ho hum..

...someone's gotta do it.

Have had a VERY lazy day, swimming in both of the pools (one fresh water and the other salt), reading in the shade, walking the Cove and dozing on a rattan swing chair on my verandah.

The original Reef House was built in 1958 by a Cairns bookie and rumour has it the very lovely pool was built by an indebted swimming pool builder who promised to build 'the best swimming pool in North Queensland' to pay off that debt.
The house was bought in 1970 by a Brigadier as a guest house, running the bar on an honesty system and that continues today with a chit to sign at the Brigadier's Bar. In the evening a punch bowl and tray of canapes is served at 5ish in a candle lit Twilight hour and the house/hotel has that wonderful airy feel of a Queenslander house with ceiling fans and verandahs, white shutters and louvre windows and gardens.
And what lush growth there is, hibiscus, spider lilies, palms and frangipani and I swear if you lie in the swinging chair for long enough you can watch it grow!!

Did manage a walk on the beach and while there were no yelling curlews to be heard or seen, there were parrots in the palm trees, very pink Europeans grilling under the sun, pippies (clams) popping out of the tide line sand as the waves shushed in and a huge thrill... a stingray, swimming in the shallows.
Very cool and I was tempted to wander in and get a closer look. Alas this is box jellyfish and irukandji season and sea water to be well avoided, however the ray was so close to shore I could see the barbed tail and the gentle undulations moving through the shallows.