Mossman 2. (Including Cane Toad hunting).

We are still camping at the Sugar Mill in Mossman. Steve is still truck driving, they have now started to fetch the cane from the tablelands, which means longer and more scenic drives to Mareeba & Atherton.  I am also working as a house keeper(or room attendant as they call it in Queensland) at the Cayman Villa's & The Meridian Apartments (Port Douglas).
Steve also took me for a drive up the range (Mt Molloy) where the truck roll over was (see last blog). The pictures were taken from the look out a little way down, now I understand why the trucks have trouble not crossing the white lines and every car we saw couldn't stay on the correct side of the road either.  There are 86 bends on this steep range, which is an 8klm stretch of road.

This is Mossman from the lookout.

 

The Topography.

 

Steve at the look out, Mt Molloy.

 

The coast from Mt Molloy.

 

SOooooooo pretty.

 

One of these????

 

These are Pied Imperial Pigeon's eating the berries in our garden.

 

Then there are these????

 

 

Now some pictures of my handy work.........

 

One bed roomed apartment at Meridian.

 

The view from the balcony.

 

The balcony with Jacuzzi in the corner.

 

Does this Sparkle?? Very similar to my kitchen, I just pretend I have a home for a few hours!!!!

 

A studio at the Meridian.

 

This is The Cayman Villa's 3 bed roomed apartment.

 

Master bedroom with large on suite & balcony.

 

 

Just a couple of snaps of the Sugar Mill.......

 

Full steam ahead.

 

I just love the Sugar Cain Trains, so cute!!

 

A carriage of Sugar Cane waiting to be empty & crushed.

 

 

So for our UK audience Cane Toads are venomous, a pest and kill many of our native animals, birds, reptiles etc.

Cain Toads - are native to America and were brought in to FNQ (Far North Queensland) in 1935, about 3000 were released into the wild, to eat the sugar cane beetle, unfortunately these beetles live at the top of the cane and the toad lives at the bottom, so that didn't work!! 

Ct venom is a mix of toxins that primarily affects the functioning of the heart. This toxin is present throughout the ct's body & is secreted as a milky liquid from the parotoid glands located over the toads shoulders.  Envenomation is painful but rarely deadly to humans.  Humans have died from eating ct's or their eggs!!

The life span of ct is 5 - 10 years.  (Not in our garden). 

The group name is Knot or Nest.

When fully grown they weigh 1.4kg (3lbs).

Today they have spread from FNQ over to Western Australia, they thrive in this environment and now there are millions of them.  People are encouraged to kill them and dispose of them.  They also make a lot of noise hopping round the garden at night, when we are trying to sleep.  So Steve got his fish spare gun out and on the first night killed 12 and last night got 8!!!  It's definitely quieter at night!!!!

 

 

Steve Cane toad hunting in the garden.

 

Spared Cain toads.