By the time we woke up this morning, the Amsterdam was already docked in Trinity Wharf of Cairns. Captain James Cook first sailed to this area in 1770, which happened to be Trinity Sunday. So he named the inlet Trinity Bay.
Over a hundred years went by, when gold was discovered and the settlement became Cairns. A train was created in 1885, helping shape the town further, although the gold rush was over.
But what has put this city on the Aussie map has to be that it is the jumping off point for the Great Barrier Reef, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the reef has attracted millions of visitors to enjoy its beauty. We have taken two different tours on fast catamarans to swim and snorkel off of pontoons situated over the reefs. It was a long ride out there and back as we remember. Having sunny days also helped for viewing the fish and corals. We highly doubt that today’s weather contributed to both the boat ride or the snorkel experience. It is the luck of the draw, but well worth trying.
Some of the ship’s tours included an excursion to the reef for $300 for 8 hours. Two other islands offer a similar experience, but snorkeling off of the islands. One was Fitzroy and the other was Green Island. We have done Green Island and would not recommend it, since it was nothing like being at the real reef. Of course, the price was better at $200 for 5½ - 7½ hours. Outside the city, a better choice would be the Skyrail Rain Forest Cableway tour, or the trip to Kuranda on the train. They are a good way to experience the rainforest in the nearby mountains.
As one might guess, it was a mostly rainy day with passing showers….some heavy at times. With the temperatures in the high 80’s, the humidity must have risen to 100%. When it rained, the streets literally steamed. It’s no wonder that the city and surrounding rainforests are so lush and green. During the drier season, Cairns is really another beautiful vacation destination for visitors and local families as well.
So when we walked off the ship after 10am, it began to rain. This would be a good time to pay a visit to the modern mall at the Railway Station, about a one mile or more walk. We were here two years ago, when many of the major streets were under restoration, getting a facelift. This city is known for their fruit bats that always “hung around” in the city’s trees, where many pedestrians shopped or dined out. Needless to say, it was a messy problem. So the story we heard, was that if they removed their favorite trees, they could control where they roosted. It seemed to work, because we did find these strange creatures concentrated in one area around the library and government buildings. In fact, there were signs posted warning the passerbys that sprinklers would automatically go off every 15 minutes. The purpose was to help keep the fruit bats cooler during this hot period. How thoughtful…..
Anyway, back at the Central Mall, we discovered that was where most all of the locals go on a rainy Sunday morning. We found that there were anchor stores like Coles (grocery store), Target, Kmart, and Myers. Every mall-type shop was there too. We did not need anything today, but it was nice to walk in an air-conditioned venue for an hour.
Simply by accident, we came across a large veggie, flower, and souvenir market. We have been to their Night Market before, which does not open until 4:30pm, but not this one. What we liked was to be able to photograph some of the different produce that we do not have at home. One such item was bamboo. Big chunks of the bamboo were sold along with the fresh veggies and fruit. Since today was Sunday, this market was bustling with shoppers.
We still had a lot of ground to cover, so we headed off to see those bats. There was still a lot of construction happening in the central business district with hotels going up we assume. There are a number of resort hotels here already, so the demand for more must keep the locals busy. We did pass by several places that were closed today, because it was Sunday.
The one part of town we always like to see is the Esplanade. It is a 1½ mile walk from end to end, and a haven for bird watchers like us. Located on the lagoon, we followed the manicured pathway, taking us past many cafes, restaurants, and vista points with bird plaques. The tide was out, so what birds were there included masked lapwings, bush stone curlews, Caspian terns, gulls, magpie larks, whimbrels, and pied oystercatchers. But the best sighting had to be the Australian pelicans, big as all get out, and fearing nothing. This small flock had staked their territory and were not moving for man or beast.
By the time we got near the end of the esplanade, we were stopped by a local policeman, who asked us to wait for a few minutes. He informed us that a rescue helicopter was on the way to land in the grassy field right across the road from the local hospital and perhaps 100 feet from us. So we witnessed the noisy landing, and watched as the paramedics took a patient from the copter and got him on a hospital gurney. Since this chopper came in from the ocean side, we assumed it was a medical evacuation from the reef. But we saw that the man was Aboriginal, and looked injured, as in an accident. He seemed alert, so that was a good sign he will be OK. We were afraid that the patient may have been someone we knew from the ship, like when our friend Bill was suddenly taken to the hospital in Hawaii this last fall.
Continuing on, we made it to the mangrove section of the lagoon, and decided it was time to turn around and head for lunch, as it was getting near 1:30pm by now. All aboard was 5:30pm today, so we needed to squeeze in every stop we wanted to make. On the way back, we passed by the little kid playground and some picnickers that were making use of the BBQ stations located along this promenade. Eventually we reached the public swimming pool, which did not go any deeper than 1 ½ meters. It is spread out like a lake with fountains here and there. At one end, there is even a real beach with sand, where one can enter the pool just like going into the surf. It is ideal for the families with young kids. And today it was so warm and sticky, we could have gone in….clothes and all.
As the lagoon came to an end, so did the Esplanade walkway. Continuing on, we walked around some barriers where more shoreline work was in progress. This is where the small boat marina is located, and many good restaurants. By now, we were hungry and thirsty, and we knew exactly where to go. Running into Ginger and Bill, they recommended a café with Salt in the name. They had wood-fired pizza and some good fish dishes. We said we may go back there, if the place we were going was not there. Well, as it turned out, the Marina Paradiso had gone out of business. Another one bit the dust. But right next door, was a good alternate choice, since we did not have to walk all the way back. One of us was feeling the effects of the long hike, so Dundee’s Waterfront Dining was the best choice for us today. It was nearing 3pm, and the chefs stopped cooking at 3. So we ordered a meat-lovers pizza and two beers XXXX Gold. The pizza was delicious with thinly sliced ham, smoked chicken, and chorizo. The beer was wonderfully cold and tasty. Asking for a dessert menu, our waitress brought a fully loaded tray of their dessert assortment. They all ,looked tempting, but we chose the date and ginger muffin topped with ice cream. Sitting in a puddle of caramel, the dessert was warm enough for the ice cream to melt. Another new treat for us.
The ship was docked so close to here, we could see the aft section from this restaurant. We had gone full circle in 6 hours. Running into Susie and Eddie, they told us they had just gotten back from the trip to Kuranda. They had heavy rains as well up there….probably a lot more than we got down here. But then, they saw the rainforest in all of her glory. Then they were off to do the same hike we had done earlier. They are real troopers. Bet we see them at sail away.
Working on photos, we relaxed in our room until 5:30pm, then went to deck nine to take even more pictures. Just as we expected, Susie and Eddie did show up at the Seaview Pool as the sun was setting. We all agreed that it was nowhere near as nice as Sydney’s sunset, but nothing probably ever will compare to that one.
At dinner, we found we still had our guest friend, Cecile, joining us once again. One of her tablemates was due to return today from an overland adventure, but she wrote her to say her flight had been cancelled. You never consider that these things can happen, but coming from a smaller town, anything is possible.
Did we mention that some new items have shown up in the dining room? Namely, they are new butter plates, which are ceramic, and not the chilled stainless steel bowls. These plates are so small, they only hold 2 pats of butter. In addition, new sugar and creamers have replaced the older pieces. Now you have a creamer with no handle, a nice rectangular metal dish for sugars, and a tray to put them on. Some guests like hot milk, so this may be a problem. Also, it will difficult to hold these creamers without getting your fingers in them. Nothing stays the same, does it?
Really looking forward to three days at sea now, as we begin the Great Barrier Reef Experience.
Bill & Mary Ann
