If the queue in Changi Airport is long, the one at Brisbane Airport is worse! Luckily they have many counter so the queue is always moving. Luckily I'm in time to catch the domestic flight to Cairns. Two and half hour flight but only manage to catch a short nap. Nice bigger pillow and no one next to me but just can sleep. When reaching Cairns, everyone is looking out of the window. The Great Barrier Reef! Read somewhere that it can even be seen in the space and indeed! It's beautiful! Nice turquoise in colour. Stretches of it. Praying hard that I can catch a trip out to the sea to check out the reef. Wanna try diving! Hope has God's will and there won't be any bad weather to stop the activity like my previous skiing trip in NZ. Even if there is, I will have to respect God's will and give thanks. God always loves and protects us as long as we follow His will.
View of the Great Barrier Reef from the plane
Cairns is a tourist place that is liken to be the best of north Queensland. It contains diverse pockets of reef, rainforest, coast and rural land. Being an 'aqua' person, I've opt to check out the reef rather than the forest as my main activity in my 1 1/2 day stay here.Managed to get a airport transfer right to the door step of my hostel, Aspect Central. Receptionists are two fierce looking old women but they turn up friendly. And the room is nice and cozy! Can take up to 3 people. Dunno why they give me such a big room. 65 per night only though. Except for the dirty kettle spout. Better not boil water in it. Asked the reception auntie for recommendation for diving trip for tomorrow and she gave me a good deal. Just 145 and I will get to snorkel and a intro dive with all gear provided. Breakfast, lunch and tea included. Picked up at the doorstep and send me back too. Plus 5% discount. Everything I wanted and needed included. Far below my budgeted 300 so deal. Asked for direction to the city area and was told walking is the only option. Gosh! It's far! Esp when you have to walked under such hot weather! At least 30 degree! Brought a pair of old slippers and the sole came of on the left side. Ripe of the right side too and can't wait to get a new pair!
Aspect Central room... I like!
Finally reached the mall after almost 20 min walk under the blazing sun but took a wrong way and walked one big round into the car park before I get to enter. Guess most of the people here drive coz there's no one walking on the street and I can't guess where is the entrance. Hence followed the cars and yap, one big big round. First thing I enter is to look for slippers before anyone laugh at me or me having to walk bare footed. Saw someone did so. Crocs' old design on 40% discount but not what I wanted. Many havanas and billabong and others but prices about same as in sing. Got a pair of brown billabong, couldn't find my size for gold one. Next head for lunch. Almost 3! Saw many nice dresses but they have to wait. Turkey patty and lots of rocket vege and butter head cabbage. My fav and it’s healthy too.Cairns City beach
Stomach filled so time to attack! Many of those flora dresses that need no ironing! My fav! Valley Girl is still my fav. Saw them in NZ too. The place reminds me of Marina Square. Similar layout. After which I head down the rest of the streets of the city area. Just stretches of shop houses. Not many interesting shops. Quite disappointing. It's a sat but not much people walking around. Where are they? Is it because it's too hot? Only pass by a few souvenir shops and just like in NZ, mostly open by Koreans and Jap. Can someone tell me why? End of the street is the lagoon. So here's where everyone is! It's just open right next to the city street and it's free for all! Next to the sea and the water taste salty. But I wonder why the taste coz they only clean it once a week. Well who care, just dip in coz I can't stand the heat anymore. Luckily bought a set of swimwear along the way here. Deepest only 150 cm and it's crowded. Can't do much swimming. No goggles either. Bought a sarong to dry up instead so that I can use again in the rest of the trip. After an hour, I walked around the harbour area. Geez everyone is at the bar drinking. Nothing much to see or shop coz almost 6. Yap the shop here close early too. Walked over to the area that claim to have some night market but decided to have dinner first coz leg kidda tired. Walked into a restaurant I feel more comfortable with and had just what I wanted to try. Kangaroo, crocodile and ostrich combo. Wow! Ostrich meat is really tough though the slices were thin. Crocodile sausage tasted like some liver. Best is the kangaroo meat, tender and nice. Very much like beef. The cranberry sauce was good but the macadamia sauce just tasted weird. As I eat, I looked around and I understood why I walked into. Mostly Asian. Even the waitresses are Japanese. Some people tried the Moreton Bay bug which is the local cheaper version of lobster. But I think it's our Cray fish. Must try the next time. Nice filling dinner with some fabulous house wine. Never really like red wine but theirs taste quite good. Checked out the night market but its non other many basar malam stores open by Koreans, Japanese and Chinese selling the same few souvenir. The Chinese were even there to offer massage and they are only kneading! Call that massage? For 40 bucks? Another sign of Chinese invasion is the foodcourt at the night market. You can choose from plates of different sizes for different prices and you just fill it up for all you can on that plate. Sounds familiar? More than one store. Chinese food, thai food, jap food (but look more like Chinese imitation version). And the customers? Mostly Asians of course. Have we brought the ugly side of Chinese to Aust? Or should I say enterprising?
Ost meat , Croco sausage, Kanga meat, Croco sausage again, Ost meat again
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