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Published: September 2nd 2013
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I'm very behind with this blog entry; about 6 weeks behind in fact, but I've finally now got the time to write about one of the absolute best weeks of my life.
My last blog ended in Brisbane, after which I'd already fallen head over heels in love with Queensland. However, the best was yet to come. I flew from Brisbane up to Cairns, north Queensland, where I'd booked myself a little treat - 2 nights in a swish hotel. Wow was it swish! I had 2 double beds in my rooms, big TV, gorgeous bathroom, a mountain view and onsite gym. The sea was just 2 minutes walk and the city centre only 10. When I got into my room I jumped for joy and did a little happy dance around the whole place. It felt great to have a bit of a luxury again after hostel living.
The first thing that hit me about Cairns was the heat and humidity. It was the middle of winter and still 27 degrees. I was in my element. I dug back out the shorts and flip flops and hit the town. I wandered around, got some food, stared out to
sea for a while and did a little shopping. Cairns felt so different to anywhere else in Australia I'd been. It had a much more beachy feel, was very laid back but still had loads going on. Being on my own for those first 2 nights I didn't make the most of Cairns' nightlife, but I did certainly make the most of my hotel room. I used the gym, chilled in the jacuzzi, watched movies, ordered a load of room service and slept in a different bed each night. Because I could.
On day 3 in Cairns the real fun began - I was booked on a week long Contiki tour, where up to 50 of us would be exploring northern Queensland together. The night before the tour a pre-meet in the hotel was arranged, however I was informed by reception that the meeting had been postponed to the following morning before the tour kicked off. I found some people in reception holding the same folder of paperwork as me and asked them if they were Contiki. They were, and we went off to get a burger. I was really happy that both were in their late 20s. I'd
heard many things about Contiki - one being that the tours of full of 18 year olds who just want to get drunk and have sex with each other. Not true at all. One of the girls I met was 27, married, and had left her husband at home. That made me very happy :-)
The morning of the tour I met the rest of the tour group - we all got on so well! There were 17 of us for day 1, then 48 of us by day 2 when another group crossed over with our itinary. First stop, Cape Tribulation, 70 miles north of Queensland. Cape Trib is full of tropical rainforests, white beaches and aboriginal culture. Our first stop was the daintree forest, where we had a guided Aboriginal Tour. We learned about how Aboriginal people had lived off the land, about spirtual customs and we painted our arms like we were tribes people. The rainforest was just beautiful and at the end of the walk we were treated to hot drinks and scones with jam. Then it was back on the bus to our accommodation for the evening.
We split into groups of 3
to a room and dumped our stuff. I was sharing with a Canadian and a fellow Brit. We were meeting the rest of the group for dinner later on, so in the meantime we decided to explore the area. We were in the middle of nowhere, on a beautiful beach, with hardly anyone else around. It made me feel peaceful and like I was seeing a part of the world not many people got to see. Probably not true at all, but it was that sort of remote feeling. We walked up the beach, chatting and getting to know each other, taking in our gorgeous surroundings. We came to a lookout point - it was worth the short walk up a hill. I've posted a picture for you too see as words could not do justice as to how beautiful it was. I'm not sure the picture does either really but it's a start.
We then walked back to our beach house and met the rest of the group for dinner. We chatted over ciders and food, I taught an American was spagetti bolognaise was (do they really not have it there?!) and I felt like I was amongst
friends. We head to bed around 11pm, ready for an early start the next morning as we drove back to Cairns.
Every morning of the tour started with our morning song on the coach. Ours was One Republic - counting stars. The idea was that we could all have a sing to get us ready for the day and that when we heard the song, years from now, it would remind us of the trip. It definitely does that! Since the tour I have listened to this song and it's brought me to tears, missing Australia. However, now is not the time for that talk. It's time to talk more about Cairns.
We drove back down the Queensland coast, destination Cairns. En route however we stopped at Daintree forest for another guided walk. We learned more about the rainforest and the types of trees and plants you find in such a tropical environment. We were then back on the bus, crossed a lake that was home to several crocodiles, and then stopped in the town of Port Douglas for lunch. It was a gorgeous little town that boasts exclusive resorts, award winning restaurants, beautiful galleries and boutique shopping.
It was also where I had the best chicken wrap of my life! We had just 2 hours in the town - I'd have liked a little longer, but it was back on the bus and onto Cairns.
It was back in Cairns we met the rest of our tour group. There were now 48 of us - the majority doing the full East Coast down to Sydney with Contiki. I felt sad that I had just 1 week of the 3 week tour. The people were so fun and I felt like I was away with my best friends. That night in Cairns we went to the Woolshed - a bar and grill where dancing on the tables is encouraged. All 48 of us had dinner there and drank cup after cup of $3 "jungle juice". I'm still not sure what was in it, all I know is that I liked it and it got me drunk for very little money. The drunkeness meant we were up on the tables as soon as our plates were cleared, shaking our thing until the early hours. There were dance competitions and a table tennis contest. It was such a fun
night and we staggered back to our hotel happy.
We were put up by Contiki in the same plush hotel as I'd started my trip to Cairns in, only this time there was 4 of us in a room. I was lucky enough to get one of the double beds though. The girl in the camp bed did not seem so happy. However, it wasn't a hostel and for that we were all grateful.
The next morning was the highlight of the trip - The Great Barrier Reef, but I'll tell you all about it in the next blog as I'm a danger of writing another novel. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to find the words to describe just how amazing an experience it was....
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