Cairns- impressions of the cities on the roadtrips

Cairns [Cains]

• located 1.700km north west of Brisbane on the east coast of Far North Queensland
  
• 5th-most-populous city in Queensland
• population of ~152 thousand people
• UTC +10 
• popular destination to visit the Daintree rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef
• wet season with heavy rain (Nov-May)
• annual rainfall 2.000 millimetres, in wet season monthly up to 1.000mm

a lot of flying foxes in the evening

public swimming pool next to the beach in the city center

Personally, Cairns is the perfect city for a day trip to the Daintree forest and tours to the Freat Barrier Reef. The city itself is not spectacular and attractive. Reason might be the tropical weather (humidity was every day over 90%) and the fact that the beaches are closed because of dangerous animals n the water like stingers and crocodiles.

We didn't do a lot in the city except booking a trip to the Great Barrier Reef and grocery shopping.

Roadtrip no. 3: Middle and North Queensland

Where: Roadtrip from Sunshine Coast up north till Cairns and maybe a bit further 

How long: 14.02.2020- 28.02.2020 (2 weeks)

Travelbuddys: my best friend Ines, her mum Edith, her sister Katja, and the sisters' fiancé Marcel

Nationalities travelling together: German

kind of travelling: roadtrip with a car

Accommodations: Airbnb

My team

After two weeks of break I started my last roadtrip with my friends from Germany. We are travelling together in the car, sleeping in "real" beds and enjoying a luxery version of backpacking. 
That's called flashpacking. 

But what is Flashpacking?

It's a version of backpacking with the difference of more money and resources. We are still traveling with backpacks and a car but we are cooking properly in the flat/house we are staying. 

That means we will spend more money on accommodation than sleeping under the stars in a camper van on a free campsite as well as we celebrate the Birthday of Katja and the new job of Edith with sparkling wine.

First day of the trip:Noosa hike at 6am

We made our way to be australian. We woke up early to walk at the coolest time of the day and also because of limited parking spots in Noosa. We had to park far from the beach at that time of the day- crazy. That's when we realized that the Australians prefer the morning and we started to begin our day early from that day.
But I only know this secret knowledge about busy Noosa because of my stay of 3 months time now and insight information of the family I'm staying with.

Airlie Beach- trip to the whitsundays

Eungella National Park

Us typically walking/hiking around in the National Parks

two-day trip to Fraser Island

Turtle feeding at Billabong Sanctuary

Welcome to tropical North

Snorkeling and Scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef

Renting an under water camera for our own pictures

We "only" travelled 2200km in 2 weeks which means we had more time to enjoy the places we visited and it also means that this part of Australia is more enlivened than e.g. western Australia (where we spent 7500km in 5 weeks in the car).

Largest Sand Island in the World

A little Quiz: What is the largest Sand Island in the World?


- Originaly named K'Gari (paradise) by the traditional owner of the Island. Specialists said that the Island might get back the original name.

- Ranking with Australia's Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage area
- The island is over 123 kilometres long and 22km wide at its widest point

- It measures an protected area of 184.000 hectares

- The highest dune is 244 metres.

- more than 100  floating freshwater lakes are located on this significant Island

- 1.500km long sand track

- Part of Australias precious natural and cultural Heritage since 1991

- Indigenous people of this Island is the Butchalla nation with 6 clans extended through the biggest Sand Island in the world, Double Island Point, Tin Can Bay, Bauple Mountain and north point of Burrum Heads

- nowadays one of the most popular tourist attractions on the east Coast in Queensland

- Maybe pictures will help to guess:

The Island

The Maheno ship wreck

Lake McKenzie

Fun Facts about the Island:

- Fraser Island has its own police station

- the beach is a approved street and called "75 mile beach road" and it is one of the best coastal Drives in the World

- 75 mile beach is a road for cars, an airport and best spot for fishing, camping spots are also along the beach

- In 1770 the first European settlers found the Island (Captain James Cook). He named the Island Great Sandy Peninsula because he thought the Island is connected with the main Island.

- 300.000 m³ sand deposit every year on Fraser Island

- the only place where all plants (especially tall rainforests) are grow on sand dunes

- most of the sand is from the Antarctica

- Crystal clear water due to reflection of the blue Colour of the sky has Lake McKenzie (mystisches Wasser) is one of the most photographed natural attractions on the island.

- sand of the lake McKenzie is good for cleaning jewellery (only "real" jewellery)

...and good for your skin and hair

Petrol station on Fraser Island and a small shop

- in the McKenzie lake, which is a lake just from rain, are living turtles and freshwater fish.

- the History of Fraser Island is really interesting and touching.

- there are three types of lakes on the Island: window lakes (e.g. Ocean Lake), barrage lakes (e.g. Lake Wabby) and perched lakes (Lake McKenzie).

Dingo

75 mile beach from Indian heads

The Pinacles - coloured sands

 ...72 different Colours mostly reds and yellows- can you see it?
Naaa we could't see it either.

Sunset from our accommodation

champagne pools

bathing in the champagne

Our tour bus for two days

streets on Fraser Island- no one-way street!

In the Bus on Fraser Island along the beach, old bush fire region and tourist attractions

Eli Creek (20 degrees)

Lake Wabby

Exciting course BUS 331

AND I saw that course "BUS 331 Business Internship". And I was into it!

I read about that course in the course outline and on the Homepage straight away. Emailed my mentor at USC about the course- couldn't wait for her answer. Emailed the examination office in Germany to get the "go" for that "special" course (not graded). And then finally got in contact with the course coordinator of that course.

I had to contact another woman to check my previous grades at USC that I'm allowed to take the course.

All this happend in the exam period last year in November and further steps when I was on my road trips.

I was really excited to meet the woman the first time when I'm back from my trips.

I created my CV on my phone and sent it to her. She selected two companies where I can do the internship. She didn't tell me what to do- I know why- because she did everything! What a service! Crazy, I could enjoy my holiday without worrying that I woun't get a company to do the internship.

The support and help of her was so lovely. She made almost everything for me. That was really surprising and I told her how it would work at RAC. So she was surprised. 

This experience was just amazing. Fully supported by her, the course coordinator and now the Manager of my department I'm working in.

Such an amazing experience.

special visitors at our house

This morning I woke up and Leigh-Anne (the mum of the family) called me from the garden.

She said "Trish there is a snake in the cook house"

And I was awake, almost standing in the bed.

So I got my clothes for yoga and then I went outside to watch the boys catching the snake. 

caught the snake with the box

It's not the first time that we found a snake in the garden but it's still something special to me.

Walking in the Bush away from the street to find a new home for the snake

Life became Ordinary. Situations like this morning remind me that I'm in Australia and not in Germany right now.

Snake on top of Mount Ngungun