Cairns

When I was 16 years old, I travelled to North Queensland with my sisters. This was a significant trip as: it was the first time I travelled*; first time that I stayed at a hostel; and I had paid the entirety of the trip which was a big deal as I was only earning $6/hr at the time.

My recollection of the trip was sparse and that had always bothered me. Imagine visiting one of the most famous places in the world - Great Barrier Reef- and having effectively 0 memories of the entire experience.

My boyfriend and I flew up to Cairns for a very short trip (4 days) in October. Located in Far North Queensland, Cairns is known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. It is a city where backpackers and tourists conglomerate; I don't believe I have visited such a tourist-y place. Ever.




I also don't believe I have seen so many sunburnt people in my life! Embarrassingly, after my trip to the reef, I became a member of that party. I am obsessive when it comes to sunscreen, usually have a bajillion layers and cover up. But I completely forgot about sunscreen on my butt and, because of snorkelling, I ended up with a very very tanned backside and a tiny little sunburn. Whoops, lesson learnt.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next posts about the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest!

* Growing up, I made numerous trips to Hong Kong so Cairns wasn't technically the first time I travelled. We did go sightseeing but the main purpose of the trips was to catch up with relatives.