Welp the time had come and gone in Sydney and it was time for me to jet off to Cairns for 6 days. I met my friend Karley at the airport in Sydney as we were doing this leg of the mid-semester break together. We both then boarded the plane and i would say it was smooth sailing from there on out but it was not. The plane ride was actually very bumpy as it lurched up and down a couple of times throughout the 3-hour flight. Luckily we made it safe and sound to Cairns and landed only a few minutes late. It was super warm and humid here as most days it was a high of 33 degrees Celsius and sunny. We arrived pretty early on in the day so we dropped out bags off at the hostel and went out for breakfast. We went o the best waffle place ever! It was reasonably priced for the amount we got and was super delicious. After breakfast, we still had a couple of hours before we could check in so we walked around Cairns (it’s not that big of a place) and then headed to check in. Once settled we spent the rest of the day by the public pool area in Cairns and stayed there until sunset then went out for dinner afterward. All in all, we were exhausted once it got dark and had an early night as we had both been up since 4 am that morning.
The next day we did nearly the exact same thing, it was super hot and sunny so after a yummy free breakfast at the hostel of pancakes we made our way down to the lagoon (the pool area). Here we tanned the day away with constant breaks to go into the water. It was a super huge pool with different areas for kids and water toys as well. It was so hot out every time we got out we would be covered in sweat again in at least 30 minutes. Before coming here we did not bring sunscreen because we haven’t needed any in Melbourne but trust me when i say we needed it. We ended up buying a very small tube that lasted us the rest of the trip. Again we stayed here until it got dark and we got hungry. After showering off we were on the lookout for a good dinner and found it at this very yummy burger place that had great milkshakes (or thick shakes as the Aussies call them). After dinner, we enjoyed the fresh air and walked along the boardwalk beside the ocean until we couldn’t, then headed back and called it a night.
The third day in Cairns was our first day we booked an activity for. This was the thing everyone talks about when coming to Australia and that is the great barrier reef! Our boat left at 8 am sharp so we had to be up bright and early to catch it. Once on board the provided a small breakfast fruit and mini muffins which we gladly took advantage of (can’t pass up free things!) as they had watermelon that was very yummy. This whole day was amazing, the boat we were on was very luxurious and had two nets at the front like a catamaran, we spent the first hour here but we kept getting wet from waves splashing through the nets so we relocated for the next hour to the top sundeck where we sat and took in the vast ocean around us. In total it was a 2 hour boat ride out to the first reef location so once we got there we were all anxious to hit the water. What can i say? The reef was amazing and pictures/videos do not do it justice. The water was so warm and blue, we didn’t even need the thin wetsuits they gave us but it was for jellyfish protection. There were so many fish swimming in and out of the coral and around us that you could just lay on top of the water forever and see a new thing every minute. I found multiple spots where i could dive down and explore the deeper waters as i held my breath. Before i knew it the time had come to leave the first spot and we boarded the boat for lunch, this consisted of mac and cheese, various salads, and rolls (it was super good!). Do you know what the saying don’t swim 30 minutes before eating or else you’ll get a cramp? Well, we abided by that and spent the next little bit digesting the food and sunning ourselves on the front nets of the boat. Before long though we heard the call of the ocean and went back out to snorkel the beautiful waters of the great barrier reef. The second site offered smaller fish and this one spot that was a coral arch and i managed to swim under and through it! There were so many fish swimming in this hidden gem, it was magnificent. Again i can’t emphasize enough how photos don’t do this place justice. The waters were pristine. After a bit of time in the water, the boat had to leave so that meant we had to leave. It was sad to leave this beautiful location but we made our way onboard and spent the next 2 hours sunning ourselves on the front deck as the waves had died down and we could lay here without all the splashing. We arrived back to the mainland at 6 pm, as we left the boat we were hungry and looking forward to dinner. After a quick shower, we set out to find a cheap place to eat and then headed back to the hostel for another earlyish night (9 pm) as we had another early morning activity booked for tomorrow.
Our fourth day in Cairns brought something that i had always wanted to do. We booked a waterfall tour through the rainforest. This started with an 8 am pickup outside of our hostel, as we boarded the bus it was nice to see everyone on this tour was a backpacker form another hostel. We all had the same vibes and were looking for the same things. The tour brought us first to a spot in the rainforest where we could swim in a pretty lake, take a hike to a lookout and enjoy some hot chocolate and muffins for breakfast. The next stop on the tour brought us to a place called Josephine falls, this stop was my second favorite of the day as it had a natural waterslide that we took advantage of. The water was on the cooler side but with the warm day, you couldn’t even notice. I spent this stop mainly trying not to fall and hurt anything as i climbed up the side of the very slippery water slide and then had lots of fun sliding down it. The third stop of the day was by far my favorite. It was a picturesque classic waterfall that you could swim under and get behind that provided great pictures but as i swam under around and through it i was smiling the whole time. As the water splashed my face as i looked up at it I couldn’t imagine anything better to do at that exact moment. Sadly we had to leave this place and head to a spot for lunch, but it was good timing as it had started to rain and when I say rain I mean pour so suddenly it came on as quick as someone can snap their fingers. But i guess it is a rainforest after all. We huddled for warmth under a sheltered picnic area as we ate our lunch wrapped in our towels trying to contain our body heat. That was the last waterfall stop as we made our way back to Cairns we stopped at this very interesting tree. If anyone has seen avatar they may recognize it as the people who created the tree of life used this tree as its main inspiration. After thinking of how small everything seems as you stand under this tree we were back on the bus and headed back to Cairns. We got back around 6 pm and changed into some warmer clothing (long sleeve) as it was a little cooler with the rainfall. Then it was time for our normal routine of dinner and staying low for the night.
Our last full day in Cairns had arrived and Karley and I were only missing one thing from our cairns bucket list. That was to hug a koala! We did some research and found a cheapish tour that led us out to this place called hartleys crocodile farm. Here we saw crocodile feeding shows, snake shows, something that looked like an emu was vibrant colours (and we got to feed it), we also saw lots and lots of koalas. Right as we arrived we set out to find where and when we could hold this koala and the timing worked out perfectly! We got to explore the park for a little bit and then head to an area where we got to meet the koalas and hug them and get our picture taken with them! It was awesome as they are super cuddly and soft, definitely, a must do if you are in Australia. This was a must do in Cairns for us because apparently you can see and touch koalas anywhere in Australia but only in Queensland can you hold them. So we knew that while we were here it would be one of the only times it was possible to hold one, so of course, we did it! Once back in Cairns again we did not do much as it was a Sunday night, we packed for our departure the next day and that’s about it.
Our final day in cairns had arrived and we were set to depart at 9pm at night. This left a full day of nothing to do so we decided it was time to see the new Avengers: Endgame movie. We had both been avoiding spoilers since it had come out and couldn’t wait any longer. So that day we slept in a little, finished our packing and had a couple of hours to spare before the movie began. In these couple of hours, we headed to the lagoon one last time and soaked in the nice cairns sun. This gave us enough time to catch the movie and then head back grab our things and uber to the airport to catch our flight home. It was definitely a long day as we arrived back in Melbourne 30 minutes late. We finally got home and in bed by 2 am and as I set my alarm for class the next day I was wishing I was setting it for another waterfall day tour instead but I guess all good things must come to an end some time or other.
It's All About The Journey 