My Most Random Blog Post Yet

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted on here so there’s lots to share but no rhyme or reason connecting most of it so I apologize in advance for the complete randomness.  Our last adventure was visiting Kuranda, a hippie mountain village just outside Cairns that is famous for its markets and unique residents.  Stepping into the markets was like walking through a portal to a shanty town in Jamaica – there were a series of narrow alleys lined with shed-sized shops selling hemp clothing and the like, each small building was brightly painted with a corrugated tin roof and palm trees interspersed throughout the small lanes and, to make the comparison unmissable, there was even a man selling coconut juice fresh from the coconut. 

After the markets we walked a few miles out of town to the Barron Falls.  The hike was pretty and culminated with a treetop walk just before we got to the Falls.  The Falls themselves were also scenic as they cascaded down into the Barron Gorge via several swimming holes along the rock face.  Sadly, I didn't realize my camera was out of batteries until it was too late so I don't have any photos but we’re going to swing by Kuranda on our way out of town next week so I will have something for you guys to see eventually.

Last week Alex & I went out on Tusa for our last dive on the Great Barrier Reef.  It was a gorgeous sunny day and the boat was the best we’ve been on so far.  We dove three sites and all of them were full of bright coral and a bunch of different fish.  I saw a beautiful yellow trumpet fish up close and at one point we swam around a bommie into a large school of zebra fish where it was truly like being in an aquarium.  I’ve done all my diving thus far on the GBR so to see it come to a close was bittersweet; diving-wise, it’s probably only downhill from here, but I’ve developed a love of diving and look forward to doing more of it around Australia as we continue our travels.

 

The Cairns Festival has been going on for several weeks to mark the end of winter and the dry season.  There were movies in the park, a carnie village set up on the Esplanade, various concerts and art everywhere.  Somehow Alex & I managed to not see any of it but on our walk home from Tusa, we did spot this out of the ordinary piece of artwork in the mud flat just north of the Pier.  I thought it was cool and the photo turned out interesting with the pelicans and sailboats in the background.

I’m not much of a cook, which is no surprise to anyone I’ve had over for dinner, so I’m often wowed by Alex’s culinary prowess.  He has spoiled me with delicious, healthy meals consistently since we’ve settled down in Cairns but last week he outdid himself with a meal so perfectly plated that I had to take a picture…  In addition to being a feast for the eyes, it was also super tasty!

The property managers of the place we’re staying got a new pet this week & it’s the CUTEST kitten ever! 

 

One last random photo for this post – the brightest full moon I have ever seen taken on my way home from work one night.  It was like a spotlight; I couldn’t get over how bright the moon was and how picturesque it looked set against the patchwork of clouds. 

For those of you who keep up with the blog via email rather than the website, here’s one of my favorite road signs from Aus.  You never see signs like these back home! 

 

Sorry I warned you this post was gonna be random but that’s it for now.  We leave Cairns next week (and aren’t sure how much we’re going to fare with internet access after that) so I owe you one more post with our itinerary before we hit the road on Tuesday to see the rest of Aus.  Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend – enjoy the start of football season – Alex & I are jealous, they don’t really air American sports here and we’re both sad to miss cheering on our teams this year.  GO BEARS!