E is for Extraordinary

Just FYI, my Plan A: had been to do a great barrier reef trip tomorrow, then make my way down the coast from Cairns in the North to Brisbane in the middle (ish) of the East Coast of Australia. Then after my conference the plan is to continue southwards to Sydney and then Melbourne. 

So first the not so good news of the last 24 hours. Plan B: Yesterday around 6pm just as I sat down for dinner, I found out my once-in-a-lifetime Spirit Of Queensland Train with a reclining sleeper seat was cancelled and replaced with A COACH!😱 So after some consideration, I cancelled my hotel in Hervey Bay, my tour of K'Giri, my sorry-excuse-for-a-train, and my still-is-a-train-train from Hervey Bay to Brisbane. Instead I booked a Greyhound bus to Airlie Beach, a new hotel, an airport transfer, and a flight from there to Brisbane. Plan C: Today, just as I was getting back to my accommodation I realised I had a missed call from my reef organiser with the message that my once-in-a-life-time reef trip was cancelled (due to Weather which is fair). Not that my phone is actually receiving calls (even after 30mins on the phone to technical help). So I cancelled my newly acquired hotel in Airlie Beach, cancelled my airport transfer, phoned (via Teams) my air travel company and paid for a flight from Cairns to Brisbane, haven't yet been able to cancel my Greyhound bus or extend my accommodation in Cairns, hoping to do the reef trip Thursday instead. Tomorrow I have booked a new tour to go up the coast. I'm really hoping I don't have to make a Plan D! My number one tip is - if you want to relax do not go on holiday :)

The bumpy end not withstanding, today was all the good adjectives. Gorgeous, stunning, extraordinary!

Due to setting up Plan B I did not get breakfast but I did get the lovely lady at the train station to cancel my original not-a-train. Then across to the Kuranda Scenic Railway platform for my trip up the mountains to the rainforest. 

We road in 100-year old coaches on a 130 year old railway into a 130 million year old rainforest! Starting in the suburbs and towns surrounding Cairns. 

We saw waterfalls and rocks and so many trees!

At the top we had a chance to look around Kuranda, lots and lots of small shops and stalls. 

I saw a real live Kookaburra 

Then I switched to the Sky Rail :) for the journey down.

This was taken from the other side of the Gorge (train side)... tiny little cable cars.

And then I was in one :)

Skimming my way just above the forest sky with an excellent commentary in collaboration with the Buda:dji and the Djabugay People. 

We stopped to at one post to see the waterfall better

Then again to walk through the rain forest (on a board walk).

Before descending back to normality. 

T 

The Skyrail was in short extraordinary, you somehow felt part of it, even skimming over the top. The whole thing filled your senses, smell, taste, sight, sound, 

all except touch - because I have no idea what might bite me!

D is for Dawdle

Today was my first day in Cairns. Woke up at 7am with the sun streaming through my window. 

Everyone has been telling me it's cool today as the sweat drips off my face (it got up to over 30°C today) so I have been trying to learn to dawdle. You know it's hot when walking into your 24°C apartment room feels blissfully cool. 

Breakfast was waffle and fresh fruit.

Then a stroll along to the harbour. 

Lots of common birds and interesting plants. 

I visited the art Gallery - some poignant collections of indigenous art. I went a bought yummy selection of fruit from Rusty's Market and had a coconut stuffed with grated coconut, fresh fruit, topped with coconut yogurt. 

In the afternoon I hopped on a bus to go to the Botanical Gardens. A single trip cost 50¢ (the flat rate equivalent to 26 pence), the same length journey in Bristol costs me £2.60. 

The most striking thing today I was particularly struck by this banyan or strangler fig tree in the middle of the road. These are common, there are trees all around Cairns. It felt like a little bit of what had gone before [Cairns]. 

Maybe tomorrow I'll remember how to integrate the pictures and text better...?!

C is for Cairns

My day started somewhere in the middle of a 16+ hour flight. We flew through a speed up night. 

Got a little sleep so was functional to go through passport control and customs. Also figured out I needed to do a terminal transfer to get to Cairns. So a 15 min airport shuttle and 5 min walk is the small amount of Perth I have seen. That did already include eucalyptus trees ✅

My flight for Cairns departed at 3pm local time (8am UK) and landed over 4 hrs later at 21:15 local time (12:15 UK).