I’ve been admonished enough about not keeping up with this blog - SORRY!!
It has been an interesting few months at Red Mill House.
As you know we have had Red Mill on the market for a year now and, despite a lot of interest, there has been no buyer. People either don’t have enough money (as the banks require a big deposit) or are just not brave enough to make the move. Such a shame because this is a great property, in a great part of the world, with a great little business thrown in. The property is in good nick, bookings for 2017 are up and, really, there is no reason someone else can’t do just as well as we have from Red Mill House and have just as good a time in the meantime.
You’ll also know that we bought our dream ‘retirement’ block up at Lake Eacham a year ago. We’ve camped on it most months since, have watched the movement of the sun, watched the prevailing weather and are now ready to build the house. Plans go to council this week! The plan is to to start building in April, hopefully at the end of ‘the wet’. Unfortunately, at 60 something, we can’t afford to just sit around waiting for the other to happen. Starting from scratch with landscaping etc requires the energy of a young and healthy 60 something and you never know what the future will bring, so we are doing it now. The reveg has already started with more trees on the way.
We have Red Mill closed until June 1 so we can concentrate on that next stage of life and will re-open for this tourist season June-December if necessary.
So that’s our story! Off to Sabah, Borneo, later this week for a short break - hoping to see some of the wonderful wildlife that Borneo has to offer. Getting past the oil palm plantations will be the hard bit.
Meanwhile - birding in Daintree! It is the best time of year, of course, with the Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfishers feeding their young, Papuan Frogmouth and Great-billed Heron nesting on the river, Azure Kingfisher nesting in the bank along Stewart Creek Rd and a few specials about. Red-necked Crake and Pale-vented Bush-Hen are in the garden at Red Mill House and Spotted Whisting-Ducks have been spotted on the Daintree River.
Red-necked Crake
Ian Worcester
Good rain in the new year so lots of new growth in the rainforest and a lot of water lying around the fields. The birds think it is heaven - which of course, it is!!!
