Life's a Beach

Today we went to the beach--twice!  In the morning and after lunch and a break, returning to have dinner.  Our last day in Palm Cove.  We will not miss not having enough forks, having inadequate pots and pans, and no oven.  But we will miss the deck, the view, the beach, and the appliances (dishwasher, refrigerator, and washing machine/dryer).   Only having to walk down to the pool, through the lobby, and across the street has been wonderful!  We all enjoyed standing in the waves today.  The children wore t-shirts over their swimsuits and sunscreen to protect their sunburns.  When we returned from the beach the first time we came in to find beds with fresh sheets and clean towels (we have had no housekeeping because we are renting from the owners--not staying as a resort guest).  Then the head of housekeeping came and it turns out that she had the wrong date written down for our departure.  She was glad that her staff had done a mid-stay clean and not a final clean (in which case all of our belongings would have been removed!).   We were glad too!  The fresh sheets and towels are nice for our last night (though unnecessary).   For our last dinner, we had grilled chicken kebabs, pasta, and fresh fruit and vegies.

The fruit:  the mandarin oranges here are not as good as New Zealand's.  They are sweet and juicy, but the skin around each segment is thicker.   The pineapples are beyond wonderful!!!  The apples are good. We have not bought bananas because they are so expensive (even though they're grown just down the road and they say Grown in Australia).

The Aussies are much less worried about the environment than the Kiwis. In NZ, there were reminders everywhere about recycling, turning off lights, saving water, composting, etc, etc.  Even some of the hostels here in Oz don't even have recycling let along composting!   There were signs in the Outback about saving water, but that was because they don't have much!  And some isn't suitable for drinking.    Drinking water sites warned not to use the water for washing, and camping sites charged $3 for a shower--and it had to be quick.  In our condo, the showers have good pressure, plenty of water, and are nice and warm.  Not much worry here in the tropics about the water!  

Magnetic Island next.  We're not sure about cooking facilities, internet capabilities, or much of anything other than our ferry reservation.  Always a new adventure!