Cairns

Australia Airports

It feels fitting to talk about Australian airports when describing our time in Cairns. Our first flight from Sydney to Cairns was seamless and stress-free. Usually the energy of security in American airports makes me feel like I’ll be arrested if I stare at the TSA the wrong way. In Australia I just tossed my things on a conveyor belt and moved on through. The best part? We weren’t ever asked to take off our shoes. I understand security measures are in place for a reason in the USA but I appreciated the ease of flying while I could.

Arrival

Combination City Council and City Library

Surprisingly, public transit wasn’t an option to our hotel in Cairns. This turned out to be a boon because our Uber driver was super polite and owned a local restaurant. We didn’t know this right away because he spent a good amount of time crapping on the airline we just used. Apparently, JetStar is super unreliable and we heard this, unprompted, from several people throughout our trip. To be clear, our experience was wonderful with the airline and we were thankful that we didn’t experience a horror story like others described. Eventually, the driver mentioned that he owned a Thai restaurant and that we should check it out while in Cairns. We didn’t commit one way or the other but we were given a brochure to think on it more.

Cascade Gardens Holiday Apartments

Our hotel, Cascade Gardens, was an… interesting experience. There were basically two schools of thought upon our arrival. The first went something like, “This isn’t the nicest place I’ve ever been to, but it’ll do the job.” The second went something like, “I’m in panic mode and I’m already game planning on how to find a different place to stay.” It was evident from the mix of silence and comments made on our walk up to our rooms that we were all working it out in our own way.

Once we debriefed our feelings about the hotel, bought groceries, and got settled in, we decided to head down to the pool. There’s not much to write home about here; however, as we were all lounging around, someone in the group noticed something giant flying in the air above. The sense of wonder was real amongst the group and someone found some photos of what we were seeing. The best way I can describe it as, and I believe they’re called something similar, is a flying fox with vampire wings. They were big enough that even I could see them flying around despite not being able to distinguish any details. It was an exciting introduction to the wildlife to be sure and I suggest looking them up. We then made some dinner and got ready for our excursion the next morning: the Great Barrier Reef!

Great Barrier Reef

We made our way to the pier to hop on the boat and excitement levels were off the charts. The boat itself was a decent size with three levels and a mixture of indoor/outdoor spaces. We were designated to sit on the mid-level deck indoors with all the people who signed up to scuba dive. A conversation amongst our group prior to signing up for this excursion was the age old question: do we snorkel or scuba dive? Initially, there was some FOMO being surrounded by the scuba people; however, this quickly turned into a sense of relief as the scuba instructors/staff droned on and on about this and that. I’m sure it was important information, but we were just excited to leave the tension of the room and hop in the water. The boat ride itself was not for the faint of heart, but, for those unaffected by sea sickness, it was a scenic ride out to the reefs.

We made two separate stops to spots on the reef. Someone on the trip and I harbored some concerns about how much we’d be able to see. Those concerns were laid to rest almost immediately with how incredibly vibrant the coral appeared. The refraction of the light created vivid colors and the wildlife mingled amongst it all beautifully. We saw a fish that, in a group member’s words, “looked fake and like a giant piece of coral.” At the other stop on the reef we saw what someone described as “Nemo fish” and, while free-diving, I was able to see several types of fish and coral up close. Words don’t do justice to how incredible of an experience it all was.

We eventually made the journey back to Cairns and were greeted with a rainbow in the sky. With no immediate plans after the excursion, the group pointed out a brewery in the distance on the pier. We made our way to what’s called Hemingway’s. For Twin Cities folks, imagine Surly but in Australia. For others, imagine a giant beer hall with outdoor seating available. We enjoyed some food and beer towers and then winded down for the evening in preparation for our next excursion: Fitzroy Island.

Fitzroy Island

Something to know about our time in Cairns is that each day could’ve easily been full of rain. While we benefitted from good weather most of the time, our luck ran out the day of Fitzroy Island. The morning started great as we stopped at a cafe. It became bleak, however, as we waited for the boat and rain started to come down. We met a couple tourists from Toronto that shared skepticism with us on whether this excursion was going to be worth it.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

Someone in the group and I gave snorkeling the good ol’ college try and saw nothing of note because of the visibility and our snorkeling equipment malfunctioning. Others in the group made the smart choice of cutting their losses and getting chicken tenders at the resort on the island.

While the island is likely picturesque on a perfect day, we tried to redeem what we could out of a let-down. We eventually made our way back to Cairns and decided to check out that Thai restaurant I mentioned earlier. In 2 Thai is the name of the place and Chris, the owner, made the experience wonderful. He went as far as to offer us transportation back to our hotel and it was a great nightcap as we prepared to go canoeing the next day!

Canyoning

Did I write canoeing? Sorry, I meant canyoning. Someone in our group was misreading the title of this excursion and no one thought to double check it when it was booked. When we showed up at the pick-up spot to depart, the tour guides, Pete and Luke from Cairns Canyoning, brought their sense of humor and teased us about canoeing. On our drive to the rainforest, they described in broad terms that we’d be traversing a waterfall system instead of hopping into boats. When we arrived at the rainforest we geared up (helmet, vest, harness, etc), received a safety brief, and started our journey.

Naturally, the first thing we did was jump off of a cliff. It progressed from there to licking an ant that tasted like a lemon drop, abseiling down a waterfall, sliding headfirst backwards down a rock face, and ending it all with someone getting trapped in a water vortex. That’s excluding the other cliffs we jumped off of and the maneuvering of narrow pathways and slippery surfaces. I give Pete and Luke a ton of credit because we all made it out unscathed (save for a couple bruises) and with smiles on our faces. I couldn’t recommend an activity more if someone was considering doing something adventurous. If the Great Barrier Reef was a 1a, this was an easy 1b.

To wind down after returning to Cairns, we checked out the night markets and enjoyed some gelato. Remember the flying foxes I mentioned? We saw them flocking in the hundreds while we walked around as they looked to roost in trees in the city center. It looked almost Biblical as they clouded the sky, so that’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea. We also ran into our Toronto friends at Just Devine Gelato, so it truly was a full circle moment while preparing to head out to Melbourne the following day.

Just Devine