The trip down under (Mar. 18-19/09 - Lombok, Indonesia to Cairns, Australia)

With the Balinese New Year in full swing this morning, we knew we were going to have to be patient with a long day of waiting since the roads and airports would be busy places. People were dressed up all over the place, wearing their nice clean traditional clothes and congregating at temples and with family members. We were happy just to have seats on the plane, given the occasion, and we were amused that the hop from Lombok back to Bali was all of 15 minutes in the air. That's when the real waiting game began, as we landed at 1pm and we wouldn't board our flight to Australia until almost 10:30pm tonight. We just kept telling ourselves that it was infinitely better than being stuck on a ten hour bus ride! So we read, watched tourists fumbling through security with their herds of rolling suitcases, and read some more. It was a relief to finally be able to check in at 7pm, as there was lots to wander around and look at once you pass through immigration. When we lifted off the ground at 11pm, we were slightly sad but more relieved to be leaving Southeast Asia behind us for now. It was a wonderfully exotic couple of months for us, with such a diverse collection of cultures, sights, and memories. But the constant hassle, language barrier, sketchy food, and unfamiliar customs made it a tiring place to handle after so much time immersed in it. So Australia will be a welcome change: civilized, sanitary, English speaking, and easy. Bring it on!!!


It was barely 3am when we touched down in Darwin, a stopover on Australia's north coast. A couple hours later, we were lifting off toward the sunrise, bound for Cairns. With sunshine streaming in, scenery out the window, and breakfast being served, we wouldn't be getting much sleep on this leg either. We crossed the Gulf of Carpenteria and then passed lush ridges of Cape York's rainforests before descending over the white sand beaches of Australia's east coast. Having flown only a few degrees of latitude south from Bali, we weren't overly surprised to feel the same intense heat and humidity we've been used to for so long. Only when we head south will that start to dissipate.


The city of Cairns is only a few kilometers south of the airport, so it was a quick bus ride, where we got off in the central waterfront area to figure out where to stay. The seafront esplanade with adjacent stores and nearby pool and marina reminded us very much of Vancouver's Coal Harbour or Kelowna. The streets were clean, with little traffic, no honking, cars that stayed within the road lines, and traffic lights. The bus driver even yielded to an oncoming car in a roundabout! Finally, civilization!! The street along the water was full of hostels, eateries, and tour companies, yet nobody hollered after us or tried to sell us anything unsolicited. However, we were soon humbled by how little money we were accustomed to spending in Asia, as the prices here seem to be basically the same as at home. The cheapest room we could find was $40, and a simple lunch for two is at least $15! ouch! So much for $5 rooms and $6 dinner. We did find a hostel to stay at right on the main drag, so we dumped our bags and had some lunch, got our bearings, and then headed out.

We walked along the harbour walk, which skirts a huge public pool that blends right in with the surrounding lawns with free barbecues and the adjacent ocean. Families picnicked on the grass, people ran along the boardwalk, and locals cast fishing nets out into the water. The promenade wraps around the large central marina, giving nice views back to the city and its hilly backdrop. Private sailboats, charter fishing boats, dinner cruise catamarans, private megayachts, and countless day and liveaboard dive boats were lined up in the marina. While walking back to the esplanade, we found a group of banyan trees that were full of hundreds of bats - BIG bats, hanging upside down and chirping loudly. It was strange to see bats out in the daylight, especially ones with a two foot wingspan!


Since we're within spitting distance of the famous Great Barrier Reef, we knew we had to get out there to dive it. Several outfits do multiday extended trips out to the far reaches of the Coral Sea, where the reef is most pristine and largely unvisited. We lucked out in finding a company that would be leaving on their 5-day trip tomorrow, and they were offering last minute deals to try and fill the boat. Unfortunately, the less expensive room we were wanting was actually sold by another agent while we were on the phone trying to book it, so we had to settle for the slightly pricier one. Again, this trip is a big splurge, but it would be a sacrilege to not make the trek out onto the Great Barrier Reef since we're here!