Cairns – The Perfect Australian Vacation

Cairns is a city in the tropics, located in northern Queensland. The area is known for the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park which focuses on the native culture of the indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Conversely, Cairns Esplanade, lined with bars and restaurants is a hip, urban, and a beach boardwalk. To the northwest of the city, Daintree National Park is a mountainous rainforest, with gorges, and beaches. We saw all of them and more, on our tropical vacation.

Cairns, Australia, is The Perfect Australian Vacation

There is so much to do in Cairns. Incredible natural wonders such as hiking rainforests and swimming at the tropical beaches kept us very busy. We hiked to Barrons Falls Lookout, and saw romantic views, and felt the sweltering tropical heat. On our tropical vacation, the temperature felt hotter here than anywhere else. Unfortunately, the breathtaking waterfalls that we expected only trickled because, at this time of year, there is no water. The other thing I noticed, was the high humidity and temperature, creates low cloud cover, making the blue sky look gray in the rainforest. Cairns’ natural beauty is inspiring.

Barron Gorge Waterfall

Walking along the rainforest trail, around every turn, the weather changed. It started raining, the higher we went, the rainy-er it got.

Barron Gorge

Kuranda Train Station, Cairns, Australia

We went to the Cairns Railway Station. There are a few shops at the station. Heath bought me an Australian Bush hat. Snapping my photo, he pretended to be a photographer. Unfortunately, the pics are a little out of focus, sorry about that.

The Kuranda Train takes riders back and forth from Cairns. We didn’t take the train because we drove to Station. We watched it depart then walked around the area.

Wrights Lookout

Cairns

We stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel at the Marina Cairns. It’s the perfect hotel for an Australian vacation. We put our bags in our room and realized this comfortable lifestyle, is something we could do forever. Who wouldn’t? The longer I’m here, the more comfortable I am. Austalia is more than a vacation; it’s a lifestyle, an amazing country, and a vast continent.

Australia

Crocs are common, it seems in Australia, and in Cairns. At Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Cairns, we saw more crocs. Difficult to believe these animals are everywhere. Take care and watch for crocs.

New Sign and Warning

To my surprise when I thought we had seen every kind of warning sign, a new one appears. Here is the scoop about Green Ants? The ‘Deadliest Catch’ is in Seattle. Queensland has the 30 Deadliest Creatures in the world.

Australian Vacation at the Beach

Stingers are back – take care – watch out for these

Heath went kayaking here. I still can’t believe it. He went in the water without a wet suit. Salt water crocs are in these waters. The creepy deadliest stingers the most deadly in the world, and sharks are also out there swimming around. I stayed out of the water. He is a strong diver and swimmer, but could he fight-off these creatures? I had coffee at a beach cafe and waited. My reluctance grew, eventually, my worry made him apprehensive. It wasn’t long before he was back on shore and had a coffee with me.

Water Rescue on the Beaches Across from the Restaurants

Tropical Vacation

Reef East Aloha Bar and Grill, Cairns

The following day we had lunch, with a couple, old friends of his. After passing a few, restaurants we choose Tommy Bahamas. It was completely different than in the USA.

We ate inside, under fans and in a breeze way to keep us cooler. It was too hot to eat outside.

At lunch, his friend and his wife, and Heath comfortably chatted. Listening, I learned. Their friendship was a long one. They met at work, at a Mine. He trained his friend, taught him how to be a demolition miner. (not sure what that means). Mining is a big industry in Australia and is highly regulated. Heath recently moved to a different job, he hated the regulations. I heard stories and understand why they had lost touch. They used to spend time together outside of work. Things changed.

Friends reveal a lot about a person. They show another side of the person. But, I am getting ahead of myself.

The next day we went to the beach. Cairns, Australia is the best location for a tropical vacation.

Read more about my other adventures from around the world.

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