Three Days in Cairns

OK friends, back to "normal posts".  This chronicles our trip to Carins Australia (the nice tropical part).  Yes, even more with my rents.  I told you, we all were BUSY.  Anyway, it started with my parents and I driving to wellington to fly to Cairns.  Cec had to stay behind and work, blah.  I'd been to Cairns before with him so it was OK.  He would meet us in a couple of days.  Fly went well, as expected.  We arrived into Cairns and hopped a taxi to the reef palms motel.  The only negative was we came in LATE, landed 10:15.  The next morning was a big one, and we were heading to the great barrier reef.  Unfortunately, I have absolutely 0 photos from that day.  I didn't take my phone (all water) and the photos we do have are on my dad's camera.  The summary was- great boat and crew.  The sea was warm and the coral and fish are amazing.  Mom got pretty sick on the journey but still managed some time in the water.  Everyone, yes even my sick mom, was super happy they went.  There is a reason the great barrier reef is the 8th wonder of the world.

The next day we got picked up for a train ride up the kuranda, a rain forest village.  Its a rain forest and it lived up to its name.  There were 2 other sets of people taking the same tour as us that we had met the previous day.  One was a couple from Seattle, and the other was a solo traveler from Chicago.  Sadly, that solo traveler, John, was super sick with mom the previous day on the barrier reef tour.  In case your wondering, the reason everyone was on the same trip is you could buy them as a package and save some money.  Good deal, really.

Anyway, we got WET, but had ponchos so all is well.  The first thing we did was travel to the koala house and got to hold koalas.  They are so cute.  Charlie, our koala fell asleep on each of us.  Then we checked out all the tourist-trap markets and got some lunch.  Dad got a baramundi burger and I just got straight fish.  It was good, think like a cross between tilapia and cod with slightly more oil.  We took the skyrail back down and got to see the rainforest from above the canopy.  We got dropped off at our hotel and decided to walk into the city.  It had stopped raining and was the perfect spring-like temperature.  We caught dinner at a steakhouse and walked around the tourist shops.  There was an ironman race going on so it was very very crowded and we didn't get to far.  We did however get some gelato at dream gelato.  Seriously some of the best gelato I have ever had.  We grabbed a taxi back as we had an early day the next day.

(Mom and Dad ready for the train up the mountain and through the forest)

(Very rainforest like, here is the entrance into the mountain)

(The waterfalls were beautiful, after all it was raining!)

(Dad feeding the wallaby)

(The wallaby was anxious to get the food so he grabbed dad's hand.  It was adorable)

(Say smile and hi to charlie)

The next day, we got picked up at 7:00 AM for our tour of cape tribulation.  Its a good drive from were we were staying, hence the early pickup.  In case you are wondering, yes we are tired from this so far.  To many early mornings and late evenings.  We drove along the coast for about 2 hours and our first stop was an animal park.  We only had an hour there, which was a shame.  They had koalas, tons of birds, kangaroos and wallabies, and cassowaries.  I could have spent hours there.  Mom and dad watched the koalas for a while while I hung out with the unique Australian birds.  Then, Mom and I broke off while dad tried to get pictures of the cassowary to check out the "roo walk".  The Kangaroos were super friendly.  Mom even got to pet a kangaroo.

(I loved this black backed herons, I wish I had photographed the name of it.  Notice mom in the background)

(the storks were picking clams out of the water, I am assumed placed there by the keepers, which was fun to watch them breaking clam shells)

(I loved these black cockateels (sp?).  If you look at their heads they have bright flecks)

(Mom on the roo walk.  Can you spot the emu in the picture?  Its there)

(Mom petting the kangaroo!!)

(Can you spot the Joey?)

The second stop was Mossman gorge (which is also in the rainforest).  Nice trail through the bush along the river that cuts through the gorge.  See the short video clip HERE).  We didn't see much wildlife except one spider, but that's not what makes the rainforest amazing.  The sheer size and amount of foliage is staggering.

(Mom and Dad are ready for their walk)

(this is the starting pathway)

(Smile!  Everything here wants to kill you!!)

(Down in the gorge.  Apparently, you can swim if it wasn't so rapid.... However there also are crocs around so I don't know who does that!)

(Can you spot the spider?  Its the only wildlife I saw, but I'm sure something else was looking at me!)

From the gorge they took us deeper into the rainforest and across the daintree rainforest.  We stopped at a fruit seller (we didn't get anything it was cash only) and had lunch in the rainforest at one of the few places you can eat there.  Mom got her wish and it dumped rain on us.  Earlier, she had said she was disappointed there was no rain in the rainforest lol.  Luckily it stopped as we headed to the last item on our agenda, the crocodile spotting tour.  Sadly, the rain made the water levels high and the crocs were mostly underwater.  We saw lots of birds and a couple snakes and only one baby crocodile.  After that they trucked us back and we got in late to Cairns.  The next morning we slept in as our flight was at noon.  We headed to the airport using the shuttle for the hotel and flew to Sydney....... More on that later

(Little pictographic showing where we went)

(And mom got her wish.  We got soaked after our lunch in the rainforest)

(On our croc spotting tour we saw more snakes and birds.  Can you spot the snake?)

(Here is our croc we spotted.  Its only a baby but you know mama is scarier and probably close by!)

Picture post #2- Karen's Parents time in Wanganui

Here is another picture post from my parent's time in NZ.

(Moms first Pepsi in New Zealand after getting off the plane)

(We stopped and got NZ softserve.  They take ice cream and blend in fresh berries.  "berry berry good)

(A big storm went through Wanganui)

(Cecil and Dad went trout fishing and on the up got some great pictures of the tongariro trial)

(Here is a picture of a kiwi crossing sign

With skis underneath: a "skiwi".... Oh yeah the mountains are back there too.)

 (Cec getting help from the guide, fishy steve)



(It was a little chilly that day!)

(Dad enjoying himself fishing)

 (Cec's rainbow trout!)



(Dad's Rainbow trout) 

Copy link to YouTube below 

https://youtu.be/MdVP1tRlHcU

https://youtu.be/BYyoZ6w0cwQ

(A great. albeit cold day)

 (Took my parents up to the top of the tower)

(Selfie!  My parents have become obsessed with them, IDK why)

(They enjoyed feeding the ducks at victoria lake.  My mom was the duck whisperer)

(Oh, and swan whisperer too!)

(Dad made a friend.  In fact he made many, see the video HERE)

(My mom found this 1,00 piece puzzle and hoodwinked cec and dad into helping her finished it.  It was so difficult there were celebrations when it was finished.... see the video HERE)

(We also happened to be downtown during the Queen's birthday celebration - Mom thought she was the queen) 

(There was a parade by the Fire Brigade! The most people we have seen downtown) 

(Here's Mom going up the hill to the house! Hill Part 1) 

(Hill Part 2! Almost there! We had to tell her to slow down and obey the speed limit)

(Some of the views from the local Botanic Gardens in Wanganui)

(Some of Cecil's favorite flowers, I think they are called Dragons Tongues)

(We also stopped at the local pub for a Pint) 

(Karen made some homemade sourdough bread, it was delicious!) 

(Mom is getting her end of the bread) 

(Dad is cutting up some lamb)

(We also went to a local town called Bulls... needless to say they have a sense of humor)

(Dad and Cecil also managed to go to a Masonic Meeting in Wellington)