We are currently in Cairns. I will be honest when I say we are a bit disappointed. There is a strip here that reminds us a bit of Cancun. We love Mexico, but we dislike Cancun. We’ve been here for two nights and are ready to leave, but are kind of unsure as to where we are going next.
Despite our disappointment with Cairns, we have had a pretty good few days. Our last day in Port Douglas, we took the rental car out to the Daintree Rainforest. Spent some time at Mossman Gorge where we walked around in the forest while it was raining (I love the jungle, and it seems even more magical in the rain . . . . you know it’s raining, but with the dense cover, you hardly feel it), then drove along the coast to Cape Tribulation. The next day we left Port Douglas to head for Cairns (dropped off the rental car) where we wandered around and pretty much saw everything we wanted to see.
Today we decided not be in Cairns to celebrate my birthday, so we took a train up to a village in the “mountains” called Kuranda. It’s very touristy, but it also has a community of artists and interesting people (B-Rod was excited to find out that the Bush Tucker Man resides somewhere in the area.) It had a really nice atmosphere and vibe to it. We spent the day getting me real chai tea, a bliss ball (not as good as the one’s in Guatemala DawnO!), a coconut and lychee which had been picked from a tree mere minutes before we consumed them. I would have been happy enough here, but the day just kept getting better. We descended the “mountain” on a glass bottom gondola which was a really cool experience. For supper, we went to the RSL (Returned and Services) club where we entered a meat draw, and had an awesome/filling meal (I finally tried the barramundi which is the main fish of this region). However, the highlight of my birthday meal was our pre-dinner drinks where we met a couple of Aussies from the area (the awesome thing about B-Rod is how easily he makes friends!!) who made suggestions of what we should do and where we should go to really experience the variety of Australia. We’ll be getting on with this plan tomorrow. Stay tuned to find out more.
We’ve been using a few different forms of transportation lately!
1. Car – good thing we both enjoy road trips.
2. Ferry – the plan was to take the ferry one way and drive along the coast on the way back . . . . “not in that car you won’t” we were told. I guess there is a reason there are a lot of 4WD around here!
3. Train
4. Gondola – amazing experience to be above the trees and even more amazing to have a glass bottom to look down on it
Been loving the magic and wonder of the rainforest
Some other amazing scenery along the way
There is a time just before the sun sets which we refer to as the time to ‘release the bats’. (it’s the name of a screamy Nick Cave song we like to sing from time to time, from his early years, when he was still living in Aus) There are some trees that are just full and jam packed with bats, and at this time they wake up and go from filling the trees to filling the sky. B-Rod refers to them as jurassic bats as these things are HUGE!
The one part of Cairns we actually liked. A free saltwater wading pool along the main strip. It comes complete with sand, lifeguards and is a nice way to take a dip to cool off, since it is discouraged to swim in the ocean which is mere meters away.
Happy Birthday to me! Enjoying chai, bliss balls, coconut & lychees in the humid tropics? This is the perfect birthday!!
B also enjoying a coconut
Where we enjoyed a birthday meal
I was SURE I was going to win the meat draw. I guess I’ve won one in the last year . . . I shouldn’t ask for so much!
. . . . . this post is brought to you by Lamingtons – a traditional Australian cake (vanilla sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing & coconut) – which also served as the official cake this year for Rocky’s b-day. Gluten schmuten! We would have eaten it anyhow.
