2013.04.01 Cairns: The Botanical Gardens

To finish up the last day of our trip to Cairns, many were going to tour an island off the coast.  But considering all of the beaches, snorkeling, and Scuba diving we had already done, a handful of us would rather skip it, save some money and do something else.  So that day Lyda, Paco, Julia, Wilkinson and myself used a free bike rental voucher we had, and set off to exploring unvisited parts of town, and down a bike trail leading to the Cairns Botanical Gardens.

Being our last day, we checked out of Gilligan's that morning but were able to store our luggage there until we were to leave for the airport.  Our flight wasn't until 1 am, so we had all day to spend in Cairns before heading to the airport.  The bike rental place was right outside Gilligan's, so we handed in our vouchers, got our bikes and started off.

One of the most interesting things to watch was Julia and Wilkinson trying to manage a two-person bicycle.

There is a bike trail that heads up and down the coast north-west of Cairns, but before going to the bike trail we road around town, almost purposely getting lost and wandering around to parts we hadn't yet seen.

Above: Paco stopping to get something out of his bag

After touring around town a big we headed north to the pier, above, and started heading up the coast to where the bike trail started.  At this point, Julia and Wilkinson were tired of the two-seater bike, so Paco and I gave it a try and headed on the bike trail towards the botanical gardens.

Above: Taking a selfie while riding a two-person bike is NOT easy

 Above: Break time.  The bike trail is a good 30-45 minute bike ride

Once we got the end of the trail we finally reached the botanical gardens.

Inside the gardens are several trails leading through a large park, with both freshwater and saltwater lakes and rivers.

Above: Map of the botanical gardens

And, as is the Australian way, as soon as we entered we saw warning signs of life-threatening animals that might be encountered within, and how to avoid them.  In this case, it was crocodiles.

Above: "Crocodiles inhabit this area - attacks may cause injury or death"

But while biking around the gardens there were some really cool scenery and wildlife.  Here are some snaps of the best things we saw in the gardens.

 Above: Probably the largest leaf I have ever seen.

 Above: Bamboo shoots

Above: Lyda attempting to climb a palm tree

After exploring the corners of the park we stopped for another break.  We had been riding the bikes in the heat for 4 or more hours at this point.

After collecting ourselves we head back into town, another 30+ minutes away, stopped for some much deserved ice-cream, a short dip in the enormous public pool and back to return the bicycles.

Afterwards, we made a stop to the grocery store and headed over to the pool, where public grills were set up.  We cooked sausages, marinated chicken wings, and a salad.  By the time we were done eating we could barely move, it was a fantastic lunch.

It was 6 or 7 pm by the time we were done eating.  Waiting for the others to get back from the island, we laid in the grass, most of us falling asleep for a quick nap.  We spent the night heading to a market to look for some souvenirs until getting into a cab to head for the airport.

This trip was definitely one of the major highlights of my time in Australia.  Maybe one day I'll come back to see Cairns again, who knows!