I got paid yesterday. I checked my banking app three or four times after waking up to see when the pay would go in. I also had Skyscanner open on the browser at work ready to book flights. One of the worries I had was that the flight prices would increase with the departure date creeping up. 

Tip: Delete your internet history or use a separate computer when booking flights. If you have already looked at flights on your browser, the website may bump up the prices on your second visit. I looked the day before yesterday and the prices were between $350-$370 depending on the departure time. Deleting the history didn’t just work, I also found a new flight for $312 return! Bingo.

This was all pretty last minute, two days ago in fact. One of my friends from England is visiting in Feburary, she is staying with one of her best friends in Sydney for a few days and then they are making their way up to Cairns. I am meeting them up there after she messaged me with her plans. I booked the time off and went from there. 

From the 18th to the 24th of Feb I will be blogging from Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. Thankfully I will have some more sights to show you in a completely new location. A refreshing change for my readers and no doubt a very fun experience to have. 

I am staying in a hostel, and I don’t mind at all. I have only stayed in a hostel on my own, so being with a few friends will be fun. I feel this is the time to experience true hostel life whilst I am a twenty something backpacker on a temporary holiday visa. 

I would love to hear from anyone that has been… any recommendations as to what to do and where to visit. Any lesser known bars or food places, any tips and tricks for a week long hostel stay.

Those that haven’t been, anything you want to see in particular in Cairns? I am sure the Great Barrier Reef is the top pick. Don’t worry, I will have that covered for sure.

So in the meantime, the above is a great picture I found on Unsplash. I felt I needed to add a photo to provide a glimpse of what it will be like and to add some colour to the post, I don’t like posting without an image. I will try to match this with my own shots as best I can. 

As always, I’ll be here everyday until then with my daily ramblings. Speak soon!

Sam

Featured image by Yanguang Lan on Unsplash.

46 thoughts

  1. the great barrier reef is absolutely gorgeous! if you’ve got time, go up to the daintree as well. and remember lots of sunblock – the sun is brutal there.

    Reply

    1. Hopefully as I have a few days there I will have time, but I need to research! Thanks for the recommendation, I appreciate it 🙂

      Reply

  4. I loved Far North Queensland! We booked tickets on the Ocean Spirit to see the Great Barrier Reef and I borrowed a friend’s GoPro with an underwater case. Interesting tip, they offer a selection of prescription snorkel masks, which was very helpful in my case.

    Go up north to Cape Tribulation if you have a chance. I wrote a bit about some of my FNQ holiday, though not specifically about the Reef.

    https://mariotravels.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/a-relaxing-holiday/

    Reply

    1. I will view this when I am free later this evening. A GoPro would be amazing! Hopefully I will be able to afford one before long and truly get some great footage. If there is one place a GoPro would be great, it would be here!
      Also, thanks for the tip and I look forward to reading about your experience 🙂

      Reply

    1. Learn! I was pretty scared of water when I was a kid and was really hesitant to learn. In fact, I made fake doctors notes as a kid to avoid going for lessons with school. Then, on my first holiday to Spain I learned pretty fast and really enjoyed it, although I still get anxious in open water.

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  7. Hi Sam, I’m so excited for your trip! I’m going there too last week of March and I’ll be looking forward to your future posts about this! Have fun!!!!

    Reply

    1. Hey! Thanks for commenting, look out for my post as I am sure it will get you even more excited for your trip! If I have any tips I will add them o my post. I hope you have fun 🙂

      Reply

  8. Good tip about the flights.
    Both my sisters have been to the GBR recently and they arranged to go with one of the smaller outfits for a more relaxed visit – and also so they don’t forget you on the reef. That has happened before with a large group.

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    1. A relaxed visit sounds great 🙂 I really don’t want to be forgotten… one of my fears is to be left in the ocean! Stuff of nightmares. I will take a whistle or something.

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  11. You’re going to have so much fun, it’s amazing!! Which hostel are you staying in? I stayed in Gilligans, which was awesome 🙂 Lots going on there!! As well as the Great Barrier Reef, I also booked a trip to the Tablelands whilst I was in Cairns 🙂 I believe I went with Barefoot Tours- it was a lot of fun! Plenty of waterfalls etc- you get to go in the Peter Andre ‘Mysterious Girl’ waterfall too haha!

    Reply

    1. I am staying at Gilligans! I am glad you enjoyed it, another reason to look forward to the trip 🙂
      Thanks for the recommendation, I will look it up. Who knows, I may visit the ‘Mysterious Girl’ waterfall! Haha

      Reply

  12. Have fun! Nothing beats natural beauty!
    I’m obviously saying this a bit influenced, because we just happened to see a total lunar eclipse today. Just missed the bit where it was blood-red, but it was beautiful nonetheless. I even got some pictures, which is amazing since it apparently isn’t happening until 2037!
    I have to ask, was it visible in Australia? Did you see it?

    Reply

    1. Awesome! I am glad you managed to see it. Of all the days that could have been cloudy here, it was yesterday! I thought it was difficult to see an eclipse in England, it seems it is in Australia too xD

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      1. The shadow was shadowed. XD
        But I’m sure some part of the country would have caught it, the red must’ve looked wonderful! I can’t imagine, if it wasn’t completely dark by the time it occured, it must’ve been a sight against a light blue background–it was dark here by then.
        I’ll probably upload what I’ve got in a blog post though. I wonder what it looked like further West: California saw it in the morning!

      2. Time zones are funny aren’t they? I would have thought I would have had the best view, but no! Damn clouds. Some parts of Australia would have seen it well I am sure with how big the nation is. Let me know if you upload a blog post about it 🙂

  13. So exciting! Have fun, and I’ll look forward to traveling vicariously through your pictures and accounts of the trip. I used to live by the reefs in Florida and have many fond memories from days there. Always amazing places to visit.

    Reply

      2. I am clinging onto ‘youth’ as best as I can xD. And yes, I feel that we all have something that someone else would love to have, it is all about remembering what you have and not what you don’t. That is how I think, as I overthink and regret not doing things a lot!

      3. Best attitude of all to appreciate what you have…creates smiles everyday no matter what. I don’t regret what I chose when young, but sometimes I wish I could do it all. Enjoy the reef!

  14. Talk to fellow Hostel dwellers and ask what they have seen and where and if it was worth it. While staying in London, my boyfriend and I spent close to an hour trying to wash clothes in the laundry room of the hostel and talked with this guy who was leaving after a week long stay. We found out about a farmers market that was happening the next day only, and several other spots we hadn’t seen, that ended up being some of our favorite spots! Have fun, be flexible!!

    Reply

    1. Great, imagine if you hadn’t had that conversation with that guy… It shows that we should speak to people whenever we can… you never know what will come of it. I think I will do that myself and see what comes of it 🙂
      Thanks for commenting.

      Reply
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