i'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak

Let's try this whole blogging thing again.

I have been living in Cairns for the past four or so months (just to refresh your memory, that is in Northern Queensland, on the east coast of Australia). In that time I have managed to save my goal of $3000 (even though I continued to have a healthy habit of drinking five nights a week) working as a waitress in a local restaurant. I have been living in a share house with an average of 8 other travellers (people come and go... there has been 6 to 11 people living in the house while I have been here, all aged 20 to 32... and then there was the old ozzy guy who stays sometimes... he's the landlords ex husband... when he's around it feels like dads home!). I have met some amazing people here, and made some friends who I hope I keep in contact with (but lets be honest here, I am terrible at keeping in contact with people... thankfully we have facebook). I have been busying myself with $7 jugs of cider at PJ O'Briens (my favourite place to drink), late night swimming at the esplanade (watch out for security guards... they always catch you and threaten to give a hefty fine), chilling at the house with my mates, and the odd trip to a local swimming hole (favourite would have to be Josephine Falls, it's absolutely beautiful... and you can slide down the rocks like a slide!).  I got to spend Christmas in a Bikini, introduce others to Canadian Thanksgiving, and learn a lot about how similar we all are... no matter where you are from, there is always some common ground you can find. I have genuinely enjoyed my time here, but alas, it is time to leave. I am already halfway through my visa here in Oz, so I better move on and see some more of the country!

Josephine Falls

I am leaving Cairns with different people than I arrived here with (this will be the third time I have changed travel buddies). I met a girl at the restaurant I worked at (known here in Cairns as my other half, as we are rarely seen oot and aboot without the other) who had plans with her friend to drive down the east coast (which is exactly what I wanted to do) and we figured we had so much fun working together, we HAD to give a shot at travelling together too. So, I have a new family. We are team Canada (hahahha) since we are all from (you guessed it) Canada. Alex (the girl I worked with) and Kate (whom I like to refer to as my mail order bride... I agreed to travel with her months before I met her, so the day we finally met I was all nervous and excited... will I like her?? will she like me??) are both from Toronto (well, Alex likes to say she was born in England, but I have claimed her as Canadian). We bought a car (the van died... I sold it for $600 to some ozzy mechanic) it's a 93 Commodore Holden or something (an ozzy car) I think we actually got a good deal this time (as opposed to the van that blew a head gasket). We paid $1100 for it, (Kicairn is her name... cuz we bought it from a Kiwi in Cairns... well I call it Kicairn... we haven't officially agreed on a name yet) it has had a lot of work done to it recently (new brakes and hoses etc) and it has 6 months of rego on it (which would have cost us an additional $600 to get) oh, and the BEST part?? It's a red car... so naturally we painted a maple leaf on the roof. (yes. You can laugh now)

Kicairn... Team Canada's car! aka my new home

from the left: Kate, me, Alex <3 my new family <3

This last week in Cairns has BY FAR been the most eventful time I have had in this city thus far (excluding nights out drinking). Since I have been unemployed (that’s right... I'm unemployed again!! woot woot I'm a dirty unemployed backpacker!!) I have had the time to go to the places I wanted to see: Stoney Creek, Crystal Cascades, Josephine Falls, Cape Tribulation, Port Douglass, white water rafting near Lake Placid... the only thing I didn't tick off the list is diving and/or snorkeling the reef (I KNOW that’s a big one... and I even lived with two dive instructors this whole time!) but I will have more opportunity for that... it IS a big reef, and I AM going down the coast.

Cape Tribulation was a really fun trip. It was our “trial run” with the car, as we plan on camping a lot down the coast, this gave us an opportunity to see what more we need before we embark on this trip. It's definitely worth the drive if you are in the area... they say it's where the jungle meets the beach meets the great barrier reef. It took a couple of hours up the coast, and the road follows the water which makes for a very scenic (albeit windy) drive. We had a bit of car trouble on the way... nothing serious, just our spoiler was dragging on the road. When we stopped at some construction the car behind us let us know... so we did a truly Canadian fix and just taped it back up ;-) Just past Mosman you take a ferry, it costs $22 return and is just a short few minute ride. Once you get on the other side it's another world... the road is narrow and windy (like a roller coaster!!) and shaded by thick vegetation... you can hear the jungle while you drive, the sounds of the birds and the bugs... it really is alive in there! There are speed bumps every where to protect the Cassowary's (no... unfortunately we didn't see any, but I DID hug a statue AND get a picture of the roadsigns!)

view from a pull off on the hwy

look mom! like new :-)

me and my cassowary friend

funniest looking road sign animal pic

the hwy follows the ocean for a big chunk of the drive

After around 30km of driving through true beauty you arrive in Cape Tribulation (which is really nothing more than a general store and some camp grounds). We stopped at the visitor info place to decide where to camp, they recommended PK's for a budget friendly and fun place (it's where the bar is, so “fun” is a euphemism for “loud”). We paid $35 for three to camp (they also have cabins and dorm rooms for those who aren't keen on camping) and set up our little home for the first time. Alex brought a swag to sleep in (a bed/tent thing that is a very popular Australian thing) and Kate and I figured out our tent (we are not as adventurous as to sleep in a swag), once home was ready, we wandered down to see the beach. Of course, being stinger season, it's not safe to swim (although Alex is a little crazy so she went in anyway... I, on the other hand, am pretty scared of box jellyfish) We wandered the beach for a bit and then went to PKs pool to go for a SAFE swim. We had a snack and some coffee to perk up (and decided that we REALLY need chairs and maybe even a table... sitting on the ground to eat is not fun) and went back to the beach to drink some wine and (warm) beer while watching the stars come out. We met some friendly people on the beach having a fire (evidently it is a nightly occurrence on that particular beach) and chilled out with them for a while. It was beautiful and relaxing.... finally... back to the life I have missed. Lazing on the beach, not caring what time or day it is, seeing and doing new and interesting things, and meeting new people.

our little home...

alex and I testing the waters... I chickened out... she's the man!

walkway down to the beach at PKs

watching the stars come out

The next day we stopped at Mosman Gorge on the way back, it's a nice little swimming hole where you can jump off the rocks... perfect place to wake up during a long drive. We also checked out Port Douglas and had some fish and chips for lunch (finally tried barramundi... it's kinda like halibut, light white meat fish) unfortunately all of the beaches up that way were closed due to stingers, even the ones with stinger nets (which means there are LOTS of stingers out) and we did stop at a few of them jsut in case one happened to be open. Unfortunately none were :-(

Port Douglass look out

no swimming :-(

SO after a successful trial trip, we are ready to leave Cairns!!! We will be driving out on the 17^th and are headed south to Byron Bay (yes Byron, I will take a picture of the sign for you). Kate fly's out of Byron mid February, so we have about a month to get there... some planned stops will be Magnetic Island, Whitsunday Islands, Brisbane, and Toowoomba! Then I think I will chill out on the beach and run around barefoot in Byron Bay for a few weeks :-) I have no plans for after that... I am sure I will be out of money again around then, so I will have to follow where ever the work is... or whatever opportunity comes around...

back to my REAL life

I shall try to keep up on the blogging... but unfortunately my computer is broken (it has to be plugged in to work) so it may be hard for me to find a plug AND free internet... but, that's what McDonalds is for right?