Another warm night came to an end when the first light of a new day started to fill the morning sky. Chris walked over to the beach to take in the start of a new day; he was quickly back again to get his camera – apparently it was a dawn worth photographing. Two of the children from what we have dubbed “the crèche” (a nearby family of six, all children under school age) came onto the beach for a chat. The younger of the two was most proud that he was able to remove his shorts and nappy and do a wee in the sand. He was happy to point to the wet patch of sand and declare ownership of the damp patch to passersby as they headed onto the beach.
The campgrounds started waking up, with sounds of some people packing to head south while others rattled pots and pans preparing breakfast. Children were stirring and heading to the beach for a pre-breakfast play, while others restarted camp fires which had burnt down overnight. There’s seemingly nothing better than a camp fire when the dawn temperature is nudging 23C.
We watched the procession of people heading with clear, focused intentions towards the amenities block, only to have them eventually return at a more measured pace with plenty of time to say gidday. The white-lipped green tree frogs spotted by Wendy last night were still happily ensconced in the ladies’ amenities this morning, feasting on a ready supply of insects drawn to the lights in the early morning.
A spring clean was in order, with bed linen and a few clothes washed and dried. Chris also cleaned the headlight covers on the Prado, so light could permeate their dust-covered surface. He also cleaned the side mirrors and windows so they could provide a clearer view of what might be coming up from behind.
It’s paella night tonight and preparation will commence soon. It’s easy to take your time preparing meals when time is on your side up here.
We will need to place a few things in a day pack for our trip to Thursday Island (TI) departing Seisia tomorrow morning at 8:00am, returning later in the day at 4:00pm. We will need to set off for Seisia by 7:00am to get to the jetty on time. It proved to be an interesting trip last time and we are hoping for similar this time around.