Blogs from Cairns City, Cairns, Queensland, Australia, Oceania - page 9

We didn't want to depart Australia on a sad note so were determined to do the things we set out to do. Having been disappointed with the lack of native wildlife seen in 9 weeks, we visited RainForeStation Wildlife Park in Cairns. It was compact and had everything we wanted to see. I got to cuddle a koala and see all the animals that were usually asleep during the day. The enclosure allowed the kangaroos to roam freely and it was amusing to watch other tourists treat the roos like domestic pets. We approached them with caution knowing we wouldn't stand a chance if they offered us a couple of rounds of boxing... An unconventional way of spending St. Valentine's Day dressed in wetsuits. Luckily the adverse weather of late held off. I tried to ... read more

Another country and another obstacle to navigate – the floods affecting the East coast have meant that some places, like Brisbane, have had to be missed and some places, like Cairns, have taken up way more time than I would have liked. The reef diving here was amazing; so many brightly coloured fish, sparkling clear water and coral brushing against my flippers, but everything else was disappointing. I expected a gleaming city with beach bums everywhere, instead it is a small town designed for 18 year olds who like to take part in wet T-shirt contests that don’t actually involve wearing the T-shirt… After finally escaping we did a 2-day tour of Fraser Island, which is a huge sand atoll off the coast. We lucked out with a great group and guide for the tour and ... read more

Wednesday 12-29 Got up waaay too early today (4am) to catch our flight into Cairns (pronounced "cans"). When we got to Cairns were able to hitchhike into town thanks to the generosity of a very nice lady who took pity on us and our giant backpacks. Most of our day was spent hanging out at a free public beach-side pool known as the Cairns Lagoon. It was pretty nice but it started to rain, which interrupted our nap on the grass. Cairns is a little trickier of a place to visit than we thought. Our initial draw was to come here and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, which we plan to do on Sunday (one day is all we could afford). But there’s very little to actually due in Cairns (most of the beaches and attractions ... read more

Hi all, so this is my last blog, 41st one, bit spooky as same number of years I have been kicking around on this planet! Blogs total around 45,000 words and 1000 pickies! Can vividly remember writing my first one back in January in Miami! Writing this one the day before I fly home from Cairns, via Brisbane and Singapore, 24 hours in the sky plus few hours at airports! Finishing and publishing at Esmes house. So last few weeks of my travels, or in my case last few weeks chilling in the sun! Arrived at Cairns airport at silly oclock in the morning, 0410 to be precise! Caught a bus to the hostel, Northern Greenhouse, three of us got off the bus and the guy on reception let us crash in the tv room as ... read more