Heaven…
Imagine a 1950’s California coastal town – the casual atmosphere, the sunny day with the warm breezes and something akin to sheer exhaustion that pleasantly consumes. That, in one inadequate sentence, is Cairns.
I feel as if I’ve stepped back in time, and I have very little inclination to go back to reality!
This morning when we stepped on the plane in Melbourne, it was rainy and cold, with weather forecasted to be much the same for the rest of the week – in short, it was miserable.
We were ready to leave; as nice as Melbourne is, it really is not a very practical city in terms of layout – everything is so far apart that to do anything you really have to schlep across the city. Parking there being what it is (about A$65 for a day, unless you get a ‘special’) it’s impractical to see multiple things within a day unless you want to be crammed on the free tram or the free circle city bus. We were too cheap to spring for a regular transit pass – we need that money for coffee – so we instead stuck to walking or free transit.
When we landed in Cairns, it was about 15 degrees warmer (a rather toasty 30 degrees celcius!) and the skies were bright and sunny. It was a totally different world!
Cairns is a totally different city; it’s a much neater layout (everything is closer together and easier to access) and there’s a logic to it – things are where you would LOOK for them so when you need to find it, you can.
The waterfront is very simple, but the lush greenery of the area makes me swoon as we venture down every new road. The palm trees that line the sidewalks remind me of South America and the Caribbean; large trees with incredible shadowy widths and large potted plants on every corner.
Parking here is a dollar an hour – compare that with the insanity of Melbourne! – and you needn’t drive around. Once you’re in the CBD (central business district), you can walk to any destination of real interest.
Walking the esplanade, we wandered up the boardwalk, and discovered the lagoon - a man made public pool of phenomenal proportions. Completely free, and very well maintained, there were people everywhere even though it was the middle of the afternoon.
Sunbathers lined the grass, and there were posters advertising free family concerts at the wharf in the next few days.
How is this not heaven?
For the first time since we’ve gotten to Australia we had completely reasonably priced meals that were also healthy, and managed to find a grocery store so that we can have a few extra things on hand.
Tonight we’re watching Sea Patrol and Criminal Minds on TV, while planning out what to do next. My goal is to get a good night’s sleep since tomorrow we set out on the boat to explore the reef for the day.
According to the tour manual, the reef is full of sharks that maintain the cycle of life on the reef. Those sharks are apparently usually indifferent to human interaction. Usually. I can’t wait to see what their mood is like tomorrow.
In the interim I’m enjoying my little slice of 1950’s heaven, and wondering how to stay here forever.
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