Friday, March 7, 2025

Our day began in Cairns, Australia on the Norwegian Sun cruise ship. The ship arrived into Cairns (pronounced “Cans”) around 3:30pm yesterday, and docked overnight in the port. Passengers were free to come & go from the ship until boarding time at 3:30pm today.

Smartly, Andi reserved a 24-hour car rental in Cairns so we had a mode of transportation during our stay. We parked the rental car at the port overnight, and found it waiting for us there this morning.

Yesterday evening, we explored the city of Cairns so today our objective was to explore the towns and beaches to the north along Captain Cook Highway. The stretch of highway between Cairns and Cape Tribulation is nicknamed the “Great Barrier Reef Scenic Drive” and we loosely followed that, though time constraints didn’t allow us to make it all the way to the end & back.

First stop on our scenic drive was the Palm Cove Esplanade. “Esplanade” is Australia’s common term for an ocean boardwalk. Right away, we noticed the upscale beach atmosphere of Palm Cove compared to the more everyday city vibe of Cairns. The esplanade was lined with shady palms, coffee cafes, souvenir shops, and restaurants.

The other thing we noticed in Palm Cove was the designated swimming area or “stinger net” in the ocean. This area of Australia’s coastline is no joke when it comes to dangerous animals and marine life. And, as we learned during our visit to Australia’s Gold Coast, the state of Queensland takes swimming safety seriously. The stinger net in the ocean provides a safe place for people to swim without the presence of poisonous jellyfish (or stingers) and saltwater crocodiles. We saw plenty of signage warning people of these lurking dangers.

In addition to the stinger net, there was also a lifeguard present on beach patrol with life-saving equipment at the ready. We also saw a vinegar station near the fishing pier to self-treat jellyfish stings. Tory wondered how she could be assured that there were no harmful invertebrates inside the stinger net, and I suppose it’s not 100% safe … but it must help to reduce the number of stinger incidents. I’d be more likely to swim inside the net vs. outside of it, that’s for sure!

Gosh, it’s humid in northeastern Queensland! Already at 9:00am, the four of us were hot and sweaty as we walked along the beachfront area. Andi grabbed a coffee at one of the cafes, and I purchased a Red Bull at a convenience store, then we hopped back into the comforts of our air-conditioned vehicle and made our way north along Captain Cook Highway.

We pulled off at Rex’s Lookout to admire the view of the Coral Sea. Our view of the coastline was breathtaking. Were the turquoise-blue colors of the water the Great Barrier Reef? We weren’t quite sure.

The four of us continued our drive along the highway, passing a field of palm trees and several beaches. The sandy shores were deserted; everyone knows the dangers of these waters.

Andi pulled the car over at a crocodile viewpoint along the river estuary. We didn’t see any saltwater crocodiles on the banks of the river; likely because it was a hot, sunny day.

We continued our drive to 4 Mile Beach in the town of Port Douglas. By 11:30am, the sun and humidity were unbearable. The four of us walked along the beach for a total of five minutes before Tory overheated. I suggested she and Aden wait in the air-conditioned car while Andi and I walked through the town’s Main Street.

It was really hot; Andi and I were sweating right through our shirts. “Even my neck is sweating,” Andi commented as we window-shopped along the sidewalk. We made it all the way to the Port Douglas Wharf, then made our return along the opposite side of the street.

Port Douglas was likely as far north as we had time to venture, so Andi suggested we get lunch and then start to make our way back to Cairns. He picked a restaurant called The Little Red Kitchen which served all-day breakfast along with a few other lunch menu items. We hesitated going there because it was all outdoor seating and Andi thought Tory might meltdown sitting outside, but this restaurant had good reviews. And to be honest, almost all restaurants in Australia are outdoor seating only.

Luckily, there were some big fans circulating the air at The Little Red Kitchen. Andi and I decided to share a beef burger and the Little Red Kitchen Salad which was a mixture of roasted pumpkin, spinach, quinoa, feta, and berries. Tory also got a cheeseburger and Aden had chicken nuggets. The food was really delicious, actually! Much better quality than we expected.

After lunch, the four of us drove back to Cairns and returned our rental car at Avis. The 15-minute walk back to the cruise port was miserable. Walking along the sidewalk in the afternoon heat felt like walking through a sauna.

Re-entry into the Norwegian Sun never felt so good. We were greeted with cold face towels and ice water as we swiped our key cards back into the air-conditioned ship.

Yesterday, we submitted a bag of dirty laundry to Norwegian Sun’s housekeeping department, and our clean clothes were waiting for us upon our return. For $34, the ship’s staff washed and folded our laundry. We wouldn’t have normally used this service, but it seemed necessary on a 17-day cruise. I’ve also been washing some of our clothes in the bathroom sink, but it’s not quite the same as having our clothes laundered.

The four of us showered and changed clothes, and then rested in our staterooms until the ship pulled away from port around 5:30pm.

For dinner tonight, we dined in the Four Seas main dining room. I ordered the rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes again, and Andi had the steak. We also ordered the bratwurst entree to share between the two of us. Why not, right? It’s all included. Aden had the bratwurst also, but was disappointed it didn’t come with a bun. Tory always seems to default to ordering the kids macaroni & cheese.

We concluded our night the same way we have every night on the ship — Aden went to Splash Academy to play night games with the rest of the kids on the ship. Andi, Tory, and I returned to our stateroom to watch episodes of Schitt’s Creek together. There is some evening entertainment on the ship, but mostly it’s just singers. That’s one thing downside to a smaller cruise ship; less entertainment.