Blog 34. Cairns. Thurs 1/7/19. 15.14.10S 145.22.75E
Alcedo
David Batten
Thu 11 Jul 2019 01:02
Ship’s Boy making friends with a rock wallaby
The only possums, the Gliding Possums, that we could photograph on the night spotlight tour
The “green” Possum, seen on day 2 in the rain where we stopped for lunch at a tea plantation.
The Tree Kangaroo, also in the rain at the tea plantation which had a small belt of trees in which these are always to be seen
Jonathan’s 4 wheel drive also developed a puncture on the way to the plantation. As always, impossible to undo wheel nuts with the equipment provided. Luckily the plantation staff came to the rescue, with extra kit and muscle power.
Jonathan, grey hair and beard and the rescue party heading for the puncture. It is raining hard, so we stayed in the restaurant.
Happily the weather improved after lunch and we were able to see more birds on the way home, the last and best being the blue winged Kookaburra
Sadly, the light was fading and the photograph does not do it justice
Since then, the boat has been in pieces. First of all with a leak in the fresh water system, tracked down to a hole in the bladder in the accumulator, clearly an old one which has resulted in rust in the metal casing and a very small hole. After trying another type of accumulator which requires a different mounting, a replacement is on it’s way, arriving tomorrow afternoon. Next problem, a leak in the generator, which the Skipper and Bill are working on. Something to do with the water pump. We do have a spare but it is proving difficult to fit.
Skipper and Bill working on the generator
We very much hope the part for the accumulator arrives tomorrow, so we can fill up with fuel and re-start our journey north. We have already booked fuel twice and cancelled, so the man on the fuel dock has said not to book again until we are ready.
Alcedo
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