Cairns backpacker Xpress by Cairns Backpacker Xpress

inside 4

Hola mi amigo! You made it all the way to the top. Well done, now enjoy yourself.

Special Feature: We chat to a backpacker Thibaud (Tee Bo) and see where heʼ s been.

Special Feature: Get Qualified. We look at your approach to getting work and give you good practical advice.

Local Markets: Every week there are markets in and within reach of the Cair ns city. Here are a number of them, wher e you can find them and what you’r e in for. .

Party Town: All the pubs and Clubs and a quick rundown on each so you know what to expect.

DJ Interview: We sat down with DJ Nicko and chat about his music and the Attic

MAPS We got regional maps, city maps, suburb maps and real up close maps! So you won’ t get lost and you will be able to find local businesses too.

Eating Out: Meal Deals, Al a carte r estaurants, pub food, breakfast, pizza and cafes are all abundant in Cair ns.

Adventure Capital of Australia: Mild, wild, adrenalin pumpin and downright scary things to do in Cair ns, notoriously known as the Adventure Capital of Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef 100% of travellers to North Queensland, come her e for the 8th wonder of the world, The Gr eat Barrier Reef.

Hostels: We have loads of places to stay her e in Cairns and the Far North.

Local Sightseeing Don’t miss our little museums, galleries, gar dens and tours. They are centrally located and make an inter esting day out.

JUNE 2010

Meet the agents They give us some tips

86 Cape Tribulation

True wilderness tucked away in the rainforest only 2 short hours North of Cairns. Front Cover Photo by our friend Martin Dark with Johannes at Fairy Falls just outside Cairns near Crystal Cascades Page 12

Contact: Shop 7, 84 Lake Street

Telephone: 07 4041 6981 Facsimile: 07 4041 6889

art@cbxmagazine.com.au

Welcome Hello happy little travel bugs.

The tropics offer some really unique and beautiful highlights. The heritage listed rainforest creeps right down to the beach fringe; sporadic bursts of heavy rains fill the creeks with fresh flowing water; bizarre looking creatures inhabit the lush greenery; and the reef - our cherry on the cake so to speak. These incredible natural gifts come with the great need for respect. Now without using scare tactics on you I want to focus on the more preventative measures to ensure you keep yourself safe but very aware of real dangers. Firstly, box jellyfish season starts around october and lasts until April, but sometimes jellyfish are found outside these times, so if you want to swim in the ocean stay in the nets or wear sufficient stinger suit coverings. If you are stung domestic vinegar should be applied liberally over the tentacles which can then be removed. Swimming at the creek is an experience I would encourage here in North Queensland, we have some stunning spots. However, do not dive into water that you do not know the landscape of, it could be deceivingly shallow, hiding rocks or logs. Fast running water like heavy waterfalls can easily trap you under and lodge your limbs into inescapable rocks crevices. Sadly it does happen, but let's hope, not to you. We are home to some pre historic ancestors, crocodiles. They do inhabit the coastal areas in rivers, swamps, mangroves and estrays. They can also be forced out to sea by dominant crocodiles and move around the coast in search of river systems. A crocodile can lay submerged for hours and the lack of warning signs does not guarantee safe swimming (the signs often get stolen for memorabilia). Don't stand near the edge of estrays and rivers where crocodiles could be lurking, they will defend their territory and attack you. If you do find yourself in a crocodile roll, find it's eyes and poke them out. Two other preventatives that are easy yet super efficient are sunscreen and mozzie repellant. It sounds so simple but is something we sometimes forget to do. Ok, enough serious talk - its time to get silly! Cairns Winter Solstice Celebration and Sustainable Lifestyle Gathering is an outdoor art and music festival of the Australian culture, something that locals look forward to every year. There will be hundreds of acts, performances, healers, artists, musicians and DJ's over four days and three nights in the rugged beauty of the Atherton Tablelands. This will commence June 18th - 21st. Cairns Ukelele Festival starts on the 26th June with an art exhibition followed by a Make your Own Ukelele Course starting on 28th June. On the 2nd July Great Adventures is hosting a Ukelele Island gig and the following day 3rd July there is Ukelele mania on the Esplanade. On the 4th July head to the Tanks in Edge hill for markets, performances and workshops. So with you well informed, I hope your stay is an enjoyable and ultimately a safe one.

Jo le n e

TRAVELLER INTERVIEW

Youʼve been in Cairns for how long?

Iʼve been in Cairns for five and a half months now.

What are your favourite experiences here?

Uh, Iʼd probably say the rivers like Crystal Cascades and Stoney Creek. I really like that.

So what are you doing here in Cairns?

Well I first came to Cairns because of a friend who lived here. I was pretty broke when I arrived here in Australia. I needed a place to stay and everything but I actually ended up getting a job before I got here. Working on Green Island.

What do you do on the island?

Iʼm a waiter. I have been for three years

What are your plans after Cairns?

Well after Cairns Iʼm going to Lightning Heads, itʼs like 800 kilometers in land of Byron Bay, on the border of NSW and QLD. Thatʼs where the black opal stones are. So the aim is to do mining over there. I have a job waiting for me there and Iʼll travel with my friend and get paid in stones. Once we get those stones weʼll take them to Nepal.

Thatʼs the best plan Iʼve ever heard. Where else have you been? What have you been doing?

The past ten years? Well I graduated in 2001 in hospitality and catering, I got a degree actually and that allows me to work in pretty much any department of a hotel. So yeah, graduated in 2001 and I started working straight away as a waiter because thatʼs the part of hospitality that I like, you meet people all the time and you get to move all the time, I like that. Iʼm pretty active and so yeah, thatʼs what I did and after my graduation I stayed about six months working in France and then I left to England. Where I spent two years. After that I went on a cruise ship where I did a six month contract, did the world tour, with the ship that actually took me to Darwin. That was my first time in Australia. I didnʼt see anything because it was just like for a day. Then like traveling all around Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Islands, Vietnam and all that. The Maldives and across the Red Sea, Meditteranian Sea, and then to London. So yeah with this trip I visited around 20 countries. A lot of them were like in the meditteranian, Greek Islands and Turkey, Italy and Spain. That was pretty cool! So I did six months and at the

time I had my girlfriend. I was with her on the ship and everything and she didnʼt want to go back for a second contract, which I wanted, but she didnʼt so we decided to go back to the UK. Then we went back to Wales and I stayed in Wales for another six months and then split up. So I had nothing else to do in England so I decided to go to Spain. Learn Spanish, so I went Mayoka. An island close to Ibizza. Everyone knows Ibiza, I presume! I was on that island for a year an a half(as a waiter again) It was really really good. Itʼs one of my favourite places. If I had to live somewhere so far where I have been it would be Mayoka. It was really awesome.

So youʼve learnt Spanish and French is your mother tongue, what else do you want to learn?

Well the things is I wanted to learn Spanish to be able to travel South America. Itʼs easily the main language over there, Iʼve done pretty well, my Spanish is pretty good. Much like my English. Iʼm really happy with the level Iʼve got. But yeah, Iʼd like to learn other languages but you really have to be in the country to learn the language. So I would need to spend five or six months in brazil of Portugal to learn Portuguese or in Italy for six months, cause Iʼd like to learn Italian. But, this is not part of the plan so far… maybe one day Iʼll do it, otherwise Iʼm still pretty happy with the three languages that I speak. Theyʼre pretty useful, especially English and Spanish. They are really the two languages in the world that you really need to communicate with a lot of people. French can be useful in Africa too.

So your plan is to get black Opals and then go to Nepal and become a rich jeweler?

Hahaha well, rich? I donʼt know. But at least do the jewels in Nepal.. the thing is Black Opal is a really expensive Gem stone like theyʼre thousands of dollars for rings, or more than that. Yeah, its really really expensive if you get a good one obviously. Rare but still, we canʼt really sell that in Asia. In Asia people expect everything to be cheap and so weʼre probably gonna try sell that in Europe.

Cool. Thanks for that Thibaud, was there anything else youʼd like to add?

Yes, for anyone looking for an opal jewel, go see Ben Bloore (Opal Bar) every Saturday morning at the esplanade market. He is just the best!!

Chatting with a Bac kpacker

Thibaud

(tee â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bo) Interview by Christina

it's not just a bus ticket! The Greyhound Adventure program just keeps growing with backpackers able to hop on and hop off, book tours, special experiences and even accommodation in a wide range of towns and cities across Australia. You can use your kilometres from your Kilometre Pass to exchange for one of the 250+ exciting adventures that greyhound have accumulated in their Adventure Partnership Program. Greyhound Adventures is designed to give you added flexibility when travelling around Australia, you have the freedom to ʻcreate your own itineraryʼ by combining your coach

travel with tours, experiences and accommodation in one easy transaction. The list of adventures and tours is constantly growing and include just about any type of activity that you may wish to take up while travelling down under. Whether itʼs a 3 day tour of Uluru, snorkelling or sailing the Great Barrier Reef, skydiving, a metro or city tour or even one of the many winery tours the list is on going and there is definitely something for all. Greyhound's Adventure Partnership Program doubled in 12 months, with 250 tours now available with Greyhound Australia. Travellers can choose from hundreds of options whether you want enjoy the

Leave your winter shadow behind you on your way up or doen the East Coast with the Fun in the Sun Pass Sale, with 15% OFF selected Greyhound Mini Traveller and Traveller Passes there has never been a better time to book a Greyhound Pass! Sale end 3oth June. This means that you can save up to $69 when booking these passes simply by using the promo code... All you need to do to get these amazing savings is enter promo code 'FUN10' when booking!

splendours the Moreton Bay, tour wineries in the Barossa, snorkel Great Barrier Reef or balloon over MacDonnell Ranges. Backpackers choose to travel by coach because they want to see and experience the communities and places they visit, with the option to stop wherever and whenever they want. “Weʼve recognised that our Greyhound travellers donʼt just want the bus ticket. They want Greyhound Australia to help them find something to do and see and thatʼs why our Greyhound Adventure experiences are in such high demand,” says Greyhound representative, Mr Thomas.

FIFA WORLD CUP

This June, The most watch sporting event in the history of the Planet is being played!

FIFAWORLD CUP Itʼs on again, and for those of you who donʼt know exactly what it is, hereʼ s a brief outline.

The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup or Soccer World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the W orld Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not contested because of World War II. The current format of the tournament involves 32 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation(s) over a period of about a month – this phase is often called the World Cup Finals. A qualification phase, which currently takes place over the preceding three years, is used to determine which teams qualify for the tournament together with the host nation(s). During the 18 tournaments that have been held, seven nations have won the title. Brazil have won the World Cup a record five times, and they are the only team to have played in every tournament. Italy, the current champions, have won four titles, and Germany are next with three titles. The other former champions are Uruguay, winners of the inaugural tournament, and Argentina, with two titles each, and England and France, with one title each.

The World Cup is the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world, where an estimated 715.1 million people watched the final match of the 2006 W orld Cup held in Germany.[1] The next World Cup will be held in South Africa, between 11 June and 11 July 2010, and the 2014 World Cup will be held in Brazil.

FIFA WORLD CUP

s Coyote Wednesday

FIFA WORLD CUP

FIFA TRIVIA

History of the BALL

"The secret of football is the ball", as German legend Uwe Seeler so eloquently put it, and billions of fans will certainly agree with him. Football is by far the more popular sport on the planet, making the FIFA World Cup™ one of the most important sporting events around the world.

Sporting goods manufacturer adidas have been responsible for the official FIFA World Cup ball since Mexico 1970, but what did they play with before then? Different balls were used for the first and second halves of the first ever FIFA World Cup Final in 1930, since the two finalists insisted on using "their own ball". From then onwards, the host country was

allowed to supply the balls. To begin with, the ball was generally made out of 12 parts, before an 18piece ball was used at the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final, various versions of which were then in service until 1966. The development of the football over the next few decades carried on with experts constantly trying to invent the "perfect ball". The adidas era began in Mexico 40 years ago, and this was when the balls were first given a name. The "Telstar" was made up of 32 special leather panels which made it the roundest ball of its era. After the "Durlast" came the "Tango" which was way ahead of its time in 1978 – so much so that it was used as a model for the ball at the following five FIFA World Cups. "Tango Espana" in 1982 saw the advent of the synthetic ball – still made primarily

of leather, but its water-resistant polyurethane layer made it a true product of the high-tech age. "Azteca", "Etrusco" and "Questra" were in the same mould. The "Tricolore" in 1998 was the first coloured ball to be used, whilst the 2002 and 2006 tournaments were treated to the revolutionary "Fevernova" and "+Teamgeist" balls which were rounder, more accurate and more durable. In South Africa, it will be the "Jabulani", made up of a mere eight synthetic panels, which the teams will have to put in the back of the net. This is the 11th official FIFA World Cup ball which adidas has created, and this one is the most stable and accurate football of all time, proving that impossible truly is nothing!

FIFA WORLD CUP

TROPHY

FIFA WORLD CUP 16

FIFA TRIVIA From 1930 to 1970, the Jules Rimet Trophy was awarded to the World Cup winner. It was originally simply known as the World Cup or Coupe du Monde, but in 1946 it was renamed after the FIFA president Jules Rimet who set up the first tournament. In 1970, Brazil's third victory in the tournament entitled them to keep the trophy permanently. However, the trophy was stolen in 1983, and has never been recovered, apparently melted down by the thieves. After 1970, a new trophy, known as the FIFA World Cup Trophy, was designed. The experts of FIFA, coming from seven different countries, evaluated the 53 presented models, finally opting for the work of the Italian designer Silvio Gazzaniga. The new trophy is 36 cm (14.2 in) high, made of solid 18 carat (75%) gold and weighs 6.175 kg (13.6 lb). The base contains two layers of semiprecious malachite while the bottom side of the trophy bears the engraved year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974. The description of the trophy by Gazzaniga was: "The lines spring out from the base, rising in spirals, stretching out to receive the world. From the remarkable dynamic tensions of the compact body of the sculpture rise the figures of two athletes at the stirring moment of victory." This new trophy is not awarded to the winning nation permanently. World Cup winners retain the trophy until the next tournament and are awarded a goldplated replica rather than the solid gold original.

Are you going to be watching the W orld Cup this summer and fear that you donʼt know enough about itʼ s history? Do you want to impress people while watching the games by bringing up random facts and notes? Or do you simply want to increase your already vast knowledge of the beautiful game and simply seem like a walking version of a soccer encyclopedia? Well, hereʼs a good website for you. http://home.netvigator.com/~andrewshe/ I came across this website which has trivia quizzes on every World Cup from Uruguay 1930 all the way to Germany 2006. The quizzes are pretty fun, because most of them contain facts that many people donʼt know. Did you know that in 2006 in addition to practicing set pieces in training Didier Drogba and his Cote DʼIvoire teammates practiced dance moves? Did you know that in 2002 Ronaldo adopted this ridiculous hairstyle because his son was mistaking Roberto Carlos for him on tv? Did you know that India withdrew from the 1950 finals because they werenʼt allowed to play barefoot? This website has countless facts like that for all W orld Cups and in addition to trivia they of course have general W orld Cup records and statistics. In general, itʼ s a very good website to make you seem like a Soccer Einstein this summer and impress your friends.

FIFA WORLD CUP

Wintersoltice By Ruby Holt

Itʼs a festival of discovery for the inner self A journey through art, live music, meeting people from all walks of life and escaping from the worries of the city for a weekend. People from all over the world their, families also. Meeting new and unique people. Markets, food, local and national artwork, art lessons, music lessons painting lessons, kids tent. Entertainment- ¾ stageschill stage, reggae stage, live music stage and freeform stage. Local and international djʼs and artists. Fire twirling performance, circus performance. Outdoor Deco- banners, walkways lined with ribbons, signs and nets hanging over paths. Shade structures in unique shapes and patterns, overhead sprinklers on dance floors. Massive umbrellas and 2 m wide hoola hoops for anyoneʼs use, massive balls for play Projections patterns and prints projected into the wilderness. Entertainment all 4 days, 3 nights 4 days, (2 main nights 3 days fri sat sun). People dressed as things from different walks of life, tree people, fairies and clowns. Bonfire the size a house, huge dam for swimming in. All different types of food, markets hand made goods. Toilets, showers After travelling down a dry, rocky road for an hour or so the fresh green bush starts to appear and the sun shining on the large, beautiful damn is in site. Tents as far as your eye can see and colourful decorations all around- you know you have just arrived at the four day lifestyle festival Winter Solstice.

People from all walks of life, on an Australian and international scale, come to far north queensland for this yearly music and lifestyle gathering in the beautiful landscape of the Atherton Tablelands. 2010 will be the fourth year Wintersolstice will be held and its horizons expand and brighten everyoneʼs smile who experiences it for themselves. It is a colourful journey through an array of local art work and handmade goods, fire performances and circus acts. Consisting of four very contrasting stages, thereʼs something for everyone. Chill out stage, reggae stage live music and freeform stage display the talents of local and international djʼs, bands and solo artists. The weekend is filled with an array of activities, ranging from art and painting lessons, music lessons, markets, natural healing tents and even a face painting tent for the little ones. You can even hang out with the circus crew and they will show u a trick or two. Shade structures in unique shapes and patterns hang over all the dance floors with overhead sprinklers all around to keep everyone cool. The colourful and imaginative outdoor deco sets the scene for a creative, fun filled environment to meet new and unique people from all over. Weaving around the camping area there are toilets and showers located and a large damn to relax by during the day. At night time experience the colourful decorations and mystifying art work and projections located all around peopleʼs laugher, uplifting music and largest bonfire ever seen. Wintersolstice is a unique festival that captures peoples imagination and leaves them longing for a freedom weekend like this one.

Industry Interview

GET R U O Y

TACXK

Katie

It’s coming up to Tax Time here in Australia – the end of the financial year! This means everyone is getting ready to apply for their tax return! If you are on a working holiday or student visa here in Australia, then pop in and see the girls at the taxback.com office here in Cairns, inside Backpackers World Travel on Shields St! We caught up with Katie, from taxback.com, today to get the low down on what you need to do to be able to get your tax back! Hi Katie! Another busy day in the tax office? Yeah it’s been flat out! Crazy style! We’re coming up to the end of the tax year here in Australia so we’ve been flat out with everyone coming in to find out how much money they can get back! So who is eligible for a tax return? Everybody is eligible to apply for a tax return. If you have been working in Australia, you may have been over paying tax or be able to claim back certain expenses entitling you to claim back some tax. Taxback.com specialise in helping international students and working holiday makers with claiming their tax back. Every customer gets a free quote so you know exactly how much you can claim back before you even apply, so it costs absolutely nothing to find out.

When is the right time to apply for your tax back? The tax years ends on the 30th of June so once you have received your PAYG from your employer which is normally in the first week of July, just pop in and see us. If you don’t receive your PAYG, don’t stress, we can source replacements on your behalf. So, how does a backpacker know if they can get any tax back? If you have been working and paying tax, then you may be due a tax refund for any tax you overpaid. You may be

due tax back for a number of reasons such as you didn’t work the whole tax year, you were paying the wrong rate of tax, you may be able to claim back some expenses for work. Many working holiday makers and students over pay tax and are a due a refund. Taxback.com customers get an average Oz tax refund of $2,500 and we can send you your money anywhere in the world. If you are leaving Australia soon you may also be due a superannuation refund. Taxback.com can organise your superannuation refund also, so that means more money for beers! Forget the goon guys its party time! Do you have to be a resident to get tax back? Good Question! It’s the one we get ask ed the most actually! No one really knows which box to tick! The general rule is if you have been in Australia for 6 months or more then you may qualify as a resident for tax purposes, so it ’s worth coming in for a chat. We will need to ask you a few extra questions to make sure you qualify as a resident for tax purposes but the good news is it only tak es 5 mins! Is it just tax returns for Australia that you do? No absolutely not. Taxback.com organises tax returns from 16 countries. If you have worked in any other country including the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, USA and lots more, come in and see us on the helpdesk. You might be entitled to a refund you didn’t know about! So if someone has just arrived and hasn’t started working yet, what do

they need to know about claiming their Oz tax return? One thing about taxback.com is we just love taking the fuss out of all the paperwork… We take care of all the boring stuff while the backpackers can relax and work on their tan! So if anyone plans to work while they are here in Australia, then they should certainly come and see us before they start working and pre-register for tax. This means they don’t have to think about it again later! We will notify them when it is time to apply and take care of everything! What about Tax File Numbers, can you organise those? Absolutely! It’s certainly who you know when it comes to getting a TFN fast – and we know all the right people! Not everyone realizes you need a permanent address to receive your TFN – With taxback.com, we can apply for your TFN and send it to you no matter where you are in Australia. Any last Advice? Basically if you have worked or even plan to work in Australia come in and see us on the helpdesk, we will make sure you get the maximum tax refund that you are entitled too with the minimum amount of fuss! If you don’t have time to pop in, y ou can log onto our website, www.taxback.com and apply for your tax return directly online, so you don’t miss out.

Check it out

r o f n io t c e ir d ht ig r e h t in u o y W e p o in t

& t c e f r e P e Beaches Th S L O O P K C O R Freshwater rockpools and creeks: Crystal Cascades

33 minutes by car. Head north of sheridan street to Freshwater, then Redlynch until you reach the large brown Crystal Cascades sign. Stunning water holes and refreshing icy cold water cascading down huge, smoth boulders into shallow pools. When you reach crystal cascades, instead of following the footpath on the right, you can venture to the left and find a dirt track to Fairy Falls. A small secluded fresh water waterfall and pool.

Stoney Creek

24 minutes by car, via Captain Cook highway, take your first exist at the last roundabout across from Tjapukai onto Brinsmead Kamerunga road. Follow the road through caravonica till you meet a right turn down Stoney creek road.

Lake Placid

24 minutes by car from the city. This rainforest lake is the home of a multitude of birds and wildlife. Feed ducks, swim in the lake and hire a canoe. With live music at Jungle Jackʼs Boathouse on specific times of the week.

Sandy Beaches: Stretched over 26km of beautiful coastline, Cairns has seven stretches of beaches to choose from. Itʼ s easy to get to the northern beaches via bus or car. Simply follow captain cook highway up north and keep an eye

out for the road signs directing you to the beach you desire.

Machans Beach is the

first beach out of Cairns city. Followed by Holloways beach, Yorkeyʼs Knob, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach and Palm Cove. If you decide to continue driving you will find yourself cruising along one of the most scenic drives in Far North Queensland heading to Ellis Beach, Pretty beach and Port Douglas.

Machans Beach

15 minutes away, just a few kilometers out of Cairns, Kewarra is easily the closest beach to the city, However, it is the most eroded beach out of the seven.

Holloways Beach

18 minutes from Cairns with coconut palm trees overhanging the beachfront. With BBQ facilities and the closest beachfront accommodation in Cairns.

Yorkeyʼs Knob

23 minutes from the city with beachfront parks, a beautiful marina and boat ramp. BBQ facilities and amentities.

Trinity Beach

26 minutes away from the city, Trinity Beach is one of the most popular beaches. Including bars and variety of restaurants along the esplanade.

Including free BBQ facilities, amenities, and water sports equipment for hire.

Kewarra Beach

28 minutes from the city, Kewarra is more of a private and idyllic beach with picnic tables with very little room for tourism development.

Clifton Beach

30 minutes from the city and one minute from Cairns Tropical Zoo. Untouched by tourist development it retains a very laid-back atmosphere.

Palm Cove

35 minutes from the city, this popular destination has small beachfront cafes, 3 of the top 200 restaurants in Australia, nearby shopping centre and a camping ground a short stroll away from the jetty. Sugarworldʼs man made water park of slippery water slides is located in Edmonton, 23 minutes south of Cairns. Admission price for adults is $12.00

Meet the AGEN BACKPACKER TO DO BEFORE WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND A

Selwyn I Cairns manager Definitely do before you leave: White water rafting. To the reef with reef experience and receive a free introductory dive.

Aaron Abby始s Tours sales consultant Definitely do before you leave: SKY DIVE

Narelle Backpacker world travel manager Definitely do before you leave: Check out the Botanical Gardens and the Red Arrow.

NTS

LEAVING CAIRNS

Nicole Holdsworth Peter Pans trainee and cairns local for 17 years. Definitely do before you leave: Skydive mission beach and Uncle Brian始s.

Nicola Travel Bugs Sales Consultant Definitely do before you leave: Great Barrier Reef!!

Sophie Wells Peter Pans. Gold club sales consultant Definitely do before you leave: Visit Josephine Falls.

WORK:

Getting QUALIFIED

Some travellers are fortunate and have enough savings to cover their time in Australia. However most don’t and need to supplement their travels with a little work here and there. For those people- read on. We have listed a few things that might help you stay a little longer. To get a job in Australia, here are a number of things you will need: A tax file number, an Australian bank account, a working visa and a mobile phone. Mobile phones and sim cards are simple to set up, for some places you will need proof of ID upon purchasing the sim. Extremely basic phones are around fiftynine dollars, sometimes less. The more features and fanciness, the more the cost. Once you’ve got your phone and sim, you simply insert the sim card, char ge up the phone and make the free call to activate. Everything you need to know will be in the sim card pack. The only confusing part is choosing which service provider to go with. There are different prices and offers for Telstra, Vodafone, Optus, Virgin and 3 mobile. Check them out and decide which prepaid deal suits you. Generally if you are on the same service provider as your friends, there is usually the advantage of free calls or cheaper texts to one another. Having a contact number will make finding out whether you got the job - quick and convenient. To work in Australia you will also need a Tax File Number (TFN). “Cash in hand” is a term used to describe when you are being paid in cash without tax being taken from your earnings. Being paid “cash in hand” is against the law and employers risk fines in doing this so be careful if this is offered to you as it also puts you at risk if a workplace incident occurs. Contact the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94 if you’re unsure about your pay arrangements. Having a tax file number not only means you get the pleasure of not paying too much tax (29% instead of 49%) but creates a file that keeps track of the amount of tax that has been deducted from your wages. This is beneficial for

when you need to reclaim your tax back. To get a tax file number you will need to apply online at www.ato.gov.au, under the heading ‘What do you want to do?’ follow the link ‘Get a tax file number ’. The only requirements are a valid visa, passport and address. The tax file number in most cases takes 10 to 28 working days after lodgment to arrive. If you haven’t already got a tax file number but already have a job, your employer should have you fill out a tax file number application and lodge it within the first two weeks. Make sure you check that your employer has registered you with the Australian Tax Office (ATO) so that you are being taxed less and can claim all of this when you are getting your tax back. If your paperwork is never lodged it means they may be deducting it from your pay and not paying it to the ATO!!! Feel at ease with your finance while traveling in Australia by joining a recruitment agency. Recruitment agencies are an easy and efficient way to go about getting work especially for the reason that employers prefer to use recruitment agencies to find the right employee. To help avoid the costly and time consuming process of advertising, recruitment businesses are hired by other companies to receive and sort applications as well as undergoing interviews for the job. Company groups such as Grunt and cater to travelers and have a vast variety of positions available to financially support your travel plans. Giving you the opportunity to stay longer or feel less stressed about your entertainment expenses.

Things you will need:

• Working visa. • Resume and references • A contact number and you will need to under go a formal interview. You’re going to need an Australian bank account once you are employed, otherwise your employer won’t be able to transfer money to you. There are five major banks in Australia - ANZ, Commonwealth, Westpac, St George and National Australian Bank. To open an account with either of the previous you will need your passport. Other forms of identification such as a drivers license and/or a bill posted to your Australian address is recommended as well. Once you have your Australian bank account, you will then be able to easily access your money at ATM machines around Australia. Don’t waste your time applying when you haven’t the right credentials to legally receive employment for the job you are seeking. Get the qualifications and get the job!

Claiming Tax:

Travelers such as yourselves are classified as non-Australian residents and with a tax file number; you get taxed 29 percent, which is more than the rate many Australian residents get taxed. However, you still have the right to claim back your tax at the end of the financial year (30th of June 2010) whether you are back home or still in Australia. You can claim your tax online using e-tax (www.ato.gov.au) or with one of the many tax agents listed in the phone book.

MARKETS

C a ir n s, P o r t D o u g la s, Y u n g a b u r r a - T h e y a ll h a v e .. .

Every week there are markets in and within reach of the Cairns city. Here are a number of them, where you can find them and what you’re in for. The Pier shopping centre on the marina holds the environmentally friendly Farmgate every Saturday from 7:30am to 2:00pm. Sourced from local farmers Farmgate Market offers locally grown and made seasonal organic & non-organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, breads, cakes, wines, liqueurs, coffees, teas, chocolates, dried fruits, bio-dynamic dairy nuts, muffins, honey, native conserves & pickles, potted orchids & chillis, sulphur free seafood, organic beef, dips & spreads, spring water, coconut and sugar cane juice. Cairns City Markets in the city centre between the sound shell and the bus terminal. Open every week day 9:00 to 4:30pm. Selling mostly beaded, bones and shell jewelry perfect for gifts and souvenirs. Cairns’ most popular and successful market Rusty's Market is beneath Gilligans backpacker Hotel & Resort (between Sheridan and Grafton street). Stalls are covered in lush fruits and

vegetables, organic and locally grown produce, asian cuisine, flowers, delicatessen and bric-a-brac. Open: Friday – 5am to 6pm;Saturday – 6am to 3pm; Sunday – 6am to 2pm A forty-five minute scenic drive amongst the beautiful rocks and beaches out of Cairns on a Sunday leads you to the Port Douglas Markets. Every Sunday 8am to 2pm the market place is held between the Dickson Inlet and Wharf Street on Anzac park. The Port Douglas markets is an excellent place to pick up a painting by a local artist, some organic food, jewellery and other products. Kuranda Markets are a popular attraction for locals and visitors tucked in the trees beyond a bendy half hour drive. Sculpture, pottery, hand made clothing, flora styled crafts, hand painted plates, art work, oils, gemstones, organic coffee, locally grown coffee, home made tropical fruit ice cream, aboriginal artifacts, toys and handcrafts are only a number of the things you will find. There are two markets in Kuranda - the Kuranda Heritage Markets and the Original Rainforest Markets (est 1978). Both markets are open 7 days a week from 9.30am to 3.30pm. The Original

Rainforest Markets host predominently handmade or handcrafted goods and most artisans are available to discuss their wares with shoppers. The Original Rainforest Markets are located adjacent to the Honey House - the first tourist attraction in Kuranda and celebrating 51 years of operation this year. The Honey House offers free honey tasting and a live bee display. In the market complex there is also a gemstone museum and replica dinosaurs; as well as specialty shops such as Leatherman, Boongar Aboriginal Art and Craft; Ezy Rider Harley merchandise stockists; fantastic food; jewlers creating in their workshops; hemp clothing designer and lots of other interesting stalls. Kuranda Homemade Icecream is actually located in the Original Marker complex. Yungabarra Markets is an hour and eight minute drive out of Cairns passing Gordanvale. This market has been running for twenty two years and has over 250 stalls including local made wines, clothing, flowers, home made crafts and more than you could imagine. Running hours are 7:30 am to 12:30 pm.

ENTERTAINMENT

Cair ns- Open Se ven Nights a W eek!

Cair ns- Open Seven Nights a Week!

Party famous oolshed Cairns make sure itʼs the world ThehaW crazy ve one night out in , dancing on tables,

ing If you ned for its wild party nday kicks off WOOLSHED renowtrageous competitions and games. Su win yourself a ou d an you can re we n atmosphere titio pe com CKER is not IND DATE with the hilarious BL YDIVE CAIRNS. MR & MRS BACKPAFISH RACING SK LD to GO the original skydive thanks ing!), where ndays, Tuesdays is to be missed on Mo(yes you did read that right, gold fish racT BUNGY S HIP HACKET AJ an es CHAMPIONS elv ms the $1000 worth of jockey gets the winning human start off with TRIVIA from 9pm with aCOMPITITION T ays HIR esd WET T-S JUMP. Wedn BUGS then on to the cash and prizes with TRAVEL ky ladies will win up to $500 worth of treat with MEAL luc you for a real in ʼre you where one of d an HT DIES NIG TV show DEAL prizes. Thursdays LA is THE WOOLSHEDS spin off of the bs from the ich gra wh for AL of prizes up OR NO ME SE, AJ azing $3000 worth or NO DEAL. An am h as CDC OPEN WATER DIVE COURIVES FROM suc n, , SKYD wo ING FT RA R board to be TE WA the gorgeous R&R WHITE HACKETT BUNGY, and many more, hosted by toddy and the newest and S y pla IRN to CA r chance SKY DIVE before 8pm to get youAs in The lonely planet once ginger spice. Be in t MEAL!!! NO OR AL ME , me ʼre never going to ge funniest ga in the woolshed, you laid t ge ʼt can you quoted, “if its SHED has devoted laid”! live imminent THE WOOL 10 me 20 ga P rld CU wo D the RL of erage With the WO viding the intimate cov entire balcony to pro screen. e of big the on resents the very cor alia and with sound E WOOLSHED rep str Open since 1994, THd reveller, making it famous across Au on and kick start backpacking spirit an. Check out the $10 meal deal early rld wo ce. pri the t the best throughou quality huge meal at your evening with a

, CITY PLACE SHIELDS STREET

P.J. OʼB

This Trad rienʼs itional Iris h pub is lo absolute c centre of town, and ated in the itʼs the he come nig art of the ht ti city. Live includes entertainm me the en (Wednes ir famous Coyote da Ugly nig t hts live on th y and Saturday), e bar top . If you a with girls dancing Pole Idol re up for competiti some fun on anyone c , an enter. s are held weekly and Locals te the early n d to meet evening, an the for major sporting e d itʼs a number one re in vents on place screens. th

e large We all lov e the Irish welcome , and this th ve Every nig at only the Irish ca nue offers a n extend. ht Great CNR LAK p E / SHIEL rizes & Promos DS ST

Gilligans

est party venue boasting Gilligan's is the Cairns larg rs of punters through the doo thousands upon thousands as ll we as the Locals every week. Popular with week non-stop party stamina all has n's iga Gill , lers vel Tra e 'Div a for l poo the lounge in long. Whether you want to your do or ' ling est Wr lly 'Je in movie', get messy with ss Nation' or summon the cro country proud with 'Babe ely init def will nʼs iga Gill ht', dresser within on 'Flirt Nig EE backpacker meals are have something for you. FR ek from 6 – 9pm. From we available every night of the e k deck by the pool is hom Thursday to Sunday the bac r live bands and DJʼs. We ula to some of Cairns most pop their Summer Lovin Sunday recommend you check out – the only flying fox in a bar Sesh with AJ Hackettʼs Fox in Australia, itʼs crazy! y have done it all; Friday And just when you think the heat up with dress ups and and Saturday Nights really balls, fire shows and live de dance parties, masquera e of the worldʼs favourite acts brought to you by som y ods, Bliss and Eso, Ministr Ho gigs including The Hilltop list the and et mp , Timmy Tru of Sound, RnB Superclub at Gilliganʼs is something nd eke we ry Eve on. s goe different, all upcoming events! check their Facebook for

Rhino Bar

Rhino Bar parties on and on and on , full of non stop fun and laughs wi th a guaranteed book mark in your memories of Cairn s. Wether it's one of their themed nights from Pirate Parties, Christmas in July, Full Moon bright and tight, Dutch Oran ge Day or Rocky Horror picture sh ow or their nightly events with Powe rounds on Monda r y and Wednesday s, Fizziotherapy on Thursdays that also looks after th e lads, Fridays and Saturdays th e Rhinobar and it's amazing party crew rock on till 5am in the mornin g. MC Hot Toddy and D.J Nicko ho sting all week lon g, never fail to entertain you and are always uo fo r giving you as much free stuff as they possibly can. With thousands of dollars worth of giveaways a week , from trips to the reef, Tablelands and around New Zealand to free ca rentals, Sky Dive r s and Bungy jum ps this venue is must on your to a do list whilst in Ca irns. It's the mos fun you can have t with your clothes on. UPSTAIRS, LAKE STREET

GRAFTON STREET

This monthʼs Club DJ DJ: Chooky Origin: Cairns Australia

How long have you been djing for? Iʼve been DJing for about 24 years. Wowee, where did you start? Iʼve started in Cairns, Iʼve been in Cairns all that time… the first bar I worked at wouldʼve been club rendezvous. The little pub on Sheridan street which then became Johnos blues bar. So that was the first place I played at, in the eighties. What do you play? Currently I play dance music. I try not to catergorise it too much. I cover everything from chill out longue right through to drum and bass, house, breaks, electro, a bit of minimal.. Any artists that you can mention? My favourite artists that Iʼm playing at the moment I suppose is…. Van halen(?) What were your influences, that got you into DJing? Well back in the old days I was a break dancer and I didnʼt dance very well so I started organizing the music for the boys in my crew and it just sort of rolled of f from there.

So from a lack of talent in something you sparked a light in something else! Haha, thatʼs pretty sweet. Yeah… So you play mostly at the Lounge? Yeah, Iʼm the resident DJ here. Iʼm here four nights a week. Whatʼs a backpacker in for when they come to the lounge? A little bit of everything. Like I was saying it starts off really lounge-y, then we move into house and when it picks up a little bit sometimes it ends up with a bit of drum and bass.. Depends on the crowd. It changes from crowd to crowd. But to answer yours question: Dance music. We are looking foreward to finishing upgrades and starting a roster of gust DJʼ s soon. For someone who hasn't strayed far from his home town of Cairns, Chooky has managed to play along-side a pretty impressive list of A-list DJ's over the past decade, including internationals Roger Sanchez, Krafty Kuts, Dave

Seaman, Axwell, Chris Fortier, Serge Santiago, Supafly Inc., Tocadisco, Carl Kennedy, Fort Knox 5, Superstyle Deluxe, Freq Nasty, Bodyrox, Hyper, Blim, Cut La Roc, Sharkey, Dave Lee (Slinky), Kai Tracid, Uberdruck and Kaylab as well as Aussie DJʼs Kid Kenobi, Phil K, John Course, Mr. Timothy, Grant Smillie, Ivan Gough, Jono Fernandez, Dirty South, Andy J, Christian Luke, Andy Van, Archie, John Ferris, Peewee Ferris, Matt Kitshon, Mark Dynamix, Danny Bonnici, Matt Nuggent, Ken Cloud, Nick Fish, Declan lee, Jen-E, Thief, Goodwill, Tim McGee, Alex Taylor, Bexta, Sean Quinn, Odyssey, Aniki, Dexter and way too many more to remember .

PULL OUT

CITYMAP 2

Jucy this way

1 Tax

2 Van Rental

3 Waxing

JUNE 2010 Map

5 Medical Centre

4 Pharmacy

Juice bar

4 3

10 Coffee Shop 8

12 Sushi

13 Quality cafe

6 Live Music/Restaurant

7 Pasta

9 15

14 Quality cafe

15 Thai Restaurant

18 MUSIC EVENT

16 FASHION & Swimwear

18 Music

22 DIVE GEAR

23 Extreme Stuff

25 n

18 24 25 T-Fashion

19 Everything Nails

20 Massage

21 Beauty

Cultural Entertainment

Funky Fashion

26 Great FOOD

28 Massage

27 Quality cafe

31 Pool Tables

33 City Location Accommodation 30

27 n

33 32 36 29

35 PIZZA

30 Fresh Baked Cafe

29 Fashion & Great Coffee

32 Study English

Fashion Swimwear

28 36 Skateboarding

42 Tattoo Nation

43 Lawyers

44 Tattooist

Entertainment Venue

$ 44

43 45 Shiva Moon

46 Ugg Boots Specialists

$ Money Exchange

The Lounge

with its plush surrounds, intimate lighting system and Dj's 7 nights a week, sets the mood for what is certainly the best lounge bar in Cairns. It's actually a hip mini dance club; small enough to feel cosy, big enough to swing your hips without inviting a stranger to a pump and grind session! Locals and travelers mix it up, and I would have to categorically state that The Lounge is the only lounge bar or dance club in Cairns that is busy every night of the week. It's located under the Famous Woolshed Bar (there's internal stairs between the two bars), so backpackers are more than welcome to meet up at The Lounge. While at The Lounge we recommend you induge in a few of their delicous cocktails, have a chat and a dance up it up all night long. You will also find the lighting system mesmerising and the music just the right balance, always the last bar open in Cairns... check it out! SHIELDS STREET.

The Pier Bar

The Pier has the most enviable location in Cairns, overlooking the water, across the Coral Sea. This beautiful view of the lapping water and incoming boats and yachts, belong to (possibly) Cairnsʼ classiest venue. However, the hospitality is down-to-earth and itʼs for this reason that the sun deck starts to fill with locals and tourists as soon as the sun starts to set. It has famous pizzeria and char grill food on offer, and is decked out in modern décor inside and out. Professional competitions are held regularly including Bartercard Miss Indy Australia and Best Model Australia, which have attracted some serious contestants

with major prize packages on offer. These are held on a Friday or Sunday night, and the Pier is the place to be seen most nights of the week. THE PIER, THE ESPLANADE

Blue Sky Brewery

Blue Sky Brewery Wednesday NightTrivia with a twist Unleash the Trivia Buff within and join our “Wednesday night Trivia with a Twist.” Cairnsʼ original and only full audio visual interactive night of fun. Itʼs a modern Wednesday night that sees locals and backpackers test their unused portions of grey matter! Registration is Free from 7pm and first questions from 7.30pm. Great Prizes including Blue Sky Brewery food and beverage vouchers, Rebel sports gear, and heaps of random prizes throughout the night. 34-42 Lake St.

Ultimate Party

Famous Pub Crawl style party on an iconic double decker Bus - Cairnsʼ

Original Party Tour. The open top bus will take you on a 5 hour travelling party, with stops at 5 different venues to which you are a VIP guest, courtesy of Ultim ate Party. The value for money is unsurpassable, with a free meal at your first venue, free souvenir group photo, Pizza at your 4th venue, not to mention the chance to win over $1200 worth of prizes with the party games. Itʼs 6 hours of madness and mayhem on the Ultimate Party bus, and for just $25, itʼs guaranteed to be your best night out in Cairns. Call: 4041 0332 to book a place on the bus, or ask your hostel .

Get the Vibe

Vibe Bar is new on the scene of Cairns; giving you friendly service which makes you feel like a local with a V ibe style and atmosphere. Playing the latest and greatest music that letʼs you party the night away. Join them for lunch and dinner and get great value for your well-earned dollar. You can sit down and relax with an Asian and Aussie menu matched with a cold beer, wine or cocktail. You canʼt go wrong with the famous steak sandwich served with a beverage from around $15.00 or treat yourself to a 3 courses Asian banquet feast. Free Wi Fi is also available with any purchase. 39-Lake Street Cairns PH 40 521 494

The Green Ant Cantina

The Green Ant Cantina is the leader of Cairns' Indie scene with an eclectic mix of music. Whether it's DJ's spinning Drum 'n' Bass on a Friday night or local musicians jamming out acoustic originals, the Green Ant is the place to get your music fix. Sunday is open mic night where everyone and anyone is invited to come down and give us a tune. So bring your instrument and a friend or two and enjoy the show! 183 BUNDA STREET

Ultimate party. Talking w Interview by Christina.

Where did the idea originate from? How did the Ultimate Party bus start? We originally started as a party cruise on the gold coast in the mid nineties. We then went over to Cancun Mexico & Ios in the Greek Islands for five years. We started running Parties up here in Cairns in the beginning of 2000. How many times have you guys been on the ultimate party bus? In sixteen years of doing parties thatʼs uncountable. How did you two meet/How did you two become business partners in this successful business? We both started working on another party product on the gold coast and Greece and then brought our ideas up to Cairns.

Is it still an awesome and ultimate experience for you two after the countless amount of times youʼve been doing this? I still get a kick every single time from people at the end of the night saying thanks for the best night weʼve had! The parties vary on different nights so the vibe is different and we mix it up for everybody. On the night you get: VIP treatment all evening, BBQ meal at the start, loads of pizza in the middle of the tour . Free entry and bus transfers all night & loads of party games with over $1000 worth of prizes. You also recieve a Free souvenir photo of your party, a free discount book saving $$$ all over Cairns, a Free nightclub pass to use and even more vouchers! We just basically run a muck, have fun and save you loads of money!

What do you think contributed most to keeping the Ultimate Party popular and going till this very day? Word of mouth is a big thing with us and it is such a great value product so we have so many return customers. Its all about having fun and seeing the great nightlife Cairns has to offer. What makes a really good night for you guys? Just seeing everybody enjoying themselves. Any stories you would like to share of great nights youʼve experienced at work? Oh mate, weʼve had too many here to go on about. Every night is a good night. Do you still pick up girls? Or have you guys got long term girlfriends now? I have a girlfriend now, but yeah Iʼve had my days. Would you like to do this anywhere else in Australia or the world? Well I have done. Iʼve done it in the Gold coast, Cancun Mexico, Ios Greece for five years and also Cape Town in South Africa. Iʼve been all over the world running parties! Thatʼs really rad but what are your future plans for the ultimate party bus? we are intending to expand up here in Cairns with different products in the near future.

with one of the creators.

White Water Rafting, Scuba Diving, Bungy Jumping, Sun Bathing and partying into the small hours is wonderful for the heart and soul, but can be terrible for the hair and skin!

In particular, the tropical heat is great for frizzing up dry hair and burning the skin. And, our air-conditioned nightclubs are fantastic for drying out the skin even more and adding nice dark circles to the under eye area! All is not lost! You just gotta take a bit of extra care to counteract a few of these problems and youʼl be “looking good” in your holiday pics.

HAIR

Your hair grows faster in warm weather, so get it trimmed and stop the ends from splitting. Itʼs proven that cutting off the ends is far more effective than buying products to try and ʻfixʼ the ends once they have split. You should also have a conditioning treatment once a week.

Legs, Chest, Back and Private Parts!

If ya gonna have ya skimpy gear on showing all your bits, for godʼs sake wax em! A professional Waxing is still the best way to get hairs off all your body-bits for both men and women. Shaving is seriously passé and leaves cuts and nicks, giving you that “trailer trash look”. Get waxed all over!

MASSAGE

Anyone who has done the Water Rafting or Cable Skiing

will tell ya – It Aches! Also a massage is great for pre-flight and post-flight cramps and general “Iʼv been stuffed in a chair too small for me for serious amounts of hours”, feeling.

Shopping Highlight

LOOKS MAKE UP

What looks great in wintry London doesnʼt necessarily look great in Sunny Queensland! Get your look fixed to reflect the rays. Did you know that Fabric Nightclub in Cairns has an in-house (well in the loo actually) make-up artist with straighteners and hair-driers on hand for touch ups.

WHERE TO GET THE LOOK IN CAIRNS BeWaxed (located in the arcade through Global Palace from Shields to Lake Streets) Monique will strip your bits. Specialising in Guys hair removal from EVERYWHERE! The Wax Pot and Tanning Studio who are Napoleon Perdi Make Up Artists (they give make-up lessons) Located at 130 Sheridan Street (also in Airlie Beach and Mackay) The Massage Guy who is the ʻnutsʼ when it comes to massage – best in town! He is located in the walkway between The Hair Studio and Intime Clothing on Lake Street. The Hair Studio – Cairnsʼ top Hair Salon, you can trust them with your locks. Cairns Central Shopping Centre has several spa treatments, hair salons and nail bars.

Food around town

D O FO PJ’s New $10 Meal Deal PJ OʼBrienʼs have launched a brand new $10 meal deal which includes a Beer, wine or spirit. The menu is great and PJʼ s street-side dining area is right in the middle of the City Centre where Shield and Lake Streets meet. Itʼ s a meeting hub frequented by divers, rafters and skydivers and a great sports venue too (big screen TV). Backpackers luv the place, and the new menu is a real winner! BULL BAR The Steaks are Flaming Wonderful, accompanied by some of the best seafood on offer. On Tues & Wed before 7pm. you can try your luck at scoring a free meal if you order the ONE KILO steak and finish your plate within 20 minutes. Great Atmosphere for backpackers and located right in town on Lake Street, just past the pedestrian centre. Blue Sky “we love beer so much we put it in our food!” Want some real food with your microbrew beer? Blue Sky restaurant has new chefs and a fresh new menu and its CHEAP! Light Lunch meals from $12.50 that arenʼt mass produced. All your favourites, fish and chips battered in our very own Cairns gold beer batter, Beef potted pie marinated in our True blue Stout and gourmet Pizzas with, you guessed it, beer infused pizzas bases made with our very own Blue Sky Pilsner . Eating Beer never tasted so good! Our Beer Buddies snack menu runs all day for quick bites on the go, or stay and enjoy a Tully taster beer sampler paddle! Try 9 different internationally awarded boutique beers brewed onsite while you finish your succulent rib eye fillet on the bone and watch your favourite sports on one of the 5 huge screens. 34-42 Lake St Spectacular Ochre Local seafood and native ingredients have top

In Cairns, you will never go hungry. From hostels meals, to al la carte seafood, this tropical city is teaming with restaurants and pubs serving quality food. And with the many ʻmeal deals” available, each venue has realised they need to keep the quality up if they are to satisfy the backpackers. Look at These!

billing at this elegant spot that specializes in bush dining. Try the Australian antipasto platter of emu pâté, crocodile wontons, and smoked salmon for starters, followed by kangaroo sirloin with quandong-chili glaze. Some dishes have a Pacific Rim flavor, like the tea-smoked duck with mango or the twice-cooked pork. Red Ochre's signature dessert, wattle seed Pavlova with Davidson plum sorbet, makes a fine finish; or you can linger and sip a glass of Australian wine while nestled into a violet velvet booth. Green Ant The Green Ant Cantina is Cairns' longest running Mexican restaurant. Since 2001, its cult-like following keep coming back for more! Authentic, fresh Mexican meals as well as fantastic steaks, salads and the best kangaroo burger in town! The venue has a tropical beer garden and is covered in amazing artwork by local artists, so go and check out the Green Ant for great food and great fun! The Green ant is located in the heart of a traditional backpacker Haven, surrounded by old queenslanders and although very much IN town, it feels outta town!. Bunda Street (over the rail tracks just behind Cairns Central). Gilligan’s for Dinner!! Where else can you relax by the pool, indulge yourself in live music and enjoy our backpacker meals... Sample our NEW MEAL DEAL menu for $12! Join us for our Cancun Sundaze with our FREE BBQ from 3pm and live music on the deck ! Gilligan’s: 57-89 Grafton Street Woolshed Famous Meal Deal Renowned backpacker Chargrill and Saloon Bar, the Wooly holds bragging rights for maintaining an incomparable level of consistency in food quality. Prime cuts of meats, pizza, pasta, Indian, Thai curries and vegetarian options are on offer at 6pm every night of the week. Just ask any staff at your hostel desk for your meal deal voucher and their stamp of

approval for the famous meal deal that every backpacker comes to Cairns to eat. At the one and only Woolshed (City Mall) La Porchetta Cairnsʼs number one pre-movie eatery, la Porchetta is a superb café-style, Italian Pizza and Pasta Parlour, and located right next to the movie theatre on Grafton Street. Perfect for the ʻfirst dateʼ meal and even more perfect for large groups, La Porchetta prides itself on using fresh ingredients and boasts a huge menu. You can receive 25% off your bill with Cairns Backpacker Xpress (thereʼs a voucher in the Map Section of this magazine), however the prices are already cheap so you will find this an easy choice for a good quality meal at a budget price. Fasta Pasta This is Cairnsʼ Locals favourite pasta restaurant. Simple, Real Italian food served quickly - this is the ONLY restaurant I go to if I am on a tight schedule as their service is second to none and always reliable. Specials are always pleasing, prices are just right and the ambience is casual and fresh. They also do take-away. Simply choose your dish and pick up 10-20 minutes later located centrally on the corner of Shields and Sheridan Street. Call 4041 0388. VIBE Restraurant and Bar Vibe Bar is new on the scene of Cairns; giving you friendly service which makes you feel like a local with a Vibe style and atmosphere. Join them for lunch and dinner and get great value for your well-earned dollar. You can sit down and relax with an Asian and Aussie menu matched with a cold beer, wine or cocktail. You canʼt go wrong with the famous steak sandwich served with a beverage from $15.00 or treat yourself to a 3 courses Asian banquet feast from $25.95. Two great deals that will leave you wanting more. 39-Lake Street Cairns PH 40 521 494

Mild to Wild- Things to do around Cair ns

to th rill se ek ing Ca irn s is a Dis ne yla nd wh en it co me s sur d no t an d ad re na lin ad ve nt ure , all in ec o- ro un ds an a tra shy ro lle r co ast er in sig ht . Where else can you raft the rapids amid glorious rainforest? Our Tully River has some hard core rapids and is a wet and wild adventure that will have your heart racing and some serious laughs in between!

Have you ever taken a BMX bike of f the roof of a purpose built bungy tower, glimpsing the coral sea on the horizon as you go? Here in Cairns our Bungy site has devised 16 dif ferent ways to bungy including the minjin swing and traditional swan dive, plummeting 164 feet with elastic strapped to your legs! How about taking the controls of a helicopter under the instruction of a professional pilot? Quad biking around dirt tracks in the Kuranda Rainforest, or horse riding over creeks

and through the forest? Or take the ultimate adrenalin rush when you freefall from an airplane, and then sweep to the ground under the safety of your parachute? Our own cable ski park is owned and operated by professional wake-boarders and you can try knee-boarding to get you started, or fly over the professional ramps if you are more experienced. Cairns also offers mountain biking, go-karting, hand gliding, absailing, kite surfing, and sea kayaking! Often referred to as an Eco-tourism haven, Cairns is one place you can get together with nature and test your nerves doing activities in a unique environment that will become lasting memories of your holiday in Australia.

AJ Hackett Bungy Jum Ruby

Gravity challenge

Jolene

Christina Ruby

hugging Pelita

C r in oco he di re le

e w s s le n u y it v ti c a n a t â&#x20AC;&#x153;we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sugges

mp!

illing experience of Sharing the spine thr mate was wicked! bungy jumping with a

KETT C A H J A THANKSa great rush for

e tried it out first!” ternoon in Cairns. Exotic escapade, an af e to get to the trees on the other es Did you know saltwater crocodil up to can survive many month, even a year without eating? They can r soak up the suns rays for theie saltenergy. A four metre estuarin on water crocodile, a spotted pythof the and a cuddly koala are a few animals we encountered in our forest afternoon in cairns. In the Rain I Dome, of course! Jolene and to ventured up the Casino elevator the beautiful man made jungle habitat. The zoo was filled with sizes. birds of different colours and top One of which flew close to the of my head. There were nas and kookaburras, cockatoos, igua fresh water crocodiles too. The layout of trees, vines, rocks and forting water fountains created a com illusion of a natural habitat. rent Following the veranda to diffes of heights gave us different viewals. I the jungly dome and its anim of an sat on a bench taking photos when it iguana and got so frightened started to lurch towards me. I laughed at myself not long g afterwards for quickly scurryin so away. Pelita, the cute koala was a small inquisitive crawling through

Ruby, it with a friend of mine, For my first jump I did g vin Ha . nce erie exp g inin and it was a really enterta le. rab mo me re de the day mo mates there with me ma ane ins s wa h hig ters me fifty Leaping off the platform te to any normal human and the complete opposi jump so t the only one in on the beingʼs instinct. I wasnʼ felt I e. like a piece of cak it surprisingly seemed excited! both high-spirited and re we we and invincible the en wh actually kicked in The feeling of fear only , began er, tow the of top at the guys handling the ropes or id ano er. Ruby being par tying up our legs togeth sure re we y the if ed s up ask either just stirring the guy re tight we s leg our und aro e that the towel and rop into the have our torso dipped enough. We wanted to ve our abo ds han our put to us water so they directed before st che our on d down head and our chin presse of us two the e tim s wa it we hit the water. When s platform, peering our toe scuffled to the end of the n at the dow ds hea ked sto our over the edge and facing there ind us counted to three, water. When the man beh to push ng goi t snʼ wa he d lize rea was a pause when we her ! Ruby wrapped both of us over. Then we jumped annoying an ed eam scr h bot arms around me and we s jawfalling with someone wa amount. The feeling of sa wa It r! ulia pec so s wa k dropping and the pull bac we ter wa the r our dip into different level of fun! Afte live bait hanging off the like und aro ing irm squ were heads was unbearable. our to od blo rope. The rush of . He J hael and his rescue raft Thank goodness for Mic dle pad his of d we grabbed a hol paddled out to us and t. boa his ed onto so we could be loosen r bungy se of achievement afte The adrenalin and sen ther ano for nt us pretty impatie jumping left the both of r, we hai our of out ter wa king the jump! Smiling and sha was ich wh ly, jumped individual went again! Except, we er tow the off hop to f sel g my more frightening! Pushin ped off to get it lea ckly qui I but der on my own was har on my ed swinging to and fro over and done with. I lov be rescued. It to h rus a in t snʼ wa I own. This time round water pretty bar lady gave us was so good. Erica, the eaming. The scr the from ats thro which helped heal our chable and good-natured employees were approa re to be in. asu making the scene a ple

spac side and crawling towards new who unfamiliar faces. The people came worked in the wildlife dome hug into her space to check on and her. She was so adorable and affectionate. We sat through afilled ‘Reptile Rap’ by Karina who us to us in on the facts and allowedand pat the fresh water crocodile she spotted python. After her show ted generously let me hold the spots got python, Darth Vadar. My palm an sweaty from fear but it was such zing! exotic experience. It was ama dome The humidity of the rainforestng cold left us quenching for somethi ured and refreshing. Thus, we vent some down to the esplanade to have m lemon and lime sorbet ice crea mery from the New Zealand ice-crea fix! in the night markets. Perfect k Jolene wanted to pick up a boo an from the Cairns city library on so we Australian artist Brett Whitely walked to the library. It was a pleasant change into a quiet and there calm atmosphere. When we gotbooks she rounded up a great pile of and we just relaxed writing and ing. reading in the silent air condition

t AJH The crew a

s ett Cairn yourself! AJ Hack e worlds the plunge fos rfro m 1pmh ay t nd l Su features pose built So to visit if 6pm is the time r u p ck ba t d s lai fir u want a ower, yote t local e p liv ith m W u n. oo J af rn Bungy e ping h jum e t in music and a fre y not nestled wh s, kid e th y castle for t n e w t t th s a lunch at eir rainfore s from purchase u could Aussie BBQ. Yo minute wer and to e . th b y clim Cairns Cit even p or two. Before y Itʼs the only bung planet that e th operation on ferent jump offers sixteen dif ditional tra styles from the off the ing rid to swan dive e. So roof on a BMX bik st time fir a wether youʼre to just y pp ha d jumper an or a get off the edge eker se seasoned thrill p style jum e iqu un thereʼs a vered. co u that will have yo y ng bu a Watch out for gle jun in inj m a jumper or take uld co u yo or er swing

try a jum lf off into throwing yourse the time ke ta e, open spac erful scenic to see the wond can you e els view. Where worldʼs e th of w see a vie rrier famous Great Ba Reef? s: AJ Operating hour is open s Hackett Cairn for ar ye a ys 364 da d se lo (c n io at er op m fro y) Da Christmas pm 00 5: – m 10:00a

High Energy Activities

ne is Anyone can do it. Everyo Only a 15 minutes drive from Cairns is the cable ski facility where you can try kneeboarding, wakeboarding or waterskiing. Operated by professionals you get a good introduction at the beginning what makes the whole start easier. Also, if you have experience the staff can always provide you with more knowledge on how you can achieve a better technique for gliding over the rails or for the different turns and jumps. It was my first time on a kneeboard and wakeboard this week and I have to say, If I can do it, everyone

wakeboard. So if you have some can do it! :-) surfing, kite surfing or For beginners, it takes a few snowboarding experience; better laps on the kneeboard to get to and easier for you. The cable know how fast it goes and how machine is not too fast so it's you have to handle the board perfect to try some 180's, 360's under you to guide it in the or other tricks. One thing: after direction you want. After a your first hour of cable skiing be couple laps I switched to a prepared for aching arm wakeboard. First attempt: I muscles! Take the next failed! Second Attempt: opportunity and go for a ride on Yeeeaaaah, I was wakeboarding! the water at Cable Ski Cairns, So cool, the feeling to glide on you will have lots of fun! The the water and to lie into the turns park is open 7 days a week from is just amazing. My friend who 10AM until 6PM. CBX went with me can do kite surfing and for him it wasnʼt a problem to go from the start on the

S Y A D S R U H T R E K iing BACKSEPSSAIOC r and 2 hours of sk ne in D Q B B es ud cl N, in

hours of Skiing for ht which gives you 2 nig er ck pa ck ba ial ec sp BBQ dinner Thursday nights is the cker Special night a pa ck Ba on us Pl 0. Just $39.0 Free of Charge the price of one hour. u will be picked up Yo p. ea ch e ar ks e drin at 9.00 PM. Book is included and th 6.30 PM and ends at ts ar st It ) rn tu from your hostel (re Ski Cairns directly: ception or call Cable now at your hostel re

NIGHT TIME

Tel: (07) 4038 1304.

doing it!

HOW TO GE T T H E R (Read this, be Eed cause you ne

directions) Cable Ski is up the Cap located just 10 minut es tain Cook H ighway. Buses arrive ou ts id e Tj leaves you apukai whi ch w car park to ith a walk through th e find the ca ble ski park Alternativel . y bus which you can catch a Sun is means you a “hail and ride”. Th is ca at the cable n ask to be dropped off ski slip road across the , and walk grass. CABLE SK I PICK UP Gather 4/5 fr Cable Ski w iends or more, and ill How easy is come and pick you up ! th to arrange a at! Just call 4038 1304 time.

Tell the bus driver, and he’ll stop right outside!!! 74

The Great Bar rier Reef

Certifi ea I’ ve lo ng ed to be co m e tim ng lo a ite qu r Fo y d fin all y, I ha ve go t m an r ve di a ub sc n. ed ifi rt ce wa te r di ve ce rt ifi ca tio en op ed iz gn co re lly tr uly in te rn at io na en ta lly de m an di ng , bu t it all m d an y all ic ys ph ty et wh en It wa s pr ye d it all so m uc h th at jo en d an d ve r lo I g! in am az I fe lt so m et hi ng sim ila ng ni or m xt ne e th d, in g ca m e to an en rn ed m e th at af te r be wa dy bo No ! ty xie an n e to se pa ra tio r a fe w da ys I’ d fe el th fo a se at t ou d an er un de rw at fiv e- da y g on lan d is. I di d th e in be d an bl w ho of k sh oc ed ; tw o da ys of th eo ry ud cl in h ic wh se ur co e op en wa te r di ve re e da ys of liv in g on th th d an , ol po e th in g an d le ar ni ng ie r re ef on a gr ea t bi rr ba t ea gr e th at t bo at ou az in g do es n’ t it? ca ta m ar an . So un ds am

I really lucked out by choosing to go for my open water dive certificate with Deep Sea Divers Den. I purely chose it because I love sleeping under the stars out at sea, and I thought a night dive would be awesome, considering more sharks come out at night; and a course that incorporated this was hands down the winner. Little did I know what I was really in for! Deep Sea Divers Den is a highly recognized five and a half star PADI dive course company and most importantly my dive instructor, Oli, was ace at his job! He was very safety conscious and unlike some other dive instructors or masters, he gave us a lot of bottom time (duration underwater). DAY 1: I was required to do my dive medical to see if I was physically capable of diving. The entire class passed their dive medical and then the theory kicked off. We all needed to purchase a thick text book, which gave me the impression of no fun, at least for a few days. But I was wrong! Everything important in text was explained in a dive video that we watched in class. At the end of every chapter Oli went over the text book questions and elaborately explained the answers so we could all completely understand. The most important thing to remember is to never hold your breath! Next was pool school. We had to tread water for 10 minutes and swim 200 metres. It felt like forever. After proving we could swim, we were introduced to the diving gear: - BCD (Buoyancy Control Device, jacket) - Tank (air supply) - Regulator First Stage (reduces cylinder pressure to intermediate pressure) -Second stage/Regulators (sourse of air)- Computer (depth gauge and timer, calculates a safe ascent rate to avoid getting decompression sickness)- Wet suit (avoids loosing body heat, helps buoyancy, feels sausage like)- Weights, snorkel and mask. We were taught how to assemble and arrange all of the dive equipment. When we had all our gear together, we put it on, did buddy checks, deflated our BCDs, sunk into the water and practiced breathing. Oli demonstrated how to get water out of our masks. He did this by filling his mask with water, tilting his head up to the surface, pressing his fingers against the top of his mask and blowing air out of his nose. One by one, underwater he came around and filled our masks so we all had a go at getting the water out. Next we learnt how to continue breathing out little bubbles after taking our regulators out from our mouth, dropping it, finding it and then putting it back in. After that I learnt how to signal underwater that I was out of air. Followed by asking my dive buddy if they could share their air, and all the directions after the ʻokayʼ. A lot for something so simple! This was a bit scary, at the time.

ed! But like everything else, it was fun! My last dive lesson for the day was decending (going down) and ascending(going up) with my buddy at arms length by deflating and inflating my BCD respectively. DAY 2: we went straight into setting up our dive gear. Put on our dive attire and then learnt how to step into the water. It was really simple. Later on we took turns tugging our buddies to the other end of the pool, etc. My favourite part was practicing our buoyancy, watching each other hover under water like genies. Lastly in the pool we learnt an emergency ascent, for when you run out of air and need to get to the surface fast. Pool school was over and then we watched more of the dive video. There was one more quiz and then we sat our final exam! I was a little nervous but all was good. Super relieved and pleased that I passed. Next day we were sent out to sea.

That night I picked up a digital camera from Wet Rez. Located on the esplanade opposite McDonalds and the Lagoon. They are $35 a day, which is a lot cheaper than what most of the dive boats charge per dive! I始m so glad I got the digital underwater camera because I was able to take as many photos and videos as I liked. The flash captured the colour of the coral better than our naked eyes could see it! The deeper the depth of water the more significant loss of colour and contrast is visible when you are scuba diving. Due to the water absorbing the wavelengths of sunlight you lose the colours red and orange, so everything appears to be more of a blue-green colour. Using flash paints in any of the missing colours when close to the subject. Gotta have one! There isn始t a better way to show the amazing experience of being underwater than visually expressing it. Camera, check. Then it was research time.. Reef Teach is a very unique, entertaining and inspiring marine life class that goes for only two hours. 6:30 to 8:30 every night from Tuesday to Saturday. Located upstairs

the Mainstreet Arcade, between Grafton and Lake street. It costs $15 for adults and it includes a few freebies. DAY 3: Eagar and excited we all boarded onto SeaQuest, a two story boat. When we were done with our dive gear we all shifted upstairs onto the sun deck and were split into two groups for our underwater at Clipper Norman Reef. I saw a huge turtle meters below me when I hopped in to do some snorkeling. The visibility was fantastic and I was so pleased that it didn始t take long at all for me to see something delightful and exciting. All the students headed back to the boat to get ready for some scuba diving with our dive instructor. Before we stepped into the sea to head under to 12 metres, Oli told us what we were required to demonstrate everything we had learnt in the pool. Underwater revision so to speak. Back on board, I soaked up some sun and the boat started moving to another part of the reef to give us more variety and again we went for another dive! When we got back to the boat, our boat SeaQuest joined sides with the three level liveaboard catamaran, OceanQuest! we all transfered onto the boat for the next two nights. It was incredible fun! Day 4: Everyone on the boat had the option of doing a 6:30 morning snorkel. The shallow reef at sunrise was glorious! I had a really rad dive at Tropos Norman Reef. The coral surroundings were enticing and huge. We spotted and avoided a Titan Triger fish. The type of fish that can be very aggressive in reproduction season, so we avoided swimming directly above it. I also came across a giant clam, leopard skin sea cucumber and a great barrier aneome fish. I felt so amazed at the end of the dive and to top it off it was our last dive as open water students! We got together on the top deck, filled out our dive log books and high fived for being certified. Day 5: Use your imagination!

Muchas gracias to all the staf f and fellow divers that made my experience enjoyable. Check them out www.diversden.com.au

The number 1 way to see the reef!

View From Above If there is one thing about the destination of Cairns, the scenery stands out as simply magnificent. Whatʼs more, the sheer size of the Rainforests sweeping down to the Coral Sea, when viewed from above, will take your breath away. In fact, there is no better way to ʻvisitʼ the Great Barrier Reef than to actually view it from the sky. This is why you will notice the postcards of the area

are nearly always featured from above. If you were ever going to take a ride of you life, then by all means, Cairns is a first class area to try a helicopter ride. The thrill of the ride alone is an adventure, however, the views will give you picturesque memories forever. Heli Charters are available for a quick tour around the city area (10 minutes), to complete visits to the outer barrier reef. A 20 minute rainforest tour, takes

you up the Barron River to the spectacular falls then returns you along the coastline, or you can have your helicopter lift you over the reefs and join Osprey V for lunch and diving or snorkelling. This is by far a ʻcompleteʼ way to really see why The Great Barrier Reef is recognized as the eighth wonder of the world - from above and from under the water. Highly recommended.

CONTENTS

Le a r n to D i v e Wo r ld w id e

A short dive course will not only give you the chance discover the Great Barrier Reef during your holiday, but will give you a licence to Dive around the World Forever…

Thereʼs the Learn To Dive course, which is a qualifying course that will give you certification as a recreational scuba diver. On completion of the course (which takes an average of 5 days total) you are given a license that is usually valid for life and is recognized around the world. The course usually includes a few days completing pool dives and knowledge development sessions and finish with making four open water dives on The Great Barrier Reef. There are also “Referral Learn To Dive” programs, which give you a chance to get your open water license in two parts theory at home and practice here on the Great barrier Reef!. Once you have all the beginner stuff out of the way, Advanced Open Water courses are the important first step in continuing your dive education. It is designed to give the newly certified or not so experienced diver added confidence and enjoyment in their diving through additional skills and training.

80 80

Further training The Rescue Diver course is where the diver moves beyond recreational diving. By expanding their knowledge of the "science" aspects of diving and rescue/emergency techniques, the diver is now equipped to appreciate and understand the importance of training relevant to diver safety and incident management. On to the “serious stuff” a Divemaster course is the first level of the "Professional" ratings. On successful completion of this program you will be qualified to supervise recreational diving activities, either boat or land based. It also allows you to act as an Instructional Assistant, and is the minimum rating required for employment in the diving industry. And for those of you who love dicing so much you decide to make a career of it: The Instructor Development Course is a two-week program combining a mixture of training in the pool and classroom academic modules presented by yourself, the course director & fellow candidates. So whether you want to take up a new hobby, or carve out an entire career, these courses are designed to take you there. SSI is a worldwide certification program that have a global network of dive operators for all diving activities. For more information: www.ssidiving.com. To book a diving course or enquire about SSI International Scuba Schools, call 02 49664877

e iv D r e d n U wn o D th wi e is ru c Day Friendly faces greeted us, although we were the last to board after running down the wharf because we were late for our day cruise. I was introduced individually to all the charismatic crewmembers that were on deck, and then sorted with flippers and a mask. Everything was smooth and well organized, down to the g neat racks where you stashed your divin inside went then We gear. eling or snork for our dive briefing whilst the boat started and headed out to sea. Mitsy, the dive instructor easily engaged all of our attention by including a bit of seamanly satire in his dive briefing. Time zoomed by and before we knew it we were at the brink of the reef, probably because Mitsy was making us laugh by warning us not to worry if a woman is overboard; of the people we shouldn’t punch on the boat is and for us to not hand signal something wrong underwater and then point at another diver as the problem - also we were on one of the fastest day trip vessels, Osprey V. Before we got into our dive gear we slip, slop, slapped on some sunscreen and sat in the sun on the front d of the boat. I had three dives. The secon dive was incredible, pretty close to my favourite dive so far! We saw a green turtle swimming against the current

beside a high wall of different coral, a huge school of spotted sweet lip fish, clams and a lot of bi-colour parrotfish. It was so rad! I really regret not hiring an underwater camera for the day, especially because the visibility was unreal. The crew happily helped with our dive equipment while we were hopping out and while we were out of the water. Following our second dive was a hearty lunch buffet of steaks, sausages, fish, prawns, salami, pasta, salads and complementary wine. The variety was good! After lunch we relaxed on the boat in for forty minutes, said hello to the capta to red prepa got then and in the cockpit jump back in for another guided dive. Getting a guided dive is the best way to find all the fascinating creatures of the sea. The dive masters generally have a lot more experience on the reef and obviously know where the good spots are. Mitsy, our friendly dive instructor accumulated 600 dives at the Great Barrier Reef, so we swam along with him! He lead us to the ‘castle’ (a castle shaped bombie) getting us there a lot faster by cutting corners. We passed around sea cucumbers, touched the smooth and soft edges of the insides of large clams and held crazy coloured

nudibranchs/sea slugs. The guided dives were only an extra $10 and were definitely worth it. Once our dives were over, my beautiful buddy and I went snorkeling. It was really refreshing to swim around freely without all the gear strapped to us. The reef is a never-ending splendor, beside the beautifully coloured and contoured coral, we spotted a Potato Cod Fish (a large stretched looking spotted fish) and many species of angelfish. Lastly we took turns trying to hold our breath in attempt of getting deeper and closer to a beautiful purple clam. We swam back to the boat and then snacked on some crackers and cheese while we filled in our dive logbooks. Referring to the reef teach marine life charts was a handy way of learning and remembering what kind of ray or fish we saw in our dives. I had fun hanging about the boat and talking to some of the crew. When the cruise was over, out of courtesy I volunteered to help out and clean the boat a little bit, because I had such a beautiful day. Overall the whole day was lovely, relaxing and fun. Osprey V is an unbelievably speedy vessel! It reached the reef quicker than all the other boats which meant we had more time in the water!

Accommodation around Cair ns 84

Cairns has been servicing backpackers since the 1970’s, when it was just a sleepy town with the highest building being the hospital. Back then, small hostels were available for the stereotypical backpacker, making his way around Australia on little, to no financial means. As backpacking has evolved through the 80ʼs and 90ʼs, so has the style of accommodation. Backpackers who came here years ago and fell in love with the place have opened their own backpacker hostels, where you can sit and meet the owner in an intimate setting and share great stories. Share houses have also become popular. You can rent a private room in a stunning house with a pool or spa, shared with a few fellow travellers and pay only part of the rent and utilities. This is probably the greatest value accommodation you could wish for, especially if you are planning on a longer stay (One month or more). Cairns Sharehouse.com (www.cairns-

sharehouse.com) has an excellent reputation for clean, luxurious accommodation especially for travellers. General standards of hostels have changed from aging Queenslanders with minimal luxuries, to clean, comfy and private rooms, with many extras and a ʻfamilyʼ of staff who can also book your tours and give you personal travel advice. Since the 2000ʼs, Cairns has blossomed a “5 star experience”, with resort style backpackers offering check-in facilities, private rooms with en-suite, and some go so far as a gym and spa, in purpose built buildings. The “flashpacker” can certainly live in style here in Cairns. Of course, the combi van is still the

number one backpacker dream-home! And even these have been customised to suit the ever-demanding traveller with companies such as Wicked Campers having a fleet of vans with their signatory paint jobs ready to take you anywhere you wish to go. Depending on your length of stay and whether you can bear your girlfriend screaming down the tent every time a leaf flutters outside, or you have just arrived from the un-luxurious Asian hostels and require some pampering on the Australian leg of your tour, for sure, you have some incredible choices here in Cairns.

A1 Inn the City

International Hostel

Banana Barracks

JJ’s Backpacker

Bohemia Central

Jungle Lodge

141 Lake street, Cairns P: 4051 3633

67 The Esplanade, Cairns P: 4031 1545

50 Butler Street, Tully P: 4068 0455

13 Charles st Cairns North Freecall 1800 666 336

100 Sheridan Street Cairns Freecall: 1800 558 589 P:4052 1818

Cape Tribulation P: 4098 0033

Bohemia Resort

231 McLeod Street Cairns, Qld 4870 Freecall: 1800 155 353 P: 4041 7290 Nomads Beach House

239 Sheridan Street, Cairns P: 4041 4116 Cairns Girls Hostel

147 Lake Street, Cairns P: 4051 2016 Cairns Share House

17 Scott Street, Cairns P: 4041 1875

Calypso Backpackers

5 Digger st Cairns, P:4031 0910

Cape Tribulation Beach house

Cape Tribulation P: 4098 0300

Caravella Backpackers

149 Esplanade, Cairns P: 40512431

Castaways Backpackers

207 Sheridan st P: 40511238 Dreamtime

4 Terminus Street, Cairns P: 40316753 Ferntree Hostel

Cape Tribulation P: 4098 0033

The Grand Hotel

Cnr Shields/McLeod Sts, Cairns P:4051 1007 Gilligans Resort

57-89 Grafton Street, Cairns P: 4041 6566 Globetrotters International

154-156 Lake st Cairns P: 0419744431 Global Palace

Central – 9b Sheilds st, Cairns P: 4031 7921 Esplanade – 67 Esplanade Cairns P: 40311545 Port Douglas – 38 Macroccan St P: 40995641 NJoy!

141 Sheridan st, Cairns P: 4031 1088

Koala Adventures

137-139 Lake Street, Cairns P: 4051 4933 Kuranda Backpackers

6 Arara Street, Kuranda P: 4093 7355

Mission Beach Retreat

49 Porters Promenade Mission Beach P: 4088 6229 Northern Greenhouse Backpackers

Accommodation around Cair ns

Listings

117 Grafton Street, Cairns P: 4047 7200 On The Wallaby

Yungaburra P: 4095 2031 Pam’s Place

Cooktown P: 4069 5166 PK’s Jungle Village

Cape Tribulation P: 4098 0040

Port O’Call Eco Lodge

7 Craven Close, Port Douglas P:4099 5422

Rosie’s Backpackers

136 Grafton Street, Cairns P: 4041 0249 Ryan’s Rest

18 Terminus St, Cairns P: 4051 4734

Scotty’s Mission Beach House

Mission Beach P: 4068 8676

Shenannigans Backpackers

Cnr Spence & Sheridan St Cairns P: 4052 2490 Sunray Guest House

4 Minnie Street, Cairns P: 4041 3330 Serpent Hostel

341 Lake street P: 4040 7777

Sleeping with the Enemy

77 McLeod St, Cairns P: 1300 309 468 Travellers Oasis

8 Scott Street, Cairns P: 4052 1377 Tropic Days

26-28 Bunting Street, Cairns P: 4041 1521 YHA Cairns

20- 26 Mcleod street, Cairns P: 4051 0772

Sighting around the region...

CAPEt i o n

Tribula Cape Tribulation: ancient forests, curious and fascinating wildlife, cool watering holes sprinkled with waterfalls, all sitting pretty on a stretch of pristine, white sand beaches and blue/green ocean that houses The Great Barrier Reef. This is what travellers dream of, and is where those lovely picture books of Australia get those wonderful images that entice you to ‘paradise’.

The Daintree has some spectacular attractions and excellent accommodation choices making this World Heritage Listed Rainforest far more accessible than its competitor - The Amazon. For this reason, backpackers have always included a trip to Cape Tribulation in their Cairns itinerary staying at popular backpacker resorts. Self-drivers love the trip up to Cape Trib (approx 2 ½ hours) with the impressive coastal road throwing a photographers dream of endless landscape shots (transfers are also available with PKʼs). Eco-tourism is high on the agenda in Cape Tribulation, and it has won many awards for sustainable tourism to protect the

location with miles and miles of sandy coves. Cape Trib is a quiet and relaxing environment, but you can still party with the Paradise Parties at PKʼs Jungle Village.

Some History:

ancient rainforest that has more than 3000 plant species and is home to about a third of Australiaʼs mammal species. As 13 of these species are found nowhere else in the world, you should try one of the many wildlife spotting adventures on offer in the region. Getting high in the Rainforest is also popular… with Jungle Surfing Canopy Tours. 6 high platforms and 5 flying fox runs – THIS is the most exciting way to see the Rainforest from a distinctly different view! Another way of seeing the WILD side of the Daintree is to jump on an Ocean Safari adventure where you can be whisked to the Reef super fast. Beach Horse Riding, Fruit Tasting, 4 WD Driving, Night time Wildlife Spotting Walks, and Sea Kayaking are also popular pastimes, and itʼs a great beach

In 1770 Captain Cook was sailing the Endeavour up the east coast, and making a chart of the coastline. He struck a reef about 40 kilometres north east of Cape Tribulation, now called the Endeavour Reef, and he named the point he had charted earlier in the day “Cape Tribulation because here began all our troubles.” There are great views of Cape Tribulation and the fringing reef as you descend into the Cape Tribulation Valley from the Noah range. This road follows the Aboriginal walking trails. There were once 200–300 Kuku Yalanji people living in the region, who had an abundant food supply from the rainforest and the reef. The Mason family was the part of the first group of Europeans to settle at Cape Tribulation in 1931 and they progressively tried to earn a living from fruit and vegetables, timber cutting and cattle. Produce for the Cairns market was transported by boat to Cairns on a weekly basis. It was not until 1962 that a real road reached Cape Tribulation,

Discovering Cape Tribulation 88

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Jungle out and it initially ended at the southern end of Coconut Beach, meaning that to get to Cape Trib, cars had to drive along the beach! Mt Sorrow looms over the Cape Tribulation valley at 850m high, and is responsible for Cape Tribulation having one of the few tropical climates in Australia, with high temperatures, high humidity and high rainfall occurring throughout the year. This climate provides the right conditions for rare tropical fruit trees which are normally only found near the Equator, which is why two commercial fruit orchards are located here. Don't miss the opportunity to sample some rare tropical fruits from farms, cafĂŠs and roadside stalls in the area.

Cape Tribulation became famous amongst young travellers and backpackers in the early 1980s, on the trail from Goa, Katmandu and Bali and is now one of the most recognizable tourist icons of the world. There are many things to do at Cape Tribulation, including diving and snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef; exploring the rainforest with guided walking tours, on horse back or independently. To appreciate the wonderful view of the coastline and see where the rainforest meets the reef, paddle the coast in a sea kayak, and to learn more about the area visit The Bat House and eyeball a bat. If you just want to relax and enjoy the surroundings you can wander the

deserted beaches which stretch for miles, meditate in the rainforest, or book a massage or spa therapy, and join yoga on the beach in the early morning. Cape Tribulation has a range of different types of accommodation to suit every visitor, all in superb natural settings â&#x20AC;&#x201D; four star, three star and budget resorts, backpacker hostels, bed and breakfasts, holiday houses, and camping grounds. There is a small cluster of shops at Cape Tribulation which includes a pharmacy, two small supermarkets, an interpretive centre,a cinema and four restaurants within walking distance.

There! â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rainforest wilderness like nowhere else in the Worldwith all the amenities tucked neatly in the jungle- A ccommodation, convenience store, A TM, party bar, tours and loads more. Give it a go!!â&#x20AC;?

Lance (publisher)

When you’re headi ng down South ... Heading South... 90

Despite being a small and slightly bohemian café precinct on the beach, Airlie is equivalent to the massive Bondi Beach in popularity – especially for backpackers. Itʼs tight-knit, fun loving and carefree community marries with itʼs stunning beach – the gateway to The Whitsundays – and has become the “Must Stay” spot when travelling South from Cairns or North up the East Coast of Australia. Whichever way you are going, Airlie will no doubt become part of your itinerary and you will take some magic memories from there. People relax in Airlie… itʼs got the “Manjana feel”, and as a result, people are themselves in Airlie, which consequently means you will meet some great people! Thereʼs plenty of partying, yet in a laid-back style, if you can possible imagine how those two contradictories nestle together! Diving is fantastic, with the Whitsundays within 3 hours sailing from the Airlie, lots of activities and really cool and welcoming bars too. The appeal of Airlie is no doubt the fact that it is the epitome of a beach town , and embraces everyone who visits, sometimes enamouring stop-over tourists so much that they stay for many weeks! With the sand streaming through your toes, youʼll love everything about Airlie. Plus you may get to stay at Magnums, the worldʼs best backpackers! Sometimes we wonder whether people flock to Airlie to see Airlie – or to stay at Magnums! Itʼs located right over the road from the main meeting hub – The Lagoon, - and has a famous “Party Boardwalk” as well as itʼ s entertainmentstacked Bar. Dorms, private rooms and even tent sites are all available and from eighteen bucks too.

AIRLIE BEACH