Townsville to Cairns - 9 Feb

As our plans unfolded, today we would leave Townsville to go to Cairns as it was the only way we could access an overnight trip on the Great Barrier Reef.  We had a lovely farewell breakfast with our hosts and bid Ruth and Nancy farewell as they rushed out the door to school. 

Greg and Tom set off for the university where Greg had one more meeting.  Jessie’s friend Sue (originally from Papau New Guinea) came over for a visit and shared a story about how her 7 year old son survived a box jellyfish sting.  It was quite an amazing story.  I could not visit for too long as I had to get packed up and book a room in Cairns.  So that means I not only need to watch out for sharks, but box jellyfish too.  Oh, the pain I could be in!

After washing our bedding like I promised Ruth and doing the last of our laundry, I searched and searched for a hotel in Cairns.  There are so many to choose from, but I settled on the Best Western Sheridan since internet was included in the room as well as an airport shuttle and luggage storage while we are out on the reef.

After taking a wheel-trans type of taxi to the airport, we enjoyed a nice lunch.  I had the pumpkin/spinach in filo pastry with a side salad and delicious café latte while Greg enjoyed the grilled ham and cheese on focaccia with a beer to wash it down.

Our domestic flight on Virgin Airlines arranged by Greg the night before was remarkably fast; 35 minutes of airtime to cover almost 400kms.  I immediately called the hotel to arrange a shuttle, but the 50 cents I paid for the local phone call only lasted 1 minute and I got cut off, so I called again only to learn that they don’t actually have an airport shuttle before being cut off once again.  Back at the hotel shuttle counter, I learned that we just missed the shuttle and would have to wait 45 minutes for the next one, so we took a taxi instead.

Once settled in at the Best Western Sheridan, we walked over to the Deep Sea Diver’s Den where Greg had made reservations for an liveaboard for 1 night on the Great Barrier Reef.  It seems like a well-run operation and we were confident about trusting them with our safety.  Later on, they e-mailed us with confirmation that it was okay to bring our own wine.

We then set out for a lovely walk along the Esplanade and into the tourist-trap part of town.  There was an amazing Muddy’s Playground for children and several exercise stations.  After carefully reviewing all the waterfront restaurants, we settled on a fish and chip restaurant, Lagoon vue, where they offered locally grown organic foods and local fish and meat (kind of like a 100-mile diet).  We both had salads and enjoyed watching the Cairns’ Queensland Under 16 Reds rugby team giving their fans a much sought after photo op session. 

On the way back to our room, we stopped in at an IGA to pick up snacks and Liquormart to get some wine and beer, then headed back to the room. 

Cairns is located in the Tjapukai Aborigine tribe’s traditional territory.