Wind 20 – 25 knts SE, Rain Squalls

Our remote control for the anchor winch had stopped working some days prior to arriving in Cairns, it could only be operated using the foot switch.  I rang round and found a lovely helpful fellow who agreed to come down to Ovive and take a look. He happened to be in the marina at the time and was just finishing another job for a mate. He informed me he was semi-retired and didn’t do a lot of work these days, so we really lucked it this time. He disconnected the remote and took it home with him to repair as the wires inside had corroded, I’m assuming from both salt and rainwater.

John had run out of decent shorts that fitted him so we strolled up to a shop named ‘A Fish named Fred’ in the marina complex where he purchased a couple of pairs of shorts. The price tags nearly knocked him over however they suit him.

At the end of our pontoon, we regularly walk past three prawn trawlers set up as eateries. The Prawn Stars are very popular day and night for tourists wanting fresh seafood. The visitors think the produce comes straight from the trawlers however it comes from the  fish markets just like everyone else’s seafood. Still it’s a unique way to enjoy a meal. The Pawn stars are very popular with the Asian visitors, especially those on tours.

That afternoon I pedalled the bike 4 blocks to Rustys market. Tucked between Grafton  and Sheridan Street in the heart of  City, its home to one of  Far North Queensland’s recognisable attractions.

Rusty’s Market is a fresh food lover’s delight. It’s been around since 1975 when it was made up of just 6 stalls. Since then, Rusty’s has grown considerably, these days it holds around 180 stalls.

You can find fruit and vegetable vendors, food stalls, juice bars, souvenirs, massage beds, bakers, pastries, cheese vendors and heaps more. I especially love looking and trying the tropical fruits we don’t get down south.

Meanwhile they are supporting an entire network of local farmers and businesses on the Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays they open.

For dinner that night we felt like Chinese so we pedalled several blocks away from the touristy area and found traditional  Peking style cuisine in the Golden Boat restaurant with maroon damask curtains and velvet chair coverings. We could tell they served good food as several tables were filled wih Chinese locals and visitors. We were right, the meal of dumplings; curried king prawns and scallops with ginger and shallots were cooked to perfection.