NAVIGATING THE COVID MAZE. FEBRUARY 2020 - MARCH 2021

THE TIDE TURNS - FEBRUARY 2020 Blog 1

A new constant has permeated our consciousness, uncertainty. The viral winds blowing south from China have just begun to envelop the mainstream. The first of many impacts to come has arrived; No Chinese Tourists. We are heading, unaware, to a holiday destination which has just begun to feel the devastating impact of this new reality; Far North Queensland ( FNQ ). Our destination? Cairns.

                                                          Cairns skyline

The taxi driver's answer to my question was reinforced by our own observation as to how 'quiet' the city was. The question; How's things? The answer; Very quiet, no tourists! This was our first realisation as to how this 'thing' was going to impact on us all in so many different ways. There was still a presence of some overseas tourists, mainly, but not only, Japanese. Already a new normal but strange to us was manifesting itself on the streets of Cairns. Masks.

Another factor impacting on the quietness of the city for both visitors and locals was the weather. The week we were there witnessed record breaking high 30's to 40. Throw in 85% humidity and it's a potent mix. Luckily, believe it or not, our week in SA prior witnessed record mid 40's. The locals were bemused with our exclamations of it being nice coming to a cool change!

Be all that as it may, we made the most of exploring Cairns, Green Island, the coastal strip to Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge, and Kuranda scenic rail trip.

   Rusty's Markets

     Worth a visit

Foreshore bathing (no crocs or stingers)

🍺

RAN destroyer being escorted up Chinaman's Creek to HMAS Cairns Naval Base

Fogarty Park night lights

                                      Dusk on the Marina

                                                 

Kuranda Scenic Rail & Chair Lift Return

            Waiting at Freshwater Station for arrival of the train from Cairns

                                                                  On Time

                                                               

Some scenery from the train

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

More Scenery

                                                         Station Gardens

                                   Kuranda Village

                                                                 Hotel

                                                         More Markets!

                                                          Local Buskers

                                                            Old rail track seat

Boat trip on Barron River

                                                          Local inhabitants

Free ride

Chair Lift Return

Palm Cove, Port Douglas & Mossman Gorge

Palm Cove

Port Douglas

View along Coast from 

Port Douglas

Mossman Gorge

Green Island

                                               Our Boat from Cairns

                                                Green Island Terminal

                                                             School of fish

                                              Approaching Cairns 

Storm Clouds

 Storm clouds departing Cairns symbolise the Covid storm clouds awaiting us on our arrival back home.

Beijing-Nice-Singapore June-July 2019

NICE-A PHOTO EXPOSE

An interesting fact that I learn't about this city is of it being part of the Greek Empire for 500 years and known as Nike then occupied by the Italians until 1860 and known as Nizza then Nice from that time. The city literally has an architectural identity crisis of a positive nature and was obviously, and still is, the playground for the filthy rich achieved by ill gotten gains of the A-Z varieties but certainly not applying to the majority. 

Be that as it may, it is a beautiful city along one of the World's most stunning coastlines so let the pictures tell the story starting with a stereotypical view.

 Our Hotel, sitting room and entrance

And Nice is a city of jazz with the annual International Jazz Festival being made ready for mid July and there are 'jazz themes' and clubs to be found around the city and here is an example we came across in a park.

I prepared this blog post from our hotel room in Singapore arriving here yesterday afternoon. Having our first for the trip 'travel hickups' on this final leg but only minor in the big scheme of things and still should be home as planned. So until next time around here's farewell/goodbye from the countries we have had the good fortune to visit.

' GAOBIE, DOSVADANYA, AUFWEIDERSEHEN, ADIEU, CIAO, ARRIVEDERCI, AU REVIOR, PERPISAHAN.