Cairns

After sinking into oblivion on soft clean linen we awoke to birdsong and sunlight crowding the blinds to our bedroom windows. As we stretched out and pulled our minds up to meet the day, the vestiges of a 'bus hangover' lingered in our bones.

Once revived on a hearty breakfast in the shade of palms and ferns and begun much needed laundry (absolutely no clean underwear left whatsoever) we took ourselves over to the hostel's small swimming pool to relax under the sun.

We had heard how humid Cairns can become during the summer due to its tropical climate, yet even in the winter it was still noticeably humid compared to further south. The ceiling fan in our room circled hypnotically to stir the thick afternoon air as sweat pricked at the back of our necks. The cool polished timber flooring reflected the sunlight and kissed the soles of our feet. Bright red flowers bloomed outside our window whilst our laundry dried on the line below. The yells of playing children mixed with the cries and whistles of birds to form a soundtrack to the peaceful Sunday afternoon.

We began to feel as if we had arrived on a small vacation within our bigger adventure.Read more