Our next stop was away from the city lights and back into nature and some beautiful nature at that. We were heading to little beach front bungalow at the Kewarra Beach Resort north of Cairns. The day before we left Sydney we visited a little book store in the Rocks and picked up two books for Siena that were written by an Australian author named Alison Lester. The books were titled “Imagine” and “Magic Beach”. We read to Siena every day and she loves her story books. These two were no different and so before bedtime daddy read Siena the story about Magic Beach and then told her we would take her to the Magic Beach the next day.
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| View of the Magic Beach from our room |
On the morning we were leaving for Kewarra, we read Magic Beach a few times again. Siena was enchanted with the story. She was so excited to go to her very own Magic Beach. We arrived at the hotel at dinner time and it was dark, so we checked in and head straight to dinner. Siena could hear the waves and see some sand but would have to wait one more day to get to the Magic Beach. As you would imagine we read the story a few more times.
The next morning the sun was shining into our room and Siena was up and ready to go. We walked out on our deck and there it was, the Magic Beach. Siena grew quiet and tried to take it all in and then turned to us and said “mommy, daddy, go to magic beach, go to magic beach!” And so we did.
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| Heading to Magic Beach |
After a quick walk on the beach as we headed to breakfast where we got to see more of what a rainforest has to hold. (The Kewarra Resort is actually in a rainforest that is on the beach and the property is beautiful.) At our first breakfast we met what I refer to as the talking birds. Maybe someday I will do a bit of research to find out what they are actually called, but these birds were the size of a hawk and they would warble and yodel and screech. They were very vocal and you could hear them if you were anywhere near. The main building, lobby and restaurant at the resort have no walls or windows on the beach side of the building, it is completely open. So, if a bird wants to visit, it can and these birds would. They sat on the oversized blades of the “Big Ass Fan” (yes that is actually the brand and is printed in big letters on the fan) and would talk throughout your meal.
We spent the day exploring the resort property and wandering on our Magic Beach. Siena was at first a little hesitant on the beach. She likes the sand and she loves the water, but this water had waves and she doesn’t get in that type of water every day. Her initial trepidation quickly evaporated and it became a game of how deep could we get without getting to wet, running in and out as the waves approached and just silly fun on the beach. Siena tried out a rope swing tied to the branch of a tree and explored the beach with a big smile on her face and constantly calling us to come see things she was discovering. Mommy had borrowed a shovel and pail for some beach play time and put them to good use on the beach. She taught her little girl about sea shells and then the two of them spent time walking on the beach and collecting shells together. Shells from a magic beach are very special and Siena played with hers for the rest of the trip.
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| Exploring the resort |
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| At Magic Beach |
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| Learning about sea shells from Mommy |
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| Collecting shells |
Back in our room reading the story of the magic beach took on a whole new life. The book opens with:
At the beach,
at our magic beach,
we swim in the sparkling sea,
surfing and splashing and jumping the waves,
shrieking and laughing with glee.
By day three with the book, Siena was now captivated by the story and one page in particular. We would always open right to that page and start there before we could go back and begin the book. “The king and the queen are trapped in the _____, a dragon is spitting out _______, Princess Belinda is charging the _______, To rescue little ______ _____." By the third day Siena had the page memorized and finished the sentences for me. The next time you talk to Siena ask her how they end, I am sure she will fill in the blanks. (I just wrote the words to that page without the book, so you know I have gotten pretty close to the story as well.)
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| Reviewing my shells |
It was a very special day for Lisa and me as well; it was our anniversary. Earlier in the day we watched another couple getting married on the beach right outside our room. It reminded me of the special day when I married Lisa, it was a beautiful setting in Napa and it reminded me of how much the beauty of the place adds to the experience. While nothing could have been more beautiful than my wife on our wedding day (or now), the setting and back drop for the event can enrich the experience and make it special too. Our evening ended with a romantic dinner for two on the porch outside our room. Lisa arranged for our dinner and the food and romantic setting were wonderful, but my dinner date was the most spectacular part of the night.
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| Tree Swing |
The Magic Beach provided a magical day for all of us. And so to the sounds of the ocean we slept through night, with our dreams adrift on the evening tide.
