June 14, 2016
Vanderbilt’s bowling team is in the midst of an Australian tour. Today, junior Ariana Perez walks us through the fifth day of the trip, which included visiting the Cairns Night Markets.
Hey y’all!
Our fifth day kicked off with a one-way trip to the Melbourne Airport as the sun peeked above the horizon. We boarded our first domestic flight of the trip to Cairns (pronounced like “cans”), which included breakfast, complimentary headphones, naps, and an aerial view of the Australian Outback.
Once we landed and hauled all of our bags and bowling balls out to the tour bus, we finally got to take in the sight of Cairns. The mountaintops hid behind overcast clouds, and the palm trees wore raindrops like jewelry. Actually, as soon as we had all piled into the humid bus, the rain came on pretty heavy, as it would on and off for the rest of the day.
Upon arrival to the Cairns Hilton, just a couple minutes walk from the Coral Sea, we were met with beautiful views of the sea from our room balconies. The Hilton is also a close walk to all the cool and touristy shops downtown.
Next, we perused the Cairns Night Markets right as they opened, which was actually at 4:30 p.m. We were eager. The Night Markets looked like a storage unit turned mini-mall. Owners would come at 4:30 and slide their doors up to reveal small shops packed with souvenirs, gifts, jewelry, bath/body works stuff, food, you name it. Some shops even offered haircuts, tarot card readings, and massages.
After spending a generous amount of money at the Night Markets, we dined at the Pier Bar, a fabulous open-air restaurant that had a great vibe. It was easy to enjoy the transition from pants in Melbourne to shorts in Cairns while we ate nachos, mac and cheese, sliders, pizza, and other yummy meals.
Although much of the day was spent traveling, it was a nice introduction to Cairns before we head off to the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow. It’s time to catch some rest and get hyped for snorkeling. And remember, always pack an umbrella.
Cheers!
– Ariana Perez
