Cairns

Cairns (“cans”) is a laid-back cosmopolitan city in tropical north Queensland – a main hub for shopping and tourists venturing out to the nearby islands and reefs. The Cairns Esplanade, lined with bars and restaurants, also has a swimming lagoon rivaling Airlie Beach’s. As the coast reshaped from the effects of mother nature and development, what was once a shallow sand beach is now a large mudflat showcasing great close-up views of shorebirds. Breeding Godwits do the round trip migration between Cairns and Alaska every year.

Perfectly located along the esplanade, we hole up in the marina for a few days waiting for better weather. This is winter, which is the DRY season (June-Oct). I’d hate to see the hot humid summer WET season! It takes

getting used to the concept that, as you go North, it gets warmer – as we get closer to the equator. The forecast predicts heavy winds, rough seas and light rain for a few more days. Guess that’s better than heavy monsoon rain & wind! This is the tropics. Time for another road trip!

To the southwest of Cairns is the Atherton Tablelands. Lush rolling hills, rugged bushland, cloudy mountaintops, tropical forests, and waterfalls. Prolific vines. Velvety moss. Mud. It is also a large agricultural area with sooo many fields of sugarcane (Gpa had to buy a cane knife souvenir to bring back) and bananas – plus avocados, mangoes, beef and dairy cattle, coffee and cocoa beans. Baminda, Australia’s wettest town, was receiving some of its average annual rainfall of over 168” while we were there. There are too many waterfalls to see them all! Josephine Falls, part of the Wooroonoonan National Park, is cited as the most beautiful falls in North Queensland. Davies Creek, Millaa Millaa Falls, Zillie Falls, Ellinjaa Falls, Boulders Gorge are all spectacular. As is the unusual ginormous Curtain Fig Tree, estimated to be at least 500 years old.

We drove north of Cairns to Port Douglas along the Great Barrier Reef Drive / Cooks Hwy, one of the most scenic drives in Australia, hugging the mountainous rainforest, rugged coastline and secluded beaches with good surf for the more adventurous. Port Douglas is a very high-end resort community with a bustling CBD (Central Business District – not cannabis!) and Queensland’s northernmost marina. Sadly, the marina is in very rough shape and is struggling to move forward with much needed investment and redevelopment.

Along our road trips we saw single kangaroos (both live and “roodkill”), mobs of wallabies & a couple of dingoes. Giant ant hills dot the

countryside. We stopped at a couple of dairies – both no longer milking cows, but are now farm attractions with cafés making artisanal cheese, ice cream & chocolate. We found some good craft breweries in Cairns – Hemingway’s, Coral Sea Brewery, Mcalisters and Copperlode - all with good “OOGA substitute” beers. And, stuffed ourselves with fresh local prawns and mud crabs at Prawn Star – a unique floating restaurant of four old fishing trawlers at the other end of the dock we were on. What a treat!

Treat yourself to something special today. XOXOXOXO Gma & Gpa