Kayaking, Kayaking and yet more Kayaking.......

 It's been a glorious week here at Palm Cove.  The wind has died down to a gently breeze and it is the perfect time to be out on the water.  We aren't the only ones to think that as we have watched jet skis, paddle-boarders, kayakers, canoeists and water skiers all enjoying the magnificent weather.  The only ones to put away their gear are the wind surfers!

Philip inflated our canoe some time ago and we have been waiting patiently for the wind to drop so that we can hit the water.  For our first trip in the kayak this week we did a slow paddle up and down the Palm Cove coastline as we didn't want to push ourselves too hard.  We knew that we wanted to do this on a fairly regular basis and you don't want to have burn-out on the first trip.

Honestly, to paddle along the coastline you would not know that there is a whole village beyond the trees. It is excellent town planning by the council to have kept so many beautiful trees along the foreshore.  As I go for my morning walk I am simply in awe of the centuries old Paperbarks that grace the area.  They truly are magnificent and need to be protected.  Having said that though, some of the trees are near their end and it is not uncommon for the trees to shed one of the larger limbs that could easily kill you if you were unfortunate enough to be under it.

Palm Cove playing "hidey" amongst the palm trees

But, getting back to the kayak, today we decided to circumnavigate Double Island.  The island was once home to an exclusive resort for the rich and famous but it was sold to a Chinese company some years ago and has sadly (apparently) fallen to "rack and shambles".  We were on the water by 6am and it was a perfect paddle to the island that is roughly 1.5km from Palm Cove.  There were lots of other kayakers who had the same idea as us and indeed there are lots of tour groups that visit the island on a daily basis.  

We paddled slowly around the island passing Stand-up Paddle-Boarders who we silently congratulated on the effort they put it!  We then passed fisherman fishing from their canoes and I'm sure they would have caught plenty because as we rounded the island, the water became incredibly clear and shallow and we could see lots of schools of fish swimming in and out of the giant seaweed and coral.  

We stopped paddling on the southern side of the island and just floated with the tide to observe what lay under us. It is truly spectacular and literally took my breath away.  I am not a water sign being a Virgo, but I just love being in and near the water.  I find it both calming and soothing. 

We were home again by 8.30 and tucked into a big feed of bacon and eggs.....perfect. Now we are just contemplating taking our beach lounges down to the waters edge to do a little reading, swimming and sun-baking.  Life is good.

xx Judi

Body Tune Ups......

That seems to have been the order for the last couple of weeks.  We have had many appointments Audiologist (Me), Optometrist & Orthopaedic Surgeon (Philip), Skin Checks (both of us). It's not good news regarding Philips knee, but not unexpected.  Early next year he will have a knee replacement.  The knee has not been kind to him in the past week so waiting for the operation over the next few months are going to be difficult.  

We still plan on driving south in December. It just means that I will now be doing a lot of the driving.  I am fairly confident towing the van as we shared towing the gooseneck horse trailer backwards and forwards to Julia Creek for many years and it is the same size as the caravan.

In between all the appointments we have been working with our interior designer on the renovation of the bathrooms.  We met with them yesterday and we have chosen most of the fit out but as we all realise, we are going to have a Plan A, B and possibly C because this is an old building and we just don't know what we are going to find once we start pulling everything apart.

Apart from all this busyness we have enjoyed a fair amount of eating out both with friends and without.  We tried the new Rattle'n'Hum with our friends and although the food is glorified "pub grub" it was still very delicious.  Most of the crowd chose the slider variety board and I chose the Calzone. Instead of ordering dessert we came back to our apartment where I force fed everyone some Chocolate Ginger Cake that I had made earlier in the week.  It wasn't my favourite cake but it was okay I guess.  We all sat around the table until the sun went down and, as always with these friends, it was fun and enjoyable.

This week we also ate out at the one and only Pier restaurant that was opened for lunch.  It is just devastating to see so many shops/restaurants closed in the complex.  Some I'm guessing will never re-open.  We have vowed to support as many of the local businesses as possible by shopping locally but it is difficult when so many are shut. Please Premier......open the goddamn borders and let us take our chances.

Another restaurant we tried this week was O'Donnells Irish Bar.  A friend at our Seniors Gym class had recommended it and we were somewhat underwhelmed.  Philips Seafood Chowder was delicious but my Grilled Barra Sliders had bones in the tiny little fillets.  I think our problem, if you can call it that, is that we like to eat out for lunch rather than dinner and the dinner menus are far superior to the lunch menus.

 

Home cooking is, and always will be, my great passion and I am so fortunate that I have a husband who will try anything.  An interesting meal I cooked this week was Honey and Lemongrass Chicken with Pear. Wow!  It was such an exciting flavour combination and a recipe that will have a repeat performance in my kitchen.  

I watch a lot of cooking shows and am inspired to cook the meals that the chef presents.  I made Justine Schofields Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs that were tasty but I do prefer another recipe that I have in my repertoire that is a much lighter version of Justines Sweet and Sour.  

I also made a very American Philly cheesesteak bowl rather than the typical sandwich.  This recipe came from my Hemochromotosis cookbook and it was a very interesting dish because you marinated the steak in coffee.  Coffee fends off the iron in the beef, so it is a good combination for my diet. 

My exercise regime is still on track although I definitely allow for downtime.  I am doing two yoga classes each week and nothing will stop me from going to those classes as I enjoy them so very much.  I go to Seniors Gym classes twice a week.  I don't love Gym but I know that I have to do weight bearing to build my bone density so it is a necessity.  I'm actually enjoying it a little more than when I first started classes, so perhaps in six months time I won't want to miss them (said with tongue in cheek). One class is a real "huffy puffy" aerobics workout and the other class is a lot more fun where we always end the class with Nutbush City Limits and the Macarena.  They are such fun dances and are actually a really good work-out!  I still manage to get a few walks in each week when we have nothing on.  My favourite walk is to Kewarra Beach.  It takes me around 80 minutes and it is for the most part a shaded walk.  My other walk is around Argentea housing estate.  I like to check out all the amazing gardens.  Up until this past week Philip and I have been doing beach walks but I think I will be doing them by myself until Philip has his knee replacement.

Well that's about it folks.  My next post will probably be from our apartment in Port Douglas where we will be for the month of November while our renovation takes place.  The Body Corp is also replacing all balcony tiles in all of the twelve apartments in November/December so there is going to be a lot of noise and dust for the next couple of months. It will be a good place to stay away from!

Judi xx