After 24 hours of travel with 17 hours of flying, I arrived in Cairns, Australia, leaving November 3rd behind in my wake. It’s weird to lose a day, a whole day, like it was wiped from my existence. Instead, I experienced this weird time transition with two friendly Aussies who sat next to me on the flight, both giving me tips on where to go and what to see while I’m here. It’s enough to have a completely new trip!
The reality is Australia is huge! While it may look like a smallish island far off in a distant corner of the world, it’s close to the size of the USA. There’s lots to see and I look forward to getting to know this country, even if we’re just acquaintances…for now.
Cairns (pronounced Karns or Kens depending on who is speaking) is in the Northwest part of Australia in the state of Queensland. It is not only a great home base for experiencing Northern Queensland but has something precious, my friends who are linguists in Papua New Guinea. They are here on a short stay to give birth to their fifth child. Their parents, who are also my housemates, are here as well to celebrate the birth of their new grandchild so it’ll be a great reunion.
Once I gathered my luggage for the third time on this trip and finally stepped outside the airport terminal, I was greeted by a blast of warm, muggy, heavy air that clinged to my skin like a mom who had just found her lost child. It’s humid! However, it’s great to not have to wear a jacket, a strange phenomenon for a coastal lady whose jacket has become her security blanket.
Driving to the hotel I could not help but notice the lush green that surrounded Cairns and smiled at the realization that I was in a rainforest! The sounds of birds foreign to me peaked my interest as I walked to my room, and the formal introduction to a mango tree excited me even more. Most of all, seeing my friends made my heart smile. I can’t wait to get to know Northern Queensland even better!
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