Last weekend I flew up to Cairns, to check out the tropics. I found the town to be very touristy, I cannot see how so many retail outlets are sustained! Crazy.
My first day up there I was keen to check out a the Kuranda music festival, particularly because one of my fave bands called Zennith are from Karanda. I caught the scenic train up into the mountains on a pretty amazing railway! After some issues with transport, I gave up and went home. No such thing as local time up here apparently.
Cairns is backpacker central. I stayed in a hotel above a pub that did $12 meals including a beer. Was a good meal too! Met heaps of cool people. Was interesting to meet some people from Latin america. I would say we will see more of it, :). My recent encounters with Brazilians make me think they are the Germans of Latin America, except very ethnically diverse. They are straight forward, easy to get along with and fun in a good way, not a dirty chain smoking/binge memory loss backpacker kind of way.
I spent my second day on a cultural tour further north in the Daintree area, http://www.bamaway.com.au/DaintreeDreaming.aspx. Was great to hear from locals, and get to learn how to throw a spear. A small group of us headed out onto the mudflats and caught a bucket full of crabs! These were then cooked up, and they tasted phenomenal. We also went to an art gallery (http://www.janbalgallery.com.au/), showcasing aboriginal works, 99% by a man named Binna. Funny dude, :). Taught us how to paint with a stick and we got to create our own little artwork. After the gallery we went into the Gorge, where I got to swim in the beautiful rainforest creek. I also went on a cultural tour, where a local Kuku Yalanji man showed us all about the uses of the bush, and pointed out tools and signposts (yes signposts) that had been used for hundreds and hundreds of years. http://www.mossmangorge.com.au/Experience/Dreamtime-Walks
