Wednesday, 1 January 2014

Cairns - Happy New Year 2014!



Happy New Year everyone!
I hope you have celebrated New Years Eve and the beginning of the New Year safely and enjoyable. Markus and I drove early in the morning from Port Douglas to Cairns, returned the rental car and then walked one km to our next hostel, the Caravella 149. Our room was not ready at 11pm, so we stored our luggage and went grocery shopping in the city center which is not very far away. After lunch we checked into our room which is really huge for the price. It is very warm and humid here, so we stayed in the air-conditioned room and after dinner headed into town again. At the promenade along the seashore and at the street (The Esplanade) were a lot of people. Families on huge picnic blankets, with camping chairs and tables and an incredible amount of food with them. Also hundreds of bats were flying over our heads!







Closer to the lagoon where the firework platforms could be seen in the water it was packed with people and live music was playing at the main stage there. At 9pm some skydivers with lights attached to them where flying over our heads and landed near the lagoon. Then the first fireworks started. The firework started a bit slow and the three platforms were not fully synchronized but towards the end it was fantastic. We headed to a bar closeby to have a cocktail and some sparkling wine. In Australia it is apparently prohibited to drink alcohol in public except for licensed areas. EXCUSE ME???
We wandered around the area and at 11pm we went for another wine and sparkling wine to a different bar. Shortly before midnight we set down at a small beach behind the main stage for the big firework at midnight. It was really good.




This was so incredibly different to any other New Year Eve celebration I have been to and also so completely not to our expectations. Do not get me wrong, it was great but it was so warm, there were so many people having a good time at their picnic or BBQ and for us without a big meal and without lots of alcohol we did feel like something was missing. I think we missed our families and friends (and of course the amount of alcohol) for the celebration of the New Year 2014.
Anyway, I wish you all a very Happy New Year 2014! My resolutions for 2014? Of course enjoy my time in Australia as much as possible, get back to Stuttgart safely and find a new job which is hopefully nearly as great as the one I had in Bremen.
On New Years Day Markus and I relaxed in our air-conditioned room, had a swim in the hostel pool and shortly we will head off into town again for a last stroll around the area. Tomorrow we will fly very early in the morning (I HATE getting up early, honestly…) to our next stop in the very heart of Australia: Ayers Rock / Uluru!
Yours fireworks-at-the-beach-watching Stefanie

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Have your say now! Would you do the same thing or would you do it differently? Do you have any travel tipps for me for my onwards travels? let me know!