Welcome to Australia, in the beautiful city of Cairns. We have an unusual overnight here, allowing lots of time to explore.
Our destination was the Cairns Botanic Gardens, a gorgeous oasis a few miles from the port. We took an Uber to the entrance and spent time wandering around the trails and special gardens. This is a very large facility, incorporating the Tanks Arts Center and a modern Visitor Center. It includes a Rainforest Boardwalk, saltwater and freshwater lakes, and a vast collection of native plants.
Leaving the gardens, we serpentined our way over to the shore to explore The Promenade, a delightful walking path right along the water. Although the water is easily accessible, there are frequent signs warning about the presence of crocodiles and strongly suggesting not to go in the water. You don’t have to tell us more than once! But we did see people using nets and digging for something in the shallow water.
The Promenade is lined with interesting sculptures, children’s playgrounds and parks, and a protected swimming lagoon. Back toward downtown, restaurants and hotels are abound. We wandered the downtown streets for a while, admiring the interesting architecture and stopping for some cold drinks. It was a delightful day, except for the extreme heat and humidity.
Cairns is popular because of its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. There are many tours offered that take snorkelers and divers out to the reef. There is also a well-regarded aquarium that attempts to show what the reef is like for those who can’t get out to it.
The other popular tour destination is Kuranda Village. The coolest way to get there is by the Kuranda Scenic Railway. A group of 40 Cruise Specialists guests ventured out on Day #2 of our stay in Cairns for a ride up on the railway, a visit to the village, and a ride down on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. It’s a fun ride in a small cable car that floats over the rainforest. We did not join that tour as Heather, the Cruise Specialists Shore Excursion and Event Manager was the official escort today.
It was not planned from the beginning, but Wendy is heading out for an Overland Adventure to Uluru and Alice Springs. A spot opened and with Steve’s urging, she decided to take it. This is a similar trip to the one he took in 2019. So, our second day in Cairns was mostly getting ready for departure in the afternoon. Steve will be staying onboard as the ship spends 4 days traversing the waters of the Great Barrier Reef. We’ll be back together again when we both arrive in Darwin on February 14th.
Tours in Cairns today had to compete with the Superbowl. Because of the time and date difference with the U.S., the game was shown here at 9:30 am on Monday morning. Many watched on the big screen in the main stage, but you could watch from your cabin or anywhere there was a TV. Steve watched while Wendy packed for her 3:00 pm departure.
Uluru and Alice Springs Overland Adventure
As Zaandam made its way from Cairns to Darwin, Wendy and 11 other guests disembarked in Cairns to begin their Uluru and Alice Springs Overland Adventure.
It’s weird leaving the ship with a suitcase, passport in hand, knowing you are being left at a foreign port! But also exciting, knowing we have the next 5 nights and 6 days to explore some famous and unique places.
We were met on the dock in Cairns by our guide, Maree, who stayed with us every step of the journey until she deposited us back in Darwin. She was terrific in every way. Telling us all about the people and places we visited, making sure we were on time for every flight and event, and confirming all arrangements so our transitions were seamless. She made it look easy, which I know it is not.
Day 1 was an overnight stay at the Riley Crystalbrook Hotel in Cairns. Our evening included a visit to St Monica’s Cathedral, with some fabulous and unusual stained-glass windows; a private, after hours guided tour of the famous Cairns Aquarium, and dinner at the popular Dundee’s on the Wharf restaurant.
The Aquarium is quite special and an excellent experience for anyone who can’t or doesn’t want to go out to the Great Barrier Reef for a firsthand look. There are 16,000 species in house in 11 different ecosystems. There are some reproductions but also some living reefs with the most magnificent coral and unusual and colorful fish species. The giant tanks with the sharks and the stingrays were especially impressive.
Days 2 and 3 - Rise and shine and be ready by 5:30 am for our transfer to the airport. A two plus hour pleasant flight brought us to Yulara, a resort region in the south of Australia’s Northwest Territory. Located in what is known as the Red Center, it is the primary base for visiting Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta, a lesser known but perhaps more beautiful rock formation in the desert.
Our base of operation was the Sails in the Desert Hotel, the most upscale of the accommodations at what are collectively known as the Ayers Rock Resort. It is a small city with a town square, a supermarket, specialty shops, restaurants, art galleries, and all the amenities you’d expect to find at a luxury resort including a spa, pool, and tennis courts. There is also a campground nearby and even a camel farm to visit.
We are in what we were told is the spiritual heart of Australia. The Anangu people are the traditional owners of these lands and part of the oldest continuous surviving culture on earth. They are the custodians of Uluru and Kata Tjuta and we will be learning about their history, ancient customs, and remarkable artwork. On our first morning, we had the opportunity to attend a didgeridoo workshop, a lecture on bush foods, and a guided tour of the beautiful Gallery of Central Australia.
Jumping right in, we spent the afternoon at the Uluru-Kata-Tjuta National Park. Our drive around the base of Uluru gave us some perspective on its massive size. We had a walk to a waterhole, complete with seeing local children playing in the water. The Mala Walk along the northeast side of Uluru is an exploration of the indigenous life, where women were the cooks and homemakers and the men the hunters. Information plaques along the way discuss the tools they used, the caves they inhabited, along with remnants of the cave art and other aspects of everyday life.
We had hoped to see the sunset over Uluru, but the weather didn't cooperate. We were at the perfect lookout point, enjoying drinks and snacks when the skies opened and serious rain sent everyone scurrying.
It was an even earlier wakeup call on Day 3 to make it back to the National Park for sunrise over Kata-Tjuta. This time we had a glorious morning with gorgeous views. Our outback picnic breakfast was the perfect finale for our sunrise experience.
The rest of our morning was spent at the Uluru-Kata-Tjuta Cultural Center. They have a museum and an extensive gallery filled with indigenous paintings and wood carvings.
Accompanied by a famous local artist, our group tried their hand at dot painting - the most distinctive feature of indigenous artwork here. We were given canvas, brush, acrylic paint in 4 colors, and a thin stick. It was fun even for those of us who are not very artistic. My dots looked more like blobs!
If that wasn’t enough activity for the day, we attended the Australian Native High Tea at our hotel. There was a whole menu of tea choices, and we each had a three-tiered tray with a selection of both sweet and savory pastries and finger foods. My favorites were the chicken curry wrap and the scones with cream and local jam. I also loved the resort’s signature drink, which is a "Bellini" with an edible hibiscus flower.
Not that we needed more food after high tea, but we did have dinner at the resort restaurant called Ilkari, meaning sky. They have an awesome and very extensive buffet. It was a chance to try kangaroo and emu, as well as more traditional meats, salads, vegetable dishes, and a large assortment of desserts. We had two dinners here and an equally massive breakfast buffet to start Day 4.
Day 4 - We got to sleep a little later, leaving Sails in the Desert at 8:00 am for our drive to Alice Springs. We’ve been traveling in a 21-passenger van with an attached luggage trailer, so the drive was reasonably comfortable even though it was more than 5 hours long. We made stops along the way - one for a picnic lunch and one at a rest area with gas, food, souvenirs, and an emu farm.
We arrived in Alice Springs in the early afternoon to find the aftermath of a torrential rainstorm. There was extensive flooding throughout the city, roads closed, and debris piled up everywhere. Power and communications were disrupted and locals told us they had not seen a storm like this in over 20 years.
Our scheduled activities went on as planned though. We spent time at the Royal Flying Doctor’s Service offices and museum, learning the history of this remarkable organization that provides lifesaving healthcare to remote locations all over Australia. Then we moved on to the Alice Springs Desert Park, an environmental education facility and wildlife park. It attempts to tell the story of the desert woodlands, riverbeds, sand, and animal life. A quick walk through a few of the habitat areas was all we had time for.
We dined at a place called the Earth Sanctuary. They describe themselves as Central Australia’s first sustainable living center for education and eco-tourism. We had a tasty home cooked meal and an unusual local beer made with syrup from the local Quandong tree. It was very good!
Day 5 - Our final flight took us from Alice Springs to Darwin. Arriving at lunchtime, we went directly to the Wharf One Restaurant for a unique lunch. We were served platters of unusual canape style appetizers - like sashimi oysters on rice crackers. Our main course was a choice of barramundi, buffalo, or a vegetarian plate, along with nice Australian wines or local beers. Good food, good company, good atmosphere!
Then we went off to the Darwin Military Museum. It has an extensive collection of artifacts and weapons from the World War II Pearl Harbor-like bombing of the city. There is also a moving Holocaust Museum that was very graphic and hard to absorb.
It was our last evening together. With no scheduled dinner, almost all our group wound up in the Executive Lounge at our Hilton Hotel for drinks and snacks. It was good to have an evening with nothing planned and the ability to turn in early.
Day 6 - Another nice buffet breakfast at the hotel fortified us for our final excursion to the Spectacular Jumping Crocodiles. We drove out to a rather remote location along the Adelaide River for a one-hour cruise to visit with the local crocs. Our boat driver and guide had extensive knowledge of the wildlife in the area. He knows each animal by name and their individual habits. The three that we saw performed as planned, jumping out of the water to reach for the meat that was dangling over their heads. They know they will eventually get the reward, so they are willing to tolerate having to jump a few times. It was a fun experience for us with the weather cooperating.
The Zaandam had arrived in Darwin that morning. Our arrival at the ship around noon was marked with a champagne reception and greeting by a large group of staff and officers. What a welcome!
Fondly,
Wendy and Steve
Continue Reading:
Hawaii | Sea Days | South Pacific | More South Pacific | Welcome to Australia
See upcoming Hosted Voyages >>