The Top Ender Magazine February March 2021 Edition

First and foremost, before I begin
speaking about our wonderful
experiences using our RLLT Scheme
A, I must mention that if you have
little ones, please remember to pack
their car seat! We forgot - lesson
learned because the cost to hire one
is like selling a kidney! We rented a
car seat for one day, then visited good
ole’ Kmart to purchase a new one.
Now on a more exciting note; we
chose to use our RLLT to visit Cairns
and Port Douglas. As we are all very
aware, COVID-19 has certainly
restricted our travel options. Though
we are usually regular overseas jet
setters, we were excited to explore
our Aussie backyard. We spent the
first three days in Cairns staying at the
Novotel. Though it was nice, it was
best suited to the kiddos. Our room
was complete with a queen-sized bed
and a bunk, which had a television at
the foot of each bunk in the wall. This,
with their very own Xbox’s - yes, our
children were excited! Although it was
a lovely place to unwind, I would
recommend something a little closer
to the town centre if that is what you
are looking for.
During our few days in Cairns, we
took the scenic railway train to
Kuranda, through the Daintree, which
included an educational talk about
how the train track was built. After
the two-hour train ride, we arrived in
the beautiful town of Kuranda where
you also have the option to get on a
river cruise in the Daintree as well.
We were keen to experience the
Skyrail, however, it was under
maintenance whilst we were there.
We also embarked on a day tour to
Green Island for some snorkelling, a
trip on a glass-bottom boat and a
semi-sub glass bottom boat as well. It
was absolutely stunning and an
Exploring Cairns
and Port Douglas
RLLT Holidays
amazing experience, particularly for
our second child as it was his first
swim in a proper beach! Darwin born,
almost 5 years old and never
experienced an ocean swim - our
poor deprived child. We do have the
Larrakeyah base pool to thank for his
swimming and snorkelling abilities
without fear! To top off his first ocean
experience, he almost stood on a
huge turtle when he got in the water.
He was not too impressed with that
encounter, but the surrounding guests
and his big brother thought it was
“pretty cool”.
To add to our family adventure, we
enjoyed some fun in Muddy’s
playground. I highly recommend this
attraction! Remember to pack the
swimmers for the kiddos as there is
free water play and lots of fun play
equipment. It is suitable for all ages as
there are safe, separated sections for
the tiny tots as well. We also visited
the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, where
you can swim and enjoy the beautiful
views whilst enjoying a range of
delicious cuisines on offer.
This brings me to a very important
part of the experience... Shall I say,
indulging in Thai food while looking
over the water one night, followed by
wood fire pizza and wine the next.
Oh my goodness, Cairns delivered the
goods with freshness and reasonably
priced as well. It doesn’t get much
better than that!
After soaking up the Cairns lifestyle
for a few days, we moved onto our
next adventure - Port Douglas. We
chose to hire a car from the day we
arrived, which was the best decision
for exploring. We travelled along the
Great Barrier Reef Drive between
Cairns and Port Douglas
(approximately 70km) and the views
were simply divine; crystal clear, blue
waters as far as the eye can see and
surrounding mountains nearby. There
is also the opportunity to stop at any
of the 14 lookouts along the way!
After exploring the coastline, we
arrived in Port Douglas where we
stayed at Peppers Beach Club. Let me
tell you, wow wow WOW! Talk
about living like Royalty or a celebrity
at the very least. Thanks to the limited
number of tourists as a result of
COVID-19, we were blessed to be
given a spa room for our children and
an adjoining kitchen/lounge room with
a penthouse suite for us – why, thank
you! Complete with our very own
pool view from our top floor
apartment and topped off with a
delightful balcony spa, including an allimportant
privacy screen. Life could
not get much better. While the kids
were sound asleep in bed, we shared
a bottle of wine and relaxed in our
balcony spa, which was softly
illuminated by the cool blue night
glow of the pool.
The kitchen was fully self-sufficient
with all the appliances and accessories
you need. There was also a bar fridge
in each room, lots of cupboard
storage to unpack and feel at home,
plus a washing machine and dryer. I
am an ‘organiser’, so for this Mumma,
being able to wash and pack clean
clothes the night before leaving was a
dream. Then, to unpack the suitcases
right back into the cupboards at home
= domestic bliss!
Although the Peppers Beach Club
provided the perfect holiday
destination, we did also explore the
surrounding area during our time in
Port Douglas. We checked out the
local markets on Sunday, which was
great for little trinkets but very much
like most markets. On one of the
days, my husband and eldest son
spent the day together snorkelling the
Great Barrier Reef from a boat that
transported them to three snorkelling
locations.
Whilst they were snorkelling; myself
and my youngest son visited Rex
Smeal Park and Trinity Bay Lookout,
which provided stunning views and
easy travel between the sights. We
then indulged in a Thai massage for
30 minutes, which is suitable for kids
and only cost $35! I also did a sneaky
little shop to a boutique clothing store
in the Main Street of Port Douglas,
with gorgeous dresses for under $25
each. I think my indulgence was
justified to help support the gorgeous
community and boost tourism
following the impact of COVID-19. As
an additional bonus, I enjoyed filling
my wardrobe before our end of year
posting, without emptying our bank
account.
The following day, we drove 20
minutes to Mossman Gorge, which
was absolutely breathtaking and
completely child friendly. Very easy
walking paths, a beautiful bridge,
mountain views, waterfalls, a small bus
ride up to the gorge and we were
able to go for a swim in the rock pool,
all for only $30 with a family pass.
Finally, on our last day in Far North
Queensland, we
visited the Fig
Tree Playground
and had a
delicious lunch
from a café on the
boardwalk near
the playground,
which is another
activity I highly
recommend for
young families. We
flew back to Darwin with some
amazing family memories of Cairns
and Port Douglas, which was packed
with so many ‘must-do’ activities and
adventures!
Written by Kylie Kurtz
Top Ender Community Contributor
54 The Top Ender | Tri-Services Magazine Incorporated FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 55