Rairns in Cairns

26 & 27 March 2010

I am in better spirits today and despite the rain and the swimming pool outside the front door of the hostel. I brave it and head towards the local shopping centre in search of free Wi-Fi and a cinema. I have decided to head off to Maleny on Sunday and to wait and see if the rain subsides tomorrow to allow me to get to the GBR. The shopping centre is, thankfully, close by and I soon find a cafe and type up my blog and check emails etc. The trouble with hanging out in a shopping centre is that it encourages one to spend money on clothes and I treat myself to a pair of shorts but I resist the shoes.....

By the time I know it, it’s 6.30pm and I head back to the hostel and the rain has eased off a bit. I am joined in the room by a friendly Dutch girl who tells me about her travels in NZ over dinner in the hostel (dinner is free as part of the deal but it’s a 15 minute walk into town and I don’t fancy coming back in the dark and the rain, so the local supermarket provides me with some exciting cheese rolls!)

I have decided not to book anything for tomorrow as the weather forecast is bad for the next 7 days and I don’t want to spend £75 and not be able to see anything. I am disappointed that I won’t be able to see the GBR but things happen for a reason and maybe I can come back some day.

I sleep better and it’s raining when I wake up but I head out when it stops and I go for a walk on the front and it’s none too exciting , so after a cup of tea I head back to the shopping centre and treat myself to a massage to sort out my neck. I recognise some shoppers in the centre from yesterday which brings me to one conclusion: there is nothing to do in Cairns when it’s raining (or not raining, for that matter)

I’m off to Maleny tomorrow to visit Dad’s skool friend and he is picking me up from Brisbane airport.

Headed to the Woolshed pub to take advantage of the free meal and it wasn’t bad: a choice of 4 meals and I opted for the spag bol. Who says there’s no such thing as a free dinner? I walk back to the hostel and luckily it’s only spitting but when I get back, we have been joined by two young English girls who have turned the already minuet room into a laundrette. Nothing dries in this climate and apparently they have had some stuff stolen from the communal washing lines. I am feeling a little claustrophobic and am pleased that I only have one more night here but everyone soon quietens down to read or sleep.