Cairns - Retrospective

Our verdict on Cairns :

We arrived at the worst time, just as the rain & storms began, so we didn’t see it at its best. However once the sun was shining we had an awesome time.

In hindsight we would probably have stayed a week or 2, as 4 weeks was way too long for us. However it did give us a good grounding, as mentioned in previous posts we got : a bank account, medicare, tax file number all sorted whilst in Cairns. 

Things we recommend :

·      Lazy days in the sun at the lagoon are awesome – take a good book or your Ipod and laze in the sun. make the most of the free BBQ stations and take a dip in the lagoon. 

·      The Night Markets are a great place to grab a good meal at a reasonable price and check out the market stalls. 

·      Bellisimo has amazing icecream! Try the Pistachio. 

                                           

·      Paddywhacks on Shields Street, – good food, nice atmosphere and friendly staff.   
    Photograph below is Jamie's Seafood BBQ Platter. Which consisted of :  char grilled skewered prawns, marinated baby octopus, tuna and barramundi, presented with moreton bay bugs, grilled bread, fattoush salad, mango chilli sauce, kakadu plum sauce and lime aioli.

·      Tuesday is $10 day at the cinema.

·      Head to the Courthouse – Coronas are $3.50 all day every day, they also do $10 meals.

·      Check out Rusty’s Market Fri – Sun, great choice of local produce. 

         

Live singer at Rusty's market had to take his photograph as when we got there he was singing 'Puff the magic dragon' - What a guy! 

·      There are plenty of tours to do in Cairns and loads of tourist shops, but shop around most places will offer you some sort of discount for your business.

·      Underart Gallery – a small gallery but had some really lovely pieces of work. If you’re a fan of the little gallery and new talent check it out.

·      The Great Barrier Reef is a must do & Hire an underwater camera.       

·     You have to see the Rainforest – unless you’re feeling particularly adventurous and want to go it alone – check out Captain Matty’s Barefoot Tours!

·      Make yourself a packed lunch when you go on tours, nutella, vegemite, jam sandwiches, pasta etc easy to make and carry with you, saves you a few $’s.

·      Vegemite is pretty much the same as marmite – Jamie’s recommendation & hes a marmite fan!

·      Check out the fruit bats – they fly out for food at around 6-7pm, watch the sky, you'll hear them before you see them – its an amazing sight!       

                                            

·      If you have a drivers licence then hire a scooter and do some exploring! Check out the Northern beaches.

·       There’s lots of ‘Backpacker’ discount meals etc, but don’t expect much from them!! We did try one once – never again!

·      Cairns Sharehouse – Good Discounts on tours, cafes, restaurants & very friendly and helpful staff. A great idea, but not flawless in its practice as you cant control who you share with. A lot of people tend to stay at the Sharehouse for a few months at a time to study, work etc so it can feel like your living in their house, which can be a bit awkward. However the houses have ample storage space for food in cupboards and fridge freezer. Good cooking facilities and each person is given their own cutlery and crockery, its also reasonably priced, so cant really complain! The shared areas are cleaned professionally once a week. Rota for taking out the rubbish is done by room – so its all fair, provided that everyone does it!

Hungry Jacks is Burger King in disguise! 

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