Travel Guides and Stories

A week after returning from Cairns, my student status in Australia officially ended with the successful visa transition. After that, with a tourist visa, I had some proper business to attend to — traveling. I feel compelled to write this travel journal for two reasons: first, I've noticed I've become quite forgetful in recent years, and second, because Cairns is paradise.    Itinerary Overview:    February 15: Departed Sydney at 11:00 AM on Virgin Airlines, arrived in Brisbane at 11:30 AM for transfer; departed Brisbane at 13:40, arrived in Cairns at 16:00 local time.    February 16: Kuranda, scenic railway + skyrail rainforest trip    February 17: Great Barrier Reef, snorkeling/diving + seawalker    February 18: Rest day    February 19: Green Island diving.    The Virgin flight was delayed by over an hour, much longer than the notoriously delayed Tiger Airways flight I took to Melbourne last October. We often joke about Tiger Airways because that October flight not only wasn't delayed but arrived fifteen minutes early. Back to this flight - we arrived in Brisbane at 1:20 PM Sydney time, and it seemed we wouldn't make our connection. We rushed to the transfer gate only to realize the time difference issue - Brisbane and Cairns are in the UTC+9 timezone, while Sydney is UTC+10, giving us an extra hour. So we ended up with an hour of idle time... When we finally reached our destination and left the cabin, we truly experienced the tropical rainforest's humid heat. However, this climate isn't unbearable. Cairns, close to the equator and backed by mountains, still maintains large areas of pristine tropical rainforest despite inevitable environmental impact from tourism development. Before departure, we had booked five nights at Central YHA, which was cleaner and more orderly than Sydney's. This Cairns location truly lives up to its "Central" name - across the street is the Cairns Shopping Centre with all shopping and dining needs, and through this shopping centre is Cairns Railway Station, our departure point for tomorrow! 5 PM marks the beginning of the most comfortable part of the day in Cairns. For a tourist, there's no intense scorching sun, no sudden thunderstorms, just beautiful sunset views - so why worry about the approaching dusk?

From YHA to the wharf is only a twenty-minute walk at the most leisurely pace. This is the Shangri-La Hotel near the wharf, with the Hilton across the street.

Every casual photo captures the unique tropical scenery.

The tour boats that sail daily are all docked at the wharf. This vessel named Reef King, along with Reef Queen and Reef Prince, are luxury catamarans belonging to the Quicksilver group's Great Adventure fleet. They're stable and comfortable, and this luxurious vessel would transport us on our Green Island eco-tour on the last day.

The wharf boardwalk - Australia's blue skies and white clouds have always been what I'm most enchanted by. The clouds take different shapes in different climates. When I was studying in Canberra, I was fortunate to have a wall-sized window where I could see clouds clustering together every day, just like the simple drawings I used to make as a child. The clouds in Cairns have their own unique charm, giving me a sense of grandeur.

A glimpse of the wharf.

Past the wharf, we walked along the seaside boardwalk and spotted two leisurely fishermen in the distance, presumably waiting for the tide to bring in small fish.

This group of adorable seabirds stood quietly on the beach near the water, seemingly expressing gratitude for the abundant food provided by the magnificent ocean and for sustaining their lives. Life originated from the sea, and watching these little birds communicate with the ocean reminded me of the film "Ocean" - the ocean is indeed lovely, respectable, and awe-inspiring.

On the other side of the ocean is Cairns' all-weather free swimming pool - the Lagoon. Just as we enjoy taking an after-dinner stroll in the evening breeze, locals habitually come to this pool to play and splash around. The Lagoon is surrounded by lifeguards, although its deepest point is only 1.5 meters. Except for weekend nights when it closes before 9 PM, there are no time restrictions on weekdays. We visited almost every day during our four-day stay.

This was our destination after an hour-long coastal walk this evening - all for food, really. Charlie's restaurant is located at the end of the coastal wooden path. We walked for over an hour from the wharf following Google Maps' directions, and by the time we arrived, we were in perfect condition for an all-you-can-eat meal! This is an excellent seafood buffet. Before coming to Cairns, I frantically searched through travel blogs and found this place recommended in a 2006 post, which mentioned it was about 28 dollars per person. As we walked, we speculated about how much the price might have increased over six years based on Chinese standards. When we got there, we saw a big sign: "February Special $24.5/p" - haha, I'll skip the rest... We came back here again before leaving, I'll add photos then! We walked back the same way, and couldn't resist dipping our feet in the Lagoon as we passed by. Good night.    Wandering Around Australia in the Year of the Mayan Apocalypse — Cairns Day 2    When it comes to traveling, we both tacitly agree that comfort is best - not being constrained by time or location, and not letting our bodies get too tired. Among those who join tour groups, there are always some like us who prefer to break away. On February 16, we woke up naturally, though quite early. We had booked our Kuranda day trip the day before, and at 8 AM we arrived at the train station right on time to head toward the rainforest. Train ticket checking and boarding both take place on the station's underground level. After checking tickets, you can go directly to the platform to wait. The ticket inspectors provide tour guides in different languages based on passengers' nationalities.

Here enters the male lead, with the Kuranda Scenic Train in the background. This little train is only vintage in its decoration and style - the train itself is new and clean.

The train's interior features a classic, elegant ceiling design, with delicate patterns outlined on simple white wallpaper. The color coordination between the seats and walls, along with decorative details like black and white photos, creates a very comfortable atmosphere.

The large space between seats clearly shows this train is meant for sightseeing.

The train route is long, winding up to the highest point of the rainforest. You could actually choose to take the cable car up and the train down, but I felt that would disrupt the intended sequence and the emotional journey of both the train and cable car experiences. So I insisted on this order. The train maintains a leisurely pace throughout, and there are announcements before scenic spots to let tourists prepare for photos - very thoughtful. Looking carefully, you can see small cameras sticking out from many windows :D. I've always hoped to ride on a slow, gently swaying little train taking me to an unknown place, where I could chat and laugh, encounter beautiful scenery, and feel completely at ease. This journey fulfilled all of that, and naturally, I was in high spirits.

Passing by Barron Falls - when we came down by cable car later, we saw from afar that the falls weren't particularly spectacular, supposedly due to less rainfall this year. They said it should normally be quite magnificent. PS. There are so many Japanese tourists in Cairns. At the train's second stop, a sudden surge of Japanese tour groups boarded, and the train announcements were only in English and Japanese, which made me - who always thought Chinese citizens received preferential treatment worldwide - feel quite helpless... We boarded the little train at nine, encountered some engine problems along the way, and finally arrived at Kuranda village around noon. The village isn't large, you can get a good sense of it just by looking at the map. Centered around the Kuranda Market, it's surrounded by various souvenir shops selling local items and scattered wildlife and botanical gardens. It started raining as soon as we arrived, so we had lunch first. Following the smell of grilled sausages, we went upstairs to this "German restaurant" which specializes in various German-style sausages. I tried their most classic one, which was deliciously crispy!

After lunch, we learned that the owner really was from Germany. Thinking about the various European tourists we met on the train, it really showed how Cairns attracts visitors from all over the world - truly a blessed place. After lunch, we went to the Koala Gardens and saw many animals.

I'm not sure if the large spider in the picture is clear enough. Even if it weren't in the rainforest, weren't in Cairns, spiders would still be just as imposing, because Australia has so much greenery, there are naturally many insects. Looking at Australia from the plane, all you can see is green - vast stretches of forest with relatively narrow roads carved through them, even in the most prosperous and commercialized cities. So, the Australian people deserve their clear waters and blue skies.

Can you spot the four little lives in this small pool? These lizards are kept in an enclosure specifically for visitors to see, but in this small koala garden, lizards of all sizes run around freely everywhere.

And here's an adorable turtle family portrait.

While I was photographing the turtles, this agile lizard climbed up - quite endearing.

Lazy crocodiles resting by the shore, with several in the water too. We were surprised by how fast crocodiles can swim. Later, when we were leaving, we saw some Japanese tourists on the bridge throwing stones at the crocodiles - we weren't sure if they were trying to provoke the crocodiles or hoping for some kind of interaction. Either way, it made me very uncomfortable and reminded me of the movie "The Cove."

The park's star attraction - before coming to Cairns, I heard that Queensland was the only state in Australia where you could hug a koala for photos. Photo sessions are charged separately from park admission, costing 16 dollars per person for a 10-inch photo, and after the photo you can add extras like postcards and keychains for 5-10 dollars each. When something is labeled as "the only one," it naturally becomes more attractive. I couldn't resist wanting to hug a koala for a photo, and I even convinced my rather reluctant partner to join in.

The koalas won't know how many humans envy their sleeping schedule. Since we can't have it, let me be a bit naughty today and disturb them!!

This is a very well-behaved little boy, weighing 7 kilos. I suggest wearing long sleeves if you want to hug a koala - their claws that usually grip trees won't be very gentle when holding onto you, but if you position yourself correctly, they won't hurt you.

This is a wallaby, one of Australia's unique adorable animals. The Melbourne-based Ugg brand Jumbo's sub-brand Koalabi is actually a combination of "koala" and "wallaby." It looks similar to a kangaroo but is much smaller in size.

Next was an enclosed snake house - it took me half a day to build up the courage to enter. I was frightened by a snake when I was young and that shadow has never left me.

At the exit, there was this majestic Sulfur-crested Cockatoo standing guard. These birds are everywhere in Australia - in China's bird and flower markets, the smaller ones cost at least 18,000 RMB, while ones like this would cost over 20,000. My husband once met a pet one in Sydney that even greeted him.

After leaving the park, we wandered around the nearby shops. A beehive in the corner caught my attention, but seeing an obviously placed stuffed doll next to it, I didn't look too closely. The shop sold various types of honey. Speaking of honey, Australian honey is very good - last time I brought back quite a lot. Even the regular varieties from Woolworths and Coles supermarkets are pure enough. Pharmacy honey is often specifically for health purposes, and honeycomb honey is also very popular.

At 1:30 PM, we discovered this place which proved to be quite a hidden gem. What first attracted me was the tender green grass growing between the stone bricks on the ground. Sunlight filtered through the rainforest canopy cast irregular patterns on the ground and the exotic-looking colorful houses. Right after the rain, it was quite atmospheric.

Near the end, we spotted coconuts lying on a small cart and quickly bought one to drink the juice. Kuranda's coconut water is slightly sweeter than Hainan's, but the main difference is in the coconut meat. Here it's like jelly - soft and smooth, unlike the previous ones I've had where you could chew the meat but it was hard to swallow. Next to the coconut drink stall was a mini golf course.

We took the Skyrail down the mountain at 2:30 PM, and we arrived at the ticket checkpoint right at 2:00. I just couldn't resist this dazzling beauty, though in Australia, it's everywhere.

Let's take one more steady shot before boarding. The cable car route from Kuranda consists of 36 towers. Between Kuranda Station (T36) and T33 is the rainforest rehabilitation planting area. T33 to T32 is the Barron Falls area, where you can get off the cable car and walk in the rainforest. The morning train was supposed to stop at the Barron Falls area to let tourists view the scenery, but due to weather and engine issues, that morning's trip didn't stop and went straight up. Different towers are at different latitudes, with varying plant life - the eucalyptus forests have countless parasitic plants and fig trees. T8 is Red Peak Station, where you can also get off to rest and explore, though you can circle the small scenic area in just over ten minutes. The important thing is to experience the joy of walking in the rainforest - paths completely surrounded by rainforest are rare, and besides, this entire rainforest area was listed as a World Heritage site in 1988, so it would be a shame not to take a walk.

Whether it's bathrooms or information points, they all have these Japanese language signs. This must be determined by national economic strength. Given the current trend of Chinese outbound tourism, adding Simplified Chinese to public signs should be on the agenda! Tomorrow we can go diving! ~ Good night

Wandering Around Australia in the Year of the Mayan Apocalypse — Cairns Day 3

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest and longest coral reef system, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and also what Australians are most proud of among their natural landscapes. It was listed as a World Heritage site as early as 1981. During my preparation for the Cairns trip, while reading travel blogs, I saw some friends recommending visiting the outer reef and Green Island separately, so we booked separate itineraries - going to the outer reef directly from Cairns on the 17th, and visiting Green Island on the 19th. Later, on the boat to Green Island, we met many tourists who planned to stay briefly on the island for two hours before heading to the outer reef. After seeing Green Island's waters, I felt two hours wouldn't be nearly enough to fully enjoy it, so once again we made the right decision. Thanks to those who wrote travel blogs before!

Since the Great Barrier Reef is a must-visit destination for travelers to Australia, let me first list the essential items to bring:

1. Camera (I regretted not bringing my camera, thinking there wouldn't be time for photos during a day of underwater activities. Fortunately, I made up for it on Green Island. PS: I suggest those with DSLRs also bring a small point-and-shoot camera - it's more practical and economical than buying specialized underwater cameras)

2. Waterproof camera case or underwater camera (There's a type of case for regular point-and-shoot cameras that most can use; for underwater specialized cameras, friends in China can buy them online - they're said to be very cheap. Here, the cheapest non-disposable ones are 30 dollars, using film. Later when the photos were developed, only six or seven out of over 30 shots were decent, and the image quality wasn't good. Though not disposable, it was basically unusable after. As for me, on this Great Barrier Reef day, I didn't bring my DSLR or point-and-shoot, and didn't buy an underwater camera - I just put my phone in a waterproof case and took it underwater. But the iPhone needs touch control, which doesn't work underwater, so I was completely out of options)

3. Motion sickness medicine (It takes at least an hour and a half from Cairns to the outer reef. On our trip, the waves were slightly bigger, taking about two hours to arrive. Many passengers, regardless of age or gender, showed signs of seasickness. So make sure to bring motion sickness medicine.)

4. Sunscreen and after-sun repair lotion and/or face masks

5. USB drive (Crew members will take underwater photos, and if we don't bring our DSLRs underwater, their shots will be better and more professional than ours. On the return trip, they'll let you choose whether to print or select favorite photos to take all of them. If you don't bring a USB drive, you'll have to pay to buy one to take the photos. Of course, according to regulations, they're not supposed to copy the photos for free, but if you persist in asking nicely, they usually can't refuse. I learned this from previous travel blogs and excitedly brought a USB drive to Cairns, but forgot to bring it on the day we went out to sea...)

6. Items listed in tourism brochures as essential: swimsuit, towel, sunscreen (SPF30+, water resistant), sun hat, sunglasses, cash/credit card.

I've loved blue since childhood because of my love for the sea. Today I could finally see the Great Barrier Reef in person, and I was very excited. We arrived at the port before 8 AM, and tourists were already gradually starting to board. On this day going to the outer reef, we took a boat called Marine World from Reef Magic Cruises, slightly smaller than the previously mentioned Great Adventure, but the service and dining were no worse than the larger companies' boats. In fact, it gave a more down-to-earth, people-oriented service feeling. We boarded promptly at 8:30 AM. Since I didn't bring my camera, I had to rely on the crew's photos - here's one from the deck!

It takes two hours by boat to reach the outer reef. I suggest everyone sit facing forward, as sitting backwards will definitely make you uncomfortable. Since our boat wasn't particularly large, it was more rocky than larger ships once we got out to sea. The waves splashing up reached as high as the first-floor windows, and when the waves were bigger, some water would even stream into the boat. If you sit facing backwards, you definitely won't be able to handle it. Mr. Zhu felt so sick he didn't speak for two hours on the boat. I asked the enthusiastic crew for two full cups of ice, so besides bringing motion sickness medicine, you can also bring some essential oils or cooling oil, and if those don't work, feel free to ask the crew for ice or ready-made ice towels for cold compression!

After an hour of sailing, crew members gathered everyone to explain underwater communication gestures. Though simple to learn, friends should still memorize them well and practice with the crew. These mainly include how to report your underwater condition to them, whether you're uncomfortable, whether you've seen small sea turtles, whether you've seen big sharks or shark groups~! The boat provides snacks and drinks, and you can replenish your energy before underwater activities. They're really quite thoughtful.

The ocean platform is much more stable than the boat. Since Mr. Zhu had such a strong reaction to the boat, we rushed to change into swimsuits as soon as possible to get into the water. On the boat, crew members will suggest suitable activities for each tourist based on their swimming ability. Since I can't swim, I chose snorkeling and sea walking. My husband, due to seasickness, also changed from scuba diving to joining the snorkeling team. After getting equipped, we were ready to go see the fish and coral underwater.

Make sure to apply waterproof sunscreen before entering the water. Getting sunburned is far too easy in Cairns with its intense sunlight and unpolluted atmosphere. The Great Barrier Reef has three treasures: clear water, beautiful fish, and amazing coral! Our snorkeling group had six people: us two, a young Japanese couple, an older lady, and the crew instructor. After adjusting our snorkeling equipment, we set off. As soon as we entered the water, we could see various colorful fish and schools of fish all around - it was so beautiful and stunning. Anyone would be amazed by the ocean's gorgeous mysteries, with small fish and sea turtles appearing in your field of vision unexpectedly and - in groups!

This beautiful fish seems to be this company's "star performer" - whether snorkeling or sea walking, the patient crew members would repeatedly lure it over to take photos with everyone! When people came to take photos, I quickly reached out to touch the big fish - it slipped away after one touch, but I actually managed to capture the moment!

Below are some seawalker photos, starring the various beautiful fish underwater~ We met quite a few Chinese people on the boat, including some who had lived here for a long time and were specifically accompanying their parents to visit the Great Barrier Reef. If parents can't swim and are afraid of water, they can feel completely at ease choosing sea walking. With the oxygen helmet, you can breathe through your nose, and it's worth the trip to see underwater. Though it's called sea walking, the entire route is only about 20 meters round trip, taking 15-20 minutes. For friends brave enough to snorkel with life jackets and life rings, this might not be so necessary. Several parent couples I met ended up going snorkeling~

Around noon, the boat started serving seafood buffet lunch. Since we hadn't fully recovered from seasickness, we just ate some fruit, but the lunch quality was very good, with a complete selection of seafood, sushi, desserts, and drinks. After the buffet, you can go to the second-floor observation deck to sit in the lounge chairs, sunbathe, enjoy the sea breeze, and take in the views - it's a completely different experience from being underwater. Perhaps this is the magic of the sea - just one look broadens your heart, and afterwards, you can be like the ocean, all-encompassing.

Choosing to visit the Great Barrier Reef and Green Island on separate days ensured we had plenty of time both days. With 5 hours of water activities, if you're not satisfied with your first snorkeling experience, you can gear up and dive back in for another underwater adventure. Just this once, pretend you're a mermaid!

Wandering Around Australia in the Year of the Mayan Apocalypse — Cairns Day 4    Due to physical exhaustion from diving at the Great Barrier Reef the previous day, we took a complete rest on the 18th. At noon, we walked to the Cairns Shopping Centre across the street, which felt similar in scale and popularity to the shopping center in downtown Canberra. It seems every medium-sized city in Australia has a large shopping center in its downtown area to meet residents' shopping needs, while major cities have one in each district. In the evening, we went back to Charlie's Restaurant that we mentioned on the first day, sort of pre-loading energy for our Green Island trip the next day.    Green Island, rising from the Great Barrier Reef waters, is located 27 kilometers northeast of Cairns. It's a beautiful, pure coral cay surrounded by a ring of white sandy beaches and covered in lush green forest. Together with the island itself and the surrounding coral reefs, it has been designated as a national park protected area.

Great Adventure has three daily departures from Cairns to Green Island - 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, and 1:30 PM, with return options at 12:00 noon, 2:30 PM, and 4:30 PM. Unlike the two-hour journey to the Great Barrier Reef, it only takes about 45 minutes to reach Green Island.

The weather was beautiful

A shower of rain fell right as we arrived at Green Island, and after the rain, the island carried this kind of moist beauty.

Stunningly beautiful.

Typical tropical rainforest scenery: sunlight + rain + lush forest

Walking around the small island, we found that the activities here were no fewer than at the Great Barrier Reef: snorkeling, helicopter rides, semi-submersible tours, and you could also view the coral reefs from glass-bottom boats. We walked barefoot on the beach for two rounds, had lunch, and then went back into the sea for more snorkeling.

Before departing in the morning, we were notified that a group of jellyfish had passed through this area earlier that day, so water activities were only reopened in the afternoon. These are the small jellyfish bodies washed up on the beach, with a few that had been washed directly ashore, attracting many tourists' curiosity. Jellyfish are beautiful when viewed from a distance!

Suddenly, we spotted this little sea turtle not far from the shore. It kept swimming at a constant distance from the coast, and I followed it for the length of an entire track.

It was quite challenging to catch the moment when the old fellow came up for air!

While walking along the shore, there were two intermittent light showers, but it seemed every tourist had quickly adapted to Cairns' weather. The arrival of rain didn't quicken their steps, because everyone knew the rain would pass even more quickly - so why not maintain a leisurely mood and appreciate the momentary climate changes?

The coral reefs along the shore were very visible, and the water colors were distinctly layered.

This small stick nearby was covered with tiny shells.

In the distance, another small seabird quietly keeps watch by the sea.

Two birds

Here are a few more diving photos

Having some carbonated drinks after coming ashore was really enjoyable. The Coca-Cola bottle designs here in Australia really come in quite a variety.

This is the seafood buffet from the previous day. I put this photo at the end to fully emphasize the importance of Green Island!

I've now finished writing about the main scenic spots of this trip in great detail. Although I love traveling around and seeing different places, this is my first time writing a travel blog. Following the principle of trying my best to record the beautiful scenery and good feelings from the trip, if this can also provide some useful information for other travelers, that would give me even more motivation to continue. During the writing of this travel blog, I've already planned my trip to Tasmania for early April. In order to complete this Cairns update in time, it might feel a bit rushed - please understand!~