Yorkie’s Knob and Cairns, Queensland, Australia

The morning found us anchored off shore from tropical Yorkie’s Knob, which is in the far northeast corner of Australia. The small town is bordered on one side by the sea and mountainous rain forest on the other. It is a good jumping off point for people wanting to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef.

Not planning to go snorkeling, we took the 30-minute tender ride into Yorkie’s Knob and then the shuttle bus into Cairns. From there we planned to go into the rain forest and then walk around the city. Cairns is a pleasant beach resort with a large casino that draws people from Asia.

Ship Tender

Going into Cairns, we passed fields and fields of sugar cane. Most of the sugar produced in Australia comes from there. The shuttle bus driver said that sugar cane provides far more energy for fuel than corn. I wonder if US fuel producers know this. They are so fixated on corn. Coffee is also grown there.

When we arrived in Cairns (pronounced Cans by the Australians, and they actually do say G’day), we saw several military vehicles in the park with uniformed military personnel standing next to them. One of the tourist information volunteers told us that a local battalion was holding a parade and ceremony that day. We stopped and talked to two of the soldiers and learned that the 51^st Battalion of the North Queensland Regiment was commemorating the 100^th anniversary of its formation during WWI. Following a service being held at nearby St. Monica’s Cathedral, representatives and veterans of the battalion would parade through town and a ceremony would be held at the park.

We had planned to go to the local tourist information office and find a tour going into the rain forest but decided to stay in town for the parade and ceremony. Seeing the human element of an area is far more important to us than viewing some of its sights.

At noon, we watched the band, members, and veterans of the 51^st Battalion of the Australian Army march by the ANZAC Memorial and down the street along the waterfront. We stood across from the reviewing stand where a major general took the salute. Afterwards in the park, we listened to the speeches honoring the group’s history and its current mission serving as the eyes and ears of north Queensland, doing surveillance along the north coast of Australia. At the conclusion of the ceremony, three Army military helicopters flew over and the soldiers marched off the field as the band played Waltzing Matilda. We were pleased that our visit coincided with this ceremony.

51^st Battalion of the North Queensland Regiment

Veterans of the 51^st Battalion

Afterwards, we walked down to the Cairns Esplanade and beachfront, where a wadding pool and paved lagoon overflowed with swimmers. The stinging jellyfish in the local waters make it dangerous to swim in the sea. One variety kills its victims almost instantly. That would be enough to keep you out of the water. During our voyage along the coast, we saw loads of jellyfish in the water and wouldn’t want to come in contact with them.

Cairns Esplanade Lagoon on the Seafront

In some areas along the coast, they net the swimming areas to keep sharks out. It made us wonder how the people snorkeling at the barrier reef were going to be protected from the jellyfish and sharks. The boat ride to the reef takes 90 minutes, and passengers going on the tour were advised to take medicine to prevent seasickness as the boats bob around a lot. Perhaps the jellyfish like warm water and it would be cold that far out. We didn’t plan to find out.

Along the esplanade, a small market with vendors selling jewelry and other items of interest to tourist sat under the trees near the lagoon. The local tarot card reader was doing a brisk business telling people what lay ahead for them. Surprisingly, most of the people we saw consulting the reader were men.

We stopped at a local coffee house for lunch and ordered flat white coffee like we knew what we were doing. If we stayed here long enough, we might get the hang of all the varieties of coffee. Not that we know what they are in the States. We got the large cups, which we learned have two shots of espresso in them. We were wired for the rest of the afternoon.

During our ride on the tender returning to the ship, a man sitting next to me said that he had lived in Cairns but had moved to the Gold Coast, an area south of Brisbane. Apparently, the Gold Coast is an area like Florida, where many Australians move to after they retire. He said that he wanted a place where he could swim in the sea year round and without the threat of killer jellyfish. It reminded me of what Bill Bryson said about Australia—that there were more things in Australia that could kill you than any other place in the world.

The man on the shuttle pointed out an island in the distance called Devil’s Island, which he said was owned by a Chinese billionaire who planned to build a massive resort there. He also pointed out a nude beach. He said that he had once been there. When I asked him if clothes were optional, he just gave me a cheeky grin. In a place that has such intense sunshine and the threat of sunburn, it surprises me that anyone would want to sunbathe in the nude. I plan to continue wearing a swimsuit and a heavy coat of Water Babies sunblock.

When we sailed away from Yorkie’s Knob, we were also leaving Australia. We were sorry to be leaving. The country is filled with beautiful places to visit and warm, welcoming people—definitely a place we would like to return to.

Correction:

When I named the Australian states and territories, I mistakenly identified the Northern Territories as the New Territories. Sorry about that.