RV-ing

The joys of RV-ing can be incomparably enjoyable or incomparably obnoxious if one does not prepare for it.

RV-ing, or traveling by campervans, is probably the old-new thing to pick up when going on long family vacations. With the economic recession going on, more families are opting long-term vacations that spend for a quarter of what they had usually spent on in the past few years. RV-ing saves you a big chunk on flight tickets and accommodations.

The other bane aside from money matters, is family interest. Most modern kids view vacations as a way for parents to seperate them from their TV, PC or gaming systems. While we have the interest of getting them out of the house (aside from during school times), to avoid them from blowing up because of having been seperated from their gadgets, RV-ing allows you to let them bring a majority of things to keep them entertained, while you bring them to the coup de gras' (aka. the destination).

RV-ing tackles a lot of the vacation hurdles with ease. Food is not an issue, because RV's come equipped with a refrigerator, where everyone can take what they want without getting hit by overpricing restaurants or shops. Stock up in a supermarket next town, and you're ready to travel again.

RV-ing also allows you to bring along your pet, so long as you provide the necessary documentations to prove that your dog has been vaccinated and is safe for inter-border travelling.

Before you go RV-ing cross country, make sure that you are able to provide for your RV if ever it breaks down on the road. Nothing screams more like 'bummer' if the RV breaks down on transit and you're stuck with whining kids, a worried mother and a hyperactive dog in the middle of highway in a sweltering desert.

Before leaving the house, make sure that everything is prepped for long-term vacations. The electricity is running on low, the newspapers and mail is on hiatus, the water system has no problems and the gas lines are closed. So that you can travel with ease in your mind.

Cairns Restaurants

The restaurants of Cairns can also be something to be bragged about. Thanks to its accessibility to the sea (via the Great Barrier Reef, which is a great ecological magnet) Cairns is able to cater to a large audience of varied seafood palates. From your standard fish, to sea cucumbers and what not, thanks to the sheer volume of produce; Cairns was able to evolve its cuisine that revolved around the use of the sea.

Being a center point of culture, Cairns used this fact to attract top-rated chefs to make their livelihood here. Over 180 of these restaurants exist predominantly around Cairns, and with each restaurant; there is always something new to offer. Indonesian, Thai, Indian, Japanese, Korean...a whole slew of these flavors and more exist within the borders of the city.

Urban food tours are available for tourists if you want to experience the best of what Cairns has to offer. Or if you want, you can do a self tour via campervan. ;)

Hang Gliding

Hang gliding is a popular sport that is a staple in Cairns. It is wherein the pilot takes off using a lighter-than-body, unmotorized aircraft called a hang glider. The lightness of the aircraft can be attributed to the fact that the glider is made of an alloy from aluminum, or from a composite-framed fabric wing. Controls are determined via a body weight shift from the pilot (the only passenger anyway), much unlike other aircraft that have a steering-delivery system.

Cairns provides an awesome venue for hang gliding via Rex Point Lookout, which is found between Cairns and Port Douglas on Captain Cook Highway. Weekends are the best days to visit the site as a whole mass of gliders flying overhead make the best scenery from miles around.

Though a very dangerous type of hobby or sport, with numerous fatal accidents and high risk environment exposures, hang gliding remains to be popular. The sport is moderated by several key organizations.

Travelling with a campervan to the destination is a good idea, especially when bringing your family along.

Cairns: Atherton and Others

The Atherton Tablelands is considered THE agricultural center when it comes to Cairns. Gourmet travelling, farming and dairies are all culminated in this one place. The Tablelands has started out as a forest, but with the discovery of tin and gold in the area, settlers pushed through and slowly developed the area. From farms, it went to dairies; from forests, it became communities. This happened a few centuries ago, but the efforts of modernization continue to linger even still among the lands.

The Atherton Tablelands can be found West off of Cairns.

Cairns is also the hub of modern and aboriginal art. Art galleries abound, showcasing and presenting the different styles and works of both local aboriginal, and international artists. And the pinnacle of tourism in Cairns? The free tourist attractions that also part of the natural scenery around Cairns, like the Kuranda village or the Barron Gorge. Fishing off the coast of the Marlin Marina can also prove to be an inexpensive way of enjoying yourself in Cairns. Or take a care and view the waterfalls in Atherton T. Either way, both are free, but it'll talk you a longer time to drive. Take a campervan (see Campervan hire Cairns) to make your trip more enjoyable and less time-restricted.

Cairns Beaches

The beaches of Cairns are not something to be trifled with. Aside from the majestic Great Barrier Reef and the impressionable World Heritage-listed site, the Wet Tropics of Queensland; the beaches are well-renowned here, both local and international. In fact, it can be considered as one of the underestimated, yet best-kept secret by the locals.

The beaches all boast of white sands and clear, blue placid waters. Relaxation is the theme of the beaches up north. Accomodation is all around plentiful in the area, from the small and medium-sized islands to the connecting, central beaches. From resorts to hotels, apartments, campgrounds and motorhome and caravan parks (see Campervan hire Cairns for inexpensive options), there exists a wide variety of places to stay in.

Some of the noted beaches include Palm Cove, Ellis Beach, Trinity Beach, Clifton and Kewarra.

Even through jellyfish seasons of October through April, stinger nets are still deployed for the safety of the beach goers. Two of the most notorious of these creatures are the Box Jellyfish and the Irukandji jellyfish. These creatures can prove to be fatal if left untreated. Thankfully, the nets are able to take care of any major blooms and infestations.

Daintree Down Under

Aside from the Great Barrier Reef, one of the more spectacular attractions that Cairns has to offer can be found nearby; the Daintree Rainforest.

Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, which lines up a whole 2000 plus-something square kilometers; the Daintree Rainforest is quite smaller, approximately only 1200 square kilometers. But don't be fooled, because the Daintree Rainforest is probably the largest hunk of tropical rainforest in all over of Australia.

Take a campervan and go on a nature trip to do your body and soul some good. This forest holds the highest number of rare plants and animals, both diverse and unique in their own rights. Even through modern times, it is still battling the advances of modernization and global warming. Tourists and locals alike should visit this wonder of nature, in support and protection for this important bastion of ecology.

Tips for Reef Trips

Probably one of, if not the greatest, main attraction of Cairns and of the regions nearby would be the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Listed as a World Heritage site, it boasts a whooping 2300km length that runs across the northeast coast across Queensland down to its tip in Bundaberg. No Australian vacation is complete without taking a dip into this marvelous wonder of nature.

The entire reef is considered a National Marine Park, and is protected by law. The reef has been mapped to protect visitors from hidden dangers, like dangerous times of the year when blooms of jellyfishes appear. Or maybe when the currents in that particular area become strong and can be considered dangerous for park goers.

Visitors, when going to the reef, will have to pay a fee called a "reef tax". It will be used by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to help pay for the continuous effort in protecting and preserving the Great Barrier Reef. The cost is usually included in your reef trip receipts, so check it first to avoid hassling hidden costs.

No age groups are restricted from entering the Great Barrier Reef. Babies and toddlers, while allowed in the ship will, of course, have to stay on the ship. Probably the same could be said for people with heart conditions and pregnant women as well. Those with mobility issues need not worry, a special number of companies can also cater to their needs in order to make the trip a fulfilling one.

The Aussie sun is intense for those not living in the tropics. Bring a good amount of sunscreen, sun protection, towels and all the necessary precautions from deadly UV rays.

Of course, to finish your Great Barrier reef, drive a campervan up north and visit the crocodile farms to put the icing on the cake on your Great Barrier reef trip.