We just had the Best Weekend EVER! Saturday was my birthday. I was 103. OK, 43. Peter took me and Ali to Cairns for a birthday weekend. I was very clever when I chose my husband – I made sure he was Australian. My birthday falls on Australia Day, so my husband never forgets my birthday and I get a long weekend.
We stayed here again (I love the bathrooms. And the soap.), ate out for every meal (Cairns is smothered in gelataria. I think we ate the best coffee icecream in the world) and bought new clothes and shoes(Ali got natural, I got red).
We saw two movies (how I love movies! I have promised myself that this year I will go to more movies). Ali and I are big Tim Burton fans and we had been hanging out to see Sweeney Todd. The music was a bit much in places (but that’s Steven Sondheim’s fault) but the costuming and Tim Burton’s dark and seething aesthetic was wonderful! Johnny Depp was eleven shades of brooding; Helena Bonham Carter was brilliant. Her character had lovely subtlety. If you haven’t seen it, go!
And then go to see Juno. I loved every single second of this one. Sweet, funny and full of love.
In case you think the whole weekend was Hedonism-Without-Ceasing, we also walked through the rainforest to see this…The Boulders at Babinda
These rocks are immense. It’s impossible to give you a sense of scale with this photo but they are huge. It’s quite a spooky place. Many people have died here swimming in the pools. There are warnings everywhere not to swim. Some bodies haven’t ever been recovered.
If you ever get to Kuranda, visit the Butterfly Sanctuary. Very hot and steamy inside, but full of butterflies. If you wear something light or bright they will land on you. And make sure you charge your camera battery before you go so that it doesn’t go flat after ten photos… grumble grumble…
That weekend was so good, I think I’ll have another birthday next month.
I’m so glad you had a fabulous birthday
By: Felicia on January 29, 2008
at 10:22 am
Happy Birthday, Kirsty! Sounds like you had a great celebration and a wonderful getaway!
By: erin on January 29, 2008
at 10:59 am
Happy Birthday!
My tongue is hanging out of my mouth with envy. Your photos and descriptions are lovely.
By: Tanya Brown on January 29, 2008
at 12:46 pm
Happy Birthday!
Wow, those rock formations are fantastic!
By: Dy on January 29, 2008
at 1:29 pm
Happy happy happy birthday! Sounds like the perfect weekend away!
By: Diane on January 29, 2008
at 1:49 pm
Gelataria? Is that related to genitalia? Happy Birthday anyway!
By: Shirley on January 29, 2008
at 3:48 pm
I could feel the warmth from here. Glad you had a great birthday.
By: threadspider on January 29, 2008
at 5:23 pm
Happy Birthday! It sounds like you had a fabulous weekend!!
By: Di on January 29, 2008
at 5:44 pm
Happy Birthday Kirsty! What a wonderful weekend and stunning pictures!!
By: nicolette on January 29, 2008
at 6:04 pm
Happy birthday. Seems like you had a great weekend!
By: seemownay on January 29, 2008
at 7:03 pm
Happy Birthday Kirsty! That sounds like an amazing weekend. Those rocks are something else. We celebrated Australia Day at my school, as my class teacher is of your kind! She made some lovely cakes – all oaty and sweet, but I can’t remember what they were…
By: Dragonfly on January 29, 2008
at 7:04 pm
What a fantastic way to spend a very special day – lots of happy returns!
By: Erilyn on January 29, 2008
at 8:14 pm
A gorgeous post!
And happy birthday!
By: Aunty Evil on January 29, 2008
at 8:30 pm
Happy birthday, Only Slightly Younger Woman Than I.
By: Shula on January 29, 2008
at 10:58 pm
happy birthday, kirsty! (you meant 33, right?)
wow, those rocks are amazing! how big are they? it is hard to tell the scale.
By: kirsten on January 30, 2008
at 12:31 am
A very happy birthday to you – what a lovely way to spend the weekend.
How much of your delight in those bathrooms lies in knowing that you won’t ever have to clean them?
By: Sarah on January 30, 2008
at 3:19 am
happy birthday!
those rocks look AMAZING. and your birthday celebration sounds like fun (completely unlike mine).
By: capello on January 30, 2008
at 3:38 am
Happy belated birthday! Ah, yes, 43. Forty-three and I have been getting acquainted for about eight months now. Most days I am just in disbelief and shocked that I can vividly recall things that happened 30 years ago…and things that happened yesterday are a little sketchy. ahem. Continue to enjoy yourself!
By: alobsiger on January 30, 2008
at 5:38 am
Happy be-lated Australia Day Kirsty! I also here it was your birthday too!
Sounds like you had a great time!
By: chronicler on January 30, 2008
at 5:53 am
I hope that every day is a happy day for you this year. It sounds as though you are off to a good start!
By: Alice C on January 30, 2008
at 7:23 am
Well happy 43rd to YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
What a great weekend. I think those rocks look very Hanging Rock’ish and and can almost hear you yelling “Miranda” ….
If your weekend is any indication of the year ahead you are going to enjoy every minute.
By: Maddy on January 30, 2008
at 8:06 am
Hey I jost noticed that lady up there ^ has a photo, how’d she do that? I want a photo.
By: Maddy on January 30, 2008
at 8:07 am
Happy birthday young miss! And I forgot to say from the last, that your quilt in the magazine is gorgeous.
By: Jade on January 30, 2008
at 9:33 am
Happy Birthday Kirsty, aged 43. So glad you had such an awesome celebration.
By: Megan on January 30, 2008
at 12:03 pm
love those shoes………………they would have to be red…there are no bad reds you know….. glorious red…. happy birthday dear kirsty who fills our lives with an extra amount of colour…. margie
By: Margie on January 30, 2008
at 6:44 pm
Glad the day (and weekend) was so fantastic. Happy birthday.
And great pic of the butterfly!!
By: Tanya on January 30, 2008
at 7:13 pm
Happy Birthday! It’s mine soon AND I’m also going to be 43!!!! AND I’m going to see Johnny and Helena this week, sounds like a riveting watch! Sadly I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere near as fancy as that fabulous hotel, it sounds like you had a great weekend, and why not? You’re not forty three every day! Oh, maybe just for the next year….
By: Donna on January 30, 2008
at 9:26 pm
This was such a feast for the eyes! January is apparently the “important people” birthday month. Of course MY birthday is also in January. But much too close to Christmas. Those boulders are lovely! They almost look alive. Reckon that is spooky.
By: Melinda on January 31, 2008
at 1:03 am
Awesome birthday! Lucky you.
By: Kristin on January 31, 2008
at 6:42 am
Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Those Boulders are so beautiful.
By: denise on January 31, 2008
at 7:41 am
Happy belated Birthday Kirsty! It sounds like you had a perfect weekend. The photos are beautiful… what a lovely country you live in.
A birthday hug,
Joni
By: YUMMERS! on January 31, 2008
at 11:39 am
I love this post title
– and also the new blog look – very impressive, clean and lovely !
I can’t believe those boulders – the pools look very inviting though – is there a current/undertow or something else sinister that lurks beneath ?
How scary…
Oh, and Happy Birthday !
By: h&b on January 31, 2008
at 1:05 pm
Ooohh, fun. Happy birthday, girl! Australia Day, what is that? I was born on Independence Day for America. Similar?
That boulder place looks like it has been in movies. Beautiful.
By: pricklypearbloom on February 1, 2008
at 1:13 am
happy happy. Gee 43, you are a mere chicken still! glad it was such fun. I adore those rocks, I was just thinking “why not have a person there to show scale” when I read on. OK point taken, no floating bodies needed to show us how big they are, will take your word for it! those shoes in the top post…. so fun!
By: suzi-k on February 1, 2008
at 2:20 am
Belated birthday wishes to you! You realise you’re now morethan the answer to life, the universe and everything – don’t you?
Gorgeous pics
By: caramaena on February 3, 2008
at 8:57 pm
I have just come back from your neck of the woods, from a great holiday, from great sightseeing and wonderful people.
I have some photos and a link to more on my blog, if you are interested in seeing shots I took from Kuranda (butterflies!), Mossman, Port Douglas (Don’t be insulted!), Atherton etc. I am love with FNQ and could move tomorrow.
Oh – and happy Birthday
By: Alice on February 3, 2008
at 10:29 pm
Belated happy birthday!
By: Fairlie on February 4, 2008
at 11:39 am