Day 104 - First Kitesurfing Lesson - Yorkeys Knob, Cairns - Mueslix Bars

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Today, I embarked on completing another item one of my list of "Top 10 Things To Achieve in Australia": learning to kitesurf!

To start off by learning proper technique as much as possible, I signed myself up for a 2-day private kitesurfing lesson package with Extreme Sports (which organized a kitesurfing competition in Cairns a month ago). I arrived at Yorkeys Knob for Day 1 of my lessons, searching for my two Kiwi instructors, Jed and Rachel (husband and wife). I found them unloading equipment out of their camper van, which they have been travelling with for some time (the term "no fixed address" came to mind).

Weather was great for learning, with the tide just on its way out. We spent the day going through the basics (wind theory, equipment knowledge, kite safety, self-rescue techniques, body-dragging, etc ...). By day's end, I was pretty "rooted" (i.e. exhausted) although feeling good about the day's accomplisments.

I didn't get up on my board today (that's reserved for Day 2 ... stay tuned), but feel confident that signing myself up for lessons was a good idea.

They day was pretty much non-stop, with little rest time (I was warned about this ahead of time). I knew any food would have to be eaten quickly, so I stocked up on lots of energy drinks and snacks. I bought the above mueslix bars at a local bakery the morning of (Aussies seem to love their mueslix for breakfast), which reminded me a lot of "Rice Krispy squares".

There are several differences in cereals in Australia as compared to North America. The ones that have caught my attention since arriving: North America's "Rice Krispies" are "Rice Bubbles" in Oz, Coco Pops in Oz have a really creepy mascot (https://www.cocopops.com.au), and generally there are a number of North American cereals which simply don't exist in Oz (Corn Flakes, Raisin Bran, Vector ... to name a few).

I will adapt a Rice Krispy square-like recipe for mueslix bar for this blog ... everyone needs a little marshmallow in their lives, no?

*** Note: Recipe soon to come ... experimenting in the kitchen.

Day 103 - 2nd rugby game - Scales Of Justice Restaurant, Cairns – Oysters “Nova Scotia”

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Another Saturday, another rugby game.

This was my 2nd rugby game since joining the Barron-Trinity Bulls a couple of weeks ago. I’m slowly, but surely, getting comfortable with the rules. Several penalties continue to be a mystery (“Why can’t I do that?”) but I remain confident my experienced teammates and coaching staff are in the right when they yell at me, telling me what and what not to do.

End Score: Barron – 25, Opponent – 7. Kevin didn’t score any points himself, although he did play a big part in ensuring a couple of tries were successfully converted, and had a big run up the field after the initial kick-off. Improving, again, slowly but surely.

After the match later that night, the team got together for drinks at its usual haunt - The Courthouse Hotel & Bar. Big match going on this weekend south in Brisbane: Australia Wallabies vs New Zealand All-Blacks. (BIG DEAL) The Wallabies ended up losing by a few points, which was unfortunate, but another great night was spent drinking cold cider under the stars while watching the game on the big, outdoor projection tv. (Is this paradise? It's gotta be close to it ...)

Before the game started, I ate inside at the Scales of Justice Restaurant, the Courthouse's restaurant. Scanning the menu, oysters looked interesting ... then, I saw the above. It was almost as if the menu winked at me: Oysters "Nova Scotia". For those of you who don't know, my Dad is from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, one of Canada's eastern provinces. So, I just "had to". Smoked fish (in this case, smoked trout) is a true Maritime delicacy, so these oysters were a true taste of home.

Simple to prepare, even more simple to eat. Ask your seafood vendor / fishmonger to "shuck" (i.e. open) your oysters for you in-store if you're not comfortable doing so yourself at home.

Ingredients

For each shucked oyster:

1 tsp Creamed Horseradish
1 layer of Smoked Trout or Salmon

To garnish plate:

Rock salt
Capers (liquid removed)
Red peppers, seeded and sliced
Fresh parsley leaves
Lemon wedges

Method:

1 – Top each oyster with one teaspoon of Creamed Horseradish, them lay one layer of smoked fish (trout or salmon recommended) on top of oyster. The fish layer should be the same size as the oyster shell.

2 – Lay the oysters in a star-shape on a serving plate, which should be first layers with rock salt. Sprinkle each oyster with a few capers.

3 – In the center of the oysters, place a few slices of red peppers and parsley leaves. Place a few lemon wedges on the side of the oysters, and serve.

Recommend 6-8 oysters per guest as an appetizer, 12 – 16 as a main.

Day 102 - The Esplanade, Cairns - Boston Cream Doughnuts

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I’ve always said that I’m not much of a runner. I’m a fit guy, enjoy most sports / working out / etc … but have never really gotten into running in the mornings. That’s changed since my arrival in Cairns.

Maybe it’s because of the morning ocean scenery (pelicans, mountain ranges, sun rising over the ocean, …). Maybe it’s because this is all a 10-minute bike ride away from my temporary home here in Cairns. Or, perhaps because my gym / showers are 200-feet away from my daytime office job. (Can you spell “convenient”?) Not sure, but I’ve definitely enjoyed the extra morning exercise before getting to work in the mornings.

Which got me thinking about “breakfast on the run”? (<- there’s the tie-in guys) I miss Tim Horton’s, Canada’s most successful chain of coffee and doughnut shops (for those of you who aren’t aware). I miss “double-doubles”, “Rrrrolling up the rrrrim to win!”, and Boston Cream doughnuts (those tasty four’ish-bite doughnuts filled with yellow custard pudding.)

I only recently found the Australian-equivalent to the Boston Cream doughnuts, just after my arrival here in Cairns at a local bakery shop where they sell “custard doughnuts”. They’re missing the chocolate-top coating, their doughnut have holes in middle, and they definitely don’t cost $0.85 each (* sigh *) … but still, they are pretty tasty.

Note: I recognize my breakfast-on-the-go food selection negates the purpose of my morning running … but hey, I’m on vacation!!

Recipe for Boston Cream pie / doughnut custard filling:

1/3 c. sugar2 tbsp. cornstarch1/8 tsp. salt1 1/2 c. milk2 egg yolks, slightly beaten2 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in 2 quart saucepan. Stir in milk gradually.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Stir 1/2 of hot mixture into egg yolks in saucepan, boil and stir 1 minute.

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature

Day 101 - 101st Day in Oz - The Esplanade, Cairns - Barbecued Garlic-Butter Mangrove Jack with Grilled Zuchini and Tomatoes

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This particular blog post is about 3 things:

1) Fish. And not just any fish – BIG fish.
2) Fake fruit. And not just any fake fruit – BIG fake fruit. (Stick with me on this one guys, I’ll explain shortly)
3) Me celebrating my 101st day in Oz.

Cairns, being on the coast and so close to the Great Barrier Reaf, has a definite fishing culture to it. Queenslanders catch it, they eat it, they take under-water pictures of it … These people are all about fish. Over the last few weeks here in Queensland, I’ve noticed several stand-out fish:

First, there was the “Big Marlin” out front of the Stockland Shopping Centre where my rugby coach runs his coffee shop. (So says coach: “That’s a good lookin’ fish!”)



Then there was the “Big Barramundi” which I saw last week off to the side of the road while driving towards the waterfalls in the Atherton Tablelands.



Finally, and perhaps most famously, are the big metal fish which sit in The Esplanade’s man-made “lagoon”.



That got me thinking: what types of large, fake edible foods do we have back in Canada? After giving it some thought, I realized there are several:

- The “Big Potato” outside Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/aemacivor/54649859/in/set-48135/)
- The “Big Blueberry” also in the Maritimes (amazingly, i can't find a picture of this anywhere on the net)
- The “Big Strawberry”, again in the Maritimes (why is nobody taking pictures of these?)
- The “Big Apple” outside Colborne, Ontario, Canada (found it - http://www.roadsideattractions.ca/apple.htm)

So, when it occurred to me that I had finally been in Australia over 100 days (clearly a milestone that deserved to be recognized, perhaps by cooking myself a romantic meal-for-one), it was clear to me that I would be cooking fish.

The previous week, my rugby coach had me over to his place for a post-practice impromptu barbecue. Given that he’s a trained chef by trade and a fish angler by hobby, it wasn’t a surprise that (1) he had some fresh-caught fish in his fridge, or (2) he found a tasty way to cook it up for us. Mangrove Jack was the name of the fish, a sport fish generally caught of Australia's north-eastern shores.

So, for my 101st Day In Oz celebration, I recreated this meal down at the flat-top barbecue stations along The Esplanade. (note: we don't have "flat-top" barbecues in Canada. Pan-frying is the equivalent preparation method.)

Note: I make a great date for myself. Really, I do. I complemented myself continuously, I laughed at all of my jokes (even the bad ones), I didn't try to make a move on myself pre-maturely ...

*** UPDATE: Since publishing this post, the following website has been brought to my attention: http://www.bigthings.com.au/. Apparently Australia has no shortage of "Big Things". :)



Ingredients

Per person

1 large fillet of Mangrove Jack
2 small baby Zucchinis, ends removed and cut lengthwise
2 ripe Field Tomatoes, ends removed and cut into wedges
4-6 cloves of Garlic, depending on personal preference
Butter
Balsamic Vinegar

Method

1 - In a small bowl, place a few dollops of butter. Add a few cloves of garlic (depending on personal preference).

2 - Drop butter and garlic onto flat-top barbecue. Once melted, add zucchini, flipping to coat in butter. Cook until half-done.

3 - And more butter and garlic to another location of the flat-top. Melt, and add fish fillet. Do NOT overcook fish! Allow to cook 3-5 minutes per side, until the centre is just slightly pink.

4 – Just after the fish goes on the flat-top, add more butter and garlic to another location on the flat top, and grill the tomatoes, turning once each side begin to color. Do NOT overcrowd the tomatoes or they will stew (rather than grill), losing their shape. (I.e. you will end up with barbecued tomato slop).

5 - To serve, place barbecued zucchini in a center of your plate, coating lightly with balsamic, top with cooked fish fillets, and place tomatoes off to the side.

Day 97 - Roadtrip through Atherton Tablelands, South of Cairns - Greek Moussaka

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I'd been told for some time the Atherton Tablelands, an area south of Cairns, is another must-see region in north Queensland. With promises of amazing mountain views, lush green scenery and natural waterfalls, this sounded like a great excuse for an afternoon road trip.

A new local mate of mine ("Mat") was up for it as well.

One of my observations of Aussies, in general, is that many of them haven't seen that much of their own country. Several of my Sydney mates hadn't seen a number of the things I'd seen or visited in my first few months in Oz; similarly in Mat's case, he's been in Cairns for 4 years ... and still hadn't ventured through the Tablelands. In all fairness, it did take me while after moving in Toronto to go visit the Niagara Falls ... and they're one of the Wonders of the World! Toucher.

Quick history and summary of landscape: The Atherton Tablelands were formed after millions of years of volcanic activity (a dormant volcano still exists at Atherton's highest point). Consequently, the Tablelands' volcanic soils provide the nutrient-rich grounds necessary for the local farming, and allow the area's natural rainforests to flourish.

(Moooooo!)

Driving south towards the Tablelands from Cairns, we took a winding road up through the hills. The weather was fantastic, with great visibility to take some amazing pictures at look-out points along the way.

After several stops along the way (I couldn't help stop taking photos of cows ... apparently you can take the boy out of the Maritimes, but you can't take the Maritimes out of the boy), we began searching for several of the area's famous natural waterfalls. We had time to visit three of these, although there are many many more. Below, me before taking a (cold) dip in the waterfall (hey, I didn't fly halfway around the world not to "take the plunge", even if the water is a little cold ...).

On the drive back north to Cairns, we passed by several of the region's banana fields which were hit heavily by Tropical Cyclone Larry in early 2006 (which has resulted in bananas costing upwards of $12+ per small bunch).

Mat does a lot of international travelling, and we got to talking about other countries / cultures and how many of these have immigrated in large numbers to Australia. Melbourne, for instance, has the world's second largest concentraion of Greeks (outside of Athens). Talking about this made me miss my Greek buddy Bob back home. Back in Cairns, and famished, we headed out in search of Greek food.

There is a Greek restaurant in Cairns with a large sign out front: "Go Fettas!!" (which is funny on an inside-joke level for Bobby and I). I'm never had Moussaka before know it's one of the Greeks' signature dishes. Its recipe is a little involved, but worth the effort to serve to a tablefull of dinner guests / loved ones.

Opa!

Ingredients:

For the eggplant and potatoes:

2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

2 large potatoes, peeled and slice into 1/4-inch rounds

SaltPepperOlive oil

For the lamb-tomato sauce:

1 pound ground lamb

1 large onion, medium diced

2 tablespoons minced garlic

SaltFreshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup red wine

4 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

For the Bechamel:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

SaltFreshly ground black pepper

To Finish:

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

For the Eggplant and Potatoes: Season the eggplant and potatoes with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 inch of oil to a large skillet and heat. When the oil is hot, fry the potato slices, flipping once, until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the potatoes to a paper towel lined plate. Replenish the oil so there is still 1/2 inch in the bottom of the pan. Fry the eggplant slices in the oil, flipping once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add more oil as necessary. Remove the eggplant from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate.

For the Lamb Tomato Sauce mixture: Place a sauti pan on the stove over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the ground lamb. Sauti the ground lamb for 2 minutes, until it begins to turn brown. Add the onions and garlic and sauti for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat from the pan. Season the mixture with oregano, bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon and cook for 3 more minutes. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Cook over medium high heat until the red wine has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture is a thick tomato sauce consistency, about 30 minutes. Check for seasoning. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

For the Bechamel: In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour to make a roux. Cook the roux over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes, or until it becomes a very pale tan color. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the nutmeg and the lemon juice. Simmer, stirring constantly, over low heat for 15 minutes. The mixture should be fairly thick. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together. Take 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk it into the beaten eggs. This will temper the eggs. Whisk the egg/milk mixture back into the milk mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir. Over very low heat, cook this mixture for 3 more minutes. Be careful not to let the mixture simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool.

To finish: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the bottom of a 9x13 inch-baking dish with 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the eggplant over the breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the potatoes over the eggplant. Place 1/2 of the lamb tomato sauce mixture over the potatoes. Spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce over the lamb mixture. Top the bechamel with another layer of eggplant and another layer of potatoes. Top with the remaining lamb mixture. Place one more layer of eggplant and potatoes over the lamb mixture. Top with the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with mint and parsley.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Day 96 - Kevin's First Rugby Match - Rusty's Market, Cairns - Anzac Cookies

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This blog is about cookies and coffee ... and how these resulted in me joining my first rugby club.

Confused, yet?

Our story begins at an unassuming coffee stand in the middle of Rusty's Market in Cairns, one sunny Sunday morning.

Still in waking-up mode, Kevin randomly approaches the coffee stand for a flat white fix. The barrista, a hefty, dark-skinned Kiwi (?) with a bright smile named "Billy" takes Kevin's order. Casual conversation ensues, and Billy politely asks if Kevin has ever played rugby before (surely he was impressed by Kevin's large, muscular frame ... plug, plug, plug). Kevin admits to wanting to learn to play, although never having done so before, and asks Billy if he knows of a local team who might be looking for additional reserve players for the next couple of months.

Turns out, Billy is the head coach of a local rugby club.

Furthermore, "Lance" (the team's reserve-grade coach) is standing directly behind Kevin, sipping on a coffee as well. (Lance also manages a coffee shop elsewhere in Cairns, again the coffee reference)

And, it turns out, they are "always looking for new players". Giddy up!

Conversation continues, yadda yadda yadda, and two weeks of practice later, Kevin plays in his first rugby match for The Barron-Trinity Bulls: http://barrontrinitybulls.rugbynet.com.au/

Pic, after the end of our game:

(We lost our game on a last-minute penalty ... big disappointment ... don't ask) I did hold on the full 80 minute game though, and put on a relatively sound performance given that I've only been playing less than 10 hours of rugby in TOTAL!

Several more rugby pics to come over the next couple of months (as I've just joined the team). As one can imagine, I'm sore, battered and bruised from my rugby experience thusfar ... but it's all good. :)

Anzac cookies are sold at many of the sweet vendors at Rusty's. They're not chewy, in fact they're hard as rocks (warning: check your dental plan before attempting the below) but they are tasty.

There are a few theories on the origins of ANZAC biscuits but it is certain that they came about during the First World War, around 1914/15. Some say that they started as biscuits made by the Troops in the trenches with provisions they had at hand to relieve the boredom of their battle rations. And some say they came about due to resourceful of the women on the "home front" in an endeavour to make a treat for their loved ones that would survive the long journey by post to the war front. There is even the suggestion that they originated from Scottish Oatmeal Cakes which is entirely possible. Whatever the origin, they have won the hearts of all Aussies the globe over as the pseudo National Biscuit.

Here is how to make them - dead simple!

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats (regular oatmeal) uncooked
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp golden syrup (or honey)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp boiling water

Method

Combine the flour (sifted), oats, coconut and sugar in a bowl.
Melt the butter and Golden Syrup (or honey) in a saucepan over a low heat..
Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the water and add to the butter and Golden Syrup.
Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and mix well.
Spoon dollops of mixture, about the size of a walnut shell, onto a greased tin leaving as much space again between dollops to allow for spreading.
Bake in a moderate oven, 180C / 350F, for 15-20 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack and seal in airtight containers.

Day 94 - The Cairns Show, Cairns - Homemade Lemonade, Caramel Popcorn and Mom's "5-Minute" Fudge

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I'm not sure about all of you, but when I grew up in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, there was a fair that came through town every year. In my case, it was always the week before back-to-school (which is early September for us Canucks) which made it a bitter/sweet time of year. The upside: the FREX ("FRedericton EXhibition") was in town for the week! The downside: back to school. Yawn.

Two weeks after my arrival in this part of Australia, The Cairns Show (a.k.a. "The Show") was in town. Aside from taking in a few rides, and wolfing down an armload of junk food, admitedly I was quite curious to know how similar The Show would be to The Frex. Would there be wild new rides? Would rides be called by the same names? What sort of trashy junk food do Aussies eat?

Happy to say, most things were very much the same:

- "The Hurricane" (pictured above-left) was still one of the main draws. I l-o-v-e-d this ride when I was a kid (vivid memories of getting smushed to the outside of my seat as the ride went faster and faster and ... ). Most of the rides I remember from being a kid were there; apparently there have been relatively few innovations in the small-town-rides industry over the last 15 years.

- Stuntmen were there performing "death-defying" tricks for the crowd. I saw a stunt rider at The Show launching his motorbike into the air over-top of a helicopter's rotating propellars ... truly dazzling.

- Fair culture, and its people, are still the same. Mullets, "big hair" and heavy metal t-shirts are still the norm. "Roadies" are just as roughneck as they were back at home. Truly, it was like going back in time.

A few things were different:

- "Bumper cars" are known as "dodgem cars". (I like their name better)

- "Cotton candy" is known as "fairy floss". (I like our name better)

- The Gravitron was sadly nowhere to be found! (Does everybody remember what I'm talking about? I was totally prepared to hang upside-down and everything. Awww, maaan!)

Naturally, we were all treated to a small-town style fireworks show, meaning: very basic fireworks, no more than two going off at once, and one (read: ONE) big bang at the end! (THAT'S the one the fireworks committee blew the budget on) Who doesn't love that?!

I definitely pigged out on food at The Show. After having explored some unknown food creations (highlighted by a "Chiko Roll" - a thick, spring roll-like tube of battered and deep-fried vegetable), I searched out what one would expect to find: hot dogs, fudge, cold sugary drinks, cotton candy, candy apple, caramel popcorn ... most of which I found (and devoured).

Sad to say, I couldn't find any caramel popcorn ("Sorry mate, you're looking for what?"). I've made it at home before, and it's definitely worth the effort. I'll also share Mom's tasty (and easy) 5-minute fudge recipe. Canuck buddy Alex has also agreed to share his homemade lemonade recipe with y'all.

Kevin's 3-for-1 recipes for today:

** Homemade Lemonade - Ingredients and Method: (c/o Alex)

Dissolve 1 1/2 cups white sugar in boiling water

1 1/2 cups lemon juice (about 6 good sized lemons)

"Top up to 2 litres with water depending on how sweet or sour you like it, adjust the sugar. Maybe start with 1 cup and add more dissolved sugar until you find the perfect proportion. And for a great afternoon nap in the sun, swap regular water for carbonated water and pour the lemonade over a shot of vodka (or two). "

** Caramel Popcorn - Ingredients and Method:

... soon to come.

** Mom's Homemade 5-Minute Fudge - Ingredients and Method:

... soon to come. Waiting for Mom to email the recipe.

Day 93 - Oceanside Boardwalk, Cairns - Champagne with Wild Hibiscus Flowers

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Always so sad to see out-of-town guests go home ...

As a bit of a send-off for Nicole, a friend of mine from Sydney, we met up for a cocktail along the boardwalk off Cairns' boat marina. The weekend prior, on our day-trip to Kuranda, I had secretly made a couple of foodie purchases. One of those was Wild Hibiscus Flowers. What does one do with these? The store owner assured me the best way to enjoy these would be to drop one of these edible flowers, with some syrup, into the bottom of a champagne glass, and the top-up with bubbly. This sounded like a great girly drink to me, and since Nicole is a bit of a girly-girl, something told me she would be appreciative of the gesture. :)

Beautiful, clear night, we found ourselves a nice bench in a garden off the boardwalk where I produced the concealed bottle of sparkling wine along with the jar of hibiscus flowers.

Apparently it was Nicole's first-ever bottle, so naturally I let her (try to) open it ...

After watching Nicole agonize to open the bottle for five, long minutes, I did the honors myself (at her request).

Definitely a simple, and elegant, way of enjoying a glass of champagne (or any other drink, for that matter).

We sat on the park bench, enjoying our champagne, discussing life, religion and love (y'know ... the light topics).

Edible flowers are a neat little ingredient to use in cooking. Some flowers are definitely better to use than others. To learn more, you can consult any one of numerous websites dedicated to this topic.

Here's a good one - http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm.

Day 90 - Gilligans Hostel, Cairns - Ultimate Nachos

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Back to Cairns from our day of rainforest exploration and skyrailing, Sunday night meant one thing: we needed to find somewhere to glue ourselves to the television for eviction night on Big Brother. (Sad, I know) Big Brother, like many reality shows elsewhere in the world, is insanely popular in Oz. As much as many of us would like to admit it otherwise, Big Brother provides its fair share of water cooler talk and office gossip, and everyone has their own “favorite housemate” for whom they root.

Thankfully, both Dean and Nicole were also hooked on the show too, and they were all too happy to get together for Eviction Sunday at a local watering hole. Hmm, but where to go?

Gilligan’s Hostel, perhaps less of a hostel and more of a backpacker resort, is easily one of the biggest hostel in Cairns and has a great patio bar to watch sports and big tv events on its projection screen. Also, because they have backpackers staying with them on-site, their food and drinks are cheap, cheap, cheap ...

Little did I know, but Gilligan’s is one of Big Brother Australia's big sponsors and gets promotional considerations for their financial support. Meaning, that when Dean and I were halfway through our meal, an announcer came on over the p.a. system , welcoming everyone to Gilligan's ... including "Big Brother's most recent evictee - Galen". (This, of course, is rather meaningless for those of you who haven't been watching the show ... however, until getting voted off the show, he was widely considered to be one of the front runners for winning).

How coincidental that, earlier in the day, Dean and I were locked in an argument over who each of us liked and disliked on the show. Even more coincidentally, Dean was going on about how “Galen” was his favorite recent evictee … and wasn’t Galen at Gilligan’s that night. Totally unplanned, … swear.

Fiiiiine, I guess we’ll take a photo with him.

Good for a laugh, if anything.

Awesome nachos! To immitate, try this:

• 1 package corn chips
• 1 cup cooked ground beef
• 2 cups each cheddar and jalapeno pepperjack cheese, mixed
• 1/3 cup sliced black olives
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup diced green onion
• 1/4 cup sliced fresh jalapenos
• 1 cup heated vegetarian refried beans
• Fresh guacamole
• Sour cream

Layer cheese and other ingredients (except for last two) throughout corn chips. Bake in a pre-heated 475 F oven until cheese bubbles, remove from oven, quickly top with guacamole and sour cream. Serve now, now, now! For added pizazz, top with fried onions.

Day 90 - Kuranda, Queensland - Australian Damper Bread with Paw Paw Jam

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Following a painfully early-morning bus pick-up time, the three of us headed out for a day of exploration in Kuranda.

The first leg of our trip was a train ride up the rainforest moutains on the famous Kuranda Railway system. An impressive engineering accomplishment (even by today’s standard), the railway system was built over 100 years ago when gold was discovered in the area, and a gold rush quickly followed. For trivia buffs amongst you, some quick facts: the rail line stretches upwards for 21 miles (34km) from Cairns to Kuranda through the tropical rainforest, winds through 15 tunnels, and traverses 40 bridges, including one that spans the awesome Barron River Falls.

It was unfortunate that it was raining most of the day in Kuranda (we had extremly limited visibility, meaning we missed out on a lot of the scenery), but what we were able to see what pretty stunning.




After the 45-minute train ride was over, we arrived in Kuranda. Very small, very "packaged" and ultra-touristy ... but very quaint. Most tourists have only a few hours to spend in Kuranda (usually between the train ride arrival time and the departure down the moutain via Skyrail) so anything needing to be experienced must be done very quickly. Aside from the usual tourist shops, our remaining options were: a butterfly sanctuary, an insectarium (they were apparently extracting venom from one of the tarantulas later that morning), and an animal feeding zoo.

Clear winner = feeding zoo. Why? Because we could get our pictures taken while holding koalas. One more item of Kevin's Top 10 Things To Do In Australia list:




There were other animals to feed as well (kangaroos, wallabies, etc ...), but really, it was all about the koalas.

With our time in Kuranda quickly winding down (didn't we just get here?), time to grab a bite to eat. Lots to choose from, all of which catered strongly to the tourist dollar (I doubt the original settlers brough sushi chefs and curry recipes up the moutains with them). Finding something local and authentic was tricky, but we did find a restaurant that served Australian damper bread (recipe, and history, below). We inhaled the warm bread with some paw paw jam I bought earlier in the morning at one of the Kuranda food market stands. "Paw paw", which actually originates from south-eastern North American, is a fruit which tastes similar to banana and mango.

Food-satisfied, we headed to the Skyrail rainforest cableway for a trip back down the mountain. Again, the rain ...

There were two brief stops on our path back down, allowing for quick walks around the rainforest. Back on the Skyrail, we went over several bodies of freshwater (we even saw a fresh-water crocodile sitting patiently on the water's edge – even from 100+ feet above, it still looked huge). After a half hour or so, we were back on solid ground, much to Nicole's comfort.

Austalian damper bread has historical significance. It was eaten by early settlers, and can be made on an open fire, in a dutch oven or a conventional oven. The following is a basic recipe. Many variations exist, including dusting the bread with powdered sugar (this is how ours was served in Kuranda) and using of beer or soda in the dough to replace some of the other liquids.

Recipe courtesy of AussieSlang.com:

Ingredients

4 cups self-raising flour
3/4 - 1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water

Method:

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and mix in the sugar.

Rub in the butter with your (clean) hands until a fine breadcrumb texture is achieved.

For a well in the top of the flour, pour in the milk and water, and mix well with a knife until the dough come clean from the sides of the bowl.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and silky, like a baby's bottom.
Shape into a mounded loaf, (some people cut a deep cross in the top) and bake in a preheated oven, 200 c / 400 F, for 25 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 180 c / 375 f and cook a further 10 - 15 minutes until done. The loaf should be a light golden brown colour and sound hollow when tapped.

Local varitions: "If you are "game" try cooking it on a camp fire; nothing beats that extra smoky flavour, especially using Australian Eucalyptus wood to give it that special something. If you are cooking in an oven at home, try putting a few Gum Leaves in the over to smoke as your are cooking the bread."

Day 89 - The Esplanade, Cairns - Oceanside Picnic

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After taking the bus back into town, Dean and I got back together with Nicole at one of the downtown grocery stores. The goal: to purchase rations for a picnic on The Esplanade. As part of its waterfront re-development effort several years ago, Cairns set up probably about a dozen city-operated, free-to-use barbecue stations all along The Esplanade and the adjoining boardwalk. On nice days, tourists and locals line up before the sunrise to get squatters’ rights on these cooking stations, as they are generally extremely well-cared for by the city and have fantastic adjoining picnic facilities. Grrreat place for a barbecue and / or picnic. Thankfully, after a week of wet weather, the clouds had just started to give way that afternoon and we were able to easily find a picnic table to set up a quick-and-easy barbecue by the ocean.



Note: you will notice all of the mud where a beach should be. At high tide, this is all covered with sea water (albeit a very shallow amount). At low tide, it's all mud flats. For this reason, Cairns is said not to have its own beach in-town (although there are several quite close-by both north and south of town).

Nicole and I had big plans for that night: Shannon Noll was in town giving his second concert of the week. (Insert here - laughter at the expense of Nicole and Kevin). I won’t journalize the entire concert – I’ll spare you the details. In short, however: small venue, standing room only, Kevin could see over top of all the 12-year old girls and their mothers, great sound system, I heard all the songs I wanted to hear, and my pictures turned out great. Done deal.






No real recipe to share here – everyone has their own take on the “perfect picnic”.

However - here's a great link from the Food Network on pinic packing tips:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/et_pa_picnic/article/0,,FOOD_9863_1746033,00.html