Arrival in Australia: Cairns - of sniffers and toilet rules (Australia part 1)

After some difficulties at Denpasar airport (see Bali part 10), we landed in Cairns after 3 hours of sleep.

View from the plane of the coast in front of Cairns

Conscientiously, we filled out the immigration form truthfully. After swimming under the waterfall on Moyo, we checked "Yes" (Have you bathed in a fresh water body in the last three weeks?) and that's how we were waved over. With our luggage, we stood in line at a predetermined distance with other suspects and waited for our inspection. It came in the form of a four-legged sniffer, who was supposed to check if any unauthorized plant material was being brought in. Since endemic species have been wiped out by intentionally or unintentionally introduced species in the past, the regulations in Australia are very strict. However, we were allowed to bring in our chocolate cookies...

Cairns - View from the Esplanade

We noticed at the airport that there were many Asian tourists here. Later, we were almost the only ones who didn't look Asian during some tourist activities...

We also found the same explanations in the toilets that we had already found amusing in Indonesia: a small pictogram guide on how to use a flush toilet.

In Indonesia, squat toilets were widespread, and so in places where the instructions were missing, footprints could be found on the toilet seats...

In Cairns, we first walked along the Esplanade and had breakfast at a cafe there. It was crowded with guests, but they were not the only ones with an appetite for the food: if you left your table unattended for a moment, pigeons and seagulls would dive in and help themselves...

On our way through the city, we also passed by some trees where a colony of fruit bats lives. The animals mainly hung from the branches, but some also flew around. However, you shouldn't stand directly under the tree to observe them - occasionally, the animals drop something...