Port Douglas and those racing toads

September 12-14

We have spend these past few days trying to get updates from home and work. We are still struggling with getting a decent connection. The kids have hve been laying low getting caught up on their schoolwork.
After a few difficult days of schoolwork and office updates, we decided to head north to Port Douglas which is about 2-3 hours north of Cairns. We got about 20 minutes on our journey when we saw a bunch of crazy guys jumping off a cliff with kites strapped on to their backs.
We eventually land in the beautiful Port Douglas with a huge number of tourist traps and restaurants. It also had one of the most impressive marina’s we have seen. If you owned a million dollar yacht, you would have to hang out in the poor mans area. Some of these vessels are truly amazing and all of them were privately owned.
We parked ourselves at the Marina bar to watch the boats come in and sample raw oysters and prawns with head and shell on, calamari and several glasses of wine and lemonade. Afterwards we went over to a pub/restaurant where they were holding cane toad races. They would auction off the toads prior to the race. Both Emily and Elizbeth participated and gave their toads kisses for good luck, secretly hoping one of them would turn into a prince. The myth can now be dispelled, no prince’s apparated. Tracie was chosen as the official scorekeeper because the goof thought she was single. Anyway it was a fun time and the kids won the experience and a souvenir frog leg form a previous champion (gross).