March 14 -- Palm Cove Arrival

Our flight from Adelaide to Brisbane was delayed for two hours by mechanical troubles with the steering mechanism.  Ended up on a different plane which is a much better solution than simply finding a less finicky pilot.  Still managed to catch our connection in Brisbane and arrive in Cairns on time despite the delay.  After a 30 minute shuttle ride to Palm Cove, got checked  into our room by retrieving our key from the reception after-hours safe since the place was deserted.

Mantra Amphora is one of perhaps a dozen upscale properties that are a mix of condos, apartments, and short-term (hotel) rentals.  Our room is nice but not spacious.  The place is by far the most upscale of any of the hotels we've stayed at on our trip and boasts a lovely manicured grounds, a large lagoon-like pool, and it's right across the street from the beach.  At high tide, there's not much beach and it's not nearly as pristine as those we visited on the GOR or at Manly.   There are a fair amount of shops, restaurants, and tourism and real estate "info center" storefronts along the esplanade as well as a pier for walking, fishing, or boat docking.  It's balmy and palm trees are everywhere.  We're in the tropics of Queensland.