Cairns

In Kuranda we had a big breakfast in the local park. Afterwards we explored the local markets which are usually crawling with people but today the trains from Cairns weren't going so we had them almost for ourselves. So we talked to many shopowners, got free samples and checked out all items in the booths. We really enjoyed the hippie flair that is over the stalls. A woman from Switzerland told us that it used to be a lot more about 20 years ago. Afterwards we went to the Barron Falls, the highlight on the train ride from Cairns. A nice boardwalk leads through a rainforest area to a viewpoint. But the view isn't that impressive in the dry season because its just a sparse flow of water.
Then we came to Cairns, the so called gateway to the rainforest and the Great Barrier reef. We felt directly comfortable around the city with a reasonable level of traffic. Directly at the beach is the Esplanade with an artificial lagoon and plenty of gas BBQs. We made good use of the facilities and got ourselves potatoes and Schnitzel for a nice lunch. Overall the city has a good ambient and it was a great spot to relax in the late afternoon's sun. In the evening we checked out the night markets but they weren't as big as expected, still a nice entertainment.Read more