At the end of May we traveled to Cairns, Australia. With only an hour time difference from Japan, it was the perfect time to take advantage of our location and the distance. Eric did a lot of research before we left and had a good idea of what we would do and see in Cairns, Port Douglas, and Cape Tribulation. Cairns is on the Northeast Coast of Australia (Queensland) so it was only an 7 hour flight. We left Tokyo at 8:30pm and arrived at 4:30am local time in Cairns. We started by driving around downtown Cairns, walked down by the water, and then waited for the restaurants to open at 6:30 am. We had a nice breakfast and then headed to our first Air B & B located at Machans Beach. The owner allowed us to check in early which was super helpful to drop our bags and get ready for the day. This house ended up being Eric and I's favorite mostly for its location on the ocean and its open air feel.
View from our deck
Absolute Beachfront Paradise
Once settled, we changed in to our suits and headed back into Cairns. There are no beaches right in Cairns but they created a pool and beach area on the ocean. The boys enjoyed playing in the sand and soaking up the sun. We were all a bit tired from minimal sleep on the plane.
Cairns Esplanade
We enjoyed evenings at our house, making dinner two of the three nights and dining out on our deck. It was nice to grocery shop and have our own kitchen although the food selection was much different than I expected. Turns out a hot dog in Australia is quite a bit different than what we are used to.
View from our Master bedroom. Loved the sound of the Ocean outside our door.
When in Australia, you must eat your Bush Food!
Day 2 we boarded a boat in Cairns to head to Fitzroy Island. Once there we had lunch and then spent the day on Nudey Beach. It was a rainy morning but the weather cleared by the time we reached the island. There were only a few people on the beach and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. Eric informed us it was the #2 beach in all of Australia.
Nudey Beach
We spent a couple hours on the beach and I took advantage of the many photo opportunities! Hayden helped out with my camera to get some photos of Mommy and Daddy too.
Day 3 we drove to a small village town called Kuranda. We spent the morning shopping and enjoyed lunch in the rainforest. Next we took a driving tour of 5 Waterfalls with a stop at a boutique winery. We also stopped to see a cow giving birth to a calf. It was a little more than I wanted to see when Bessy birthed the placenta but the boys were unfazed.
Lunch in the rainforest
Walking to the first waterfall through the rainforest
Barron Falls
Well that was anti-climactic
Getting better
Let's stop for a tasting!
DeBrueys Winery
Livin' on the edge
#5 - I think we've seen enough
Well that was educational...
Day 4 we headed out of Cairns en route to Port Douglas. We made a stop at Ellis Beach to hang out and play. Next we stopped at Hartley's Crocodile Adventures to spend the day with Crocodiles, Koalas, Kangaroos, and Cassowaries.
Later we checked into our Air B & B in Port Douglas. It was a two bedroom condo in the Outrigger Holiday Apartments. The owners were super friendly and informative on all the events going on in town. The boys enjoyed having a heated pool on site as well. We only had two days in Port Douglas and it was our favorite spot for shopping and restaurants. We went to Four Mile Beach both days. The first day was cooler and windy but we got some sun on the second day so the boys finally swam in the water. We enjoyed many meals out and decided to book our last night in Australia back in Port Douglas rather than Cairns since we liked it so much and it was only an hour drive to the airport.
Brunch at the marina
Building a sand castle
Beer Tasting at Hemingways brewery
Many war battles were played on vacation
Late night Cane Toad Races at the local bar
Four Mile Beach Day 2 was sunny and warm and the big boys played paddle ball all day. Lincoln mostly played in the sand and ocean but was also ball boy. If you ask Hayden his favorite part of the trip he will say playing paddle ball with Luke from Tazmania. Random dude on a beach skateboard asked if he could get in on the game and Hayden beat him a few times.
Hayden and Luke battle
After our day on the beach we traveled to Cape Tribulation to check in to our "Tree House". This eco-friendly house was open air with beautiful rainforest views. The boys had their own loft room and Eric and I felt like we were sleeping in the forest. Surprisingly there were little to no bugs in the house which was a relief. We spent a lot of time playing games and relaxing at the house.
Cape Tribulation Holiday House The Daintree FNQ
Perfect reading and nap spot
Our first full day in Cape Trib we set up a tour with Ocean Safari to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. We took a speed boat out to two locations on the reef. The water was a bit rough which made it harder for the kids to enjoy the snorkeling. Lincoln cried for about 20 minutes before we gave up and put him back on the boat. Hayden struggled at first but calmed down enough to enjoy the second location. The guides offered to stay with Lincoln at the second spot so I was able to get out and snorkel a little more too. I was able to see coral in a variety of colors and many fish. I didn't end up seeing a turtle but some on our tour group did.
Heading out to the boat
Heading out! Beware you will get wet on the ride!
First location we all stuck together on a flotation ring.
Eric free of the crying children
Ready for round 2
Much happier watching from the boat
That afternoon we did another rainforest walk, checked out a swimming hole, and played on a beach before dinner as the sun set.
Dubuji Boardwalk
Mason's swimming hole
Day 3 in Cape Trib we went to Emmagen Beach. We pretty much had the whole beach to ourselves. The boys did the standard paddle ball match while I watched from a distance. I love how the pics turned out with the reflection of the clouds on the sand.
View from Lookout Point
That afternoon we checked out Emmagen swimming hole. It was a bumpy car ride to get to the trail leading to the swimming hole. The water was a little chilly so Eric was the only one to jump in.
On our way back to Port Douglas we stopped at the Daintree Rainforest Centre. There were walkways leading through the rainforest with information spots along the way. Lincoln was really into it!
We spent our last day back in Port Douglas. The town was having its Carnivale weekend which included a sand castle competition. There were food and drink vendors at the beach as well as activities for the kids. Hayden had a blast on the bungee jumper. It was another beautiful beach day and the boys spent a lot of time in the ocean. It was a great way to end our time Down Under!
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