Costa este de Australia

INTRODUCCION

We are going to travel along much of Australia's East Coast, covering 2,413 km. This is the distance between Cairns and Sydney. 2,413 km to travel along Australia's East Coast, where the sun has decided to reside more or less permanently throughout the year, keeping company with the dream beaches that line the coastline.

The fauna in the area is very distinctive and interesting: dozens of Germans between the ages of 18 and 21 populate its shores. Kick a rock and you'll find one; another interesting species is the surfboard: you can find them floating lazily on any beach—with or without jellyfish, with or without rocks—and at any time of day. I remember with horror how a friend of mine would get up at dawn to go surfing, almost without breakfast. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

After “surfing,” the first word you'll hear most often is “tour.” There are tours for everything you can imagine. When you mention at a hostel that you want to go somewhere on your own without booking a tour, they look at you as if you've killed a seahorse... there are no hidden places on the east coast, only tours.

In this post, we're going to look at the northernmost part of the east coast, which is the most tropical.

CAIRNS

Welcome to one of the gateways to the Coral Reef

From Cairns and Port Arthur, about 20 km further north, is where most of the tours depart from, allowing you to snorkel or dive in the northern part of the Coral Reef.

But Cairns isn't just a good base for diving; you can also visit some of the city between dives.

There is no beach here, which is not such a big deal since swimming here is impossible due to jellyfish... but Cairns Bay has a huge lake with a gigantic bike path that runs along its entire length, almost to the airport.

I saw children running along the shore, so I guess the lake isn't a picnic spot for alligators 😅

Quite a distance from the center, we find some gigantic fuel tanks built during World War II, which have now been converted into exhibition halls.

Next to it there are two hiking trails, the red one (1.5 km) and the blue one (about 8 km). The latter is the most interesting and the longest.

The road ends at the top of Lamley Hill, which should be a fantastic viewpoint over the airport and the bay...unfortunately, the vegetation is so overgrown that you can't see anything.

Choosing a Coral Reef Tour 

There are two types of tours: to the Inner and Outer Reef.

Those who go to the Inner Reef are closest to the coast and the cheapest... but here the coral is much more damaged, so I think it's worth spending a few extra dollars to go to the Outer Reef.

Important: before booking the tour, check the sea conditions for that day, as visibility may not be good....

Prices vary depending on the boat you hire and the number of stops: the more luxurious the boat and the more stops, the more expensive it will be. The good news is that you won't encounter any crowds: each company has its own designated spot, and several boats will not coincide there at the same time. The spots are indicated in the agencies' brochures.

The most basic tour cost AUS$110 with two stops and a boat that, according to people at the hostel, was “like Ryanair but in Australia.” There you have it...
Uno intermedio es con Deep Sea Drive : dos paradas en un barco muy bueno por 140 AUS$
And if you have money to spare, you can go with Silverswift: 3 stops for AUS$216.

You can book your tour online, but it's better to ask at your hostel as they sometimes get special offers below the official online price....

Here, so far north on the coast, the water is warm and full of jellyfish. They will offer you a wetsuit. Take it. Even so, you may be as unlucky as I was and get stung by a jellyfish all over your face. Don't worry. With a little vinegar—all boats carry a small bottle—and hot water, the pain will go away in a couple of hours.

And to finish off with Cairns, it's worth mentioning the typical day trip from Cairns: Kuranda

In the shadow of the coast, the beach, and the Coral Reef, this small town hidden in the hills near Cairns tries to stay afloat; in fact, it is the quintessential day trip from there. There is no need to book a tour: just go to the Cairns shopping center and for AUS$6, a bus will take you there in half an hour.

We've arrived. Hiking mode ON. The Jumrum Walk passes through a tropical forest and ends after about 3 km with a breathtaking view: the Barum Falls.

In Australia, they say there are two types of animals: those that want to kill you and those that can kill you.

I don't know what category to put this creature in, but you'll come across some of them on the way to the waterfalls...now I understand why there are dozens of signs on the trails asking you not to stray from them.

Once the scare is over, you can devote yourself to more pleasant activities, such as visiting the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary: a small greenhouse with dozens of butterflies flying freely inside.

To get to Kuranda, if you have money to spare, you can take the Kuranda Scenic Railway, a vintage train that runs between Cairns and Kuranda through the mountains. I was lucky enough to get a free ride thanks to a friendly stewardess, and the train is very well maintained, but I wouldn't pay the hefty price it costs to see scenery that you can see on your own.

TOWNSVILLE

I've never been to New Orleans and know almost nothing about it, but as I walked around Townsville, I somehow imagined it would be like that.

The colonial buildings with their arcades offer a welcome respite from the tropical heat. This city gave me the impression of living in a flattened torpor during the day, when people take refuge in bars and small traditional businesses—the kind that never change, that are always the same and always will be.

Normally, people only stop here as a base on the coast to hop over to nearby Magnetic Island, but you can't miss the wonderful aquarium they have. It's expensive, but much better than the ones in Sydney or Melbourne.

If you happen to be there on a weekend, you can visit the market set up by residents and merchants on Flinder St. I got the impression that no one was buying anything, but all the neighbors knew each other and were having a great time—it seemed like setting up the market was just an excuse to get together on the street.

If you want to read more about Australia: https://999millas.net/category/paises/australia/

If you liked (or didn't like) this post, or if you have more information, feel free to leave me a comment!

This is where the most tropical part of the east coast ends. In the next post, there will be more coral and, of course, more surfing... 🏄☀️

Texto y fotos : Mike !