Cairns: You just can’t plan these things

Cairns: You just can’t plan these things
Cairns City, Australia

Cairns City, Australia

I think it’s safe to say I love a schedule, a plan or a list but sometimes, you just can’t plan these things!

It all started a few days ago when Libby asked if we wanted to join her and Jeremy for a standby trip to Vanuatu. For those not in the airline industry, the whole concept of flying somewhere with two days notice may seem a bit daft but I am learning quickly that it brings out the spontaneous side.

I digress, skip forward a few days to Dave and I riding home at 2am just a few hours before Jin’s at the door and we have two mins to pack our bags, grab the Panadol for the splitting headache and head for the airport. Then the few frantic texts later sees us cancelling the flights, due to a dodgy runway inflicting havoc on the network. Determined to go somewhere, we chuck a few bits and pieces into a bag and grab our passports before heading over to Libby and Jeremy’s to rebook to go “somewhere”. Raro, Fiji, LA, Samoa are all showing ‘full’ but Bali still has flights free, one catch…the plane was to leave in 1hr 20mins. Libby books the flights, Jeremy packs the bags, Dave’s on accommodation, Jin’s counting immigration USDs and I’m hauling bags into a taxi for the quickest 10 minute trip to the airport we’ve ever had. With a huge sigh of relief we manage to arrive four measly minutes before checkin closed, only to be told Dave’s passport wasn’t valid for travel as didn’t have 6 months validity on the passport. Looks like Bali’s off too..

Determined not to give up and a little excited to know there’s not many times in your life you can just ‘jump on the next plane’, we start the process of elimination: must leave soon, must be warm, must serve cocktails. Quite obviously that eliminates everywhere except Cairns but thankful it didn’t leave too soon as we enjoyed a few sneaky mimosas in the Lounge prior to the adventure really beginning.

Although we didn’t quite get to the Balinese villa with private pool, the gigantic apartment surrounded by three pools was a mighty fine runner up – quite honestly cider in a pool that’s 35 degrees is fabulous wherever you are. (Unless you’re Dave, who is now covered in insect bites the size of 50 cent pieces).

We contemplated going to the reef but opted to do things we hadn’t all done before, so went swimming at Josephine Falls, gorged ourselves on Cheese and Wine at the Tablelands, flicked our hair while listening to Peter Andre songs at Milla Milla falls, made a visit to the Avenue of Honour – a memorial for the fallen soldiers which had a special place for me as my childhood pen pal was among the named soldiers. We topped the day off with a massage (or two) at the night markets. Next day a swim/shower in the Esplanade pool was the perfect way to cool off after horse riding a trail just out of Cairns, we even managed to squeeze in a couple of canters. (Thank you Jeremy and Libby for an awesome birthday pressie!). I wouldn’t even know where to start or how to describe the amount of food we consumed in the last 48hours. Seafood lunches, cheese, mammoth breakfasts, ma and pa tea houses, wood fire pizzas, cheese, cheese, cheese and a sneaky margarita or two at Yourky’s Knob. I love traveling with these guys; a good mix of relaxing and sightseeing but definitely too much eating.

We were excited for Vanuatu, enthused for Bali but relished in Cairns. From what could have been anywhere, I’m glad we ended up in a beautiful part of our own state – far enough get into the holiday zone but close enough to be home for dinner. You just can’t plan these things!