Not-So City Mouse: The Parkers Down Under: Cairns

Jetsetters!

Jordan is pretty OVER flying.

After spending a few days at most southern end of Australia, we were packed up and ready to head way, way North! We had another long day of flying (two flights- one from Hobart to Sydney, then from Sydney to Cairns) then rented another car and made it to our Airbnb in the early evening. Jordan and I knew theoretically that we'd be visiting Australia during their winter season but we didn't really consider a couple key facts about that... 1. It was kinda cold. Like, not Wisconsin-style cold, but definitely a bit brisk. And I did not exactly pack accordingly and ended up buying a couple sweatshirts to stay warm. 2. It gets dark earlier in the winter. The sun was usually setting around 6pm which meant our daylight hours for exploring were shorter than we thought they'd be.

From the South up to the North!

We made it to our AirBNB up on the 10th floor. Check out that view!

Dinner on the Esplanade (a boardwalk along the water)

After dinner we spent the evening watching footy (Australian football) then headed to bed because we had a big day planned! The next morning was our 6-year wedding anniversary. And what better way to celebrate than visiting a crocodile farm?! After breakfast we got into our car and started the 45 minute drive up the coast. I was slowly feeling more confident every time that I drove but I still relied heavily on Jordan to navigate us. There were a lot of roundabouts and it felt so weird entering from the left side! Thankfully I managed to keep us from hitting anything this time. The drive was along Captain Cook highway which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful drives in the world because it's right along the shoreline. We were fortunate to have perfect weather, sunny, clear, blue skies! After an exciting and scenic drive, we made it to Hartley's Crocodile Farm.

We had so much fun checking out all the animals. Jordan has been getting more into identifying the birds in our neighborhood and he loved seeing all the different kinds of birds they had including cassowaries, kookaburras, and a whole bunch of others that I don't remember (but Jordan probably does!) Oh, and I held a koala! Yeah, it's a totally touristy thing to do but I'm a tourist so... bring on the koala. I was pretty over the moon during the whole experience and they printed an 8x10 photo of me. I may have plans to get it framed and hung in our bedroom... Fun fact: by law, koalas can only work for 30 minutes a day. They eat mainly eucalyptus which has very little nutritional value so they have low energy and sleep for about 16 hours a day. Learning about animals is fun!

There was also an open area where you could walk on paths and kangaroos were just jumping around. Jordan was especially into the wombat that we found sleeping in a hollow log. And we ended our trip with a crocodile show watching the handlers feed the crocs and learning about the differences between freshwater and saltwater crocs ("freshies" and "salties"). This farm raises and sells crocodiles as "boots, bags, belts, and burgers" but they also have many that they've re-homed from nearby areas where they were going to be killed because they were a 'public nuisance.' Usually this meant that they were causing problems by eating the local dogs. Whhhaaatt??!

Jordan is into that cassowary!

Kookaburra (not sitting in an old gum tree)

Jordan made a reptile friend.

Eeek! I'm holding a koala!

This is the greatest moment of my life.

YAYYY! He smelled like eucalyptus and his fur was so thick and soft. Also- he was surprisingly lightweight. I think all that fur makes them look heavier than they really are.

He means business. Do not remove a joey from a mother's pouch.

Jordan and koalas have a lot in common. They're both sleepy and stubborn.

Hey friend. Can you fit in my suitcase?

Eek! It's a croc! Wait, it's like 50 crocs!

Hello. I'm here to haunt your dreams.

The plants were so amazing and HUGE!

Sleepy koalas in their perches.

I didn't buy these. But maybe I should have.

I can't lie. I was a little nervous sitting on this huge, FAKE crocodile. I know it's not even real but man, it looked pretty real.

Jordan wasn't scared at all. He's more brave than me.

After leaving the crocodile farm, we stopped by this amazing beach on the drive back to Cairns. It was full of stacked rocks (cairns!) on this beautiful, sandy beach. We pulled over and walked around admiring the view for awhile, then made our own cairn. Six rocks for six years of marriage. <3

In the afternoon we just enjoyed hanging out, walking around the Esplanade and pier. One of the things that was fun was checking out grocery stores and seeing the differences in food. Coming from Wisconsin, we're used to a wide cheese selection. Imagine our surprise when there were only a few choices and most of them were called "tasty" cheese or "strong and bitey." What does that even mean?! We figured out that it just means sharp, like sharp cheddar. Learning. Culture. We enjoyed some snacks out on our balcony- my fave part of this apartment! I spent almost every morning out there watching the sun rise. Then we went out for a chill dinner and another early bedtime because we had another BIG day coming up!

Beach exploring!

Our cairn (on the right)

6 years! 60 more?!

Feeling the coooold ocean!

This place was magical.

This is my concentrating-while-driving face. Also my remember-to-keep-left-and-don't-crash face.

Walking on the Esplanade during low tide.

Check out these awesome trees!

Just a beautiful, perfect anniversary!

Strong and bitey. Delicious!

Mmmmm... tasty!

Look closely- there were hundreds of flying foxes in the trees! It was amazing to see them flying around! Also- hearing their shrieks from blocks away.

Tea time!

Jordan loved vegemite. Not really.

Hey! Pretzels made just for us!

The next day we had a big, big trip planned which we had been anxiously waiting for. I mean, when one of the greatest wonders in the world is only an hour boat ride away, you HAVE to go see it right? So bright and early in the morning, Jordan and I boarded a boat to go snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef! I wouldn't say that either of us is an especially adventurous person- we're more museum and bookshop people- so we were definitely a bit nervous about jumping into the ocean. Especially considering that one of my greatest fears is sharks. But the guides were so exceptionally kind, reassuring, and knowledgeable and made the day fun and memorable. I'm SO proud that we took the leap and had this amazing experience. We saw so many colorful fish and coral, even a sea turtle. AND... we saw a shark! It was a baby reef shark... and I was in the boat when I saw it... but still! Shark!

Leaving the bay we saw the most intense and beautiful rainbow I've ever seen! The skies were stormy and temps were a bit chilly but the waves weren't too bad.

It spanned across the sky!

After about an hour heading out into the ocean, we arrived at Michaelmas Cay. One of the benefits of a rainy day is that is makes the water extra clear which is great for snorkeling and that brings out more fish (this is what the guides said, at least!)

We rode on a glass bottom boat into shore just as the sun started coming out!

Is this just the most perfect place ever?!

We were so excited (and a bit nervous!) about getting into the water.

Jump for joy!

A short lesson in snorkel gear and fins before heading in. You can find us easily because we were the only two that decided to wear life jackets! We're not even bad swimmers, I think I'm just so used to wearing one at the lake that it felt like a no-brainer.

And we're in! The water was colder than I was expecting but once we got settled in it felt okay. We had a guided tour swimming around the reef where the guides pointed out various types of coral, giant clams, and fish (including an adorable group of 3 clownfish!) and then we had time on our own to explore. It was so peaceful under the water.

Purple coral

I can't remember what kind of fish this is but Jordan probably knows!

I think this is a wrasse.

We did it! Check out the awesome snorkel mask indents on our foreheads.

Warming up in the sunshine on the bow of the boat.

After our time at the cay, we had lunch and then headed to Hastings Reef. There was no sandbar here so the water was much deeper and darker. It really felt like we were in the middle of the ocean! Then we noticed the lighter green areas which is where the coral is closer to the surface. Time to jump off the boat!

Jordan decided to go on a glass bottom boat ride while I decided to head back into the water.

A giant clam- there were so many of these here! It was awesome to watch the guides dive down and wave their hand over them so they would open and close.

And then we saw a sea turtle! Whaaaat?! It was so beautiful.

More sea turtle pics.

So happy. Still rockin' my snorkel mask facelines.

On our way back to the harbor. I'm a shark and Jordan is a blowfish. Obviously.

A great day with a super fun group of people!

Burgers and wayyyy too many fries to celebrate our adventurous day!

After a busy couple days, Jordan and I decided to spend our last day in Cairns doing more relaxing, shopping, and walking around. If Hobart was a more artsy type of city, Cairns was definitely more touristy. Our Airbnb was right in the middle of the downtown area with tons of restaurants and shops. We had a fun morning visiting a huge farmer's market and flea market where Jordan picked up some starfruit, passionfruit, and dragonfruit. We visited some different shops picking up souvenirs and then wandered over to a local mall where I found a Target! Yeah, I was kind of stupidly excited to see the differences between American and Australian Targets. Later in the afternoon we took a last walk along the Esplanade enjoying the view, and then visited another open air market. I really tried to convince Jordan to buy the Crocodile Dundee hat but he wasn't feeling it. The next day I watched the sunrise one last time from our balcony, and then it was time to return the rental car- my last drive on the left side of the road.