Cairns (pronounced “Cans”) is a wonderful gem. It’s a small town with mostly a tourist focus. There are many expeditions to take from here, like snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef or touring a crocodile farm. I had nothing set up before I got here, but the hostel reception helped me get things planned.
I’m staying at Traveler’s Oasis hostel, which has won awards on Hostelworld for Australia’s number one hostel. It features a small pool in the middle of the compound surrounded by buildings with dorms and private rooms. I am staying in a 4-person dorm. It is not a party hostel, so quiet hours are enforced after 10pm. It’s still very social as hostels go. The vibes are tranquil, and I met loads of people here from the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Sweden.
Because I booked a tour through the hostel, I got a free bike trip out of it, and I took advantage of it on the first day and did a bike tour around town. I was impressed with the downtown area. The public amenities are to be envied. All of the following are publicly available and free: swimming pool, skate park, bouldering rock, volleyball, parks, bike and run path, electric grills, filtered water, fitness stations. I stopped and hung out at the lagoon (the public swimming pool), which featured a lot of people doing the same.
On my tour around town, I noticed some sort of event setting up at one of the parks. This turned out to be a deadlifting competition put on by one of the local gyms, and I decided to stay and watch. These people were lifting some serious weight. The top lifter put up 315kg or 694 lbs in the “old money,” as they say. There was a 13-year-old who participated, and you could tell in a couple of years that he is going to be a big boy. He looked 5 feet 10 inches already.
I went to check out a local payphone because it had a sign touting free wifi. Add that to the public amenities list! It said, “Call Santa for free. Dial #464646”, which, of course, I did. An elf answered and eventually, I got routed to Santa and pleaded with him for a bountiful Christmas this year.
🌴
