Hey, everyone! My first week in Cairns has been a bit of an ebb and a flow. I’ve had some days where I’ve hardly done anything except go out to eat, and other days I’ve gone out exploring. It has been a nice mix, to be honest!
Crystal Cascades and Fairy Falls
Shortly after arriving in Cairns, I met Michael – a fellow adventurer on holiday from Adelaide. (I have too many Michaels in my life haha.) We decided to go on a trip to see some waterfalls that were relatively close to the city. I had heard of Crystal Cascades from one of my dormmates in Darwin. The ride was quick and the walk up to the waterfall was rather short – but it was my first time being exposed to the rainforests of Cairns.
We sat at Crystal Cascades for a while, watching the water falling off the rock face and then continued on to Fairy Falls – a slightly less populated trail and an even more lovely waterfall, in my opinion. We had to do some tricky maneuvering while getting to the waterfall, grabbing onto tree trunks to hold our footing so as to avoid falling into the water below us. Michael almost didn’t want to go on, but I’m glad we did. Once there, he tried to climb up some boulders to get closer to the waterfall but ended up slipping and bruising/cutting up his shins. Poor guy!
We also did a hike near Stony Creek but cut it short. It was a pretty steep incline and it was getting later into the day – we had more we wanted to see.
The last stop of the day was at Lake Placid and the Barron Gorge Hydrostation. Lake Placid had me thinking of the horror movie – because it surely had crocs in there… but yet the movie Lake Placid takes place in the states!
Barron Gorge was beautiful, with a bridge marrying the two sides of the gorge walls. Nature is so awesome!
Afterwards, Michael and I went out for dinner and he invited me to join him to the Atherton Tablelands the following day. Without a car (as I always am, here in Australia) and enjoying his company, I agreed!
Atherton Tablelands
Michael and I had an earlier start to the day since we had further to drive and more we wanted to see. Our first stop of the day was Atherton, to check out their Visitor Center and see where the best places to explore were. It was a little over an hour away. After a brief stop at the Visitor Center, it seemed the main attractions would be… you guessed it… MORE waterfalls! In only two days, I’d seen more waterfalls in Cairns than I had in my entire time in Australia haha.
Before getting to the first falls of the day, we followed an attraction sign leading us to Curtain Fig – which is this gigantic strangler fig tree that formed this massive “curtain” around its host tree. Strangler figs are interesting. Parasites in general. (We’ll get more into parasites later, btw.)
We also saw… some kookaburras again. My favorite little birds! It was such a treat to see them (and also to hear them cackling a few days later). I hadn’t seen any at all while in Northern Territory, so it was special for me to see them again.
And now, for the waterfalls!
Malanda Falls was just off the road and had signs for tree kangaroos. Did you know there was such a thing as tree kangaroos? I sure didn’t! We didn’t see any, but maybe I’ll spot some before my time in Cairns is up.
Millaa Millaa Falls! Some people were swimming here, and even though I’d brought my trunks, I couldn’t be bothered. Perhaps for the best, as it started to rain just as we’d pulled out of the Millaa Millaa Falls parking lot.
Zillie Falls was hard to get to. The trail down to the waterfall was very muddy. Michael was wearing flip flops (or “thongs” as they call them in Oz) and was getting mud between his toes. Gross! I hadn’t thought of leeches at the time, but it certainly was the right terrain for them. Along the trail, the waterfall was always kind of obscured by trees and boulders. I never did end up taking a proper picture of it!
Ellinjaa Falls was a nice waterfall, too. At this point, the rain was pretty consistent, so I was wearing the rain jacket I got from Bordertown, South Australia for the first time. I look like the kid from IT who dies in the beginning… but I love it. Someone, get me a red balloon!
The final waterfall of the day was Mungalli – and at this point, I was waterfall’d out haha. We stopped briefly to look at it, but then continued on… to Etty Bay – where someone on Reddit had said was a good spot to try and find cassowaries.
The Cassowary of Etty Bay
Cassowaries are the third largest bird in the world, with only the ostrich and emu before it. While it only earns the third ranking for height, it is regarded as the deadliest bird in the world. Their toes are monstrous and dinosaur-esque, with their middle toe acting as a knife when it is feeling threatened. After searching online, it doesn’t really look like there have been many deaths by cassowaries – although they attack up to 200 people a year. They are also endangered and can be somewhat elusive, hiding in the dense rainforest.
Cassowaries have a distinct helmet atop their head. It is made of a keratin-like material, like our fingernails. It seems naturalists aren’t positive what the helmet is for, but there is speculation that it acts as a way to cut through the thick bits of the rainforest. There are also thoughts that the helmet is used as an amplifier for sound or maybe even as a “mating” tool.
As Michael and I drove along the road to Etty Bay, we started seeing lots of cassowary signs on the road. I was trying not to get my hopes up. I figured I wouldn’t be seeing them until I went up to the Daintree Rainforest (allegedly, the world’s oldest tropical lowland rainforest in the world), but I still had my fingers crossed.
We walked along the beach, admiring the ocean views. Bits of rainforest lined either side of the beach, as well as the other side of the road.
I saw some people looking at something and as we were walking from one side of the beach to get to them, a dude passing by us calls out, “there’s a cassowary just over there!” With this knowledge, I quickened my step. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the people, the cassowary had retreated back into the rainforest. Damn!
Michael walked the length of the beach for a while, as I walked along the road, hoping to catch a glimpse of a cassowary. I walked for a while, went back to the beach, and then went back to the road once more. Something told me to turn back around, and as I did, someone in a car told me there was a cassowary on the beach. I saw Michael rushing towards me to tell me the same thing.
The observation of the cassowary was so special. I was able to watch it for quite some time as it stalked along the beach, picking up various seeds/fruits off the ground. When it would hear a noise, it would suddenly raise up its head, revealing its true height. These guys are big. I kept my distance, as did other observers. At times, it seemed it might charge me at any moment, but I don’t think they are inherently aggressive and I was giving it its space.
At one point, I realized… there was literally a RAINBOW in the background. A cassowary on the beach with a rainbow. ‘Australia, you’re crazy,’ I thought to myself. How bizarre is that?
I can’t believe I was able to see a cassowary so early on during my time in Queensland! I even saw a second one yesterday at Babinda Boulders, although a much briefer encounter. Hopefully, I’ll be able to see many more… but not have my neck slashed open by one of their middle toes.
Michael and I then began our drive back to Cairns. We washed up and then met up again for dinner. This was our last adventure together, since he was going on a snorkeling tour the following day and then going to Darwin for a few days after that. Passing ships! We did meet up for a last supper, but he is now in Darwin and soon returning to Adelaide. Who knows, perhaps we will see each other again! It’s always nice to meet and travel with somebody else. It’s wonderful to see nature and wildlife on your own, but it’s even better to have someone to share it with. Years from now, I could message Michael and say, “Remember when we saw that cassowary?” If you don’t experience it with someone… you have no one to reminisce with!
Karunda and Barron Falls
I had met another travel buddy, Bruce, and we went to Karunda one day. Karunda is this little town tucked away in the rainforest. They have markets there, and my mom would have loved it. Incense burning, hippy sundresses for sale, tie-dye T-shirts. Little knick knacks.
Bruce and I didn’t spend too long at the markets, instead opting to walk along the river. Along the way, we saw a very interesting, little spider that I’d never seen before. The northern-jeweled spider. How incredible! It reminded me of the Christmas Tree spider in Perth.
We then drove up to Barron Falls, which is incredibly impressive, surrounded by looming gorge walls. I admired it, thinking how different the gorges are here in Queensland, compared to in Alice Springs.
We stayed for a while, watching the waterfall and observing some local wildlife. Dragonflies, some very large butterflies, birds, etc.
Next to Barron Falls is part of the Karunda Railway-line – a train that goes through the rainforest. I may have to take that one day, but we’ll see!
From there, we drove along the coast, stopping at a lookout point and admiring the landscape around Cairns. We even went down to the water and saw the most interesting, medieval-looking sand castles I’d ever seen!
Not long after, Bruce dropped me off at my hostel but we made plans to take his boat out on the water to try and find crocs one day!
Babinda Boulders
Recently, I met Gene, a Cairns local. He and I met to a Mexican/Asian fusion restaurant which was very good. After some good conversation and a walk around town (and stopping at a “Drum and Bass” gig), we decided to check out the Babinda Boulders the following day. Gene is FIFO, so he works two weeks in a row, but then has two weeks off. I met him right at the tail end of his two weeks off, which is a bummer.
The following day, we drove out to the Babinda Boulders, which are about an hour from Cairns. The boulders are essentially these smooth, large boulders that are in and around the river. We hung out at the swimming hole for a while, looking at small fish in the water and taking in the scenery.
As we walked back towards the car park, we spotted a cassowary several meters away! I started to pull out my camera, but there was a car coming in from down the road, and I knew it wouldn’t be around as long as the Etty Bay cassowary. Sure enough, the car spooked it and it disappeared into the bush. We walked over to the spot and I saw it moving deeper into the bush.
We then decided to walk a portion of a 19km trail… in flip flops. Along the trail, there were times where we needed to cross creeks with flowing water. At our first such crossing, Gene says to me, “yeah, this is going to be leech territory.” Leeches. Hm… Leeches. I had never experienced one, but I remember my friend Syd was terrified of them. (Also, if you like travel blogs, please check out Syd’s blog here! A few years back, she traveled around the world for six months and had some incredible adventures. She was a huge inspiration for me when I was struggling with wanderlust back home. I have reread the blog multiple times, and it is absolutely amazing! In fact, I think I’m overdue for a reread.)
What made up my mind about leeches was when I saw four hikers crossing the river from the other side… with bloody legs. Blood… from the leeches. Okay, now I could see why Syd was so terrified of these leeches. These damn blood suckers!!!
I must have stood on one side of the river crossing for five minutes, wondering if I could possibly stand going on this potentially leech-ridden hike in flip flops. And then I decided, alright. It’s good to be uncomfortable. Do it.
Before I got to the other side of the creek, I spotted a little leech that had fallen off of one of the previous hikers. The way it moved absolutely disgusted me. It had similar movement to an inchworm… but it was not an inchworm.
Anyway. We continued on the hike. Most of the time, I let Gene lead the way. He was the braver one, who has seen many a leech in his time. He was incredibly cavalier about the bloodsuckers. Not me. I was on high alert. As if there aren’t enough things in Australia to worry about! Venomous snakes, dangerous cassowaries, gigantic spiders, crocodiles. Jesus! Haha.
With Gene leading the way, I was able to avoid any and all interactions with leeches. Gene was not so lucky, but he could handle it. “There’s one on your ankle!” I cried out, nearly in hysterics. The leech – very small, mind you, maybe an inch long and super thin – had latched on with its suckers, and was waving the rest of its body around and around in an awful, wiggly clockwise motion. Surely, it was dancing with glee, having found a host. The disgusting parasite!!!
Gene – incredibly calm – pulled out a pair of pliers and gently plied the leech off of him. He tried to show it to me, and I did look, but also was like, “GET that thing AWAY FROM ME!” If it’s not already clear… I do not like leeches. It felt like I had unlocked a brand new fear I had never even considered. Leeches can grow up to 10x their body size. I looked up some pictures after the hike, and I have decided I am not interested in ever encountering a leech again.
Poor Gene had I think two or three more leeches on him. I, luckily, did not have any. If I had, I think I would have gone into full blown hysteria. The entire hike, I was on high alert. Following Gene’s footsteps, walking along tree roots and rocks to get “higher ground” and potentially avoid the leeches. I was like, ‘Wow, Gene must really think I’m a wuss,’ but I couldn’t help it. I will say, I am proud of myself for going on the hike… but I was glad when Gene said, “Let’s turn back – we are pretty unprepared [for this hike].”
When we got to the car… Gene realized he had another leech attached to him that had been hiding underneath the fabric of his flip flop. He bravely let it suck his blood some more while I took a picture of it. This leech looked different to the others, but there are apparently hundreds of different kinds of leeches.
After the leech hysteria, we drove back to the city and stopped at Hemingway’s Brewery for pizzas. I got perhaps the best pizza I’d ever had in Australia – and it was Gene’s treat, which was very nice of him. It had pine nuts, pesto, roasted pumpkin, red onion, and more goodies. So good!
I stopped home for a shower and in the evening, Gene and I had a movie night – watching No Country for Old Men, and then Natural Born Killers. Both excellent movies. Gene goes back to work tomorrow, but I’m thinking I will likely be in Cairns for another month. I’m hoping we’ll be able to hang out again, as I really enjoyed his company.
Fun fact about leeches: they take about 40min to suck your blood. During that time, they’ll grow to 10x their size… due to feeding off your blood. After, they fall off, their hunger satisfied. If they do attach to you and you want to remove them, you can pull your skin taut and lift it off with your fingernail. A credit card/piece of paper work, too, supposedly. Additionally, you can use hydrogen peroxide to get them to retract their fangs.
Miscellaneous
One day, I went to the Cairns Botanical Gardens. It was a nice area, with a “rainforest boardwalk,” a collection of gigantic bamboo, and more. They have a popular hiking spot called the Red Arrow hike around there, so I walked that for a while, too. I returned to the Botanical Gardens in the dark one night, with Gene. I was thinking it would be like Fogg Dam in Darwin – with wildlife everywhere. It seemed like such a good spot for it! But there wasn’t really anything at all that we saw.
There are also these “tropical turkeys,” as Michael and I took to calling them. They are a bush turkey. So cute!
On another chill day, the main event for me was seeing the Andy Warhol/Roy Lichtenstein exhibits at the Cairns Art Gallery. Andy Warhol is obviously super influential and cool, but it was more fun for me to see the Roy Lichtenstein pieces. When I was getting sober, I made a friend at my treatment center who took me to a Roy Lichtenstein exhibit in Chicago. I loved Lichtenstein’s work then and I love it now!
I also joined Bruce on his boat this morning, where we explored lots of the little tributaries leading from the ocean into the mangroves. We were searching for crocodiles, but the tide may have been too high. Or maybe we just weren’t spotting them. Regardless, it was such a gorgeous area and Bruce even let me steer the boat for a little while, which was fun. It reminded me of when my dad had a boat when I was a kid. We briefly had a summer house in Delavan, Wisconsin, and would take the boat out all the time. Some amazing childhood memories there.
And lastly… while walking along the Cairns esplanade, I noticed there are some teeny, tiny little bats at night! I have a feeling their colony is underneath the esplanade jetty, but I’m not sure. There are also spectacled flying foxes here in Cairns. Bats, everywhere! I love them. It’s neat to see them flapping their massive wings at night, navigating their way around city buildings and trees.
Art of the Week
Of course, I had to draw one of my little frilled-neck lizards! They are supposed to be in northern Queensland, too, but no one seems to see them around here.
Reflections
Cairns reminds me of a larger-scale version of Maui, Hawai’i. A city with towering, lush, rainforest-covered mountains. It is really beautiful here, and a great place to split time both relaxing and adventuring. There are so many tours here – Great Barrier Reef tours, rainforest tours, waterfalls, bungee jumping, skydiving, you name it!
I went to the movies the other day to see The Little Mermaid. It was the first time I’ve been in a movie theater since before covid. It was a really good movie! I adored the animation as a kid, so seeing the live action remake was a joy. I even teared up a few times haha.
I am also so glad I was able to see the cassowaries! As the regular readers know… I get fixated on wildlife and the cassowary was my next venture. Seeing one (and then a second) so early on in my time in Queensland, I feel I can finally RELAX and just not focus on “hunting” wildlife for a moment. Phew.
I mentioned it a little bit last week, but I have been feeling slightly burnt out recently. With that said, I’ve split up my time. Some days, I’m out adventuring, but other days I am not doing anything except hanging out at the hostel and getting dinner. After being here for a week now, doing just that, I’m feeling more energized. I needed to rest up. I probably still need to rest up, honestly.
What’s next? I don’t have anything planned yet. I want to go to the Daintree Rainforest, and I think I will likely be getting PADI certified and doing a 3 day overnight SCUBA trip on the Great Barrier Reef. I think I will save that for later on in my time in Cairns. I might want to do as much “on land” as I can, and save the reef – which will surely be a major highlight of Cairns and my time in Australia in general – for a bit closer to me leaving this area.
That’s all for now! Sending my love xx
P.S. Happy Father’s Day to my amazing dad and to all the past, present, and future dads out there! Keep on keepin’ on!
