WELL TRAVELLED
SCREEN-TIME VS TURTLES Cairns provides families with the chance to step away from the screens and dive into nature.
WORDS BROOKE LOWTHER SCREEN-TIME VS TURTLES. Just to be clear … this is not the title of a video game. Quite the opposite. When I hear parents talking now, I usually wait for the conversation to move to the words ‘screentime’ followed by a sigh and an excuse as to why their child is sitting playing on a device while they are complaining about it. As a kid of the ‘90s, building cubby houses, bike riding through the streets of Shailer Park and Daisy Hill and finding ourselves exploring creeks and terrorising the neighbours was a part of every weekend. Gameboy and Nintendo on the old Atari were in most households at that stage, however, we rarely felt the urge to use them. Now, I get frustrated talking about the increasing use of screens to entertain our kids because, as a parent, I feel the responsibility and power lies with us. It is our job to guide and educate and to help shape the adults of tomorrow. I wanted to challenge the status quo, so when I had another opportunity to travel to Cairns, I decided to take my 12-year-old daughter with us. I really thought about what I wanted this trip to look like.
74 covemagazine.com.au
– Issue 88
I searched for accommodation that had great facilities that would cater to children, as well as adults, and decided on The Pullman Palm Cove. We checked in on Friday evening, leaving Brisbane after school and work was done and dusted. We enjoyed large rooms, and the apartment mimicked unit-style living – perfect when travelling with children. First stop was dinner and we decided to try the in-house restaurant, Temple of Tastes. With a delicious Southeast Asian menu, it was just that – a temple of absolute taste. I had looked at all the adventure activities we could possibly fit in, including time around the hotel itself. We took advantage of their free bike hire, spending an evening cycling to the end of the peninsula and back. The rooftop barbecue and private sauna also had us staying in and cooking up a delicious meal. I then went on the hunt for activities around Cairns that would take my daughter’s experiences to the next level. I found a fantastic child-friendly all-day boat adventure that was very affordable. It incorporated snorkelling and scuba diving and also offered an introductory course to diving for children 12 years and above … perfect.
The company, Ocean Freedom, is run by a family who has lived in the region for over 25 years, and this fully-catered day on the water, island hopping, was just what I was after. However, what I was looking forward to the most was seeing how my daughter would be on the boat trip. She was extremely hesitant to go snorkelling because of her fear of sharks, but once we jumped in and went under the sea before kicking along the surface, she was in another world. With back-to-back activities, our three days at the Pullman Palm Cove were such a treat. The food and service were 5-star and the luxury of bike riding and swimming had my daughter’s name written all over it. And my name was written all over the Vie Spa, where I had a full body massage and facial. I think gliding out of there at the end of the stay was exceptional. The adventures at The Pullman Palm Cove and the experience of snorkelling with Ocean Freedom was a trip we will all never forget. A chance to put down the screens and bond with nature, but, most importantly, bond with each other.
