Its all about location location location

We left Wonga Beach this morning, heading north towards Palm Cove, 25 km from Cairns. There is a council-owned caravan park, operated by a private company, located just metres across the road from the water.
 
After passing Port Douglas, we continued south along the Captain Cook Highway. 

Rex Lookout is an ideal spot for hang-gliding and paragliding. On weekends, provided the winds are favourable, it's always delightful to sit and watch them glide above the mountain range behind the lookout. The beach below serves as their landing spot.

 

We first stayed at Palm Cove in the late 1980s, but have not returned since our last visit to Far North Queensland in 1998. Since then, the park has had a new amenities block and front office constructed, along with new water and power outlets at each site.

 

Unfortunately, nothing else has changed, with no facility to remove wastewater from caravan showers, which simply runs out across the road. There is very little grass, as most sites are covered in a mixture of sand and dirt. The majority of sites are not level, and there is only one bitumen road; the rest are dirt and gravel. When the wind blows—as it often does at the beach—everyone is covered in dust.

So why would anyone stay here when a powered site costs $50.00 per night? Well, Palm Cove itself has a charming atmosphere with many resorts, cafes, restaurants, and shops that cater for all budgets. There is a lovely beach just metres from the caravan park, perfect for swimming and sunbathing.
 
The esplanade along the beach is lined with a mix of coconut palms and the largest paperbark trees you are unlikely to see anywhere else.

We are situated on site 41, which is located along the back fence. Future plans include building a large camp kitchen in the centre of the park, where the barbecues are currently located.

 

Campers who come here to escape the winter cold down south are upset about recent changes. These visitors, who used to stay for months at a time and always book the same site, can no longer do so. They can still book in advance, but management will now assign them a site upon arrival.

 

This particular bird is a Bush Stone-curlew. If you have never heard their spine-tingling calls at night, then you're in for a shock. They kept us awake on and off during our stay here. 

We spent a few hours in Cairns during one of our excursions. 

 

The lagoon below provides year-round swimming access without the threat of stingers or crocodiles.

On our way back to Palm Cove, we stopped for a beer at Pacific Palms Country Club. I've played golf there twice, but unfortunately I didn't have my clubs with me this time. 

With the combination of a Labour Day long weekend and the forecast for Saturday, 3rd, and Sunday, 4th October, predicting 20 to 30 knot winds and rain, we chose to spend two extra days at Palm Cove instead of being on the road.
 
Unfortunately, we had to change sites and move from our powered site to one without power. We packed up in the falling rain and relocated to site 84, just inside the park entrance, with the rear of our van facing the esplanade. The predicted winds blustered all day, accompanied by intermittent showers.

We donned our Paddy Palin coats and headed down the esplanade, browsing the shops. Ros bought two 'tigerlily' dresses and I picked up a Palm Cove singlet. The rest of our day was spent reading, and we both had our first afternoon nap until it was time for our drinks.
 
Sunday's weather was quite similar to yesterday's, minus the rain. Maria and Paul, who have been here for ten weeks, invited us to lunch at the Ellis Beach pub. Sunday is oyster day, with oysters flown in from Coffin Bay in South Australia. You can have them either natural or flavoured. For my starter, I chose a dozen mixed oysters, with my favourites being ginger and mirin. A local band played until 4 pm.
 
Later that night, we watched part of the NRL grand final on a large screen set up at the caravan park. We watched most of the final here until the rain returned, and we had to go back to our van to see the rest. It was great to see the Cowboys win.