Cairns - Rainforest and Beautiful Beaches

Arriving in Cairns and after picking up the rental car, I went to the hotel. As it is located in the city center, finding a parking space was already difficult. So I arrived at the hotel around 6:00 pm and almost bumped my head against the closed entrance door.

The hotel description stated that check-in was possible until 6:00 pm. But it seems that someone finished work on time because the hotel was already locked. There was a phone number on the glass door, which I called. A man gave me a code for the number lock on the side, then the door opened and there was an envelope with my name on the counter. Inside the envelope was the key card for my room. So everything was no problem. Since the reception was only staffed from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm each day, I didn't see any employees at the hotel during the two days I stayed there...

The tropical city of Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Accordingly, the whole city is geared towards tourism. Pubs and tour operators shape the cityscape. The peak season is the same as in Germany, from May to September. Because that's when it's 'winter' here and the climate is somewhat bearable. Cairns doesn't have a beach in the city center and at low tide there is a muddy mudflat in front of the promenade. Therefore, a swimming pool, called the Lagoon, was built near the water and the promenade. The Lagoon even has a sandy beach, different depths, and is crowded every day. The photos were taken early in the morning, when there was still no one around.

When I walked from the hotel to the promenade the evening before, there was a huge noise coming from some big trees in the middle of the city. There were probably a hundred flying foxes hanging upside down from the branches of the trees.

And at the promenade, a group of pelicans was the main attraction.

Since I will visit the Great Barrier Reef later on my trip, I explored the beautiful surroundings of Cairns. From rainforest to beautiful beaches, the area has a lot to offer. I took the 'Skyrail', a cable car, over the treetops of the rainforest in the morning. You could download an app on your phone and then receive interesting information about the rainforest at certain points during the whole ride. We passed a waterfall, but unfortunately, it has little water due to the ongoing drought in the area. And you could get off at an intermediate station and take a walk through the rainforest. It was really an interesting trip and after the somewhat barren nature in the Outback, it was nice to see green in all its shades again.

There are signs everywhere along this river warning about crocodiles.

But the beaches are really beautiful.

On the way back to the hotel, I saw something in the corner of my eye at the last moment, so I had to turn around and take a closer look... A field full of kangaroos. But there was no sign anywhere explaining what these animals are about. In the best case, it is a breeding station, in the worst case, it is a meat processing plant...

Since my hotel is located in an Asian-influenced neighborhood, I went out for dinner at an Asian restaurant in the evening, and so another beautiful day in Australia came to an end.