And so, after two and a half weeks on the road, we reached our final destination. Cairns is the biggest town in northern Queensland, and prides itself on being a hub for visiting tourists. It certainly is making the most of its reputation – every second shop is a travel agent selling trips to the Reef and / or to Cape Tribulation – but once you get beyond the main streets overlooking the sea, it quickly becomes as small-town industrial as Rockhampton or Mackay.
The main purpose of a visit to Cairns is a Great Barrier Reef tour, and having already accomplished this, we were in for a relaxing couple of days. The weather was glorious and after the break-neck pace of the last couple of weeks, we didn't think we'd have too much difficulty with doing nothing for a while. We spent our first morning on Trinity Beach, one of Cairns's famous northern beaches, enjoying a cuppa and the sunshine from our camp chairs. What a way to spend a Monday morning!
En route into the city, we visited Kuranda, a self-confessed 'tourist town' which was originally established in the 1960s by a gang of hippies wanting to make a bit of cash. Today it lures the crowds with its 'traditional markets' selling all things tie-dyed and hand-woven. Apparently the best bit is actually getting there from Cairns: either by train through Barren Falls National Park, or by the Skytrain (a cable car to you and me). Since we drove, our overall impression was less than favourable. We had a half-hearted wander around the markets but quickly lost interest. The National Park was better: the elevated walkway gave stunning views over the local rainforest, culminating in a spectacular vista of the Falls far below. We also very much enjoyed stalking a couple in matching lime green T-shirts and jeans (check out the sneaky photo). If only we could take them with us to New Zealand, we might not look so conspicuous in our matching jackets.....
Cairns' most famous 'sight' is the Esplanade, or Boardwalk, as the Americans would call it. This walk runs alongside the ocean (there is no beach in Cairns) and gives close access to the pelicans who come to feed there at low tide. The Esplanade is also home to the Lagoon (lido to the Brits amongst you) where we spent as much time as possible during our two days in the city. It was absolutely packed every time we walked past, and no wonder – the council provides the lagoon completely free of charge to all who want to use it, complete with BBQs and aqua classes. In the UK, this place would be covered in graffiti and used as a toilet by tramps, but here, everyone seems to take much better care of their amenities. It's the hub of the city, even in 'winter' – though obviously in the tropics, 'winter' means 31 degrees rather than 41 degrees, and so the weather doesn't really prevent the swimming and sunbathing!
The main purpose of a visit to Cairns is a Great Barrier Reef tour, and having already accomplished this, we were in for a relaxing couple of days. The weather was glorious and after the break-neck pace of the last couple of weeks, we didn't think we'd have too much difficulty with doing nothing for a while. We spent our first morning on Trinity Beach, one of Cairns's famous northern beaches, enjoying a cuppa and the sunshine from our camp chairs. What a way to spend a Monday morning!
En route into the city, we visited Kuranda, a self-confessed 'tourist town' which was originally established in the 1960s by a gang of hippies wanting to make a bit of cash. Today it lures the crowds with its 'traditional markets' selling all things tie-dyed and hand-woven. Apparently the best bit is actually getting there from Cairns: either by train through Barren Falls National Park, or by the Skytrain (a cable car to you and me). Since we drove, our overall impression was less than favourable. We had a half-hearted wander around the markets but quickly lost interest. The National Park was better: the elevated walkway gave stunning views over the local rainforest, culminating in a spectacular vista of the Falls far below. We also very much enjoyed stalking a couple in matching lime green T-shirts and jeans (check out the sneaky photo). If only we could take them with us to New Zealand, we might not look so conspicuous in our matching jackets.....
Cairns' most famous 'sight' is the Esplanade, or Boardwalk, as the Americans would call it. This walk runs alongside the ocean (there is no beach in Cairns) and gives close access to the pelicans who come to feed there at low tide. The Esplanade is also home to the Lagoon (lido to the Brits amongst you) where we spent as much time as possible during our two days in the city. It was absolutely packed every time we walked past, and no wonder – the council provides the lagoon completely free of charge to all who want to use it, complete with BBQs and aqua classes. In the UK, this place would be covered in graffiti and used as a toilet by tramps, but here, everyone seems to take much better care of their amenities. It's the hub of the city, even in 'winter' – though obviously in the tropics, 'winter' means 31 degrees rather than 41 degrees, and so the weather doesn't really prevent the swimming and sunbathing!
0 comments:
Post a Comment