So about time I updated the old blog then....

The East Coast has just experienced the worst sandstorms in 70 years. Apparently there's been strong winds in the Southern Australian outback which have whipped up a muddy maelstrom, depositing 16000 tonnes of dust every hour over Sydney. Truly martian. Brisbane 900 km away, got it as well. It moved its orange ass up here to Cairns but it just created a dry sort of cloudy haziness. Similar in fact to a fine scottish summer's day.

Jackie has been in Innisfail since Wednesday morning and will return Friday afternoon ( or arvo in local parlance ). In her recent guise as dentistry's answer to Florence Nightingale ( see left ) she has to travel occasionally to outlying communities to meet the needs of the aboriginal and torres strait islander folks. Fair play to her.

When Jackie's away I've been covering the clinic back in Cairns. I don't know if it's their fondness for eating turtles or dugong but that indigenous bone is impossible to shift when your taking teeth out.....alas I don't have the Jackie D touch.

The following is possibly one of the boldest statements I have ever made.

I have just had the finest portion of fish and chips ever.

Sorry McLaughlin's Limavady. Move over L'Alba D'Oro Edinburgh..... Hello Earlville Fish Bar.

Firstly the chips. These babies were half way between the traditional soggy Scottish chip and its crispier Irish cousin. What I mean is, the outside had that golden crispiness while the interior was a paste of sweet smoothiness.

Then the fish: I opted for the " flake " which I am lead to believe can be one of several species of small shark. The flesh had a well defined white appearance. The flavour was mild and juicy soft in texture. All of this was encrusted in a light tempura-like batter. The most impressive quality held by said batter was that it was still perfectly crispy when I got home.

Thank you Earlville Fish Bar

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