Australia – The Land Down Under

 

 

 

 

Leaving Christchurch, NZ, I am in search of Nicole Kidman.

As we make our approach to Sydney, I am offered a cabin crew window seat and jump at the opportunity.

 

 

 

 

 

Click, click, click and Australia's coast line along with a few beaches are captured by Sony.

 

 

 

 

Nicole is not waiting for me in the airport. So after a three and a half hour sit I dine on some Hungry Jack aka Burger King and I am on my way to Cairns.

 

This time I am given an emergency exit window seat with lots of leg room.

 

 

 

 

I am charmed and pay full attention when all the passengers sitting in the emergency exit row are given a full personal Aussie briefing.

Arriving on schedule, the hunt for accommodation begins.

 

After speaking with Gloria on the phone and her offering to pay for airport transportation, Caravella Backpackers is where I will call home for the night.

 

 

 

 

Gloria who is from New Zealand makes checking in quite entertaining. She maintains several conversations with guests while registering some of them, explaining brochures to others then reloading an Internet Card for another. I am exhausted just watching.

Caravella is located on the quiet side of town but not too far from Cairns nightlife.

 

It is Tuesday Night and Woolshed on Shields Street has a 5 for 10 beer special before 11pm. Thanks to Gloria its free admission but I miss the special.

 

 

Nevertheless, I think I am thirsty and order a pint of the local beer. Surprisingly it is not Fosters!

A short stay at Woolshed and it is onto Gilligan's, famous for it's party atmosphere. With a half decent set of ears or a good hearing aide, Gilligan's is not that difficult to find.

 

A sticky dance floor limits my dance moves but tells me that Gilligan's lives up to its reputation. I stick around, no pun intended, just to make sure.

 

 

 

A stroll back to Caravella gives a sampling of the local cuisine available including kangaroo steak.

Hope it won’t hop off the plate!

 

At Caravella’s, it will be a short night as plans call for a 8:30am reasonably priced trip to The Great Barrier Reef.

 

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