Monday, May 29, 2006

Creature from the Shagoon Lagoon

After a leisurely drive across the North Queensland tablelands, we've arrived in Cairns, where Peggy and I will return home this afternoon. This morning was full of sights and sounds on the road, seeing huge fields of termite mounds, an organic coffee plantation and majestic waterfalls. Cairns (pronounced like 'Cans') itself, however, has much to be desired.

A small backpacker town that hosts an international airport with direct flights to Japan, Cairns positions itself as the gateway to the barrier reef. There are ferry trips to various islands and atolls lasting only a few hours or as long as an entire week. This is similar to Port Douglas, where we are staying, but seems to be geared more towards the international set rather than the local Aussies as we have found.

A main feature of Cairns is the 'Shagoon Lagoon', as the locals have dubbed it, which is a giant public swimming pool / community center. It is named as such because of the large population of backpackers who publically re-consumate their previous evening's drunken consumation. In addition, the level of exposed mammary activity from the Scandinavian and European females is another highlight on anyone's day planner. We look to increase this level by one-half when it is time for Baby Will to feed. Other than this 'perk', Cairns is essentially a tourist town full of souvenirs and crap.

Update: the Shagoon Lagoon is closed for repair, causing the backpackers to spillover onto the surrounding grasslands, now dubbed the 'Fawn Lawn'. The family is a bit disappointed, being all dressed up in their swimsuits with nowhere to frolic.

posted by ncawthon at 2:24 PM