Cairns was AWESOME!

Just got back from a 1 week holiday in Cairns with family and a cousin! Had an awesome time over the 8 days and 7 nights we spent there! Here's a quick summary:

Day 1 - Arrived in Cairns, picked up rental car and checked in at 2 bedroom apartment. Then went for scenic walk called the "Red Arrow Walk" near Cairns Botanical Gardens during which we enjoyed views of Cairns city, Double Island off Palm Cove and the inviting aquamarine waters of the Coral Sea. Then headed to the Esplanade for a walk before going grocery shopping at the local Coles to stock up on snacks!

Day 2 - Took a scenic cable car ride up to the village of Kuranda on the Atherton Tablelands. Enjoyed 2 stops along the way up and walks along rainforest boardwalks, one offering views of the spectacular Barron Falls. Reached Kuranda and visited the local markets there, the Koala Sanctuary and enjoyed some local made icecream! Then took the scenic railway back down to Cairns.

Day 3 - Went on a day cruise to the outer Great Barrier Reef. Wasn't the best of days to visit the reef as it was overcast threatening rain and rather windy, meaning choppy waters and a bumpy catamaran ride! That in turn resulted in myself, my bro and cousin puking for the most part of the day unfortunately limiting our enjoyment of one of the modern wonders of the world! Did manage to go snorkelling though and once I got the hang of it - how to breathe in and out of the tube through my mouth (sounds easier than it is...!) - I was able to enjoy spotting various fish out of Finding Nemo and other reef marine life! Also tried scuba diving but got down to a measly 1 metre below the surface when panic gripped me and I gave the thumbs up to my diving instructor signalling I wanted to surface! So yeah...maybe scuba diving isn't for me!

Day 4 - Went on a self-drive around the Atherton Tablelands. Visited towns like Mareeba (the coffee capital of Australia), Atherton (once populated by Chinese goldminers!), and scenic waterfalls along the Millaa Millaa waterfall circuit. Alot of driving but all in all a nice day!

Day 5 - Went on another cruise (hehehe - you think once would've been enough eh!) to Green Island on what was a much better day. The catamaran we went on this time was also bigger and the water alot calmer so trip was thankfully puke free! Enjoyed the resort facilities at Green Island and the warm clear blue/green waters! Went on a glass-bottom boat ride and an eco tour around the Island.

Day 6 - Went on a self-drive up to Port Douglas (the retreat for many celebrities), the spectacular Mossman Gorge, and across the Daintree River to visit the Daintree Rainforest! Again a lot of driving but very scenic for most of the way along the coastal road up from Cairns!

Day 7 - Visited Rusty's Markets in Cairns before heading up to Wangetti (halfway between Port Douglas and Cairns) to Hartley's Creek Crocodile Adventure Park. Really enjoyed the afternoon program on offer including the crocodile farming talk, snake show, boat cruise, crocodile attack show, cassowary feeding and koala feeding. Took some awesome photos and videos of crocs - crikey!

Day 8 - Visited the Outback Opal Mine centre and then the scenic Palm Cove where we found some beach chairs along the beach owned by one of the resorts and relaxed on them enjoying the cool breeze and spectacular views! Then spent the afternoon hunting for a nice place to have mud crabs, found one that looked decent but then were disappointed that they weren't actually as good as the ones we get back in Sydney. Oh well...! Caught the last flight home and got back to Sydney around 10pm!

And that's about it!

The whole week went quick but at the same time my whole 2 weeks annual leave felt like a long relaxing break!

I think I can now face the 8 or so weeks until my next week of leave...!