Cairns Fishing Charter Trip - April/May 2025

 Day Four - 21st April, 2025.

Alva Beach - Kurrimine Beach

Up new and early today, we've had 32mm of rain overnight 😮  Had a coffee and decided we didn't need to be hear any longer, too busy and too noisey.  Unfortunately sometimes when you get a large group of people staying together somewhere, they can sort of think they own the place and just do whatever they like, this was the case.

Barney the sticky beak

A bit of gossip for you all, last night on my way back from the showers, the police were talking with a couple of people in the breezeway at the amenities - no idea what about, but had to excuse myself to a very friendly police officer as I passed by due to the pathway going right past them.

On the road by 8.30am this morning, no breakfast we'll grab something along the way.  Today's destination is King Reef Resort and Caravan Park at Kurrimine Beach, which I booked about a month or so ago.  They have a bistro, so we might head there for lunch once we're set up.

The roads have finally gotten better between Townsville and Kurrimine Beach today.

The weather did not get any better though, overcast and drizzling all day.  Driving into Kurrimine Beach reminded us of driving into Poona or Boonooroo between Tin Can Bay and Maryborough on the Sandy Straits.  Quiet, quaint and small.  Found our way to the park and booked in.  The gentleman at reception was lovely, very friendly and happy to help.  He showed us to our site and explained that our site was long and we could stayed hooked up.  The site was long enough we could set up lengthways, with the back side of the van to the road and still have heaps of space around us - what a great site!

Headed off to the bistro after setting up for some lunch - we're starving!  Dog friendly on the veranda and grassed seating area, which both look out toward the ocean.  Must be the local pub and bistro for the town, because it was very busy.  A very relaxing and friendly atmosphere (well except for the family at the end that everyone had to squeeze past)  even though it is overcast, it's still a lovely outlook, it would be spectular on a fine and sunny day.

Lunch was absolutely delicious - Craig had Calamari, Salad and Chips and I had a Parmy (which there was enough to feed 2) and we partook in a drink or two, while enjoying the lovely outlook.  

Sorry,  he ate his calamari quickly 😄

With our bellies full and leftovers packed into a takeaway container, finished talking to some friendly locals and the dogs stopped smelling each others butts, we took Barney down to the beach for a run around on his long rope.    This is Barney's first beach experience and we can honestly say it was a overall huge successful for him.  He had a fat time, playing in the sand, running around, in and out of the water, saying hello to absolutely everyone and he was plum tuckered out afterwards.

After a nice relaxing afternoon and after such a big lunch, we just made squeak and bubble for dinner out of the leftover Parmy, chips and knackwurst sausage.  It's quite muggy, so we cleaned up, had showers and retreated inside the van in the Air Con and watched the Formula Ones.  The humidity, the roads and Barney are making us quite exhausted and testy each day, not how we have travelled on previous trips.  Barney has not travelled brilliantly thus far.  He's still whining and whinging, it gets very bad when it should be his nap time.  Eventually he sort of goes to sleep, it looks like we need to stop about every 2 hours and let him out for a wander and it's probably good for all of us.

Barney certainly travels completely different to Boris and we are all still getting used to it.

Cairns Fishing Charter Trip - April/May 2025

 Day Three - 20th April, 2025.

Brandybottle Caravan Park & Golf Course - Alva Beach

Lets just say this morning was a late rising for all concerned, we'll leave it at that shall we 😉  Coffee was notably required as soon as one arose to greet the world this morning, I would not say there was any elegant swaning as one arose from the caravan, rather a plea to Husband of "is my coffee ready yet my loving Husband" 😎  

Breakfast this morning, will not be consumed at camp prior to hitting the road. let me explain.....  back in 2004 on our first trip up to Cape York, we stayed at Carmila Beach overnight and stopped at the BP Servo in Carmila for fuel, where I grabbed a couple of Sausage Rolls for smoko or breakfast or just because they looked awesome!!  Anyways,  the memory of that delicious morsal that we ate back in 2004 has always stayed with us, SO, of course we had to partake in these little morsals once more since we were just down the road (🤞they are just as delicious). 

However, first things first - it bucketed down rain overnight and Craig left his tool bag out and the tray of the Hilux open, so we both jumped up (yep I know what you're thinking, ya just do it regardless of the amount of alcohol you have consumed 😵‍💫)  So inside the van looked like a tool shop, with tools and power tool batteries drying out for the remainder of the night.  We also dropped the corner of the awning so the water ran off and we did not suffer the same fate we did in Stanthorpe!  Mate it poured down and I did not see this coming on the radar.

After cleaning up all the tools and putting them back away in the usual spot, we got away around 10am this morning, then stopping the get fuel and the sauages rolls and pies (couldn't help myself) our arrival at Alva Beach is going to be a bit later then originally planned.  Decided due to it being school holidays still, it might be worth ringing and making sure we can get a site - all good.  Upon arriving at Alva Beach Caravan Park, we found out that there was a group of fishing people with Quad Bikes and ATV's (park owner rolling eyes and smiling, while saying they were leaving tomorrow),  if we had of been told that when I called we probably would have  gone somewhere else.

Got settled in our site, we've had rain while travelling today and it was still overcast and muggy.  Very thankful that we have Air Con in the van, had it running every night.  It was really busy with all the Quad Bikes and ATV's and people moving around, not the tranquil park we remembered from 2004, but it is Easter and we stayed off season in 2004.  We had an early dinner of fish tacos, cleaned up, showers and then retreated inside the van to the air con where it was much more pleasant, and watched the Formula One qualifying.   We were intending on taking Barney for a walk down to the beach, but with so much quad bike and ATV traffic, decided against it.  Barney's still not settling well moving every day

Alva Beach Caravan Park is a lovely little park, quanit with all the facilities and pet friendly.  Powered sites $45.00/night and unpowered $35.00/night.