Weekend at Port Douglas: The one about the first-ever Caribbean float in the land of crocodiles
by Michelle Baltazar on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 1:37am
If there was one thing I learnt about my visit to Port Douglas, it was this: you don’t mess with Northern Queenslanders.
They are a hardy bunch who live within snapping distance of crocodiles, share footpaths with snakes and wake up everyday with the small - but very real - possibility of being disemboweled by a wild cassowary (a large turkey-looking, flightless bird with killer claws).
Believe, you, me. The local wildlife doesn’t care if you know the hottest clubs in Sydney or the best cafes in Melbourne. They will eat you, with or without your iPhone.
But like many sweeping generalisations people make on just about everything, there’s more to Port Douglas than crocodiles, snakes and cassowaries. There were harmless animals, too, like birds of various shades of red and blue, beautiful horses, rainforest frogs and, yes, baby crocodiles (I saw one. They are cute when they're too small to drag you into the river and do the 'death roll').
There is also Macrossan Street, the fast lane to civilisation. There you can shop at Coles, get a tan from the local salon and eat delicious tapas at a posh joint called Zinc.
Just don’t get carried away. This is still a place with only two cabs servicing the entire population on a Saturday night and there is only one dance club (Ironbar). You don’t want to be blacklisted from either one or you end up spending Saturday nights in Port Douglas at home with your nanna watching another rerun of Fawlty Towers.
The highlight of my visit though was the partying I did with friends, old and new, on Friday night – the opening night of the annual Port Douglas Carnivale. I booked a last-minute flight to Cairns after a friend (organiser DJ Fariet Fasmwa) said I keep threatening to party with him and the rest of the gang (fellow soca/dancehall/reggae enthusiasts) but keep piking out.
He told me this after a two-hour soca dance workshop with Jamie (fellow organiser) and when there’s not enough oxygen running in your body after a workout, it’s far easier to say 'yes' than to explain you've got deadlines to meet (the word 'deadline' doesn't exist in Trinidad & Tobago). And that’s how I became part of the first-ever Caribbean-themed float to grace the annual Port Douglas parade.
I’m so glad I did. Fariet and Jamie organised everything – costumes, airport transfers, accommodation and entertainment. All I had to do was rock up and, presto, memories to last a lifetime.
Friday night came and we were all feeling festive: our shiny costumes, and acceptable consumption of alcohol, helped. The parade itself wasn’t long – it took all of two to three hours – but it was incredibly memorable. The locals welcomed us with open arms and clapped as we passed. Cameras flashed. Video phones recorded our dance moves. Kids (and grown-ups) cheered. Everyone had a fantastic time.
This year there were just more than a dozen of us who participated in this first-ever Caribbean float (with strong representation from Guyana – including the Miss Guyana candidate). We’re hoping to do it again next year, bigger and better.
But would it have been better if there were 50 of us? 100? I doubt it. It was great from start to finish (especially the Caribbean bar-b-q on Sunday, hanging out with my dance buddy Tesa and a host of new friends). There is also something special about being one of a small group of people who will hopefully start a new tradition: getting the Caribbean closer to Australia in an annual dance fest and parade.
If Canada has the Caribana, maybe Australia can start 'Road Vibes', the name of our little get-together.
We'll just make sure we steer clear of the crocs.
No comments:
Post a Comment