Holly’s Travels

We were in Cairns for only 3 nights before we decided to book our Cape trib trip. Cairns rained the whole time so we didn’t really do a lot. Mainly just shopped or should I say window shopped and that’s about as fun as it got!

We had 2 attempts at getting to Cape tribulation. The first day we tried, we got up at 6 feeling a little fragile from the night before sat on a bus for 2 hours till we arrived at a cafe near the Daintree river. However due to land slides further north we had to turn back to Cairns and were told we could try again tomorrow!

We then checked into a different hostel which was lovely! 4 single beds in a spacious room with air conditioning that actually worked! Spent the day reading and eating and had an early night so that we were fresh for our second attempt in the morning!

This time we got to the cafe and could continue on. We went for a river cruise along the daintree river to spot crocs. We saw two baby ones but nothing compared to the ones we saw at the croc farm we went to the other day before we got into Cairns. After the cruise we drove into the rainforest and did a board walk. Saw a dragon (lizard) and a huge golden Orb spider! We soon realised that these massive spiders would become normal to see as once we arrived at our accommodation in Cape tribulation they were everywhere!! We went for a nice walk along the beach to a nice lookout and the scenery was stunning!! In the evening we sat around the dining area at the hostel and played cards with out new roomie David.

Our room was the furthest away from the dining area along a path. This happened to become the scariest walk to go to bed ever! I managed to step on a snake. I just stopped felt something under my feet, looked down and saw this snake. Ran for my life screaming, Alice wondered what the hell ahd happened. Then we started hearing these horrible noises from the forest that sounded like these horrible birds called Cassowaries (the most dangerous non flying bird in the world!) so we were pretty scared! That night we all had nightmares of spiders crawling on us etc!

The next day after our free breakfast of bacon eggs and toast (yum) we went on a 5km  walk to a place called Emmagen Creek! Once you got to the creek you could then walk 10mins (supposedly) up a path to a beautiful swimming spot. This path wasn’t the easiest of path. We turned back twice but then found some locals who knew the way and when we finally got there it was beautiful! We stayed there for about an hour and then walked a different way back equally as hide but we got back just about in one piece. Managed to hitch a lift in the back of these 2 hippies camper vans back to our hostel! For the rest of the afternoon we read and napped!

Day 3 and we were ready to get out of the rainforest. The amount of bugs was insane but we did appreciate thwe beautiful surroundings. Mikaela and David had a horse ride along the beach booked for the morning so me and Al just sat around reading until 1.30 when we got picked up by our tour bus!

Our final destination was Port Douglas which is where we are now. On our way there we stopped at Mossman Gorge which was again stunning and then around about 4.30 arrived at Parrotffish lodge where we’d be staying for the next 5 nights!

xxx

Only had 2 nights in mission beach but had a great time! Our friend Kevin was still with us and when we checked into our room at Scotty’s Beach house, he was in our room! All the rooms had been done up recently so was lovely and clean! Another nice, cjhilled out hostel and we especially enjoyed having a sofa right outside our room which is where we spent most of our time.

We were basically at mission beach to go white water rafting down the river tully. Our bus collected us at 8 in the morning and we were rafting by about 10 once we’d put on our life jackets and helmet. Was awesome fun. There was us 3, Kevin and 2 guys from denmark in our raft and our guide was called Tim. We were doing grade 4 rapids all which were fun! People were falling out all the time and we did go in to the river for a few swims along the way. Stopped off for lunch which was  a nice BBQ and then had another couple of hours after that! One rapid Al got launched into the air and got a few bruises to her leg but one girl in another raft broke her ankle! So was pretty dangerous but we survived without too much damage! Got back to this cafe around 3 and watched the DVD, which was funny as you saw everyone falling out and pulling up there bikini bottoms etc!

 That was it really for mission beach but very much enjoyed ourselves! The next day we had to wait till 1.30 for our oz bus so we watched the hangover in the tv room at the hostel! Our last bus journey was quite short and the best bit was we went to a Croc farm on our way to Cairns!

The farm was even better than Australia zoo in that you got so close to the crocs. First though, we got to hold a black cockatoo called banksy…it pee’d on Mikaela haha! Then a baby croc and a snake!!! Then 2 guides showed us rouind to the crocodile pens and they were HUGE! One minute there hiding in the water and the next there out on the grass 2 metres long snapping there jaws! One slapped the guide round the leg with its tail. And one was 5meters long! Crazy. We also fed kangaroos and saw some absolutely evil Cassowarys which are horrible big birds like Osterriches! Anyway had a brilliant time there!

After the farm we left for Cairns and it was only a short journey! When we arrived we checked into our swish hostel Gilligans. Had a free meal that evenign and played drinking games with our dorm mates till about 12 when we went downstairs for a dnace. bailed out after a while though as we wre all shattered. Not before Mikaela and Al had a Kebab though! Bed by 2 though!

Now in Cairns it’s raining and its humid! Today we went to the cinema which was amazing and saw the Blind side! Definitely recommend it! Anyway we’re here for a month now, have a trip to cape trib trip bookedd and port douglas and i can’t wait to get out on the reef for our dive!

Will report back soon!

Holly xxx

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