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Early arrival in Cairns on dawn. A slow cruise up the inlet to our docking site, as shown here. Tied up around 7am this morning. And not anchored some 17km to the north at Yorkey’s Knob, to tender in, like last time. Anyway, soon snug parked right in town, and blending in as if just another large building. Also see the shore perspective below. |
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Looking in a northerly direction toward the ocean and the Cairns International Airport slightly left of centre. As planes take off, today to the south or toward us on this picture, they quickly bank to their left and over the bay and soon the ocean. This is also the start of a pleasant boardwalk along the shoreline for many km to the north. |
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Sorry about he power pole folks. Symptomatic of both an amateurish and lazy photographer. Or perhaps I could convince you that this light pole is most significant as it … blah blah … no! Perhaps what it is indicative of is the significant luxury of this travel mode, as we step off the ship and we are practically in the main street of Cairns. |
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The entrance to the harbour and estuary, from our docked ship, looking north, north east toward the GBR. After some mild swells in the past day, we were welcomed with a mill pond in the harbour. Many yachts moored and lined up along this inlet, a following picture show too. They too with a short tender to town. |
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Note the steep and heavily wooded hills surrounding Cairns. Clearly a rainforest area and a little like the PNG area we have just visited. Apparently there was a land-bridge some 30,000 years ago, some one could expect some similar plants at least, with climate similar too, although today has been glorious, with reasonable but not stifling humidity. |
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Looking further up-stream, perhaps more to the south, with the city behind. Not sure of the dimensions of this estuary but do know that our captain has delayed our departure for an hour (notified yesterday) due to appropriate tidal conditions. It is now 5:40pm and the sun is just starting to sink between the city buildings to our west. |
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Further along the boardwalk about 2km from our docking area. You can see there is not much beach in right in Cairns but there are some Northern Beaches not far to the north. Some protection from the crocs apparently there, although the local man we met in the car-park (see below) said he does not worry too much. Blase, stupid or well-informed? Don’t know. |
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In the vicinity of the above is the public pool at the beach. Can accommodate about 1000 bathers, just a few today but was most inviting. If we had more time, we would definitely loved a dip. Dimensions would be around 100m by 50m, at a rough guess. Part of the lovely gardens, with exercise equipment, play equipment, and lots of signs explaining local environment, fauna, fauna, history etc. |
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Looking toward the Cairns International Airport across the bay, with a helicopter landing area just to our left (out of sight here). Many planes seen emerging over this mid-level horizon before they bank sharply to their left over the bay. What a lovely, clean, friendly, cosmopolitan, relaxed, fine place Cairns seems to be. We certainly had a very positive introduction today anyway. |
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The little jewels you discover. An artist in motion. What a glorious mural this will be, artist unknown. And a call out to the silo art in western (and now north eastern) Victoria. Check it out. Like this, so wonderful. Some people are just so clever. Now we sail for Darwin. More to sea … till then. |
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