G'Day!!
Trip Start
Aug 15, 2005
1
20
31
Trip End
Dec 21, 2005
Cairns,
Australia
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Flying to Cairns
The alarm was going off at 4.15 am so we were up like a shot and ready waiting for the taxi we had arranged to collect us at 4.30 am. It was bang on time too so we loaded our bags into the car and off to the airport for our 6.35 am flight to Cairns via Sydney. We waited for absolutely ages in the check-in queue so with about 10 minutes to spare we had to rush and pay our departure tax and just as we got to the boarding gate, they were doing last calls for passengers! How's that for organisation!
Anyway we finally made it and took off at about 6.45 am. We got another amazing view from the plane window and as it was so early in the morning and a clear day it was just spectacular, we could see the mountains and right far out in the distance a couple of hot air balloons rising over the mountains taking in the sunrise! We managed to get a few pictures before disappearing into the clouds.
The flight to Sydney was just over 3 hours but with 2 hours time difference from New Zealand it still felt really early when we had arrived. We didn't need to claim our baggage, just simply collect another boarding card. I realised at the airport that I hadn't got my sunglasses (my new oakleys!) so I quickly purchased a $5 phone card and called the holiday park we had stayed at last night and luckily they had found them and would arrange to post them to me where I was staying....phew!
Well we boarded on time our flight to Cairns and another 2 hour flight and ANOTHER breakfast!!! Yum Yum!
We arrived in Cairns around 11 am on time and had spent slightly longer getting through as we had to declare our wooden items we had in our bags so had to empty our rucksacks to get them out!
At the arrivals terminal, we picked up the phone and called the Caravella 77 hostel where we decided to stay for the next few nights.
Beer o'clock at the Irish Bar!
We got in the first taxi and the hostel refunded us the taxi fare. The hostel was right on the Esplanade, overlooking the sea and the streets were lined with shops and restaurants. It was packed out with people and just over the road was a blue lagoon and grassy area full of people sunbathing and swimming. It was 30 odd degrees and very sunny.Hayley and Alex whom we met in Waitamo were flying to Cairns today also so we picked up their email from the free internet at the airport and we had arranged to get in touch and meet up with them. It turned out that they had booked into the exact same hostel and were sleeping 2 rooms down from us! Each night we stay here we get a free meal voucher for the woolshed bar and grill so we bumped into them in there on the night we went to get our food. We ate tea together and caught up, we are going to spend the next few days together here in Cairns. We had a few drinks and as our body clock was so out of sync we were in bed for about 10 pm.
Today was also our major 're-plan' day so we sat down and worked out our plan of action for the next month or so.
Monday 14th November 2005
Cairns, Australia
Well I felt like I'd hardly slept a wink last night, the air conditioning unit was SOOO loud and I was up turning it on and off as one minute it was too hot, then it was too cold! I miss my duvet!!!
I was up at 5.30 am so went for a shower and a walk to the phone box. I called Liz to talk about our travel changes and she was really supportive so thanks Liz it was nice to chat! It was still really early and the sun was beating down, the cafes were laying out the tables ready for the breakfast rush and I could smell the strong coffee wafting down the street.
Chef's Delight!
I walked back to the hostel to get Dan and we walked to a little Juice Bar to have an Aussie breakfast, Dan stuck to English as he had baked beans!Due to our travel changes we spent a good hour changing our flights and working out a plan of action so once we had sorted that we felt much better. We met up with Alex and Hayley and spent all afternoon lounging by the blue lagoon in the sunshine and having a dip! It was soooo hot today it was unreal! I think it is the change from New Zealand! I think we will get used to it in a few days! The mountains over in the distance were still smoking, they have been on fire for 3 days and at night they glow up, the odd helicopter would fly in and take water to drop over the fires. During the late afternoon when the heat was unbearable we walked through the air conditioned mall to browse some shops one being the 'British Lolly Shop' which sold all kinds of old English sweets. Alex and Hayley brought some Typhoo tea for $7!! A guy was selling Aboriginal Arts and Crafts and as Dan was going mad for a Didgeridoo (not sure if that is how it is spelt!) he had a go and we had to have one! After a walk back to the hostel and a nice shower, we walked to the Woolshed for our tea. Clubs and pubs are open here until 5 am but we only made it until midnight, we have promised a later night out tomorrow if we can!!!
Tuesday 15th November 2005
Cairns, Australia
This morning Dan and I felt much better and were looking forward to our new travel schedule and we actually managed to sleep much better.
Dan and Alex
Our body clocks must be working themselves out!Another roasty day today, the sun was shining and we got up and thought we would spend some time checking out Cairns stopping for some fresh fruit for breakfast. We walked down the many streets checking out all of the souvenier shops as tourists do! We were looking in second hand book stalls for a lonely planet guide to South East Asia then we stopped for some lunch at a chinese buffet stall for some beef in black bean sauce, yum yum! A flying spider landed on me at this point, something I hadn't actually experienced and I almost had a heart attack, Dan wondered what I was doing when I jumped up! I hope we don't see many spiders as this was my only main concern being here!
We sat in the afternoon and read some books and met up with the guys again for an afternoon ice-cream. We walked through the markets to show Dan a Steve Irwin outfit he might like and a little chinese woman was sitting painting pistachio nuts! I couldn't stop laughing and was hoping her little table wouldn't fall over! We headed off to the Irish Bar for our beer o clock! we sat outside and had some nice jugs of cold Australian beer before heading back for a quick change. Hayley had brought her travel GHD hair straightners with her and as it was my main thing on my miss list I was pleased when she lent them to me, my first 'hair down' experience in long while! It was nice!!!!!! and it's grown! We headed off for our Steaks and Tandoori chicken at the Woolshed and managed to get good seats upstairs, it was packed with 'backpackers' and by 9 pm when it came to buy one get one free drinks we were on a mission! The music was great and the entertainment...well some poor girl who stripped on the table must be a bit embarrassed today when she wakes up! all for a $25 drink voucher!
By about 11.30 pm we were in the groove and when some guy came over and said if we stood up and danced he would buy us some drinks, I got up first, the others followed and we had 2 free jugs of snake bite! We had had enough in the next hour and Alex and Hayley were up at 6 am in the morning to go diving on the Great Barrier Reef!!!ooooooh!
Comments
from the yorkshire puddings
hello you 2. i understand you may be coming home early? hope you are both ok? you have certainly enjoyed it so far haven't you? some fantastic sights you've seen eh? have you got my present yet vicks? look after yourselves and stay safe ok? love from uncle steve(the desirable one) auntie beth, jamie, gemma and nannaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
from the corwall yokels
Hi you two still having a fab time I see we are only chopping wood today not nearly as exciting as you but at least the sun is shining so thats good.I look great in my pink wellies I bet you wish you had a pair like mine Vick.We'll be seeing you soon so take care and keep sending us the news lots of love from auntie Pauline and uncle FrankXXXX