Weekend in Cairns

I spent the weekend living it up in Cairns. On Friday night I went for a drink at the Wool Shed which had a beautiful wooden polished floor and gorgeous shiny furniture. It had a very cool atmosphere. Then I was off to Gilligan’s for some dancing. I entered Gilligan’s, had a drink and watched some live music play.Then it was off to the dance floor and time to shake my body to some cool beats.

The next day I walked down to the Esplanade and looked at the markets. There were many exciting and interesting wares on offer. Then I spent the rest of the day relaxing on a towel by the lagoon. I’d brought a book so was reading that in the gorgeous sunshine. It was a bit breezy but the breeze was cool and refreshing. I went into the lagoon and began swimming around. It was wonderful to cool off from the tropical sun. Back on my towel again I gazed at the blue lagoon and out at the sea. The silver fish statues gleamed in the sun. The palm tree fronds rustled in the breeze. I could not be any more relaxed. 

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Exploring a Historic Village

I drove to Herberton to explore the Historic Village I’d read about in tourism brochures. I entered, bought my ticket, was given a map and stepped out into the village. It felt like I had stepped back in time. I wandered along paths people of this historic mining village from 1880 would have wandered along many years ago. I tried to imagine them in their old fashioned clothes going about their daily lives.

I wandered inside and past a lot of places: a post office, a mechanic, a bank, a dress salon, a toy store, a grocery store, a school, a cottage and a fancy white house with a beautiful verandah surrounding it. The coach house was amazing. Each building had so many fascinating objects inside, it was astounding. Statues and figures wearing costumes of the time gave us a feel of what it would have looked like with people of the time inside. 

Josephine Falls

The next attraction was within driving distance of the Babinda Boulders: Josephine Falls. I used my GPS and followed the signs again, parked the car and I was there. I read the signs reminding people to be careful around the waterfall. I began walking up the path. It was flat but pretty uphill. I walked along it for about 600m, past the surrounding vegetation. I love the dark green, lush rainforests of the wet tropics: they are absolutely beautiful.

Soon I was at the waterfall! I walked down some stairs, left my things on a rock and walked across the rocks at the base of the falls. I gazed up at the huge amount of water gushing down to the rocks below. This place was pure magic-no wonder I’d heard it was a place people fell in love at. 

A Trip to the Babinda Boulders

I’d heard there was this great place called the Babinda Boulders which was within driving distance from me. I hadn’t brought my swimmers with me but definitely wanted to check it out so I hopped in my car and off I drove. There were clear signs guiding the way but I used my GPS anyway with its lovely Irish accent.

I turned into the road to the boulders and parked my car. There were grassy picnic areas with tables and tall green tree ferns dotting the path to the boulders. I walked along the path and saw people out enjoying themselves. It was a nice sunny day and there was plenty of shade to shelter from the tropical sun.

Coming to the end of the path I saw some stairs leading down to a platform on the water. People were in the water and I could see the boulders-great big rocks dotting the water too. The water was green and shrouded in trees. I tentatively felt it with my hand: cool and refreshing. I stood and marvelled at the boulders for a while. We didn’t have anything like this back on the Gold Coast. Then I made my way to the next attraction of the day: Josephine Falls!

Journey to Paronella Park

I went on a journey to a place called Paronella Park. I had never been anywhere like this before so it sounded really mysterious and exciting. It was an interesting drive to get there past banana plantations and rolling green grasslands and over railway crossings. I bought my ticket, entered and waited for the next tour to begin which I was told would begin soon.

I sat on a chair on the verandah outside and waited with other travellers. I saw international tourists and families all eager to explore this place like me. Soon our guide arrived dressed in the green Paronella Park uniform and sporting a beard. He gave us each a map of the park and directed us to follow him.

Our guide guided us through the park, stopping at numerous locations for us to appreciate the beauty and take some photographs. We stopped at a water feature, the Tunnel of Love and at waterfalls. The first waterfall was small but beautiful. The second one was magnificent. A bridge crossed its top and water cascaded down into the big green pool below. I could not resist photographing the beauty. Our guide bid us farewell under some tall trees for us to explore the park ourselves.

I made my way over to the turtle feeding area. We had all been given fish food for the fish and turtles which had been included in our ticket price. The freshwater turtles clambered over and beside each other to get the fish food. This brought back memories of when my family travelled up to Cairns and stayed at a caravan park in the area. There there were freshwater turtles.

I wandered through the many paths winding through the rainforest of the park and took lots of great photos. Eventually I made my way back to my favourite waterfall with the bridge across it. I sat at a stone bench, marvelled at the view and just listened to the sound of the water cascading down. It was very peaceful. Then I walked up the stairs and crossed the bridge across the waterfall! I had to get my courage up to do this as I’m not a big fan of heights. I walked across the bridge and back again. I left the park awestruck at my experience there.

Snorkelling on Green Island

My mum and I caught the boat to Green Island from Cairns. We had our photos taken before entering. On board we received tea and coffee. We took a seat with a table near the centre of the boat then away we went out to Green Island! The last time I’d been on Green Island was when I was about 8 years old and my parents had taken my two brothers and I four wheel driving to Cape York and back. We had stayed at a caravan park in Cairns and saw freshwater turtles! When I was 8 I remember wearing a green and purple sarong with star fish prints on it. I remember snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef and seeing clown fish, parrot fish and so on. I also remember getting startled by a moray eel peering out from behind a rock and kicked myself ferociously back into shore.

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We arrived at the jetty and disembarked the boat. On the jetty I just had to stop and marvel at the magnificent colours of the reef. It reminded me almost of the patterns on marble with the light and dark blue moulding into each other. Mum and I both gazed at the island filled with memories. We walked across the jetty and arrived on the island. We looked at a sign and started a walk around the island. There were lots of informative signs along the way. We stopped at a beach, put on our flippers, googles and snorkels and waded into the water. 

Clown fish, parrot fish and other species swam peacefully around the coral. It was such a mesmerising experience-I could have done it for ages. I looked up every now and again to check I hadn’t strayed too far from the shoreline. After snorkelling we went to a nice restaurant on the island. I had a wonderful pink cocktail with pineapple. It was such a wonderful day.

I’m in the Tropics!

Rachel

I’m back in Australia after my year in the UK. It’s great to be back! I actually think I experienced a bit of a culture clash from my own country which I’ve never experienced before.

My family lived on the South Island of New Zealand for a year when I was little. We were in a place called Sumner which isn’t far from Christchurch and has an esplanade, beach, “Rocky Island” (a rock near the shore which we kids pretended was our island) and a horse riding club. My brothers and I used to go there all the time and ride horses and donkeys on the beach and through the port hills. When we came back to Australia and moved to Queensland in 2002 I guess the culture and climate were different and a new adventure was beginning.

Growing up in Canberra my parents always took us out camping, bushwalking…

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A Visit to a Park

Today we visited a park in Potsdam. We walked past silver birch trees and past an old red-brick wall: we were inside the park! Great fir trees stood together overlooking us as blackbirds hopped here and there on the grass and then flitted between the trees. A majestic Marble Palace (not all 100% real marble apparently) stood at one end, flanked by gardens and water fountains. A Great Lake was before us dotted with swimmers, waterbirds and a little boat. Sunbathers and bookworms flanked the shoreline, basking in the summer sun. Apparently a couple of weeks ago the grass of the park was filled with white flowers. We found an Egyptian-looking cafe’. Beside this was a garden with big black and yellow bumblebees busy collecting pollen from the kaleidoscope of flowers. We wandered along the path by the lakeside and I gazed up to the tops of the poplar trees and across the lake to the willows. I remembered such trees from living in Canberra, Australia as a child from exploring the surrounding banks of Lake Burley-Griffin. We wandered along the path further and went home.

Sightseeing Tour of Potsdam

We had a great day doing a sightseeing tour of Potsdam. From the line of the Berlin Wall on the road which had separated East from West, what used to be Russian soldier barracks, a red-brick Dutch Quarter which is now shops and accommodation for all nationalities, gardens, parks, lakes and palaces-Potsdam has a bit of everything! The tour bus had headphones and all I had to do was plug mine into the side of the bus and select “English” as my language. We had approximately three stops on our hop-on, hop-off tour of this historic city. We wandered amongst majestic palaces, sprawling vineyards and colourful gardens. Water fountains soared above us and trees formed a leafy canopy above our heads as we walked over the cobblestones on our adventure. We took the sightseeing bus back to the city centre and had chocolate and marzipan torte’s with apple mineral water (apple juice mixed with mineral water) and a Fanta. We huddled on our bright orange cushions under the great umbrella as rain drops fell and thunder clashed above our heads. An adventurous and thrilling day in Potsdam!

Exploring Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

Today I had a guided tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre! I’d only taken photos from the outside before so it was great to go inside 🙂 Our Tour Guide told us many interesting facts about Shakespeare and the theatre. I loved being beside the stage and seeing the design of it all. There was a trapdoor for demons and monsters to come from hell to the stage and a trapdoor on the roof of the stage with a wire for angels and other heavenly creatures to come down onto the stage. Apparently the middle is Earth. We walked where the “great unwashed” peasants would go to stand and watch shows under the open roof. Then we sat where the upper classes would sit in seats looking down on the stage. Apparently the peasants interacted more with the actors by yelling at them, trying to go on stage and chucking stuff at them lol; whereas the upper classes would just sit there without interaction and look down on what was unfolding beneath them. The cool thing is the theatre still has performances in the Shakespeare style so if you get the cheapest ticket you stand under the open roof, or the most expensive, sit and watch the play. The Tour Guide recommended standing for the interaction. However the plays can go for three hours but they do have intermission. Sounds exciting though. Then I went to platform 9 and 3 quarters at King’s Cross station from Harry Potter 🙂 I saw the platform number on the wall and the luggage trolley with Hedwig and a suitcase going into the wall. Then I walked through Regent’s Park and Queen Mary’s Gardens. Lots of beautiful flowers and a squirrel eating a nut with its paws, standing on its hind legs: cute. Then I wandered into Camden Town and found the Camden Canal with boats and a floating Asian restaurant. After that, off I went to Primrose Hill to get a panoramic view of the whole of London. I walked the tree lined path, past grassy fields to the top of a hill and looked down at London. I could see Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, The London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and many more attractions. The primrose trees were flowering with pink blossoms as I ran down the hill 🙂