A Touch of Home in a Land Faraway

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We had made it out of the top end unscathed, on time (Han's dad was arriving in two days) and with enough mental capacity left, to still believe that a fly mesh hat just isn't cool. It's a tough one though, if you have it you look like a madman. If you don't you just act like one. With a few days to spare before Cairns we had entered the fresh, blissfully fly free, Atherton Tablelands.

The rolling hills and cloudy skies were a welcome change to the arid landscape we had just passed through. Here the air-con came from opening the windows and smelling the country air. It was green and lush, cows roamed freely and waterfalls poured deeply off the jagged cliffs. Things seemed remarkably English so we continued the theme by going to a dairy farm for a cheese tasting and talking cricket with the owner. The first of the Ashes tests had begun and we were passing with flying colours.

On our journey across the north we had listened to the dulcet tones of Jonathan Agnew and the Aussie commentating crew, laugh their way through over after over, talking mostly about anything but cricket. It is a rare pleasure, listening to a full day of cricket on the radio. Something that should be done at least once in ones life, or if you happen to have 2000km to drive. It's languid pace is oddly pleasing, especially when England happen to be beating the Aussies.

We spent the evening in a distinctly un-English fashion, camped at a Rodeo ground surrounded by kangaroos. We had been told it was a free campsite as the rodeo was out of season. However, sure enough, in the morning a lady came round to inquire of our presence. It was indeed a campsite but it was not free. However, very kindly, she allowed us a free nights camp as well as urging us to use the hot showers before we left. What a great person.

The Atherton Tablelands were so nice that we decided to leave, thinking Han's dad would enjoy them as a day trip from Cairns. We swooped down the steep, windy road from Kuranda into the Cairns Valley where we got our first glimpses of the Coral sea. We were coming into East Coast civilisation. Cars were everywhere and with more than one lane we did not know what to do with ourselves. As if the gods had called it, we pulled into a Sports Bar. Today was Norwich v Ipswich, derby day back home and I just had to ask if the bar would be showing the match. I got the typical blunt reply of "why don't you check the television guide", which I did and found that the match would be on one of Fox Sports channels but at 11:30pm. The bar closed at ten but a resourceful bar maid said next door the 'pokies' (casino) would be open until 4am and they had the same channels. Bingo!

We picked up some beers from a conveniently located bottle shop and went to Lake Placid, nearby. The sun was shining, the beers were cold and Norwich were going to be on the t.v. To say life was good would be an understatement. We swam in the cooling lake and had a picnic under the shade of the trees and before too long the sun was down and the match was on.

Han was designated driver as I nervously gulped my James Squire Golden Ale waiting for the match to commence. What ensued was 90 minutes of footballing heaven. Norwich won 4-1 and we were jumping around the very empty casino until 2am.

The next morning, with my Norwich City top still on, we went to the airport to meet Han's dad. It was a long wait before he finally emerged from the arrivals gate. Long hugs and tears were shed between father and daughter. It had been thirteen months since we last saw him. Rob, an Ipswich fan, was sporting enough to give me a hug despite having just been told the result.

The wonders of the modern world had seen him fly from the freezing, pre-Heathrow closure, temperatures of England to the barmy, tropical climate of Cairns in 28 hours. The last leg of his journey was, like ours, from Darwin. It was funny to think that what had taken us three days, he had done in three hours. Aviation hey!

We checked into the Queenslander Hotel and spent the rest of the day catching up with lives, walking the impressive Cairns Esplanade and swimming in our pool. Rob had bought a bottle of duty free Gin. I dotted the i's and crossed the t's and soon we had drinks by the pool before going into town for dinner. We went to a brilliant harbour front Bar & Grill where the champion of all meals was consumed. The word 'Espatada' will always ring true in my heart. 350g of delicious dangling meat, enjoyed after two months of cooking kidney beans and chickpeas from a portable stove.

Cairns is a modern town born through the proliferation of tourism. It's surplus of cool bars and restaurants nestle effortlessly into the beautiful harbour front setting creating a unique buzz. The vibe, however, is distinctly transient. A gateway town to the natural wonders elsewhere, Cairns town itself has little to stay for.

So using Cairns as a perfect base for evening revelry we headed out of town during the day. In the bright morning sunshine our reliable Holden Commodore clawed it's way up to the Atherton Tablelands. After a hearty Aussie breakfast we browsed the quaint Kuranda markets and then walked through an informative rainforest canopy to Barron Falls. As the afternoon clouds hit the highlands, we scattered back down the mountain to the sunny Palm Cove beach. Life slowed down as we talked, with the warm tropical breeze in our hair. It was a relaxing hour or so out on the pier, despite having to dodge numerous fishing lines that were thrown back in readiness to cast.

There was only one more thing 'to do' on our Cairns wish list before we left for Cape Tribulation. It came in the form of a 40ft Catamaran called 'Daytripper' that took us on a two hour cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef. With more boat tours to choose from than fish in the reef, it seems Cairns is another living organism, spawned from the corals riches. However, decision made, we were happy with the family run outfit that were taking us to Upolu Reef where we would have two hours either side of lunch to snorkel the largest barrier reef in the world.

Stretching over 2,600kms and almostthe whole of the Queensland coast, the Great Barrier Reef is a natural phenomenon. The comparatively small spec of sea we were snorkelling in did not disappoint. As soon as we entered the aqua marine waters a green sea turtle swam by. Peering deeper another turtle lay on the sea bed, unaware of the furore above it. Shoals of fish mesmerised our every turn as we flipped by an array of colour, amongst both hard and soft coral.

Rob had very cleverly got some snorkel practice in before he left England and was thus able to enjoy the warm waters with no hassle. As we weaved our way around the beds of coral, memories were captured with underwater cameras and videos. By the end they had to practically haul us out of the sea to make our way back to harbour. It was an amazing day that Rob treated us to, in a part of the world that seems light years away from the icy shores of the UK.

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Photos

View down to Cairns....
take one....notice the trees