A New Year's Escape to Cairns

Every year we ask ourselves, 'what should I do for New Years?'. So pondering this questions and knowing my friend, Mandy, from Adelaide was keen to check out North Queensland, I suggested we go to Cairns. Some borrowed frequent flyer points, from her dad, and we were set!

It should be noted that we did not think about the weather in Cairns at this time and that is something that should definitely be thought about if you are booking a trip to North Queensland. Hint: January is cyclone season!

Day 1 - Cairns

With our flights only half an hour apart, we met at the Cairns airport and got a taxi to our accommodation, the YAL Cairns. As we walked into reception, the husband and wife running the motel were serving other customers, but they acknowledged us and asked us to take a seat. There was a massive dog sprawled across a mat near the front desk and a baby crawling around on the floor, it was an interesting scene.

When they had finished up with the other guests, they got our details and as it was before check in time, went to see if our room was ready. They said it wasn't just yet but would be in an hour. So, we decided to go for a walk instead of waiting with the baby and dog.

We just did a short walk down to the foreshore and back, checking out the menu at a restaurant, Bayleaf Balinese Restaurant, my sister had recommended for dinner. It was very hot outside, so we began walking back to the motel, when we arrived they said the room was ready and we checked in. To my surprise the room was quite nice, just as pictured on their website. It was also very clean, and the bathroom was huge.

After a short relax, we took an Uber to the shopping center where we had lunch and spend the afternoon checking out the shops and buying snacks for the tour we had booked for the following day. We then walked back to our motel, this was actually quite a long walk and very hot in the afternoon sun.

Satisfied with what we saw on the menu earlier in the day, we went to dinner at Bayleaf Balinese Restaurant. It was well worth the visit and I would recommend putting it on your list for dinner places to go to if in Cairns. The food was super tasty, staff were friendly and the restaurant itself had a lovely atmosphere. Definitely a place to share meals! We ordered the sate & sambal kacang (meat skewers with sate sauce, comes on a very cute miniature grill), nasi goreng (this comes with more meat skewers and a delectable piece of fish!) and then we had the banana fritters for dessert. You also get a large bowl of complimentary prawn chips when you arrive.

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Day 2 - Cape Tribulation & the Daintree Rainforest

Today we had pre-booked a day tour to Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest through Rainforest Spirit Tours. Although they confirmed on the phone when I booked that we would be picked up at our accommodation, I rang to confirm yesterday and was told that they couldn't do that, and we had to meet the tour at a backpackers in town. So that was a bit annoying as we had to get up earlier than expected and pay for an uber to take us into town.

Once we were at the hostel, it was quite a smooth process as the shuttle bus was already there waiting for us. We jumped in and set off on our adventure. It was pretty miserable outside and looked like it would begin to rain at any moment. However, despite the weather, our tour guide, Tommy, ensured that we would still have a good time.

Our first stop was to Palm Cove, a coastal village that is usually, on a fine day, quite pretty. Lined with palm trees, the main entrance to this town really sets the tone for the beautiful beach that it leads to. Unfortunately, it was very windy and overcast when we got there, but we still did a short walk along the boardwalk and could appreciate it's beauty.

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Back on the road, we did a quick stop at Rex Lookout before we continued on to Mossman Gorge. When you arrive, you start at an information/gift shop/cafe area and have to take one of their private buses up to the gorge. Private vehicles are not allowed up here.

In the itinerary it says to pack your swimmers so you can take a dip in the gorge...due to the weather the current was so strong, our tour guide said, if we tried, no one would probably ever see us again. So, with that in mind, none of us went for a swim. we did go for a walk though and went across the suspension bridge which gave us an amazing view of the gorge. It was hard to get a good photo, due to the speed of the water and I hadn't brought my SLR with me because I didn't want it to get wet.

All a bit wet from the rain during our walk, we got back in the bus and were off to the Daintree. On arrival we were invited to grab a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit. That was quite helpful in helping us to warm up a little. We then hopping on a boat that took us up the Daintree River. It poured down raining most of the time of the boat and we got very wet. We did however get to see two crocodiles on our cruise which was fun. We met our driver on the other side of the river, he had taken the bus across via the ferry.

On our way up to Cape Tribulation we spotted a cassowary by the side of the road before we stopped at our lunch stop. This was a big outback restaurant and also had an enclosure with wallabies in it. We got to go and feed them, while we waited for our lunch to be ready. They were super cute and allowed us to pat them as we fed them slithers of sweet potato.

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Just as we sat down undercover for our lunch, there was another huge down pour. Our guide said he was worried about having to cut our time short at Cape Tribulation because when it rains a lot, they sometimes have to close the ferry across the Daintree river. And, if that happens, we wouldn't get back to Cairns until they reopened it the following day.

With that in mind, we ate quickly and were back on the road. We only had a very short time at Cape Tribulation as it was pouring down with rain when we got there, and it was super windy. I could however still appreciate how beautiful it would be on a clear day.

Just before we got to the ferry, we jumped out at a homemade ice-cream shack, filled with unique flavours, I choose the choc ginger and was very happy with my choice. We made it to the ferry just before it left and there was one spot on it, so we drove on board and then made our way back to Cairns.

This tour is definitely one to do on a sunny day, but if you happen to have bad weather, rest assured that your tour guide will do their best to make it a great day!

We opted to get off the bus in the city center and checked out the night markets. They were very touristy, so we had a quick walk around and then went to dinner at a place our guide had recommended. Being spoilt by the great meal last night, the food here wasn't that great.

Day 3 - Great Barrier Reef Tour

We had pre-booked our Great Barrier Reef tour through Compass Cruises. When we woke up, we thought it would be cancelled as the weather had not improved from the previous day. However, when I called the office ensured us it would still be going ahead, and our courtesy bus would be there to pick us up soon.

When we got to the boat, we signed waiver forms and waited for the crew to make a decision on whether to go or not. During this time, Mandy and I contemplated not going. However, after asking a few questions to the crew, we found out that they were only offering to re-book people to another day and no refunds. With only one day left in Cairns and no guarantee they had availability for the following day, we stayed on board.

We were fitted for our wet suit, flippers and mask and then the crew went through a safety briefing with us. As soon as we took off, we could feel how rough it was, continuously rocking back and forth. I promptly took some seasick tablets.

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Mandy ended up sitting at the back of the boat almost immediately as we were told that that was supposed to be the best place if you felt seasick. I on the other hand felt like I would be sick if I moved, so I put my head down on the table and tried to sleep through it. I can only explain the next two hours as a whirl wind in my head and in my belly.

Thinking it would be calmer when were got to our destination, I was very concerned when we stopped in the middle of the ocean, waves crashing from side to side, and they announced that we had arrived. We were told we could now change into our wet suits and go snorkelling. As I got up to find Mandy, I felt very unwell and was sick for the first time.

We sat at the back of the boat for a while...I was sick again. Then, after sitting there for a while and when I was feeling slightly better, we thought, seeing as we went through all of that to get here, why not go in the water and see the Great Barrier Reef. As we walked outside the boat, I could see everyone wearing life jackets. Having snorkelled before, I couldn't remember ever wearing a life jacket, so I asked Mandy if she thought we needed one. She said she didn't think so and that maybe those people just couldn't swim very well.

Once in the water, we went for a short distance from the boat, our whole body going up and down with the waves. It was incredibly rough, and we were only in for a few minutes before we thought that maybe a life jacket was a good idea.

So, life jacket acquired, we set out again. It did make us feel a lot safer, but it didn't help with how rough it was. The waves were going up and down so badly that while we were looking at the reef under us, one second we would be meters above it and the next about a foot away from it. On the plus side, we got to see it very close up, if only for a second before we were catapulted backwards. I also saw a massive jellyfish which was pretty cool.

We climbed back onto the boat and went up to the top deck to sit in the fresh air...I was sick again. There was then a call for everyone to get back on board for lunch before we headed back. We sat downstairs and the lunch looked great, cold meats, prawns, salads, fresh bread. Everyone lined up and filled their plates, Mandy and I were still not feeling great, so we just grabbed a bread roll. This photo to the right, is me trying not to be sick while eating my roll.

As we began to head back, Mandy went straight to the back of the boat. I stayed at our table and tried to sleep again. One of the crew members saw me and gave me some more seasick tablets for free. He said, I think you need these...I must have looked bad.

After another nightmare journey, we finally arrived back in Cairns. We were so happy to get off the boat and put our feet on solid ground! The courtesy bus was waiting for us and we got on and were taken back to our motel where we showered and lazed around for a while trying to recover from the events of today.

Although a horrific experience, the Compass Cruises' staff could not be faulted, all of the crew members were so helpful and caring! This company is very lucky to have such wonderful people working for them! I believe the tour should have been cancelled due to the weather, it was very dangerous. I would recommend if you have bad weather and the time, definitely try and re-book this trip on a fine day. It is not worth going on a bad weather day.

Day 4 - Bringing in the New Year

With nothing planned today, we took the opportunity to have a sleep in. Then, when we got up, we walked all the way into town and took a scroll along the Cairns Esplanade. Finally, it was a nice day and the sun was shining.

During our walk we were on the lookout for somewhere to have a drink that night and bring the in the new year. That is when we saw The Pier Bar. Set on the Cairns Esplanade, this bar has a balcony area that faces the beach, a dance floor and ample seating, it looked perfect.

We then went and had another look around the shops and got some nibbles and drinks for the evening. Walked back to our motel, thinking we would go to an Italian restaurant we had seen a few days prior, but when we got there, it was closed. We then walked a bit further and figuring there was no other options we ended up at a pub called the Cock and Bull. One that we had walked pasted before and commented on how dodgy it had looked.

Turned out that you can't always judge a book by its cover, as the interior wasn't as bad as the exterior. It was very dimly lit though and had a multitude of taxidermy decorating the walls. I would not recommend this place to a vegetarian! The food was typical pub food, I had fish and chips and Mandy had a Schnitzel, both coming out in very large portions.

We had a nap when we got back to our motel then got ready for the evening while enjoying our cheese, crackers and a cider. When we got to The Pier Bar, we were there ten minutes before the cover charge started. So, we didn't have to pay to get in and as we walked in, it was just our luck that some people got up and we scored their table. We ordered drinks and chatted away until about 11pm when we got up and had a bit of a dance before we left the bar and walked over to the Esplanade to count down to midnight and watch the fireworks.

The Esplanade was very busy, but we had a great spot on the grass for when the fireworks began. Everyone counted down together and then the show began. They were really nice and went for quite a while. Once finished we walked for a little bit, got a cheeky pie and then caught an Uber back to our motel.

Travel Start Date: 28 Dec 2018