On September 22nd, Steve and I left for our Australia R&R trip! This was the first time either of us had ever been to Australia, and neither of us really knew what to expect. We have had friends advise us of where to…Read More

On September 22nd, Steve and I left for our Australia R&R trip! This was the first time either of us had ever been to Australia, and neither of us really knew what to expect. We have had friends advise us of where to go, and heard how nice it was, but we really weren’t prepared for the wonderland that awaited us! The first choice we had was which part to visit first … We wanted to avoid Sydney this time, because of the Olympics and the crowds that would be there (living in Asia makes you learn to avoid crowds whenever possible). The decision was to be between going to Adelaide and the wine country, or to Cairns and visiting the beach area. This trip, we decided to visit the beach. And it was a great choice.

We left Nanjing on a Friday, and flew to Hong Kong. There, we spent one night at the Park Lane Hotel, since we have discovered an Outback Steakhouse right around the corner! Figured we should start this trip off right! On Saturday morning, we left Hong Kong enroute to Singapore, where we switched planes and began our flight to Cairns. Although it was only a 6 hour flight, it was an all-nighter. We left Singapore around 10 PM, and arrived in Cairns around 6:30 Sunday morning (they are two hours ahead of us in China). Steve had made arrangements to get a rental car (which wasn’t the easiest to obtain, even in Cairns, because of the Olympics), and we headed over to the Cairns Hilton which would be our home for the next 5 nights. Since neither of us had restful sleep on the plane, we both decided that a few hours sleep would be best, so we crashed. I have to admit that it was hard to get back up (around Noon-thirty), but once I was up and had a shower, I felt much better.

Once we were out and around Cairns, we found a whole new world to discover awaiting us! Not only does Cairns have about 3 malls, they even had a Target department store! You have no idea how much we miss stores like Target and Wal-Mart (since we are currently living in China) but especially Target! We were able to find, and purchase, a bread machine! Something I have been looking for in Asia ever since we moved there! Since Australia uses the same type electricity as China, we knew the bread machine would work back in Nanjing, so we grabbed it! Ask me if I was thrilled! (no need to really ask … I think you can tell) Anyway, after checking out a few other stores around the area we found out that our 'checking out' was just about over for that day. On Sundays (which is the day we arrived), all the stores close at 4:30 PM, so that was the shopping for that day. Fortunately, the restaurants stay open longer as do the tour booking agencies. And since we only had four days to play in Cairns, we decided that the sooner we decided exactly what activities and tours we wanted to take, the better off we would be time-wise. It turned out to be a good decision. We booked both tours that evening (fishing and a snorkel trip), and we were set for the week.

The first night in town found us dining at Barnacle Bill’s. It was a nice, open-aired restaurant, with a great selection of seafood. Steve ordered a fish dish in lime and chili sauce, and I ordered the fried prawns. I won. My prawns were huge, with a special sauce for dipping. On the side was a tasty fruit salad. I had already decided that I was going to like dining in Cairns!!! Ha!

The Inn Cairns is a fantastic modern boutique-style sets of apartments situated right in the heart of Cairns. All rooms are air-conditioned. We had a one-bedroom unit with a kitchenette, laundry, and balcony. They do sleep up to four. There is a fold-out bed…Read More

The Inn Cairns is a fantastic modern boutique-style sets of apartments situated right in the heart of Cairns. All rooms are air-conditioned. We had a one-bedroom unit with a kitchenette, laundry, and balcony. They do sleep up to four. There is a fold-out bed in the lounge.

The resort has a great pool for you to cool off in after a hot day exploring this wonderful region. The BBQ area is a great place for meeting other holidaymakers. Reception can book all your tours for you and most of the tours will pick you up from the hotel. There is a restaurant attached to the resort, which serves great breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are many restaurants within walking distance of the resort. Woolworth’s is a large supermarket across the road. The beach-cum-lagoon area is three blocks away.

We did this drive on our motorcycle which is our favorite mode of transportation; not only do we get to where we're going, but we also experience the climate and fragrances of the region. So, roll your windows down if you're in a car…Read More

We did this drive on our motorcycle which is our favorite mode of transportation; not only do we get to where we're going, but we also experience the climate and fragrances of the region. So, roll your windows down if you're in a car because the tablelands have hectares and hectares of sugar cane fields and there is nothing as sweet as the air here! From Mulgrave, head east to the Atherton Tablelands, stop at the Cathedral Fig tree; a giant 1000 yr. old tree! In the Crater Lake district see Lake Berrine and Lake Eacham where you'll find giant tropical pine tres. Then see the Curtain Fig tree (another giant-500 yrs. old). Continue on the Gillies Hgwy. and over the Lamb Range for scenery and tropical fragrances you'll always remember. From Atherton go north to Mareeba and then on home in time for dinner.   Close

This motorcycle shops sells and services Harleys, Hondas, and BMWs. They have a helpful friendly staff and offer quick service. We had to have a speedometer cable replaced on our rented Harley. Even if you don't ride, their selection of souvenir t-shirts would impress anybody…Read More

This motorcycle shops sells and services Harleys, Hondas, and BMWs. They have a helpful friendly staff and offer quick service. We had to have a speedometer cable replaced on our rented Harley. Even if you don't ride, their selection of souvenir t-shirts would impress anybody at home. 72 McLeod St.    Close

I was planning my trip to Cairns and discovered this website which allowed me to book everything www.godo.com.au.From this website i planned a 3 day trip which allowed me to dive and discover the beautiful 'Great Barrier Reef' on my first day, white rafting on…Read More

I was planning my trip to Cairns and discovered this website which allowed me to book everything www.godo.com.au.

From this website i planned a 3 day trip which allowed me to dive and discover the beautiful 'Great Barrier Reef' on my first day, white rafting on my second day and discover and learn about the Daintree rain forest while getting a massage at an Eco-resort.    Close

I'm kicking myself for not spending more time on the Great Barrier Reef. It was truly an experience of a lifetime, even though I only dove for one day on Norman Reef. One day I'll go back for more. So, when in Australia don't forget…Read More

I'm kicking myself for not spending more time on the Great Barrier Reef. It was truly an experience of a lifetime, even though I only dove for one day on Norman Reef. One day I'll go back for more. So, when in Australia don't forget to give yourself plenty of time to explore the sea as well as the land.   Close

To complete our day trip and get back to Cairns, we took the Gillies highway to get down from Atherton back to the coast. As the road descends back to sea level, it has S-curve after S-curve after S-curve cutting through the rain forest.…Read More

To complete our day trip and get back to Cairns, we took the Gillies highway to get down from Atherton back to the coast. As the road descends back to sea level, it has S-curve after S-curve after S-curve cutting through the rain forest. This was one of the twistiest roads I have ever been on and it was exhausting to drive it at the end of a long day. After each sinuous section, we'd pray (unsuccessfully) for a straightaway for a little while, and by the bottom, we were all begging the curves to stop! An interesting drive to make --- once!

Along the way, we made a couple more stops and there are plenty more sights to see, waterfalls to hike, and local food to sample, to merit spending a lot more time than we were able to. You get to experience an assortment of climates and terrains within a pretty short distance of one another, from the dry scrubland of the tablelands, to the lush rainforest on the slopes, to the fertile coastal plains.

One of our final stops on this drive was to see the enormous Curtain Fig Tree. It is a giant strangler fig with so many roots drooping down that they form a giant wooden stage curtain. The Curtain Fig is nicely marked in the forest off the main road and it is a short walk to the tree from the parking lot. There's another similar tree, named the Cathedral Fig, nearby, also.

We also stopped in Yungaburra, a small town which has a great spot that is famous for spotting platypus. The town has a friendly tourism information office who can direct you, but if they are closed, the platypus viewing area is a small pool in the creek just beside the bridge where the main road crosses the creek. There's a place to park you car, and then there is a little wooden blind, with viewing windows and benches where you can watch platypus swimming around in the water. It is nice and understated, and tries not to disturb the natural area so the platypus (platypusses?, platypi?) will stick around.
Seeing this unique indigenous Australian animal in the wild was one of the highlights of our day.

We were able to see a lot in our day in the Atherton Tablelands, and would highly recommend that any visitors to Cairns take the time to visit, hopefully for a longer time than we had.   Close

Kuranda is a town mostly devoted to tourism, with a lot of visitors coming in for the Kuranda Scenic Railway, Skyrail, or other attractions. And where tourists congregate, you'll find shopping. Kuranda Markets is a great place to shop for Aussie souvenirs,…Read More

Kuranda is a town mostly devoted to tourism, with a lot of visitors coming in for the Kuranda Scenic Railway, Skyrail, or other attractions. And where tourists congregate, you'll find shopping. Kuranda Markets is a great place to shop for Aussie souvenirs, crafts, or sweets. It has a few pedestrian alleys lined with small colorful craft stalls. Besides the usual T-Shirts, there are a lot of other options for nicer souvenirs, and it has places for refreshments like an interesting fruit smoothie. It's not huge, and it doesn't take too long to stroll through its shady paths, and it was a nice low-key, friendly place to shop.
   Close

Take the skyrail from Cairns to Kuranda for awesome views over the rainforest.Kuranda is a tourist souvenir mecca, but you can also pick up authentic masks and historical items at Doongal Aboriginal Art & Artifact Gallery. Know your prices before you buy!!Other things to…Read More

Take the skyrail from Cairns to Kuranda for awesome views over the rainforest.

Kuranda is a tourist souvenir mecca, but you can also pick up authentic masks and historical items at Doongal Aboriginal Art & Artifact Gallery. Know your prices before you buy!!

Other things to do: An aviary, nature park, butterfly sanctuary, Kuranda Wildlife noctarium, bird world, and Australian Beetle & Insect World!! Wow!!

Someone will also teach you to use your pricey new digeridoo.