A Little Place called Cairns

Cairns, entre reve et cauchemard

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Finally, after 15,000km of driving and living in “Coco” the Ford Falcon, we arrived in Cairns where we started to prepare to sell our car to a lucky new owner. We had covered so much ground with this car, been able to see so much with the freedom of driving ourselves, that we thought selling a car to another backpacker would be a breeze. But within a few hours, we came face to face with the reality of the market we were about to enter into. The supply completely morphs the demand; the notice boards overflowing with cheap 'quick sale', vans and station wagons. With our humble sedan, our spirits took a nose dive as we shook our heads with dismay. Just how on earth are we going to find a buyer?

To take our minds off, we treated ourselves to a diving trip in The Great Barrier Reef. And it was simply breathtaking. We got ourselves certified in Indonesia with the very intent on diving in this famed marine extravaganza, and we were not disappointed. Needless to say, the coral was something special. They looked so alive, and so busy, with fancy-looking fish weaving in and out and darting away when we got too close. We also got close to blue-spotted manta rays, huge sea cucumbers, giant crayfish and the entire family of nemos. It was quite a successful dive, with only three divers following one master. Two 45-minute dives later, we stripped off the gear and snorkelled on our own around the shallower reefs. It was a shame we didn't see any sharks or turtles, but we really enjoyed ourselves that day and can finally put a big tick on our must-do list.

Still no news from any potential buyers, we went off again on an over-night trip to Cape Tribulation. Around 100km north of Cairns, Cape Trib is the place where two separate UNESCO protected sites sit side by side – the only place in the world where you can put one foot in the water (The Great Barrier Reef) and one foot on the sand (Daintree Rainforest) and say you are in two different protected places in one time. The rainforest was pretty magnificent. The trees looked hundreds of years old and a lot are entangled in vines that wind in and out between trunks. Because the rainforest is so close to the sea, mangroves also thrive there. We saw crabs, mudskippers and a colony of flying foxes (bats) – what an educational outing!

In two places at once - Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest

Un pied en foret tropicale, et un pied dans la Grande Barriere de Corail

The next couple of days we spent waiting. There is not a whole lot to do in Cairns. There are plenty of backpackers, all wanting to sell their cars, but when it comes to activities to kill time whilst waiting for a sale, you could count them in one hand. However, we were lucky enough to discover the beach volleyball courts. We found something that we both enjoy, and we made it a daily occurrence. At around 4:30pm each day, we would stroll into the courts to play with the regulars. We made quite a few friends, and volleyball became not only a chance to flex our muscles, but a social event as well. Just about the only thing that kept us going for 3 whole weeks!

Staying in a place for 3 weeks gave time for us to familiarize ourselves to all the landmarks and every nook and cranny of Cairns. The Esplanade became our favourite spot to hang out, either just laying and enjoying the sun, or playing cards and “Bash” (racket game) with our new friends. We also visited a particular travel shop very often. They provided us with ½ hour of free internet each, what a luxury to not need to use the slow (but free) internet in McD's! One day we got round to the Botanic Gardens to spend a leisurely morning. They had a fresh water lake flowing into a salt water lake, long stretches of mangroves and tropical plants that make North Queensland so unique.

The whole time in Cairns we stayed in a Caravan Park just outside the city. It was our cheapest option and since we had a car, getting in and out was be a breeze. What we didn't realise of course, were that the other residents in the park would provide a whole new form of entertainment for us. A permanent resident and his girlfriend had a fight late one night. There was banging, screaming, and it got louder and louder. Of course, Antoine and I nosed at what was happening, poking our heads out of our tent. We heard, and later witnessed, the man shouting and smashing the windows. So dramatic! The woman promptly threatened to call the cops – which she did – and the next thing we knew, the cops arrived in the middle of night and got into a standoff with the man, who by then was carrying a knife! “Put the knife down! put the knife down!” yelled two officers each pointing a gun at him. The man didn't budge, and out of nowhere, a third officer came from behind and tasered the man! Yes, Antoine and I were less than 20 metres away from all this action, and after a small pop and a loud thud, the man was on the floor, stunned with a tasergun. The whole commotion lasted about 2 hours, with the girlfriend crying and begging them not to hurt her “baby”, the man (when he awoke) laughing and crying and calling the police “mate” all at the same time, more officers arriving to the scene and not doing anything, and finally the ambulance coming to carry the man away in a stretcher. And he wasn't the only crazy person there. Other times, we would be woken by a different guy yelling alone in his tent “You're a ****ing convict, a CONVICT!” at no one in particular. There was also a man who spent the majority of his time in the kitchen, warning everyone that there was a thief stealing his food, and he was going to call the forensics team to check fingerprints and catch the food stealer to send him to prison. It was all very bizarre, but very entertaining all the same. Great story to tell!

Reading what I've written so far, you might wonder why Cairns was still not the most relaxing place for us. That is because our primary goal in Cairns was not only to see the Reef, but to sell our car in preparation for our flight into Uluru. Week one went by, week two disappeared, and we found ourselves in the last couple of days still burdened with our 4 wheeled friend. We had already reduced the price by half, sticking up adds wherever possible. What was the most frustrating point for us were the interested buyers who, on test driving and pinching and prodding our car, decide to buy it, proclaim they can only get the money the next day, suddenly – POOF – disappear into thin air. So Antoine and I get on the emotional rollarcoaster with a high of excitement that we've finally sold the car, and then we come crashing down when we call and call and get no answer from these mysterious character.

So after three vicious cycles of what I just described, our enthusiasm and optimism went missing as well. From then on, we had no expectations, and did not get worked up when someone says they're “interested”.

As the clock ticked, Antoine and I found ourselves on the last day before leaving to Uluru. Slightly panicked and even almost on the verge of giving up and throwing the car away, we took a deep breath and marked the price down to $500. No sooner had we parked our car , switched off the engine and put the first sign up, a passing car swerved around and declared themselves the buyer. Relief!! We must admit that timing was a bit tight, but $500 at the last minute is better than nothing at all.

To rejoice and bid Cairns goodbye, we gathered some of our news friends together for drinks at “Gilligans”. If there was one hostel in Sin City, this would be it. Tuesday night happened to be $10-for-5-drinks night, and coincidentally also hosting a girl-on-girl jelly wrestling contest. Not our first choice of entertainment, especially when the DJ proclaimed extra prizes for any competitor to wrestle topless, it was something to gasp at and gossip about after anyway. I'm just really glad I did not feel compelled to do that when I was 18... (yes they were a young as 18!!)

So that's the end of our road-trip chapter. We had an incredible time with our car, such a joy to be able to go wherever you fancy, whenever you please, and have more stuff than you could carry on your back. I reckon that's the only way you should backpack Australia. Get yourself a car and you will save yourself so much money and be as independent as you want to be. Camping is a piece of cake here, and you'll find yourself setting up tent and building a fire on a secluded beach or a luscious forest, all the while counting the countless stars in the sky.

We've still got a couple of days in Australia left. After visiting the famed rock in the outback, we will head back into Brisbane to catch our flight to Singapore. A week after that – we'll be finished! 10 months backpacking... I almost can't believe I did it.

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Notre arrivee a Cairns marquait une etape dans notre periple, puisque c est la que nous avions decide de vendre la voiture, avant de nous rendre a Uluru en avion, de joindre un tour pour visiter le rocher, et de finir notre aventure Australienne a Brisbane. Depuis Perth, toutes les personnes que nous rencontrions nous mettaient des etoiles dans les yeux en nous disant que Cairns etait l endroit ideal pour vendre la voiture et que nous pourrions en tirer un bon prix. Mais alors que nous faisions le tour des auberges de jeunesse pour y afficher les photos de la voiture, avec prix de mise en vente et description, nos attentes sont vite retombees... Nos concurrents mettaient leurs voitures en vente pour des prix derisoires et des modeles mieux adaptes que notre Ford Falcon berline. Notre prix de depart, 2500$, paraissait exuberant et completement illusoire. A notre camping, un break venait de se vendre a 500$...

Comme nous avons prevu de rester 3 semaines a Cairns, nous ne paniquons pas tout de suite, et decidons d attendre quelques jours avant de baisser les prix. Dans le meme temps, nous rencontrons un groupe d anglais au camping. Ils voulaient vendre leur voiture a 3500$, apres avoir depense plus de 1000$ en reparations pour pouvoir passer le control technique. Au final, ils ont du se resoudre a brader la voiture le jour de leur depart, et la vendre a 850$.

Afin de nous changer les idees, nous quittons Cairns une journee pour aller faire de la plongee sur la Grande Barriere de Corail. Cette excursion etait un moment tres attendu de notre part, et elle faisait partie du programme depuis l Indonesie, ou nous avions passer notre brevet de plongee en vue de notre passage sur la barriere de corail. Le voyage en bateau a dure une heure, pendant laquelle nous sommes briefes sur la plongee. Nous ne sommes que 3 a avoir le brevet de plongee, les 30 autres passagers devront se limiter a une plongee d initiation, ou tout simplement a une plongee en masque et tuba. Accompagnes d un maitre de plongee, nous partons a la decouverte de l une des plus belles merveilles naturelles au monde. Les coraux sont en effet magnifiques, avec des rochers multicolores, des coquillages d un bleu flashie et des champs de coraux en forme de bois de cerfs (cf. photos). La vie sous-marine n etait pas aussi abondante que ce que nous avions vu en Indonesie, mais il quand meme possible de voir passer quelques raies de dire bonjour a Nemo le poisson clown, de deranger une ecrevisse geante sous son rocher et d etre confrontes a plusieurs poissons iindescriptibles. Si vous avez un peu de chance, vous pouvez voir des requins, mais ils ne sont pas venus nous rendre visite. Apres 2 plongees a couper le souffle, nous avons fini la journee en masque, palmes et tuba pour voir les coraux proches de la surface.

One of many disguises on our journey!

Le Grand Bleu version 2010.

De retour a Cairns, nos journees passent et se ressemble de plus en plus. Un peu d internet, un peu de lecture sur la promenade le long de la mer, pique nique sur herbe, et en fin de journee, retour au camping pour diner. Un soir, alors que Jen avait commence a s endormir, un couple se met a s engueuler dans une caravane pas loin de nous. Rien de bien mechant, jusqu a ce qu un baie vitree vole en eclat. On jette un coup d oeil dehors pour se mettre au courant. Le mec crie comme un ane pendant que sa copine appelle la police. Nous retournons dans la tente, pensant que l affaire etait reglee. Apres quelques minutes, 2 voitures de police arrivent, et 2 policiers, armes aux poings se mettent a hurler : “LACHE LE COUTEAU, LACHE LE COUTEAU, LACHE LE COUTEAU !!!” La gars qui avait brise la vitre se trouvait face aux policiers, un couteau a la main. Arrive derriere lui, un troisieme policiers se met en joue et laisse partir un coup de taser ! Le mechant, raide, tombe au sol lourdement , se cognant la tete lourdement. Il reste KO pendant une minute ou deux puis se reveille sous la maitrise de 2 policiers. Se voulant rassurant, le mechant leur explique qu ils n ont pas a s inquieter, que ce n est pas la premiere fois qu il se prend un coup de taser... Bref, par la suite, on entend des bribes de conversation comme quoi il est sous medication mais qu il ne prend pas ses cachets et qu il a deja eu pas mal de problemes avec la police par le passe...

Du cote de la voiture, ca avance un petit peu. Nous rencontrons Kevin dans la rue, qui est interesse par notre voiture. Il decide de l acheter pour 1500$, nous remplissons tous les papiers ensemble, mais il manque un tour petit detail... il faut passer le controle technique pour pouvoir vendre le vehicule, mais nous savons que nous ne l aurons jamais. Nous essayons de trouver des moyens detournes, mais Kevin ne nous a jamais rappele et n a plus jamais repondu a nos appels... Une bonne occasion de manquee. Quelques jours plus tard, Kaylene est egalement interessee, pour 1800$, mais idem, elle a coupe tous contacts au moment de conclure la vente... Ca doit etre une tradition australienne.

Ce sejour prolonge a Cairns est l occasion de faire des rencontres. La ville dispose de terrains de beach volley, et plusieurs amateurs se retrouvent en soiree pour disputer quelques matches. Tous les soirs, nous nous rendons au volley afin de passer de bons moments et d oublier la voiture pendant quelques heures. C est ainsi que nous avons rencontre Flavien et Aurelien, deux francais venus a Cairns pour trouver un boulot de cuisinier. Au camping, nous faisons la connaissance de deux autres francais, Delphine et Geoffrey, qui essaient egalement de vendre leur voiture. C est avec ces 4 francais que nous sommes alles faire du camping a Babinda, a se baigner dans des rochers, au milieu de rochers aux formes venues d aileurs. Nous sommes egalement alles a Cape Tribulation, au nord, ou la foret tropicale se jette dans la mer, la ou se trouve une partie de la Grande Barriere de Corail. 

Mais les jours passent et la voiture n est toujours pas vendue... Toutes nos pistes se revelent infructueuses, et la veille de notre depart, nous prenons une mesure drastique : nous reduisons le prix de vente a 500 dollars. Alors que nous etions encore en train de dessiner nos affiches "500 $" pour la voiture sur le parking d un supermarche, nous sommes acostes par un couple interesse. Ils ne peuvent pas conclure la vente tout de suite puisqu ils doivent rejoindre leur lieu de travail, mais nous prenons rendez-vous pour 17 heures le soir-meme (sachant que nous prenons notre avion a 9h30 le lendemain...).  A 17h30, la voiture est enfin vendue, avec un cheque de 500$ en main, juste a temps pour aller faire la fete. Avec plusieurs amis du volley ball, nous sommes sortis en boite, l occasion de marque la fin de notre road-trip australien. 

Apres Brisbane, nous sommes partis a Uluru, et n0us sommes en ce moment a Brisbane. Nous prenons l avion demain pour rejoindre l Indonesie, derniere etape avant la France !