Yarrabah....The Opera

Yarrabah is a lovely place, sitting beside the sea with stunning mountains surrounding it. The mountains themselves, known as the Walls of Jerusalem, dominate the landscape from Cairns when you look east, but I have discovered that a lot if people from Cairns have never traveled over those mountains. The drive itself to Yarrabah is stunning, fringed with beaches and a glorious view out to the reef as well as back over Cairns. 

Aunty Polly

Yarrabah's history however is not such a happy one, like so many of the FNQ indigenous communities that were 'removed' and segregated to places like Palm Island or Woorabinda.  'Yarrabah - the Opera' produced by Opera Australia and directed by Rhoda Roberts, deals with this history in a stunning but sensitive style that was even more special as it was staged in the Bishop Malcolm Park at Yarrabah itself.

With a simple stage, clever lighting and the use of large screens showing old images from the early days, there would have been a crowd of 500 with lots of people arriving from Cairns, many for the first time. The Park is on the edge of the beach and surrounded by large trees. Local groups set up food stalls and we had our Arts Centre stall, selling quite a bit of art to the 'foreigners'.  It was a stunning night with a large moon, not a wisp of wind and the gentle sound of the sea in the distance.

Mixing stars like Casey Donovan and her glorious voice and other OA singers with the local school kids and some of the 'aunties' made it a really moving experience. Sitting with Aunty Polly and come others, I was intrigued by how real it all was to them. They recalled the real issue of the the forced marriages, they roared with laughter at the exercise regime in the girls dormitory as they remembered it well and were moved to tears by much of the story.

The rule of the church

I suspect the highlight for them however was watching the aunties, their friends, dance and perform on stage. While the local kids ran races and played around the dusty park, the older generation roared with laughter at their friends and began muttering about whether there would be a Yarrabah - Part 2 which they could all be in.

Exercise in the girls dorm

I felt so pleased to be there and share this moment with them all. A fabulous project, beautifully staged in a perfect environment. The drive home late that night with the twinkling lights of Cairns in the distance...I was tired by happy.

The finale

Life's a beach......

Dare I say it as friends and family in NSW are freezing, but this place continues to amaze me with its beauty. It has been perfect 26 clear blue days so not too hot and cool nights which means we can enjoy sleeping under sheets and blankets.

View from Yorkeys Knob Boat Club

The last three weekends we have been introduced to some of the favourite local haunts like Kewarra Beach Resort, Yorkeys Knob boat club and Paradise Palms - all great places for an early evening drink and dinner, complete with playgrounds and entertainment for the kids. Its bliss and the sunsets have been amazing.

Double Island from Kewarra Beach

The best so far has to be the Kewarra Beach Resort which we went to last night. Wow! Sitting on a beach watching the sun go down, sand between your toes with a nice glass of champagne and a decent table and chairs, pizzas all round and a disco for the kids. 

Doesnt get much better than that and its only 10 mins from home.

Cane fields on the doorstep

Moving from Cooktown to Cairns in January 2012 after 2.5 years in the 'wilds' was a worry for me. After leaving Sydney in 2009 we had adjusted to the beauty and simple ways of Cooktown and country or remote living. One supermarket, 2 petrol stations, one newsagent and a couple of pubs etc meant that moving back to a 'city' where abundance of choice was everywhere meant I was worried about losing our sense of country living.

Well I can report that Cairns is an ideal middle ground between Sydney and Cooktown! It is incredibly beautiful and ringed with glorious mountains of rainforest, lined by sandy beaches and still a mix of small farms and residential living. The birds and butterflies are abundant and we even had an echidna in our garden the other night!

But the views I love best are the canefields, which lie in their rustling glory, just below where we live. And at the moment, with the best season in years, the cane is in full flower and a stunning vision, especially as the sun goes down. For anyone ( like me) who hasnt seen sugar cane grow over vast acres, the pretty cream flowers floating in the wind are a real treat. 

I have also been amused by the notes coming home from my daughters school which is the local primary and close to the cane fields too. They urge caution with the arrival of the cane trains,  for the 2012 Crushing Season, that will be busy carrying the cane when it is harvested. The narrow cane train lines are something we have become used to, as they are everywhere, so we will now be treated to the bustling diesel cane trains and their cages. More photographic fodder!