Cairns is a backpackers playground with unlimited new experiences and things to do. I have spent my time in far Northern Queensland in the sun, and enjoying every moment. Dave and I have doing everything from diving the reef, to wakeboarding on Lake Tineroo in the tablelands, swimming under magical waterfalls, lying on the beach, trekking through the Daintree Rainforest, and spending time with friends in the great city nightlife.
After arriving in Cairns and settling in for a couple of days, it was time to look for work. Dave was lucky enough to go back to his old job at Wicked and Indie Travel. He was able to start work right away, and enjoy the perks of travel sales giving him many free dive trips, a 50 meter bungee jump, cable ski and more! I also stumbled upon a job opening at the nicest bar in town, The Salt House. It is an outdoor cocktail bar right at the pier on the water. Dave and I began working lots right away, and found a beautiful flat with a view of the ocean from our bedroom window and balcony.
On our days off, we have so many options of things to do. Dave and I have been going diving as much as possible, exploring the reef. We have fallen in love with visiting the reef, as we have been able to swim with huge sea turtles, creep up on reef sharks, pet the beautiful mauri wrasse, and play with the Christmas tree worms. I feel like a fish when I am in the water, and find peace swimming deep under sea level with the sunlight shining through. Learning to dive was the best decision I have made this year, and has shaped our trip in Asia so we can see the best diving while we are there as well. Dave and I are now up to 17 and 18 dives each and plan to double, maybe even triple that number before we return to Canada.
Last week Dave, Francesca and I were able to dive one of the top ten dive sites in the world, the S.S. Yongala wreck of 1911. It has been under the sea for more than one hundred years, and has become the home to lots of big and unique marine life. The reef is kilometers away, so all the fish and sharks make the old wreck their new home. During our dives we saw the deadly olive sea snakes, a nurse shark, a guitar shark, a few majestic turtles, marble rays, many big and beautiful fish, and a Queensland groper the size of a mini-van! It was beautiful to see a man-made structure overgrown with nature and become the habitat for marine life. Our road trip was well worth the 900 kilometers round trip, and it was a bonus to have a stop off in Mission Beach for a swim!
While Dave and I have been away from the reef, wakeboarding has also become a hobby of ours. We began going to a cable ski park just outside of town where you can knee board as well as wakeboard being pulled around a lake on a cable line. After going a few times and we mastered the loop, we upgraded by trying it out behind a boat on a lake in the Tablelands. Damo is a local that owns his own boat and started his own business taking people out to Lake Tinaroo for a day in the sun wakeboarding, wakesurfing, paddleboarding, and tubing! Somehow relaxing in the sun around a lake reminded me of being in Ontario cottage country, however slightly more tropical. Dave and I have been out a few times each now with different friends, and even spent our second last day in town on the lake celebrating with everyone!
I have also been lucky enough to have had my parents visit me while living in Cairns. They had a few days in Fiji on their way over to Australia, and ended up renting a campervan to drive it North from Brisbane to Cairns up the East Coast like a couple of backpackers. They saw many of the same sights that I saw on my journey North, and got to catch up on it all when they arrived. It had been ten months since I had seen them in Canada, so it was an emotional reunion with lots to catch up on.
I was able to get lots of time off of work to spend with them and explore far Northern Queensland. Dave, myself and my parents rented a four person campervan and went North to see the rainforest. We hiked the beautiful Mossman Gorge in the Daintree, and went further North to Cape Tribulation. We hiked a few trails, and spent time on the beach hoping to see some giant crocodiles at a safe distance, but they were well hidden from us. Following our time in the wilderness, we headed to Port Douglas for a day on the outer reef. My friend Barney came to join us for the day on the boat Silver Sonic. My mom tried an introductory dive that day practicing breathing under water for the first time! Afterwards she and joined my dad and Barney for a snorkel, while Dave and I went diving. We all enjoyed the beautiful sunny day out on the boat together looking at the gorgeous coral and big fish on the Agincourt Ribbon Reef. 
After one more night of camping, we returned to Cairns to return the campervan and enjoy day trips out of the city. Francesca, myself, and my parents boarded Gus the bus for the day and went to explore the tablelands on the day trip at Uncle Brian’s. Our guide was named Cousin Paul and gave us a fantastic and outgoing tour around many lakes and waterfalls. We visited the Babinda Boulders and jumped off of rocks, we slid down the very cold Josephine Falls, swam underneath the freezing yet picturesque Millaa Millaa falls, and jumped into peaceful Lake Eacham.
After a day visiting lakes, we set back out to sea on a ferry to Fitzroy Island. We were lucky enough to see whales on the way over to the island, popping up above the sea to say hello to us. We arrived at a beautiful island far away from the mainland ready to hike. We climbed the to the summit for a beautiful lookout, followed by a nap on the beach, snorkel off of the beach, and later take a small trail through the rainforest to Nudey Beach. Being in Australia I sometimes take for granted that I live in a tropical paradise, but coming to Nudey Beach made me realize that I am on vacation every day, and how gorgeous this country really is. The white sand beaches with washed up coral, boulders with crystal clear water splashing up on them, surrounded by turquoise sea and green tropical trees really made me smile. We finished the day with a nice cold cider before heading back to Cairns.
For my parents last day, we went to the reef once again to see the coral and fish, and spend the day together once again. It was great to have them here to share my life travel experiences with them. It was a highlight of my time in Cairns, and I was able to explore so much more of Queensland because of them, and will never forget it.
The time had come, and it was our last week in Cairns. We weren’t going to leave without having one last great week! For my last ‘Sunday session’, I joined Dot, Nicole, Danni, Mike, and Toby at their house for a day of mojitos in the sun. Not just any regular mojitos, but one giant eskie of mojitos, party hats, and sparklers! Every day I had spent up there had been a highlight to my year in Australia. For our last day in the city, Dave and I had big plans. We started our day by going on another epic skydive over the cane train, with view of the reef, with Francesca, Dot, and Tom. After we had our adrenaline pumping, we went to the lagoon for the last time with friends. While we were there we sipped on cold beer and ciders, swam in the lagoon for the first time (I don’t know why we didn’t before?!), and ‘auctioned’ off all of the clothes Dave and I were not bringing with us to Asia. The lagoon party’s after party was at Dave’s co-worker Joe’s apartment, as we sat by the pool, drank, chatted, and barbecued. It seemed like a good idea to prolong our departure, and therefore went out for a night on the town in Cairns. As usual, my waterworks were turned on high, as I slowly had to say goodbye to my friends as they went home. The whole day had been perfect, and it was a great way to spend my last day in Cairns, seeing each and ever person that we love in that town. It was a rough wake up call the next morning after the late night, many drinks, and early alarm to catch the plane to Darwin. 
It is sad to think that my time in Cairns has come to an end, and only one last journey to come in Australia! I have made friends here that I will never forget and it broke my heart to leave. I know it is never a good-bye, and will always travel to keep in touch with the good people I know. Cairns has made me fall in love with Australia all over again, and enjoy new hobbies I have become passionate about out in the sun. The adventure never ends tough! Dave and I successfully caught the plane to Darwin for our last week in Australia to explore Kakadu and Litchfield National Park, followed by the beginning of a new journey through South East Asia.
