Wilting and on the move.....

It's Bank Holidays here in Australia, so we decided to come to Port Douglas for the weekend, in order to see the Great Barrier Reef (Sunday).  Port Douglas is around an hour North of Cairns, but before heading up here this morning, we took a trip to Yarrabah, a small Aboriginal community of around 3,000 people, 37km east of Cairns.  Yarrabah means 'Paradise by the Sea' and it certainly is that as can be seen from the picture above. 

It was breathtakingly beautiful there and very peaceful on the beach, with only small barefooted children playing around us. Here is another photo of the beach (and me on it!):

 Jan had spoken to me yesterday about Alcohol Management Plans (AMP's).   AMPs currently operate in 19 discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across 15 Local Government Areas and were introduced to reduce alcohol related violence, particularly against women and children. Around the Yarrabah area, along with other aboriginal areas, alcohol is restricted to the following limits: 

The maximum amount of alcohol a person can have if they live in the restricted area is limited to:

• 11.25 litres (1 x 30 can carton) of light or mid-strength beer

OR

• 750 ml (1 bottle) of unfortified wine.

  For example, if you lived in a town in Wales (for example Aberystwyth), you would only be allowed to bring in the following limits into the town, with the aim of trying to restrict the amount of alcohol coming into an area.  If you bought more than this into the town, then you would be fined the following:

Maximum penalties for possessing illegal alcohol in the restricted area are:

• first offence 375 penalty units (currently $41,250)
• second offence 525 penalty units (currently $57,750) or 6 months imprisonment
• third or subsequent offence 750 penalty units (currently $82,500) or 18 months imprisonment.

Vehicles found carrying alcohol above the set limit in the restricted area may be confiscated.
It is also an offence to attempt to bring illegal alcohol into the restricted area. The maximum is 375 penalty units (currently $41,250).
The on the spot fine for drinking in a public place is $110 or $247 if under the age of 18.
The maximum penalty for possessing alcohol in a dry place is 19 penalty units (currently $2090).
These penalties apply to all people residing in, travelling through, visiting or working in the restricted area.

These restricted areas are only found in Aboriginal communities and are not imposed on other Australian communities. I ask myself how I would feel having this restriction imposed in the area where I live... Here is a picture of the sign on the way into Yarrabah:

Unfortunately, the museum there was closed, so we made our way up to Port Douglas, a very beautiful drive along the coast.  It is so hot here that we were just sweating sitting in a chair!! Here are some pics of us here:

We are all looking forward to seeing the Great Barrief Reef tomorrow and have bought our disposable underwater cameras in readiness! Hopefully, I will be able to post some pics on this blog in the next couple of days!