Cairns: Kicked Out of Sydney, Kicking Back in Paradise

We arrived in Cairns and instantly sighed in relief—our apartment was spacious, clean, and blessedly quiet (key factors in any good stay). The best part? A fantastic ocean view. The area was super walkable, packed with restaurants, shops, and, most importantly, no more Sydney airport security asking awkward questions.

Then we stepped outside. Found the heat. And the humidity. Turns out, Cairns operates on a "do things early or regret it" schedule. Mornings meant a 3.5 km beach walk while the temperature was still in the livable range. Evenings were lively along the waterfront—BBQs, pools, and parks on one side, and rows of restaurants on the other. Swimming in the ocean, however, was not on the itinerary unless we wanted a crocodile/jellyfish double feature.

Cairns also has its own version of nightlife: bats. Every evening, just before sunset, the sky fills with hundreds of squealing flying foxes, dramatically taking flight like a scene from Batman Begins.

With Rob off on his three-day liveaboard, I had the place to myself and decided to check out Kuranda Village & the rainforest. The gondola ride up the mountain was stunning, but Kuranda itself? Let’s just say it’s enthusiastically designed to extract tourist dollars.

The Cairns Art Gallery, however, was a hidden gem. One of the highlights was an exhibit by William Yang, an Australian photographer who uncovered his lost Chinese heritage. Absolutely fascinating. I also picked up some gorgeous prints by Maria Fernanda Cardosa of colourful spiders in the gift shop—because nothing says “vacation souvenir” like highly detailed close-ups of things people usually run away from.

Once Rob was back (and still in one piece!), we tried to cure our Thai food withdrawal, but the meal just made us miss Thailand even more.

On our last night, we treated ourselves to a degustation menu at Little Sister Restaurant & Cocktail Bar. Had no idea what degustation meant, but turns out it’s just a fancy word for tasting menu. Well played, Australia.

Between the heat waves, bat swarms, croc-infested waters, and torrential surprise rain showers, Cairns has an edge, but we loved it. It’s got great food, an easygoing atmosphere, and epic scenery. Here’s hoping Rob loved the Great Barrier Reef enough to bring us back!

Next stop: Bali! (Hopefully, their visa website doesn’t make us cry again.)

Cairns, Australia: Heat, Bats & a Bit of Culture