Cow Bay Stories

Helga, the amethestyne python

2012-01-18T21:03:00.000-08:00

Hi,
we have a new resident next to the path at the house, turning up mid morning to excite guests as they leave for their daily adventure here in the Daintree Rainforest or taking the luggage to the car.
One guest named it/her/him??? Helga the other day. Providing great photo opportunities as Helga just seems to lay around on a cover of palm fronds. Not even sunning itself.
We have enjoyed fabulous weather for January, even cool at night time and blue sky and calm seas. The creeks are just perfect, clear and running over stones, but watch out...the water can be cool.
Here at the B&B we have had great guests this month, and they all loved their 'we t' season visit up in the north, because it is less crowded than down south.
The sun bird babies on the deck have taken off into the wild.
The other birds are more or less noisy, feeding on different trees during the day or early in the mornings, with the sulfur crested cockatoos making most of the racket and performing aerial acrobatics over the big garden next door.
And have a look at this hibiscus. My favourite this year.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone and all the Best for 2012 !!!
We are recovering from the festivities, it is Boxing Day here. Brian finally can watch the Boxing Day cricket match again, here at home, we switched TV satellites.....And India has already done 2 batsmen, meaning: a not so good start for the Australians./ but any thing can happen during a test match.
We had a great day on the beach here in Cow Bay. Very few people, calm, flat sea, a breeze,swimming,walking, some company and a very relaxed time . My idea of Christmas.
Now we'll see what is happening until New Years Day, when we are looking forward to guest arrivals.
Go to go, the hammock is ............
M

our spot ....

Now..!!!!!..November

2011-11-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Tropics !!!
.. there should be a sign for this, somewhere around here.......
It is so very tropical this month:
blue skies, white clouds, some big storms, little rain, good breeze, sometimes very gusty, all the plants are seemingly bursting with greens and then the flowers....!!
For the alst week there seems to be a different scent in the air every day
, this is during the day often more intense at night time.
The air is warm, to touch ???? and it feels very strong and powerful and happy.
Being here.
The Daintree is just so vibrant right nowwww !!!
The photo was taken from a guest in this area. ...leave only foot prints..
Marion

Wowwwwwww

2011-10-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

Hi, there,
here I am writing away more or less often, always thinking who is reading this and is anyone.
Well, I just got to click on the stast of this blog courtesy of 'blogger', and there are quiet a number of people out there reading this,
from all over the world.
This is great!!, Thanks and do write a comment everyone in a while.
Love to read that.
Happy reading.
Marion

Win, win,win

2011-10-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

Hi,
here is the link for Germans to win a trip to Australia, or just take the hint and book really good fares right now
http://www.australia.com/campaigns/nothinglikeaustralia/de/qantas/
After a long dry spell we had some serious rain last week, with the Bloomfiled River crossing closed for a couple of days; always check your trip ahead when you are planning a 4WD trip.
Guests did have a great time doing a 1/2 day trip to just look at all the rivers running high, very amazing.
Good news: all the waterfalls are running nicely, so is our creek here at the B&B, and very inviting for a swim.
Only a quick update today.
Have a great day.

How is this for a beach???

Marion

Spring !!!!!

2011-09-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hi there!!
Have we been busy in the B&B?.. yes very !! And thank you to all the lovely guests from all over the world and of course Australia and good friends from Perth, who kept us busy during our season here in the Daintree. After I injured my thumb in July, Brian jumped in and helped with breakfast and making beds; I don't think it is his next career move, but I can defintely recommend him. We had fabulous WWOOfers as well and enjoyed their company and help: Hi to the girls in Melbourne !!!
Now for the fun part
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndnUTM57iqg
Let me know what you think...
And have a fabulous day.
See ya...Marion

New Sign!!!!

2011-06-23T00:11:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon!
Before it becomes really busy here in the Daintree with visitors, I had better put up these photos.

Anneka was a great WWOOFer here and is heading back home to start a new fabulous job later in the year.
Our new street sign was well overdue seeing the termites had nearly chewed up the old one. SO this what you see when you arrive here at Cow Bay Homestay B&B. I hope you like it!!

And the Cassowary plums next to the guest room on the west side of the huse, look like Eastereggs, or like someone had neatly arranged them on the lawn. There seem to be lot around this year, good for the Cassowaries. One can see them in numerous areas and also on our boundary walk. The boundary walk is ready for use again, after we cleared a lot of debris the other day, mainly mazes of wat a while and other vines. I took guests around the other day and it takes ca 20 minutes. It is a lovely way to walk through this ohterwise very dense rainforest.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this.

Have a great day, and keep warm.

Marion

COLD nights --- Fabulous days

2011-06-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

Good Day!
Well... it is COLD at night, very cold, freezing, unbelievably cool, --we are talking 10 degree and below!!--and I am pleased to discover that I do have a good selection of socks. Certainly all come handy this winter. For several weeks now, we have had very cold nights, where one needs to wear more than one jumper.
The days however are staunningly beautiful. Clear and sunny.
We have lovely guests, fantastic WWOOFers and today we will have a BBQ at the beach, I am looking forward to that.
The gardens are nearly all pruned back and mulched, and our new street sign will be put up tomorrow. So stand by for the photo!!!!
There are still some spots in the B&B calendar open for bookings, so get online and book your flight, and see the delightful Daintree for yourself.
Visitors in the driveway, Have to go!!
Marion

Magic May

2011-05-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hi,
May is here, the weater has been fantastically magic, cool, sun,wind, stars and the doonas are aired and fluffed up on the beds. We are painting the laundry before the new floor covering is installed and Brian does the veranda deck. Today a little drizzle of rain but still low humidity, so paint dries nicely.
Mothers day today and someone' birthday yesterday, and lots of lovely greetings to everyone reading this blog from Cow Bay Homestay B&Bright in the Daintree Rainforest and up the road from the Great Barrier Reef.
This is the place to be; come to see for yourself.
Next week is the big official openeing of Cooper Creek Crossing
this is the link to its face book page, check out all the outrages photos
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_216957021650816&id=217363478276837
Marion

Green Guest!!!!!

2011-04-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

Hi,
wow what fabulous weather we have had over Easter. Cow Bay Beach was practically crowded. A bit of a shock to us locals to see so many people at once....
Here is a new guest at Cow Bay Homestay B&B:

a white lipped green tree frog.

He appeared yesterday under the breakfast table. he seems to be there all day and guests spotted him going out last night. Back this morning.

We also see a pair of Cassowaries in the afternoon strolling through the garden. The big female may be Brian's 'friend' from last year.

Butterflies are still everywhere and busy.

To the weather:

it is perfect: sunny- windy- dry- pleasant

Well.....you all have a fantastic day

Marion

Easter Surprise

2011-04-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

Hi and Happy Easter to all!!!.
here in the Daintree we had a big surprise: no fees on the Daintree River Ferry until 2.May YEah!!!!!
This may bring lots more day trippers over the river from Cainrs and surrounding areas and we'll see how busy our roads will be.
For us here at the B&B it won't make such a difference, as our guests have booked before they get into the area.
Lovely guests we have had last week who all had the best weather, sometimes I think our B&B guests do provide is with a break, even during this WET wet season, whenever we had guests the weather actually was good. So, thank you!!
Apparently the reef is fantastic right now, with good visibilty and 4 different typs of turtles being spotted. How good is that?
Cairns Birdwing butterflies are the hit this season. They quiet often have one female with a following of up to six males making the rounds of the pagoda plants and bangkok roses. Is that called a 'flock' of butterflies then??They seem a bit smaller this year, but they make up in numbers.
Right now the pool in our creek flows just enough so one can swim on the spot for hours. It is really good fun, and I do practice my breast stroke.
And how are all the sightings of Cassowaries recently? We had two big birds strolling around next to the Garden House 2 weeks ago. Impressive!!!
Right...things to do and a Sunday to enjoy.
Thinking about my time in Germay last year. We had a great party in Brackel with friends and family and an Easter egg hunt in the garden. Remember, Maria?
Have a wonderful Easter
Marion

Sun and Fun

2011-03-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hello there.
Sun-- blue sky --and a fun --watch this 'you tube' video
http://www.youtube.com/user/CairnsGBR#p/u/6/S4edClDnWos
Marion

The Daintree RAIN Forest

2011-02-25T20:55:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon,
last night I wrote down some points to write in this blog: all about RAIN !!!!!
It rains, there are buckets of rain , big buckets, making a pelting noise on the roof. Can't talk,can't listen to radio or watch TV. Sitting on the veranda I see glistening strings of water falling off the roof; one hour later it eases for 30 seconds; can it go any heavier? and then it does. Frog and insect noises are very sharp in between the noise of the downpour. Going to turn off the generator with the big umbrella and torch, the ground is flooded, small streams where garden paths are; the creek will be up, it came up to the first step yesterday. We had ca 170mm of rain yesterday, not that much by comparison, but enough. The ground is saturated. During the breaks all the water drains away, making everything look swept clean.
Planted some bamboo 3 days ago, this is perfect weather for it to settle in.
The most recent guest here at Cow Bay Homestay B&B had 4 days of perfect weather. It changes that quickly.
Plan to go to the beach later on, with the umbrella!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marion

Cyclone Yasi

2011-02-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

Hi,
after an anxious night, lots of preparation work 2 days before I am VERY HAPPY to report that Cairns and north to Daintree and Cape Tribualtion has been spared any damage from this very big Cyclone Yaris.
All our best wishes to all the areas affected, I hope you will stay safe and dry and receive lots of help cleaning up and rebuilding.
Marion

Queensland on You Tube

2011-01-28T22:59:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon,
here is a treat
http://www.youtube.com/Queensland
This is one very action packed link with great shots and all on Queensland.
Make sure you look at the Far North Queensland videos, either to confirm that your booking here at Cow Bay Homestay B&B is a great choice or to have a little holiday at your desk.
Just keep in mind, the real thing is far better.
Enjoy.
Marion

Happy 2011

2011-01-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all readers!
Here at Cow Bay Homestay B&B we were a bit busy, hot and merry over November and December and had lots of rain and sunshine. We enjoyed guests from different corners of the country and the world.
Most importantly we didn't get flooded like lots of areas of South Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and even Tasmania. We do have a lot of rather heavy storms this year with bif lightning and thunders and heavy rain, but the country here can handle the amounts without flooding.
Big local news is the upgrade of Cooper Creek causeway, which took some time to complete as we had lots of rain during the last winter; but now everyone can safely drive north to Cape Tribulation in any 'normal' car. This is really a big improvement to travellers and locals. Our Daintree Marketing Cooperative is planning a big 'Causeway Opening Party' this year; to join the party: stay tuned to this Blog or check the website
http://www.destinationdaintree.com/
We had the photographer in and you can have a sneak look at the new photos for the website.
Well...........stay dry, warm and happy and enjoy what ever you are doing.
Marion

Nearly November

2010-10-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

Good Morning to all the readers!
Well. we have a lovely Sunday morning here in Cow Bay today: it is cool, sunny and breezy. My plan is to finish the mowing today. We do have a bit of a bigger lawn than the usual house and I like to collect the clippings for mulch, that is my excuse not buying a ride- on- mower. But it takes time. Cow Bay Homestay B&B has been busy again with lovely and interesting guests, who all seem to have liked their stay with us and the Daintree experience. There have been very VERY rainy days during the last 3 months, but right now we have great weather and I will go to the beach today! In the last blog entry I was expecting vegetables crops; cucumbers were good, but the tomatoes do ---nothing much. Is it too wet, not sunny enough? Maybe the seeds were no good. Hm.On the other hand the basil bushes are rather frightening in their growth...
With the sunny weather we also see more lace monitors or goannas and a skink has taken up residence under the big tree at the front steps, making quiet a bit of noise in the dry leaf litter. As usual the air is full of bird and insect noises ans it is very relaxing just listening to it all.
Got to do the jobs though...
A great to everyone reading this.
http://www.cowbayhomestay.com/

August News

2010-08-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hi to all the lovely reader of our blog!
Wow !!what a busy July is has been. We enjoyed great and interesting guests, who all seemed to love their holiday up here in the Daintree and even though the weather was not 100%, but what is a little rain in this rainforest?
I attach a photo one of our guests took, who said the website photos are not as good as what he found. Thank you for the great photo and I hope it will show what it is like in our house.
One problem having nice photos is: the house and gardens change all the time. Not just by myself rearranging furniture but also outside with bushes growing, flowering and new plants going in.
Here is a funny one:
Sitting on the back steps this morning chatting to a friend on the tablelands, a Kookabarra flew right over from the poinciana tree. sailed past my knee !!, seem to hit the lower part of the mandarin tree, dropped to the ground and took off back to the poinciana tree. This is all flying less than 500mm off the ground! And what eye sight!!!.
It was really good though to sit there with him sailing past ;I could have touched his wings.
Well, that is it for now, very briefly.

Have to plant all the vegetable seedlings, which did take despite the overcast weather.Looking forward to tomatoes, cucumber, melons and pumpkin, also bok choy and rocket.
Have a great day, where ever you read this.
Marion

Back Home in Cow Bay

2010-06-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

HI everyone!
Well it has been a 'bit' busy here after my return from Germany. I sort of just coming up for air after doing a lot of cleaning, gardening and painting. We had some great help from WWOOFers of different nationalities. We also had the first guests for the season and I feel we sort of test driven the new arrangements. We pruned back all the gardens around the house and fertilised and mulched, so the winter flowers should do their thing in due course. Initially we still had some rain and the ground was still very soft, but accept for a little rain the other day it is DRY. We even had some great sunny days, but I still haven't been to the beach for some serious sunbathing. Now that things are a bit more sorted and the big jobs are out of the way, I hope to catch up on that soon. A real great event happed though, Rolli a local painter in Cow Bay has given us some of his paintings to hang in the guest rooms, which can be bought by anyone interested. I am very excited about this and hope he will attract some buyers this way. I have a day off paid work today and better get going. Wishing all a great winter/summer- the Europeans certainly have earned their share of sunshine-

Marion

Flying back

2010-04-25T00:07:00.000-07:00

Guten Morgen !!!!
On my last Sunday morning here in Brackel, the sun is out, the sky is deep blue and another cold night will turn into a sunny day. Still, I can do without the really cold nights. Thanks to friends and family I enjoyed lots of outings and sight seeing, walks in forrests and parks. All very different from Cow Bay, and great fun.
This is a small area in Westfalen Park with great sculptues and plants to match.

I think I put on a bit of weight and blame it all on the pastries, cakes and sitting around having great chats and soaking up the sun. I may be able to just get the smell of elder in my nose today; the flowering is a bit patchy still, depending on protection from the wind.
Now I am looking forward to going home to Cow Bay!
We were very fortunate to have two articles in the Dortmund news papers.
http://www.westline.de/lokales/dortmund/nachrichten/ln/Marion-Esser-lebt-in-Australien;art1787,117040
http://www.derwesten.de/staedte/dortmund/Leben-am-anderen-Ende-der-Welt-id2871207.html

Photos from Germany

2010-04-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

Cow Bay has been practically under water after very steady rains since my departure to Germany last month, Brian has experienced unwanted cassowary visits on our veranda and he had plenty of other excitements. Meanhwile I had a bit of a time getting used to rather chilly weather, have lots of fun wearing layers upon layers of clothes, called the 'onion look", and have enjoyed lots of visits from and with friends and relatives. Here are a couple of photos. The best thing are the daily baked pastries....YUM
Enjoy
Marion

3.time lucky?

2010-03-09T23:14:00.000-08:00

Hi there,
after more than a week of sunny but hot days we are having another non stop rain day today, good for the garden I say, as it did get a bit dry. It is like that here, the soil does not hold the moisture well, lots of mulching is a good way to protect plants from drying out too quickly.
3. time lucky? Yes, well, this is my 3. attempt to write and especially have the picture of our new comfy chairs on record.

Hoorya it worked.

I am busy now preparing for my trip to Germany in less than 2 weeks an hope it will be interesting catching up with a number of travel agents, all aussie specialists, to find out more on the current trends for the next year or so. I sure hope the german broshure will help to show them where Cow Bay Hoemstay is and what we have on offer. Well that's it for now. Have a great day. Marion

Solar Eclipse 2012

2010-02-14T23:21:00.000-08:00

Hello!
enquiries are coming in for this very special event on 13th November 2012. Cow Bay Homestay B&B is apparently a very good venue to see this total solar eclipse. Here are links to some sites, which give good information and tips.
Don't hesitate to book soon. Hopefully we will have good weather, which is usually the case that time of the year. Plus there is the Marathon!!

http://www.tourismportdouglas.com.au/Solar-Eclipse-Marathon-Port-Douglas-20.3299.0.htm
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~jander/tot2012/tse12intro.htm

Hot& sticky, the Wet is here!!

2010-02-14T23:10:00.000-08:00

Hello,
yep, the wet is here! It doesn't rain so much but the humidity is enough to feel hot and sticky all day long, even just sitting at my desk here. Good thing I can jump into the swimming hole in the creek any time, and ...I do. Just Bliss!! SO cold!! We had some great thunder storms recently, and on Friday night lightning damaged the telephon exchange, with the result that we still don't have a phone right now. Not to worry, I still have the internet and life up here in the Daintree Rainforest is slow this time of the year anyway. We still have some lovely guest arriving though, but even they take it easy. And that is all one can do really.

I am looking forward to my trip to Germany at the end of March; I just hope the weather there is a little milder than it is now!!!
AND: It is now official we have a new decor in the 2. bedroom, called Queen Room ( sleeps 2), when you book. Hope you enjoy the photo and even get to stay in it.
Have a great February.
Marion

more visitors

2009-12-26T16:40:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year for 2010!
We had more visits from the Cassowary and his chick, -here he walks across the front path of the house-much to the delight of our B&B guests and ours as well. The mangoes are nearly finished and we probably won't see him then for a while. We also had an inflight accident by a beautiful white tailed kingfisher. Birds can crash into our high windows,-a good reason not to clean them too well-, that is when Marion springs into action with Bachs rescue remedy and the birds, which are stunned and groggy respond very well to this. This little fellow took a bit more time, enough to have a photo taken. Then he took off into the forrest again.
I wish everyone a great new year, where all the dreams and wishes come

Best wishes from Marion

Cow Bay Cassowary and chick

2009-12-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

Hello,

well, with all the mangoes we had off our old trees at the creek bank this year,we found ourselves close up and personal with a cassowary and his chick for most of this week. He arrives midmorning, always very sudden and feeds on mangos, which have fallen in the last 24 hours, with the little chick, stripes and all ,running around him. When we don't watch him he is very relaxed, but seems to notice 4 humans staring at him in amazement. The photos are courtesy of http://www.danielchinphotography.com/. Daniel and his lovely wife Jeannie stayed at the B&B and Daniel took the photos. What thrill for all of us.

New Bridge

2009-11-10T18:58:00.000-08:00

Hello,

yes!!!!!!!!!! it finally all happened, and on the 30th of October the last lot of concrete was poured to finish the bridge repair.We will be able to listen to rain now without worry and even though we have repaired it, it is a lot more solid than the old bridge, which was 20 years old and had mainly dirt and tree trunks in it. All we need now is some heavy rain to clean it all up and refresh the pools. Can't wait. The Mango trees along the creek have a great lot of Mangoes on it, which we collect, but a drop from 40 meters is a bit hard on the ripe fruit. Durian is the other fruit we are eating a lot of now, thanks to donations from 2 friends in the area. And Mangosteen our other favourite is just perfect this year. The fruit salads are just heaven right now. We finally had a bit of rain and 'schwuppdiwupp'.. all the brown lawn and tired plants are back! It is very beautiful right now and still not too humid.

Spring!!!!!

2009-09-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hi to Spring!!
Yes, here we are in Cow Bay with more glorious weather, the best winter weather we have had here for years. With lots of great, interesting and fantastic guests during August, who all had perfect conditions to enjoy their numerous activities. Sitting in my lovely office listening to the birds chortling away outside, I had better get out there and enjoy it myself. So, any one reading this,who still has any doubts about coming to the Daintree Coast? just get your booking in, bags packed and get here! It is just perfect. Happy Spring to you all. Marion

Nearly there

2009-07-19T20:59:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone reading these stories from Cow Bay!
Nearly there, I think, nearly where????? Nearly at Christmas, I know !!! it is early but it seems nearly there. The repairs of our bridge are not done yet either, but we are nearly there!!. Guests are arriving next week and I am nearly there to welcome them. Meanwhile we have to driest June and July in years, and it is just picture book stuff out there in the Daintree Rainforest and on the Great Barrier Reef ...THERE!!! So, if you are on the way here, you MUST be nearly there!!!
Just in a jolly mood, and who wouldn't be looking out of my office window.
Have a great day......Marion

May Rain

2009-05-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

G'day!
Nearly half way through May, which means the wet season is finished, and now it doesn't stop raining. However, the wish for cooler weather has been granted and now we are in the woolen socks and cardigan time of the year. Hm, very cozy!! Good news: the middle section of the house has been sanded and recoated and looks fabulous. I love the colour and marking of the Turpentine Pine floors. Beautiful. Work is progressing in other area except the bridge.
Don't get me started, maddening business for a B&B.
Well, we can only hope that the repairs are done sooooooonest, and make more phone calls....
Until next time.

Cow Bay --The Name

2009-04-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

G'day !!
Right we are in April and seeing the weather is always topical, we did have cool days and nights before Easter, and since then it is very HOT and HUMID, and we are all waiting for the cooler days to come.
In the Mossman library the other day, looking for suitable books to read in the heat of the day,I came across a reference book, " Behind the name" by John Walters, 3/ 2006.
Mr Walters has researched numerous place names of the region and put it together very clearly and concise. On page 14, I found Cow Bay:
" Cow Bay is so named because William ( Bill) Smith, ( incididentally after whom Smithfield was named), pastured some cattle near there, whilst he was a Hotelkeeper and Packer in Cooktown around 1874. His cattle were known to wander down to the Bay and were often spotted by passing Mariners, who gave the area its unusual name."

March ? 2009

2009-02-20T19:38:00.000-08:00

Good Day!
i wish it is March!!!! Not long to go, and hopefully the sweaty/ wet season is over. As much as the vibrancy of a good wet is just amazing, it is also quiet enough sweating by now!!
And what a wet we have had! 4 weeks ago it rained rather hard, long and heavy and the result was a big wash out on our bridge, which is the only access to the property. Scary!! The creek actually rose so high that it went over the bridge and the force of all that water washed nearly 1 meter of the bridge surface away and exposed the pipe underneath considerably. We can still drive over it though, after some work to holes etc. However the repair has to be done and hopefully soon. We were not the only people having flood damage after that night. Fortunately we did not have any more heavy rains after that night, however aeas south and west of us had lots of rain and much more flood damage for extended periods. Meanwhile the south of Australia, Victoria and New South Wales had devastating bush fires going on at the same time. This continent can be very extreme.
Now we are hoping for a drop in humidity and an increase in human activity as a result. All that rain, sun and heat make for a great recipe for explosive plant growth, in particular to lawns and weeds. I think some of the weeds grow more than 300mm in 2 weeks. Impressive.
Right. I had better get a plan of attack drawn up to get started on it or we will find ourselves in a wilderness of the kind we are not appreciating.
Hope all the readers will have a great 2009

Hot Hot Hot

2008-12-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Yes, it is HOT HOT HOT!!!

But the creek is my retreat! Last week my friend and I cleaned some of the upstream pools of branches and leaves making it easier to sit on rock ledges with a cool drink and soak in clear pools with cold cold water. It bring the body temperature right down to the point of goose bumps-marvellous!!

We had a bit of wind the last two days and even rain and that brings a cool break.

Our guests are enjoying the hot steamy tropics, taking plenty of siestas and reading books and 'chilling' out.

The B&B is closed for Christmas and for any bookings just click on this link

http://www.cowbayhomestay.com/

Enjoy your December and Christmas break and celebrate the NEW YEAR!!

Marion

Cow Bay Oktober News

2008-10-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Good Day!!
and here we are at the end of October and things are going well! The garden is booming away, the latest guests were able to sample Mulberries and Jaboticaba, picked minutes before breakfast!! We had good rains and didn't have to water much and vegetables and flowers are doing very well. Even the pagoda plants are in flower and I am waiting for the Cairns Birdwing Butterflies to come around and sample. The sunbirds are very busy building nests all over.
Brian has been on his much anticipated 8 day gamefishing trip. The boats went right north to the Papuan Passage and then made their way down along the outer reef back to Cow Bay. They had good weather, loads of laughs and even some fish to keep. It seem Christmas is not far away, and I will plan a big dinner this year, making full use of our brand new oven. Hm... bring out the recipe books! Got to run.
Marion

Spring in Cow Bay

2008-09-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

Good Day!
As usual it takes all of one day to go from winter to spring. The woolen jumpers stay in the boxes, the sarongs are out and I even had my Cow Bay Srub. This involves going to Cow Bay beach, with the sunscreen on, armed with the latest favourite book and some time. Warm up in the sun, then take some soft sand and go to the little creek, which runs into the sea. Rub dry and wet sand all over wintery body , especially feet and go into the sea to wash it all off. A little swim can be added. When back home wash off salt and lather with cold pressed almond oil. Wow, all that old skin is gone and spring is in my step and in the air. We have real great flowering plants right now, and all the birds are very busy mating and feeding and chirping. At work the other day, 3 orange footed jungle fowls had some fights, and two of them ended up in the pool. Very funny to watch. And the cassowaries are out and about again. Busy times

July update

2008-07-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

Good July news!

Simon the local stone specialist designed and constructed this low rock wall to create a new entry to our house. Power - Phillip assisted by moving all the rocks into position and did part of the foundation work. All we need now is gravel and it will look very nice. This finishes the stone work session for this year, and I think it looks stunning. Meanwhile we have had rather chilly weather but now it is rather pleasant and beautiful. The gardens we put in last year are coming along nicely and I just 'discovered; the colour of the last hibiscus, which took all this time to flower. Well, until next time. Take care of yourselves. Bye from Marion

June News

2008-05-30T15:56:00.001-07:00

Good Day! The news for June 2008 is, that we now have build steps into our fresh water creek. This makes a new look for the drive way and hopefully an easy access for the less adventurous to enjoy the beauty of our fresh water creek. You may even go for a swim! I always love swimming there, maybe not so much right now; you can picture me sitting here rugged up in all my best woollen jumpers and cardigans, including socks. Yes, winter is here, only for some hours in the morning and at night time, during the day is is gloriously sunny and warm. Good weather to work outside, walk at the beach, do that hike to Mt. Sorrow. The new gardens are coming along very nicely and I still ' discover' the new colours in the different hibiscus bushes. We had a surprising number of lovely guests during the wet season; travellers are more daring now than ever to explore the Wet Tropics during our summer months. Great! Even though the Daintree becomes a well known destination, it is still the place to get away from it all, and a place where nature and people come together.

Spring is in the air

2007-09-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hello, well it has been a little while and I have been busy. The last couple of days have been only beautiful and spring is in the air, with cool nights, still, and fantastic days, clear blue sky and short times spent at the beach here.There are lots of birds around now, busy building nests and chirping about it all day long but particular in the mornings. We finished all the renovations and I have started on new gardens, looking forward to the wet season when everything will thrive and grow.Time to to do some weeding now. Until next time. Marion

The month of May

2007-05-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hello,
well, this month we had lots to do and also had excellent helpers through the WWOOF organisation, anyone interested in this, please contact Marion. The helpers commented on being in a zoo while weeding the garden or potting up the tomato plantation to be. We had dragons, goannas, cassowaries, pademelons, birds galore and amazing butterflies as well as hardly any mosquitos. And the star attraction is a golden orb spide perfectly positioned along the front path. Well, come and see for yourself. From the 'wild life zoo' Cow Bay Homestay, Marion

And it is May

2007-05-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hello,
well, April just flew past with wild weather even here, and then it turned beautiful 2 weeks ago. Bliss. We even mangaged to have a great BBQ on the beach with friends and some sausages and a full moon rising over the ocean. My main job is painting, Brian is still busy with the carpentry and does a great job. After some delays it seems to go really fast now. More work to do though, and I have to keep this short but hopefully have more time to write about the new garden design next month.
Have a great May. Marion

Im Mai

2007-05-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

Hallo,
und im Mai sind die Renovierung fast fertig. April hatte sehr unterschiedliches Wetter selbst in den Tropen aber seit 2 Wochen ist es traummaessig, und wir haben sogar einen netten Grill Abend am Strand gehabt, mit Vollmond, Lagerfeuer und netten Freunden. Anstreichen ist meine Hauptarbeit im Moment, aber Brian ist auch immer noch sehr mit den Holzarbeiten beschaeftigt, und es sieht sehr gut aus was er macht.
Der naechste Plan ist fuer unseren Garten, und da freuen wir uns beide schon sehr drauf.
So, und weil ich soviel zu tun habe wird dies ich kurz, und hoffentlich ausfuehrlicher naechsten Monat.
Einen schoenen Mai wuenscht, Marion

Mitte Maerz

2007-03-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

Guten Tag,
so, nach Tagen und Naechten des Dauer Regens haben wir nun schon die tollsten Tage, mit klarem blauen Himmel am Morgen, kuehleren Naechten und die Aussicht, das die Schwuele des Sommers hinter uns ist.
Alles blueht und waechst, gute Zeit zum pflanzen, der Boden ist weich und man kann viele Ableger in den Boden stecken und sie wachsen gleich weiter, ideal fur diese Gaertnerin!!!!!
Cow Bay Homestay wird bald den neuen Anstrich haben, nachdem Brian alles renoviert hat, und ich hoffe es wird unseren Gaesten dieses Jahr noch besser gefallen hier.
Ja, ich muss los, die Farbe wartet, und .........Tuess von Marion

Mad March

2007-03-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

Hi there,
madness in March or troppo or cabin fever; well it does happen ,when one experiences days of rain, heavy or heavier, and nights of torrential down pours; when most furniture becomes sticky with the high humidity and the ground is squeechy when one walks to the generator shed in one's 'Crocs' sandals. And then when you think there is no end to it, you wake up to a crystal clear morning sky, crisp air and birds chorus and take the cup of coffee to the beach to see the perfect sunrise. Then all is well with the world and you know why you are here.
Looks as we are a bit cooler already, the worst of the wet season is over and Cow Bay Homestay is ready for a new coat of paint after the renovations by Brian.
Got to run, paint is waiting!!!!!! Call in to check it out, but call first in case we are at the beach.....Marion

Februar-Regenzeit

2007-02-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

Guten Tag vom Cow Bay Homestay!
Ja, Februar ist Regenzeit und wir hatten auch eine Woche Dauer-Rgen aber keine Ueberflutungen wie in Townsville. Dann hat sich der graue Himmel ueber Nacht in dunkelblau verwandelt und es ist sonnig, schwuel und schwitzig! Meine 'Rettung' ist unser Suesswasser Fluss, frisch aus den Bergen hinter uns und kalt und rauschend. Da kann ich auf der Stelle schwimmen, in der Stroemung, und es ist einfach wunderbar. Brian renoviert gerade die Schlafzimmer und ich freue mich schon wenn es alles fertig ist und schoen und neu aussieht.
Dieses Jahr fahren wir zu den Chinesischen Neujahrs Feierlicheiten nach Cairns, mit Drachentanzen und Yum Cha, hmm. So, ich muss jetzt los. Schreibt doch mal einen Kommentar wenn Ihr dies lest.
Alles Gute ... und Tuess von Marion

February-The Wet

2007-02-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

Good Day from Cow Bay Homestay!
we are in the middle of the Wet- season, and so far up here in Cow Bay we have had good rain but no flooding as experienced by the population of Townsville. After a week of rainy days the skies cleared practically overnight and we have had sunny clear days. This brings the humidity right up, but in February that is to be expected.Brian is busy renovating the bedrooms and I am looking forward to having it all new and fresh. In the garden all the flowers are out and the animals are busy as well. The creek is my place to cool off and swim on the spot, meaning in the current. Just the best after a day in the garden.
Check out the german blog as well and make some comments.
Got to run, Marion

The first rain

2007-01-17T16:35:00.000-08:00

Hello,
after some days of sunny, calm, humid weather we have some rain for the season with 60 mm since yesterday. Great, so much cooler and all the insects and birds are very busy chirping around in the rainforest.
I have written the first german blog and hope that people will like it. So let me know what you think.
The website is in review but should be up shortly and the news tab will bring you to the blogs
Have a good day. Marion

Zum Neuen Jahr

2007-01-17T16:23:00.000-08:00

Hallo,
ja nun wird es ja richtig aufregend, und ich kann sogar diesen'blog' in deutsch schreiben.
Freundin Annette, die Kontakt email fuer Deutschland, hat dies vorgeschlagen und ich bin sehr begeistert, dass 'blog' Spachoptionen hat.
Januar ist ja generell Nebensaison hier, dafuer haben die Gaeste Straende, Fluesse, Wasserfaelle fast fuer sich alleine, und die Gastronomen kuemmern sich besonders, dass es allen gut geht. Wir haben seit 2 Tagen Regen mit 60 mm seit gestern, nicht sehr viel, aber ein Anfang, und es ist sofort kuehler, herrlich.
Die Grillen zirpern, die Cicadas zerstoeren einem fast das Tromelfell und die Voegel sind voll beschaeftigt mit ihren Geraeuschen. Man kann die Energie des Regenwaldes wirklich spueren.
Bis bald, Marion

2006-12-26T15:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and a great, healthy and prosperous NEW Year!
well, in all the rushing around before Christmas, this entry is now after the big day/days.
Brian and I have the German Christmas on Christmas Eve, with a duck, nice wine and friends, and then go straight into the Australian Christmas Day with yummy seafood, this year, and more champagne and friends. Generally all is very unstructured and very laid back. On Boxing Day Brian has to watch the test cricket of course and especially this year with Shayne Warne retiring, and a great day it was too.
Meanwhile summer heat has caught up with us, a good excuse to spend more time on the beach where we have a cool breeze all the time and great swimming. No worries about stingers on our beach, not the right shape for currents etc.On the way home a quick dip in our freshwater creek and one is truely refreshed.
The garden looks fabulous right now, and all my white and red flowering plants are so bright and in full bloom, with hibisus dripping flowers off the branches. The Cairns Birdwing Butterflies are breeding on the pagoda plants and the frogs are singing arias in the night. Then you want o hear the buzzing of all the insects during the day! The poinciana tree is very lit up with its fantastic red flower heads. Has to be seen to be appreciated.
Now, for all the guests reading this, for a special discount on overnight stays at Cow Bay Homestay in January post a comment here and email me your dates.
Have a great day!
Marion

November News

2006-11-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

Hello,
November is here and would you know it, summer arrived nearly on the first day of this month. What does this mean some of you may think. It turned warm practically overnight. That is the tropics for you. So, the blankets are stored away, the sarongs are out, the fans cleaned and the wet+ sweaty season is here. Also, all the animals are more active, the insects are really busy making big noises day and night and the air is warm. We even had a good rain on Saturday morning, but the rains are still far off.Going to the beach the other day was just wonderful, the water is crystal clear, the fringng reefs are standing our clearly and it is post card weather. On Cow Bay Beach you can still swim and the trees there give great shade all day. Perfect.Walking south from 2. beach, it is very obvious how the rainforest meets the reef, Alexandra Range practically falls onto the fringing reefs off Cow Bay Beach. Some of the rainforest trees are flowering now, the air is filled with sweet scents, intoxicating. So, come for a visit and check out the tropics in summer. Marion

First posting

2006-10-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I am very excited about this blog, Alison has set up for me. I hope it will be a good way to keep family, friends and guests up to date with the happenings at Cow Bay Homestay. This year October has been cool and rainy, mainly at night and early in the morning, which is perfect for the garden and saves with watering. It also has been very windy and the russling of the leaves and the wooshing sounds of the palm fronds are great. The birds are very busy feeding and doing their best with calls, whistles and singing and the butterflies, well, their colours are just wonderful. This morning I heard a cassowary and hope to see, who it is sneaking around in the bush.What about the cats, you say? flat out.......sleeping.....well, that's it for today.
Have a good day, Marion