Cairns – Trip to the tropical north

So after Townsville we made our way to Cairns. The largest city on the northern east coast with a big backpacker scene. It was still a few hours drive, so we stopped overnight in Rolling Stone. It's a mini town at a formerly significant train station, where there's a free campground right by a creek. The campsite was recommended to us by Elena and Ylva, so we spent the night there. It was really nice too, because it wasn't as busy and the place was bigger, so there was more space between the cars. The next morning, after breakfast and getting ready, we went down to the water and went swimming. It was amazing because the water was so clear and refreshing (it was already really hot for 10am...) and we were almost alone. We sat on a log in the water, watched the fish, and enjoyed the atmosphere. Suddenly it started to rain, very lightly, but at the same time the sun came out. And so every water droplet on the surface of the stream turned into a glittering, reflecting dot. It was really beautiful to see.

After a full-body swim, we got out of the water, showered, and set off. Before the long drive, we had to get gas and we found a small local gas station where the petrol was cheaper than at the big one on the main road, so we could save a bit. The drive to Cairns was relaxing and it was funny how the landscape changed again: suddenly there were not only lots of sugarcane plantations, but also banana or mango fields to see. The landscape also became quite hilly and there were great panoramas from the road. But we didn't look at any attractions like waterfalls because we could do that on the way back and we wanted to be in Cairns in the afternoon. In the evening, we wanted to meet up with Jaci and Alina, who had been in Cairns for a few days and would be traveling on the next day. But first, our first impression of the city: quite urban! When we drove in, we suddenly found ourselves on a three-lane road that was full of traffic and we had to stop at so many traffic lights! Even parking in the city cost something, which we were really not used to anymore. So many people out and about! It's really crazy how you notice that when you've only been in small places for a while. Even though Townsville was already somewhat bigger, Cairns was even a step up.

Like every time, we first went to the Visitor Centre here, except that this time we ended up at an unofficial Visitor and Booking Centre. There we immediately asked about tours to the Great Barrier Reef and got some offers and brochures. The lady also helped us with campsites. After that, we walked around the city a bit and found a second Visitor Centre. There we asked the same things again, got some tour brochures again, and heard the same campground names. Only with different prices, which confused us a bit. It turned out that the first Centre gave us old prices from last year and therefore recommended a campground outside the city because it was cheaper. Actually, this one was more expensive than the one that was centrally located. Totally stupid if we had paid more AND been outside the city. So good thing we asked again. After that, we sat down in a branch of Backpackers World Travel because we wanted to know if they might have better prices for the Reef tours. And indeed, we found a super nice guy who, after a short phone call, could offer us a tour on the second best (according to Tripadvisor) boat for $239 instead of $300. That included all the snorkeling gear, a glass bottom boat tour, breakfast, lunch, snacks, and an introductory dive. Because we really wanted to dive and not just snorkel. And because we didn't have a diving license, there was this First Dive, where you're accompanied by an instructor. The boat then goes to two different spots on the reef and the guy from Backpackers World Travel could also tell us exactly that these spots were good because he himself had already been on most of the boats for a tour. We were really lucky with him and were glad that he could pass on all his experiences to us. We were also satisfied with the price and so we booked the tour for Sunday, the day with the lowest predicted wind speed. We could then throw away all the other brochures and didn't have to deal with them anymore :D

When we came out of the store, it was almost 8 o'clock and we immediately made plans to meet up with the other two (we had booked the campground by phone because they only have reception until 7). It was really nice to see the two of them again, and together we explored the Night Markets of Cairns. It's a large hall with lots of stalls selling all sorts of knick-knacks, massages, and a food court. We treated ourselves to a dinner from the Chinese buffet, where we took a large plate together for $13.90 and filled it up really well :D

We sat there until 10 or so, chatting, and then walked around the market again. Then we dropped off the others at the hostel and drove to the campsite ourselves. There we found an envelope with a really cute smiley face on the reception door, containing our access code and site number. After finding the site, we quickly made the bed and hopped in.

The next morning, we could really see how nice the campground was. While the cars were parked closely together on the unpowered sites, which allowed for almost no privacy, there were 3 refrigerators, a freezer, multiple power outlets at all the kitchen tables for charging devices, great sanitary facilities, and even a TV room. For $27 a night and the proximity to the city, it was really good!

After breakfast, we went on a little city tour. We left the car behind and wanted to walk to the city along the esplanade. In the end, it was a bit far, but still nice. At the end of the esplanade, there was a small market because it was Saturday, and there was also The Lagoon. It's just a large swimming pool that's freely accessible to everyone and where you can swim without fear of jellyfish or crocodiles. Of course, it was really busy, but we still went into the water to cool off a bit. It's really well done.

After our swim break, we continued walking into the city and to the Regional Gallery. We actually wanted to go to the exhibition, but once we were there, we didn't feel like it anymore and just looked around the gift shop. They had really nice things there. After that, we went shopping and then took the bus back home because we didn't want to walk. It was actually pretty funny because the bus cost us $5.40 for both of us, and on the way to the esplanade at the beginning of the day, I just found a $5 bill on the ground. It was really cool and the bus didn't cost us almost anything :D

In the evening, we had a birthday Skype call with Andi's dad and we cooked a delicious salsa sauce from our remaining tomatoes and one bell pepper. We had ground beef with beans and toast. A pretty delicious dinner!

The next day was the day of our big trip to the Great Barrier Reef, but I would rather make a separate entry for that because it was soooo great and there are definitely soooo many pictures I want to show and sooo many things I want to tell :D

But we already liked Cairns itself quite a bit. It's a lively, multicultural city with a vibrant nightlife (of course, when it's still 25°C at night) and a relaxed atmosphere. The streets and the feel reminded us a bit of Darwin, just that Darwin is a bit smaller :D