Monday
For day 1 of our Cairns backpacker package we thought we would get the adrenaline flowing by going white water rafting on the Russell river in two person sports rafts. Although the Russell River isn’t as high a grade as the Tully this is still an adrenaline ride. As you are in 2 man sports rafts there is no guide in the kayak with you. They are paddling their own kayak with you.
Tuesday
Today we thought we might to have an easy day lying around the pool. Some cold drinks and mudcrab for lunch made it a great day.
Wednesday
On Wednesday we finally got to go to the Great Barrier Reef. We went to the reef with Quicksilver cruises. They have an artificial island permanently moored at the outer reef. The snorkelling was amazing with literally hundreds of fish of all shapes and sizes swimming with you. The coral was fantastic and was so close you could virtually touch it.
That night we went out for a meal and a few beers and watched some Cane Toad racing. They are ugly lumpy creatures.
Thursday
Today we went to Kuranda on our package. It’s a quiet little town in the mountains behind Cairns. You can get a bus there, but we travelled via the Skyrail Cablecar. The Skyrail took about an hour with 2 stations on the way. Kuranda’s an interesting place but a little too tacky for me. Just about every second shop is selling didgeridoo’s and the ones in between are selling souveneirs. A must see is the Kuranda Village Markets, with more didgeridoo’s for sale as well as lots of local handmade knick knacks, as well as more didgeridoo’s. We returned by the Scenic Train with more beautiful scenery.
Friday
Friday was another lay day of sorts. We took the opportunity to spend the day at the lagoon. For a place with deadly crocodiles and stinging jellyfish, the lagoon is the ultimate idea.
Friday night we went on a boat cruise on the Cairns Inlet, the food was of a high standard and the singer was top quality. Finishing by 9.40pm, it wasn’t too bad.
Saturday
Today we cruised to the Great Barrier Reef again. This time we went with Pro Dive on a diving cruise. However we only did the snorkelling, as none of us are trained scuba divers. The reef was even better than the first day. The lack or crowds makes it a much different experience than on the big boat trips.
Sunday
On Sunday we took a tour to the Daintree Rainforest . The Daintree is the worlds oldest rainforest, and it’s quite spectacular. They market it as “where the rainforest meets the reef” and thats what happens. The rainforest runs right down to the white sandy beaches.