Cairns

We have a good time in Cairns (which seems to be pronounced ‘Cains‘ – like the economist.) Getting here is fun, too.

(Note: because WiFi is difficult to come across in Australia – unless there’s something we’re missing – we’re a bit late in our blog entries. We’re already halfway across Queensland. To avoid confusion, we’re adding posts as WiFi becomes available. So we may be a week or two behind.)

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Our last day in Horseshoe Bay

Some of the inhabitants of our caravan park have a sense of humour.

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Sign of the times

We continue up the coast to Cairns. This is the beach at Flying Fish point.

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Not a croc in sight
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Flying Fish Point, near Innisfail

This is typical countryside in the north of Queensland. Lots of sugarcane. Sweet!

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En route to Cairns

Like most places in this part of Queensland,there are crocodiles everywhere.

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‘Crocodile attacks may cause injury’ D’ya think?

Cairns boasts a flashy new aquarium.

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A pride of lion-fish
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Stonefish – highly venomous, and no great beauty
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Newborn epaulette sharks, looking a lot like salamanders
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Seahorse

I remember Cairns as being rougher and more frontier-like. Now it’s a very civilized place.

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The Lagoon, a watery playground on the Esplanade

We visit the excellent Botanical Gardens.

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Giant houseplant

In the conservatory is a beautiful selection of orchids.

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Orchids

Of course, most people come here for some sort of Great Barrier Reef experience. We book a snorkeling tour for the day.

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Steaming out of Cairns

Among the youthful, international crew is a professional underwater photographer. She does a good job of snapping GoPro-deprived punters like us.

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Two marine mammals
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Waving? Or drowning?
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Spot the Nemo fish

The experience is very unlike our idyllic snorkels in the Togian Islands. There, the water was like glass. The sea was calm, with a temperature like bathwater. The coral was spectacular, the fish teeming. In the two locations we visit  here, the sea is much rougher than we expect. The water is kind of cloudy. And cold. We’re tossed around like corks. I’m sure there are many places in the thousand-plus kilometers of the Great Barrier Reef with amazing snorkeling; we’re happy to have had our time in the Togian Islands.

Still, it’s a grand day out.

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Reef ahoy

We’re happy we went to the aquarium in Cairns, too. Like reef viewing from the comfort of dry land.

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Maria models her new swimsuit

We enjoy a ride in a glass-bottom boat – our first.

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Giant clam-shell through the glass-bottom boat

This is our non-glass bottom boat.

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Our ride

Sight or Insight of the Day – Cairns

In our earlier travels, several times we find ourselves near famous whale-watching locales, such as Husavik, Iceland, and Hermanus, South Africa. We ask each other if we want to go watch whales and inexplicably say ‘Meh… no thanks.’

Despite being jaded cosmopolitans, we’re pretty chuffed when, on the return trip, the captain announces our boat is slowing down because there’s a whale between us and another vessel.

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Thar she blows!

Our resident marine biologist – yes, our boat had one – informs us it’s a juvenile humpback whale.

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Curious whale – enriched humans

Now that’s cool!