A Learning Journey - the first leg

After learning the hard way that Air Canada flies to Sydney in February so Aussies can ski at Whistler, etc. I finally arived in the northern town of Cairns. Its main raison d'etre currently is the Great Barrier Reef. Unfortunately, I had no time for that and besides, the only lingering trace of the pulimonary mishaps of my 21st year is that I cannot scuba-dive.



There had been a cyclone nearby three days prior to my arrival, but locals said that the wind on the day of my arrival was worse!


Cairns has a lovely boardwalk and yummy restaurants. It must have the world's best municipal pool (in the not-for-doing-laps category); it's right on the board walk and seems to go into the beach. It is gentle entry, surrounded by palm trees, and has metal fish sculptures in it. If you leave the town, you can take an interesting old railway ride, visit opal mines and swing through the tropical rain forest.

It is Australia.

Fog in the palms? No. Steam on the lens

A quaint brick path wends its way along

The pool reaching out to the ocean

And the pool as art gallery

And to make it even better, George and Loraine will visit it next month!