22nd March We Found a Sausage Tree!!

An exciting day of botanical discovery today as we actually located a real Sausage Tree!! 

This morning, much to everyone's suprise, we didn't have the forecasted thunder storms but an unusual yellow orb was spotted through the clouds. Making the most of our fortune we topped up the petrol tank in preparation for dropping off the car at the airport tomorrow and took a short journey to the Botanical Gardens. We had thought about making the 30 minutes walk but didn't want to be too positive on the weather front.

We started off our walk through the gardens heading to the Visitor Centre to find a map of the walks.

Bananas - I think 😄.

I managed to creep up on a butterfly settled nearby.

Anyway once we had a map we saw it had a Sausage Tree marked!! So we definitely had to find it.

We decided to leave our sausage discovery until the end and instead went to look at an art exhibition. It was held in Tank 4, of 5 repurposed WW2 oil storage tanks, which were now used for concerts, exhibitions and other events.

It was quite an interesting exhibition and kept us out of the rain that had just started.

Rain is a bit of an odd commodity out here. There's a lot of it in this area as we're in a rainforest but as it's so hot and humid no one wears a raincoat as you get more sweaty wearing one. It's either just walk around in it and you'll soon dry out or use a brolly. We've taken the let's just walk in it mode as it cools you down as well.

Every cafe and restaurant in Australia and New Zealand provides iced water. The containers used vary. 😄 After trying out some interesting fruit juice drinks and the normal coffee we continued our walk. 

I think Ian was getting slightly nervous of a walk near bamboo, especially as it was so big, as I have a history of getting lost on a bboo river trail in Spain.

Luckily Ian was in charge of navigation but I spotted the fruit. We reckon vomit fruit as it smelt awful - like gone off cheese!

Going into the Chinese Friendship Garden.

This Silk Floss tree looked a bit lethal.

At last, the ever elusive Sausage Tree!

So pleased to find one at last.

We found a fruit and it's a bit like a potato.

Well, I'm very pleased that back in the late 1800s that Mr Flecker planted this tropical African tree when creating the Cairns Botanic Gardens so that I can now reliably inform my Mum that I've seen one in Australia 😁.

So a bit damp, hot and sweaty we returned to our apartment to cool down and pack ready for our flight to Sydney tomorrow. We're just trying to work out the best way to get from the airport to the centre of Sydney - more about that tomorrow.

With the food stocks depleted we're out for dinner along the Esplanade tonight 

so fingers crossed for a dry walk there.