Australia Adventure Day 6 - Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome

1 February 2018 -

Breakfast at Caffiend - 

Our breakfast place was settled the night before as I googled for nice breakfast cafes. Our original plan was to go to Frydays but we have already went there. Caffiend was one of the options that appeared in the search. As I looked through the menu online, I found scambled eggs! I never really saw many scrambled eggs dishes in Aussie.

Naturally, I went for the Miso Scrambled Eggs (A$17) and added the Smoked Salmon & Avocado (+A$8.50). The scrambled egg is so amazing with a good blend of miso flavour. The topping of bonito flakes and seaweed compliments it well too. Together with the appetizing wakeme salad, even the avocado could fit in well. I have been indulging in so much smoked salmon at this point!

My bf had the Chilli Eggs (A$16.90) and an add-on of Bacon & Avocado (+A$7). Their home-cooked chilli jam is a refreshing change from the usual breakfast we have been eating. It was like nasi-lemak chilli with poached eggs. Together, it was indeed an amazing big brekky! Piccolo taste good, but the quantity is too little for the love of coffee in me.

Caffiend ranks number 2 favourite for breakfast cafe! I still prefer the sour dough toast at Bang & Grind.

After our breakfast, we went to Woolworths to buy container and rice! We went back to see if we can place the Gopro inside to dry and revive it. Unfortunately, it did not revive. I don't know what is wrong with it. It is currently laying lifeless at my bf's house.


Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome -

It is located in the The Reef Hotel Casino and just a walking distance from our place. You can identify it from the glass dome tip of the building. Take the lift to Level R (I guess it means roof?) and you will see the entrance to the shop. We bought the tickets for the entry + 4 zoom activities each, at a total of A$135. This is after the use of the 10% discount we got from the voucher booklet we got at the airport on the first day (Raging Thunder also gave us one when they knew we were going). Entry ticket allows for re-entry for 4 consecutive days after too!

Funny how I expected it to be an air conditioned place since it is indoor, but it is hot like in the animals' natural habitat. While it was tempting to explore and look at the animals, we should finish all the zoom activities (no cameras allowed though) first. Mid-zoom is a prerequisite for Hi-zoom, so we started with that first. It is like a series of obstacle courses and it looks really fun. After gearing up, we went up and I was first to go. They have a full roller system which we were attached to as we moved. Pretty much a safe and self-operating system.

I exclaimed as we started, "Why did I choose to do this?!". My legs were jelly-ish and I was sweating profusely from going across the various forms of "bridges". The height was not even that high yet. But well, it got better and more fun after each obstacle. Everything just seems so scary at first. Even the first low-level zipline made me nervous about letting go. After all, I don't remember if I did complete any stuff like this before. There was only one time during camp in secondary school.

When we finished the first activity, the staff was asking me to take some rest and have more water because I was so red! Then I told him that it was probably because I was sun burnt! My whole back was soaked. We quickly hydrated ourself and sat in front of the fan to cool down.

The hi-zoom was next and it is a longer route. There are some obstacles that are more challenging. One of them requires moving across sideways on the metal bars and ropes. One of the courses that I took a significantly longer route is the one with the tyres. Every step I took, I had to find my balance as it was so shaky! You really have to find the balance and get the momentum because the ropes you get to hold on are not stationary to provide support. There are about 3 ziplines, which is relatively fast and fun. Do you dare to zipline above the 4.1m big crocodile, Goliath?

We rested awhile before we went up to the dome outside. It must be guided by their staff. Our guide was a very friendly lady by the name of Rose. It was scorching hot outside! My legs tremble at first looking at the height. I move forward with caution. Rose told us to stand at the edge and let go, but my body just could not relax. Hahaha so much for the canyoning training! The view is lovely and it was relatively windy. If it was not so hot, I would definitely have enjoyed it better.

 
We headed down to wait for Rose for our next challenge! It is for those who are up for the balancing challenge. (Power Jump was closed for maintenance, much to the dismay of my bf.) It is to slackline across the webbing strap and turn back again. That sounds easy but it is not. The ropes we get to hold on will wobble and so will your legs. They really will jiggle like jelly on the rubber strap. Initially, I followed the instructions to move forward foot by foot with my toes pointing to the front. But it was really jiggly and I took too long to stabilize myself before moving on. I later discovered my better strategy to open up my legs with some space between each foot, with my toes tilted outwards for better control. For my bf, his tactic is to walk sideways.

My start was slow, but the Uturn was faster. It was so fun to see my bf wobbling wobbling on the strap while trying to balance. The last part before reaching the the ground, Rose challenged us to let go of the ropes we were holding! By that time, we were like pros already! 

Our next itinerary was to see all the animals and birds. Most of the birds are just roaming about and I love it! There was a sign warning us not to get too near to the ducks because mother duck just had babies and will be protective of them. I particular like this beautiful white kookaburra. Apparently, he is the most popular in the wildlife dome. He displays the cool vibes. Due to his bright colour, it was not easy to survive in the wild being unable to camouflage in the greens.

There was also crocodiles - the big and small ones. We managed to watch the feeding session of Goliath. This crocodile is huge and when its jaw shuts to grab the food, it produces a resounding snap. There is a cute little kangaroo-like animal (oh no I forgot the name) running about too. I happened to catch the moment that it was smelling the shoes of my bf.

We thought we could not manage to see the koala bear because it was nowhere in its enclosure. She turned out to be camouflaged by the leaves! The staff was kind enough to bring her to us so we could have a pat and feel the fur. So cute! When the staff placed her on a branch that provides more visibility to watch her, she leaped to the other tree and back to her favourite spot! Gosh, koala bears can jump well. We were so surprised when we saw that.

I was slightly disappointed when I came to Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome because I may have expected a little more. But we turned out to have lots of fun! This small space can fit many activities and it is great for families too. The best thing is, re-entry is allowed for the next 4 consecutive days. 

As we walked back to our hotel, we passed by this very lovely gift shop - Ok Gift Shop. What a cute name. It was not just OK, it was amazing. I liked the way they present their goods and and the products they sell are high quality and unique. I bought my eucalptus tea leaves and lemongrass hand lotion there.

Dinner at C'est Bon -

After a nice refreshing bath, we dressed up for our dinner at a more atas french restaurant. We took that dinner as our belated monthiversary dinner (no, we don"t actually celebrate usually). We did not have any reservations but we went earlier than the usual crowd. Otherwise, we might not get a table.

We decided try their dinner set menu which includes 1 entree, 1 main and 1 dessert each. We added on escargot as well. As we had a choice to add on sides for our main course, we wanted to order 2 of the potato dishes. The staff was concerned and pointed out that we might be ordering too much, so we reduced to one side. Thank goodness for his advice because we were so full!

The bread was served first. It is so yummy with the garlic & herb butter. I wanted some white wine but I had no idea what to order. The lady staff recommended Jim Barry Lavender Hill Riesling 2015 to suit my preference for sweet wine. It is very lovely indeed!

The seared garlic squid appetitzer is amazing. I wonder how it is done so well-marinated and tender.  The mushroom soup has a puff pastry cover which goes well with the authentic creamy shrooms soup. The escargot comes served with some bread at the side so we can dip in the sauce. The garlic sauce is very flavorful and delicious when paired with bread.

The mains are great as well. The black couscous pearls with the salmon taste like the sago you eat in desserts. Quite interesting to try it for the first time. The salmon is soft and moist. The other dish features the chicken meat in two different flavours. The potato gratin is buttery and the potato slices were just right and retained its firm texture.

People always say - There is always space for desserts! The last two highlights are the opposite of each other. The chocolate mousse is sweet and very much to the liking of my bf. The lemon tart on the other hand is just crazily sour for him. The soft meringue balances and lessens the sourness well.

The tea came after the dessert in a nicely designed teapot. My bf was going to ask for a tea cup before I stopped him and asked  him to look closer at the design! He could not see the handle from his view and he did not realised that the teapot is sitting on top of the cup. He always only drinks english breakfast tea, what a boring guy lol.

We went for a romantic stroll after dinner to digest our food. I absolutely love the feeling of night walking! Although it was a little warm, it was nice to immerse in the ambience of the night life along the bars and restaurants. We walked till Cairns Night Market and decided that we will go back the next day for a massage! Turned in for the night with my favourite combination - Coke & Whiskey!

Australia Adventure Day 5 - Fitzroy Island, Snorkel & Kayak with Raging Thunder

31 January 18 -

Breakfast at Wharf One Cafe -

The day started early! We were going to Fitzroy Island! Unlike the previous days, we did not have a bus transfer that day. Instead, we were to head to the Reef Fleet Terminal to check in at the Fitzroy ferry desk. This is one the considerations when we chose our accommodation. Just a walking distance would be good as I am still unsure of the public transport options in Cairns.

Mornings are so beautiful when you get to slow down and appreciate. Wharf One Cafe is of an open space concept, located beside the sea. In the early morning, the warmth from the sun is comfortable. And as we sat at the table, we got to observe one big beetle minding its own business at the bench beside.

My choice of breakfast was the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict (A$18) and my bf went with a lighter selection of the Eggs Benny Wrap (A$10). The drinks were one Iced Coffee (A$8) and one Lemongrass & Ginger  Tea (A$4). The coffee there all seems quite expensive gosh. The lemongrass & ginger tea is basically plain water? I am not sure if it was because the taste did not diffuse out or if it was supposed to be that bland.

Both the wrap and salmon eggs benedict are quite nice. Breakfast in Australia can't be that bad. Although I have to say, the hollandaise sauce is a tad too sour. Bang and Grind is still the best!

After breakfast, there was some time for leisure walking and photo-taking. The ferry was going to depart at 9am and we checked in at about 8.30am. There were several counters, each from a different tour group. Raging Thunder was the nearest to the toilet. Upon checking in with the voucher on my phone, the lady staff saw our couple tee and commented excitedly that it was nice. We were wearing our "I conquered Cairns" freebie tank top!

We walked to the dock area with many boats waiting for its passengers. It was not difficult to spot the correct one since the boats are labelled by their company name, and Raging Thunder Adventures is a striking yellow and red. We sat at the top level and enjoyed the sunshine. Actually, it was pretty hot at that time already. As it starts to move off though, we got to indulge in the refreshing sea breeze.

The duration towards Fitzroy Island is about 45 minute. During this free time, the staff walked around identifying people from the Kayak tour. That would be us, with our yellow wristbands. As the guy staff sat beside us, we then realized it was Branden! Cam was also around. So fun to see each other again :D. So anyway, Branden was the main guide of our Kayak & Snorkel tour. Okay, let's not embarrass myself again.

He instructed us to meet him at the equipment store when we reached the shore. The preparation and waiting took some time. We were given stinger suits, flippers, snorkel & mask in a bag. In addition, he gave us 2 more bottles of water because our 1litre was not adequate for hydration on the hot day. We had fun putting on the suit & looking dumb dumb fully covered.

We were with another 4 couples for the same kayak tour. After putting on the life jackets, some basic guidance was given on the the paddle and technique. Then, we chose a kayak and packed our things securely at the compartment at the back. Our slippers were also hooked onto the ropes. Imagine falling into the water and watching your slippers floating away. But nah we did not fall!

It was my first time kayaking and the feeling was like I was going to fall in anytime! The swaying of left and right made me feel unbalanced, especially when it was done purposely by the naughty person behind me. Eventually, the body got used to it and felt less tensed up. My bf at the back controlled the direction of the kayak through the leg paddle, so I was just in charge of paddling.

At one point, I realized that the kayak could really move forward just purely by my own paddling! Made me feel like I am strong! My bf was busy using the Gopro for videos and it was indeed hard to paddle while holding the camera. We stopped at different spots to hear Branden describe the beautiful natural rocks and their significance. Every time we stopped, we gathered near each other and held on to each other’s kayak. Otherwise, we would just float away. When we move off, we then push each other away.

I believe the kayak probably took 30 minutes or so of paddling before we reached Little Fitzroy. Little Fitzroy is like small island by itself, which we would not be able to access ourselves if we did not book the kayak tour. After we came down from the kayak, the instructors assisted to "park" it at the side.

Those who would like to start snorkeling could go ahead or they could choose to go for a walk with Branden. How interesting. And I was there thinking it was really going to be like a usual stroll to explore the mini island. It was not something we wanted to miss since there would be some time reserved for snorkeling later on. Everyone seems to think likewise.

And there we go, as a group. Our walk goes upwards! Walking on the rocks and then climbing up up and away. Branden could climb barefooted. I remembered the rocks were quite hot though. We only had our slippers and they seemed to be quite a burden that could cause us to slip. If only I could magically make some covered shoes appear. At some point where I had to take bigger steps, I took off my slippers and stuffed it inside my stinger suit.

We had to go through leaves, hold on to branches to pull ourselves up. Branden must be so used to this route that it seems like a customized journey. "Hold on to this branch. And step on this to go to that part." As we reached one of the higher areas where we can pose at the edge of the rock, I was exclaiming to my bf how scary this would have been if not for our canyoning experience. Because of that crazy experience, I was able to fully immerse myself in the climbing of little Fitzroy. There was less fear and it was so enjoyable! The grip/friction, whether barefoot or not, was there and it provided me with more stability and control. On the other hand, it was more of a taking-careful-steps, slipping and bumping around kind of canyoning experience.

Back to us being near the huge rock, we could climb to the edge but it just looks quite scary. What if we were too heavy? But apparently, people after us all went further up for a photo lol. I am amazed how these people are so brave. Is it even normal when you signed up for a kayak tour and then suddenly you have to climb up the rocks with no harness or any safety measures? And donning just slippers, it was easy to fall if you are not careful. How is it that my fellow team mates were able to make such activity look like it was something so normal and easy. Why does everyone seem more adventurous than me?! Hahaha.

We went up further to the very top. Those that arrived earlier were busy posing and taking photos. It's a pity I did not have my phone since I placed it at the locker. Even though I had the waterproof pouch, I was just afraid we might capsize. Therefore, we only have our Gopro and photos with the fish-eye effect.. My hair was so messy. Such a beautiful instagrammable background with no beautiful face. How do people even climb mountains and take breathtaking photos with their face still looking flawless?

There is a helipad area on top. I cannot remember the story Branden was saying. We headed down after that, into a ‘jungle’ full of greens. The experience was so lovely! Even though we were surrounded by trees, leaves and branches, it was quite well lit. My face was twinkling with excitement and the bf was just "you didn’t experience this before? I always see this kind of scenery during outfield. Sian of it already”.

Branden was telling us about the rainforest trees but I guess I did not pay attention again. I was just enjoying the moment in the nice shade surrounded by the natural greenery. He has mentioned that we were going to do some sort of abseiling at the start of the walk. Looking at my startled face, he explained that it would be a different sort of abseiling. And so this was the part. Each one of us grab hold of the rope and slowly abseil down a  steep slope.

It was scary at first because it felt really steep. I held on to the rope very tightly and descended. It was okay after that, and it was nothing much in terms of the height comparison. I much prefer abseiling on dry surface and it is really fun! In the process of coming down, I lost balance at the end and scrapped my hand again. There was then a vertical ladder which brings us back to ground level again.
 

That was the end of our mini walk. It was like an organized route for visitors with the ropes and branches all in place. I had lots of fun!! I declare it my favourite part of all the adventures!
We could go snorkeling already. We put on our snorkel mask and flippers and head out to the water. We were supposed to wrap ourselves fully, covering our head and our fingers as well, just in case jellyfish come and bite us. I don't know what was wrong though but water kept going into the mask. I ended up sniffing or drinking in water and coughing so badly. Salt water inside your throat is such a painful thing.

Another issue is that the mask always fogs as well, even though we already cleaned it with the saliva (we were taught to do so haha). Besides, the view below is not the same as what we have expected. There is no myriad of colours and sea organisms as portrayed on websites. It may be because we were not at the right area, that we were at the shallow end but little Fitzroy is quite a distance from the main island. We felt that the corals have all turned white due to coral bleaching. That is the effect of the changes in the environment and it is just sad.

Eventually I gave up on snorkeling and just swam and lazed around. My bf just did his own video-ing. It was quite a disappointing snorkeling experience. Our expectation was quite high and I was hoping my bf would be able to enjoy it fully. It was not long before we were called back to gather and return to the island. We were so ready for lunch!

The trip back was seemingly shorter. And I gave all my might to paddle. I was exhausted. This time round, I sat at the back to control the paddle. Unfortunately, my legs and arms don’t seem to coordinate well. Often, I forget my role of steering the kayak, and my bf kept reminding me about the direction. My face and the top of my feet were hurting then! It was most probably the sunburnt effect. There was supposedly a sea turtle that appeared randomly but we did not manage to catch the scene.

After we reached the shore, we collected our pre-packed cold sandwich and wrap lunch and sat at the rocks to eat. I was absolutely in love with the cold ham sandwich. The bread is like the thick kind, with the ham and cheese, which was still hard from being chilled.  It was delicious!! Something was wrong with my bf's Gopro at this point and the changing of battery did not help in turning it on. Seems like some water went into the battery compartment sigh.

We rinsed and changed out of the stinger suits. The suits might be quite dirty because I don’t think they have time to properly dry it before they call it a day. Rinsing under the shower head beside the booth, the refreshing cool water on my face was quite stinging. With some time left before our transport arrives, we walked towards the Nudey beach. The walk there is quite long but I like the ambience of the nature.

Unlike the usual beach, the Nudey beach is filled with all the washed up corals instead of grainy sand. Rated one of the best beaches in Australia, I think it is quite unique and an interesting sight. However, I do find walking on this beach barefooted, a torture to the bottom of my feet. The white corals are beautiful but they are pokey as well. We could not stand staying too long at the beach under the sun since our face and feet were already sun-baked-red. The stinger suit had provided some protection to the rest of the body.

As we queued to get up the boat, we were determined to sit downstairs, rather than in the open air under the sun. However, they did not turn on the air conditioner downstairs! Omg, disappointed much. We were so exhausted that we fell into a deep napping session, with our heads bobbing up and down. Before we said goodbye, the Raging Thunder Adventures team thanked us for our support. They are a small local company filled with people who are determined to do what they love. Do sign up with them when you visit Cairns!

The feeling of walking along the sea after a fun and exhausting day was awesome. The feeling of taking a break from the hectic and just enjoying the moment is just so precious :).


Dinner at FOUR CINQ -

We were attracted by FOUR CINQ because of the ramen. According to its website, it is a cafe which brings the French and Japanese style combined in one. After a hot yummy bowl of ramen, you may indulge in their variety of French patisserie for dessert. Yum Yum.

As a starter to satisfy the hunger, we ordered a fresh salmon donburi. It just tastes and looks like sushi in a bowl form, cool and appetizing. The broth of the prawn ramen with char siew is so rich of sweet seafood goodness. There's a mixture of the taste of Singapore prawn mee and Japanese ramen in this one.  The staff was quite funny to remind me that there would not be any real prawns in my order since I ordered the char siew version. Seems like some customers have misunderstood the menu before.

The spicy miso ramen is also quite good. But I think my bf had some regrets over his order. We are not a fan of miso ramen after all haha. The panfried gyoza here also looks great. The pork filling is well-marinated and comparable to O'Cha Cha. At that moment, I was once again missing those tasty takoyaki..

After dinner, we went to search for a cute magnet as a collection. We decided to buy something as a momento for each country we visited. However, I do feel that we would not be able to achieve much in terms of country wise. I have a tendency to revisit and reminisce on places I have went and loved. And I think it may be more of a collection from each area of Japan we visit.

To our many experiences together.