Cairns

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26.2.2012 Cairns



Arrived in Cairns at 6 in the morning, we got a taxi to Gilligans our hostel for $8 for like a 2 minute ride, the taxi’s are so expensive! The hostel was massive, it was like a mini resort with a pool, bar nightclub, everything really. We couldn’t check in till 2 so we hung around the pool until Neil and Mark arrived from Sydney. They had flown up to meet us for a couple of nights. We had a walk around Cairns and had a few beers in one of the parks. We nipped into a casino and we won $35 on the roulette, wahoo! We started drinking early – chilling out and having a catch up on the balcony. It started getting a bit silly – some bright spark decided to see who could shout Gilligans as loud as they could off the balcony. We all had a go and it actually felt good getting it off your chest. Security then came in and told us to calm down a bit. We were leaving to go then bar anyway. At the bar we bumped into loads of people that we had met travelling up the coast. It was like a big reunion. It was a great night speaking to everyone and seeing Neil and Mark aswell. It came to 2am and Liverpool were kicking off in the Carling Cup final. We watched the first half then the bar closed so we had to run inside and watch the rest on the internet in the hotel lobby! Great end to a great night as Liverpool won!



27.2.2012



We went searching for hangover food and found it at a famous Australian food court. Their food courts are massive and have every fast food chain in there that is possible. I had Chinese and Sophie had sushi rolls. The weather was still crap with heavy rain. Whilst we were in the shopping mall we bought hand lines to go fishing with. We bought squid and prawns as bait. We went back the room and waited for the rain to clear and headed down the harbor to go fishing! How exciting! We only went for a couple of hours and Sophie was the only person to catch anything. She was made up as it was her first ever catch. We think it was a parrot fish some guy later told us. We headed back the room balcony and had a few drinks. We weren’t going to go out, but after we had a few drinks we went down to the bar, met up with everyone again and had such a funny night. We found it highly amusing to shout Megan O’hallahan in an Irish accent without moving your lips. Thiis entertained us for hours!



28.2.2012



Woke up to Neil and Mark rushing around. It was 6.30 in the morning and they had a flight back to Sydney at 7.30. They left saying a quick goodbye, 20 mins later they were back having missed the flight and having to pay for another one later in the morning. We didn’t do much after that, we checked out of Gilligan’s and into a cheaper hostel down the road for the remaining time in Cairns. We went to a few travel agents to see which one would give us the best deal for a day trip to Cape Tribulation.



29.2.2012 Cape Tribulation



Bus picked us up from our hostel at 7.30, couple of hours drive and we were at the Daintree River. We boarded a boat to go and look for crocodiles in the wild. Luckily it had stopped raining. We got to see 3 crocodiles – all pretty small though considering the guide said he has seen 6m crocs in there! He then started going on about mangrove trees which he gave us loads of information on, most of it going straight over our heads. He told bad joke after bad joke but he meant well. We were shortly back on the bus – a quick nap before the next destination – a quick 10 minute wall around the jungle. It was pointless as we all got soaked and bitten alive by mozzies. We eventually stopped for lunch at a restaurant which was close to a beach. While waiting for our food we walked the beach which is apparently the only place in the world where jungle meets reef. On the way back we stopped off at a lookout to take the postcard picture of Cape Tribulation. However we couldn’t see a thing as it was raining and foggy. We stopped off at Port Douglas on the way back to Cairns to have a look around. It was a nice little town. When we got back to Cairns we went to the night market and walked around there for hours. These markets are all the same everywhere you go but Sophie insists we walk around them. Not buying anything, just looking saying oohh wouldn’t that be nice at home or oohh my Mum would love that in the front room etc. I was fed up so I went for a Chinese and I knew Sophie wouldn’t be too far behind.



1.2.2012



Sorting boring stuff out today, but it has to be done. Checking flights, uploading pictures etc. This was in the morning while it was raining, but all of a sudden it cleared and the sun came out. We ran back the hostel, got our swimming costumes on and headed for the lagoon. (Your still not allowed in the sea due to crocs and Jellyfish.) It was lovely and warm and so nice to have good weather while we in Cairns. At sunset we went fishing again, buying some prawns off a boat/tackle shop. Just about before we were going to call it a day Sophie caught a fish! It had spikes down its spine – maybe a Barramundi? Sophie had now caught 2 and me none! M x

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