Cairns, Queensland

note: this was written back on the 23rd when we were leaving Cairns but I never got internet access on my laptop. Melbourne and overall thoughts that aren't so tourist-y coming soon.

Cairns is in far north Australia, and consequently much closer to the equator, and tropical in nature. Several flowers were ones you would find in Hawaii, and people walked around with no shoes to combat the muggy climate.

The town’s industry is 70% tourism, with its most famous attraction being the Great Barrier Reef. Up north a bit from the city is one of the only places in the world where legitimate rain forest lies side by side with coral reef (off the beach). However, most of the city had ugly mud flats instead of beaches, and waters that you couldn’t swim in because of lurking crocodiles.

Best parts of the stay:
Wearing boat shoes while driving a boat (albeit one that puttered along at a snail’s pace)
Catching weird Australian fish
Learning crazy facts about the rain forest and how God has created things in such a fascinating way
An impromptu family volleyball match that was actually great fun

Worst parts of the stay:
Probably my worst sunburn ever while out on the reef
Subsequent irritation that marred my next couple days there
Walking 25 minutes each way out of the hotel every time we wanted to go into the city

Quote of the stay:
"You can be speechless and still express everything perfectly." - random ad outside our hotel