Cairns to Mission Beach
Nov 21-23
One of the things we discovered in short order was that produce prices in Australia are astronomical. Thanks to Cyclone Larry, which swept through Queensland’s banana fields last February, bananas were over $5/kilo and a single mango cost $3! Therefore, we were thrilled when we discovered a stretch of highway north of Cairns which was lined with mango trees overburdened with ripe fruit. Fifteen minutes with a long branch and a little patience rewarded us with a half a dozen fresh mangos which tasted even sweeter because we had harvested them ourselves.
After a brief side trip to explore the Atherton Tablelands, we made it back to Cairns, hopeful that wind conditions had improved and we would be able to get out to the reef. Along the way, we had discovered the reason for the low mileage on our car. The odometer hadn’t budged since we left Cairns – obviously, it had been disconnected. The first thing we did when we got back to Cairns was take it back to the dealer to get it reconnected. So much for the great deal we had made. Mind you, we couldn’t complain; it ran like a top and, so far, we’d had no problems with it. Now it was time to find a place to stay in Cairns. We had already discovered that Australia’s backpacker scene is a lot more party oriented than New Zealand’s and the hostel system isn’t nearly as well organized. Australia doesn’t have a national hostel association like NZ and, therefore, there is no catalogue with prices and ratings – you just have to take your chances. At Bohemia, it had been pretty good, although there had been a pub crawl one night that completely took over the bar and it had gotten pretty wild for the hour they were there. Now, as I called around to the various Cairns hostels, I discovered that it was the beginning of “SchoolieWeek,” an Aussie version of Spring Break, and everything was booked solid.
As we drove into Cairns, we spotted the Big 4 Coconut Caravan Park which had what looked like a waterpark on the grounds. We decided to check the prices on their cabins and were pleasantly surprised that it was only $71/night – even cheaper than the hostels. The kids were ecstatic! There were two large pools, complete with waterslides, two enormous jumping pillows, tennis courts, mini-golf and, glory of glories, pedal cars – it was like a five-star resort! They were so excited they looked like puppy dogs chasing their tails as they tried to decide what to do first.
 |
| From Queensland, A… |
 |
| From Queensland, A… |
 |
| From Queensland, A… |
Apparently, Coconut Caravan Park had been voted Best Caravan Park in Australia and for good reason – it was like a small, well-landscaped town with an amusement park. Staying there convinced us that caravan parks were the way to go in Australia and we bought a “Big 4” card for $40 to obtain a 10% discount at their parks across Australia. I’ll tell you, that card paid for itself 10 times over during our trip to Australia, although no other park managed to live up to the first one! Finally, after relaxing by the pool for a few days, we gave up waiting for the wind to die down and decided to take our chances further south.
Our next stop was Mission Beach where we finally got to take a boat cruise out to famous Dunk Island and then out to the Great Barrier Reef where Claude and the kids went snorkeling while I went scuba diving (for the first time in ten years).
 |
| From Queensland, A… |
I was worried that I’d be rusty, but the dive master reviewed everything with us before diving and I felt much better when we entered the water. I need not have worried, it turns out, because my fellow divers, a German couple and an elderly American gent named Bob, had only recently been certified and only had a few open water dives under their belts. I spent most of the first dive hanging out at the bottom while my fellow divers kept bobbing to the surface like corks (I guess my dive partner was aptly named). After some added weight and instruction on technique, our second dive was more successful. Unfortunately, thanks to the recent high winds, the water was murkier than usual and visibility was only 25 feet, as opposed to the usual 75 feet. Also, this area had taken a direct hit from Cyclone Larry and, consequently, parts of the reef had been badly damaged. Despite the reduced visibility and cyclone damage, the reef was still spectacular and I was able to see lots of interesting soft and hard coral as well as a small reef shark, several sting rays and loads of beautiful fish. Claude and the kids had fun snorkeling and enjoyed feeding the fish off the back of the boat.
 |
| From Queensland, A… |
With the Great Barrier Reef under our belt, it was time to head south for Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands.
To see the rest of our Queensland photos, visit our web album.
Tags: Australia, Cairns, Queensland, Travel
tambour
Kidsnall-I have been doing some reading on the bootsn……Traveling w/kids and you have confirmed to me that I not crazy to take my 3 children on a RTW trip. The only thing is that it would just be me and the kids (ages:15,13,11). I have just posted several questions regarding traveling with kids on the Forum, Traveling with kids. I know you are busy but if you have time to answer any of my questions I would be greatful. You and your family sound like they are having a grand time. I have also been reading the postings from WT and find them to be very helpful although I think I will be traveling a bit more in the budget catagory than a small villa in Spain. Also, when everyone talks about camping in Europe, does that mean with tent and sleeping bags (that is what it means where I am from) and having to carry all of that extra stuff, or do these places provide the equipment? I very much look forward to hearing back from you.
Mom (Pauline)