegetable mix to the edge of the sheet and roll tightly tucking the ends in after the first roll.

Put on a plate and cover.

Serve with dipping sauce.