We are only half way into the month but boy we have been very busy socialising. Lots of great food at some favourite (and new) restaurants has been the highlight so far this month. Our first outing was at an old favourite - C'est Bon. It just never fails to please. Philip and I shared both entree (duck liver pate) and dessert (creme brûlée) and both chose the duck dishes. I went for the confit duck leg and Philip chose the roasted duck.
Every few weeks my friends and I go for coffee at different cafes on the northern beaches. Ellis Beach is a favourite but this month we tried the Trinity Beach Tavern. I must admit that I am not a coffee connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination but I do enjoy a nice strong Macchiato. Kate and I laughed at the absurdity of our different size coffee mugs…..
I have been dabbling again with sourdough (god help me!) but I think I have finally found the perfect no fuss recipe courtesy of a cookbook - Miss Chardy's Baking. She is a station cook (that I can relate to) and she certainly doesn't have time for mucking around in the kitchen so her recipes are fail safe. I have also been making sourdough biscuits that I am still perfecting. Tuscan Seasoning seems to be the answer to these savoury morsels.
A couple of weeks ago we loaded up the Winnebago and headed to Tinaroo Dam for a few days. It is not a long journey and we were there in time for lunch. We decided to stay at the Caravan Park as it is still warm and airconditioning is a necessity in this weather. Other choices at Tinaroo at one of the numerous campsites that give you a lot of privacy but don't offer water or electricity.
They say a change is as good as a holiday and good for the soul. It really was a lovely relaxing time for us. We took the inflatable kayak with us as we thought we would do a spot of paddling but unfortunately the floor was full of holes. We are now debating as to whether to buy a new floor (around $500) or just consider our kayaking days are over. Still deciding!
There are some great walks around Tinaroo village and I think we walked most of them. The views of the dam are spectacular and of course it helped to have gorgeous sunny skies!
The sun didn't last long when we arrived home from Tinaroo with the wet season once again setting in. But I never complain about the rain, in fact I love rainy days. It might throw some plans into chaos but you just have to go with the flow when it comes to weather.
Early in the week we, along with our friends, booked tickets for Frankland Island, for Sunday departure. On Saturday we knew the weather was going to be bleak but we decided to forge ahead with our plans. Was it a good idea, probably not, but the day ended up being much more enjoyable than we anticipated. Activities for the day included snorkelling, glass bottom boat, kayaking, SUP and nature walks. Philip did the glass bottom boat but with the weather being so miserable the fish had disappeared presumably to deeper water. No turtles either. Snorkelling was not on the agenda for any of us after Philips review of the glass bottom boat. We did all decide to do the island nature walk but Kate and I turned around and went back to the camp after ten minutes. The wind and rain was blowing us backward!
I think I would like to return to the island in whale season when, according to the staff members, the whales come in quite close to the island and a bonus would be not having to wear the (very unattractive) stinger suits.
On a plus, the meal that was provided was very good and the staff (so many staff!) are incredibly helpful and very safety conscious.
The last thing I want to mention is Friday nights Crab Chaos at NuNu Restaurant right here in Palm Cove. I LOVE shell fish and the menu was, as always, outstanding. I made an absolute pig of myself with the chilli crab. There is only one way to eat crab and that is with your hands. Just dig in and forget about the messy hands. Our table was absolutely disgusting after the meal but as it was a paper tablecloth (for that reason) they were quickly taken away leaving us with a clean area.
Well that's a wrap my friends. I hope wherever you are you enjoying goods times and living the dream.
