A picnic lunch and cake to celebrate Doug's birthday

It was Doug's birthday yesterday, a date shared with my brother Alan who lives in the mountains behind Cooktown.

A picnic lunch at the Major Mitchell Campsite (north of Mitchell) was Doug's choice, and in spite of a nasty cold virus that seems intent on lingering, he enjoyed spending time in this unspoilt outback setting under a wide blue sky.

While Doug rested, I walked down a steep bank (in places, a vertical cliff as shown in the photo), and across a wide stretch of sand to the Maranoa River. Never before have I seen the river flowing at this point. Usually the flow is beneath the sand. But it was yesterday!

Huge piles of sticks, logs and other debris are piled up in many places, evidence of the flood waters that raged downstream over the summer period. It was this river that supplied water for the base camp that the explorer Major Mitchell established here in the mid-1800s.

A late afternoon tea birthday party, held at our home with four special friends helped further lift Doug's spirits.

Katie Siamese insisted on being part of the celebration, and the dogs too, of course!