Airlie Ayr …

Day 21: Friday 13 April (11.30pm, Airlie Beach)

Creeping, not flying?

Today has been a day for bugs! I woke up this morning to find a gecko in my coffee cup. Cute but he gave me a fright until I realised what he was. Walking with Lynette this morning we came across a Christmas Beetle, but he was about three times the size of ours at home. Tonight, Shelley and I have been surprised by a giant grasshopper crawling along the balcony which looked odd because he would have found it a lot easier to fly. And another kind of bug – my phone died a temporary death today as something got into its system and CPR won’t work till I get home. Fix was a quick trip to Woolies for a cheap version and back in touch with the world a few hours later to find that I’m an aunt again! Amazing how the world can change in a couple of hours!

A very tired Ray in his kitchen (with corned beef!!)

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited back to dinner with Ray and Colleen. Ray had been working all day, running the motel on his own while his wife is visiting her mum. He was still being run off his feet so Colleen and I jumped in to the kitchen to help him out and we were like pigs in mud - no offence intended to Colleen of course, but it was so much fun! We had dishes coming in to be washed and dishes going out to be eaten, piled high with sticky date puddings covered in cream and ice-cream and chocolate frogs. Corned beef with Idaho potatoes were just like Grandma used to cook and the conversation was easy and entertaining. Ray and this place are one of the real treasures of Ayr!

And so to tonight! Shelley and I thought we’d spend at least one weekend somewhere a bit special, so late this afternoon she drove over an hour from Bowen to pick me up, back to Bowen to collect her things, then another hour south to Airlie Beach for the weekend! We’ve already spent an hour in the spa, drunk a wine or two, eaten all sorts of things we’d given up in a post Christmas-ish diet and we’re definitely relaxed! Planning our day tomorrow and a cruise around the Whitsundays sounds just perfect …         … see what the morning brings!