May 16, 2023
Day Sixteen of Queensland’s East Coast Roadtrip
Cairns
The last leg of our road trip
Background
I met two Irish girls on the Gold Coast who invited me to tag along on their road trip up the East Coast of Queensland, Australia.
Despite just meeting these girls, I spontaneously agreed and am having the time of my life.
I’ve created this article as part of a sixteen-day series, documenting my experience of exploring Queensland. For better context and understanding, I encourage you to read my previous articles.
Aisling
Ireland
Altan
ireland
Me
new zealand
Babinda Boulders
Today, we traveled north from Mission Beach to Cairns, making a stop at Babinda Boulders, a stunning spot located an hour south of Cairns.
It’s a beautiful National Park with public toilets and walking tracks. So it was the perfect stop for us on route.
Cairns
We’ve now reached the final destination of our road trip!
We booked another 2-bed hostel room in the centre. Aisling and I checked in with some bags and snuck Altan in after. The hostel was nothing fancy; you could tell by the attitude of the staff there were hundreds of backpackers coming in and out every couple of days. Aisling and Altan even had friends from the Gold Coast staying here who we caught up with later on. These girls had left the hostel in the Gold Coast just before I’d arrived because we knew all the same people, which is so crazy!
What is Cairns really like?
Pros:
- Cairns is stunning in terms of nature.
- It’s home to the oldest rainforest in the world.
- You have access to multiple nearby islands
- Close to the Great Barrier Reef
- It is so green and full of tropical palm trees
- Average nightlife: there are two main bars that everyone goes to
Cons:
- Humidity – located at the top of Queensland It’s extremely humid
- Dirty Streets – There’s a lot of alcoholics that don’t look after the streets
- Lack of job vacancies – all backpackers come here to do their regional farm work to extend their visas
- Boring – not a lot to do in the city itself
Ultimately, it’s nice for a short holiday, but I would recommend getting a rental car so you can access the waterfalls, rainforest and other nearby towns as there’s not much to do in the city itself.
My last afternoon in Far North Queensland
I met my friend Damien, who I’d met on the Gold Coast. He’s staying on the other side of town. When I arrived, he had a jug of cider and beer waiting for me. I don’t like either, but it was so hot I could drink anything. Damien is also here in Cairns to do his regional work so that he can extend his visa (it took him two months + to find a job here; that’s how crazy it is).
A few hours went by, and Aisling and Altan came to pick me up in the car. We went back to our hostel and showered. Cooked some pasta out of a jar for our dinner and got all dressed up to go out for the night. We were heading to Gilligans, which is supposed to be the best party hostel in Australia.
Being typical Irish girls, we stopped at a bar for a drink each on the way.
To be honest, I was quite impressed. When I got there, they had a big stage at the end of the room, where they were performing a strip show and getting random people from the crowd volunteering to compete on the stage. Some of the girls clearly did this for a living.
While watching the show, I look across the room to my left and see my ex-boyfriend across the room to the left. I thought it was so bizarre because Cairns isn’t a location New Zealanders go to visit.
I had a beautiful night with Aisling and Altan and then was walked home by a British guy I’d met back in Noosa. He was about to move back home, and I was likely never going to see him again either.
May 17, 2023
Day 17 of Queensland’s East Coast Roadtrip
Back to the Gold Coast
Saying goodbye to my Irish girls
Time flies when you're having fun
I can’t believe it’s that time already? The road trip has flown by.
We check out of the hostel, and I try and retrieve all my things from the mess of the car. As soon as we drive up to the drop-off stand at the airport, it hits me, and I break into tears.
I love these girls, they’ve taught me so much. How lucky I am to have had such a beautiful experience.
And that’s all she wrote…