Yet another early start, but this time to go White Water Rafting!
Distance:
Total Distance:
Our start wasn't really all that so early-6.30am minibus sent by the rafting company. All being English speaking we quickly understood the instructions. Have shoes that won't fall off. Collect wrist band. Sit in numbered seat on the giant coach. Fill out waive health and safety forms.
It wasn't so easy for the guides though. This was a BIG operation, involving a few buses carrying many people. Many were from East Asia and English was their second or third language, if they knew it at all. Started to feel like many didn't if we're honest. Thus the start and the end of our day, which involved about 2 hours of travel each easy and a lot of instructions being given, was relatively chilled as the guides tried to get messages across to the rest of the troupe. It would have been funny if they guides weren't such nice guys and clearly exasperated by the whole performance.
6 from the tour had signed up and the rafts were 6 person vessels. Perfect! We got a very experienced guide who'd done ten years of rafting, taken an extended break due to injury, and returned some months ago. Originally from Invecargill on the Southen tip of New Zealand he was very pleased to have us. We could all swim. We could all paddle (having been canoeing already). And we alll spoke English.
This gave us a greate measure of freedom. We could follow commands and get done what needed to be done. At times our guide would let us go for a swim as he went back to nature rafts were safely making it over rapids. He took us to a few less used locations and allowed us to try out different areas of the river.
At lunch time burgers, hotdogs, salads, juice, coffee, and tea were provided. The road runs relatively close to the river so they have a semi-permanent set up of tarps and wood. It was a cool spot with only a few flies to annoy us.
That afternoon we added another 4km to our 6km. It was hot and despite our best efforts we were getting burnt knees. The river want as high as it could have been had there been more rain. The river we were on though is the only one that can be rated all year round in Australia though. This is due to a dam at e top of the river. The rafting company has an agreement with the dam holders to keep a minimum amount of water flowing so as to enable rafting. Yet we still got stuck on a variety of rocks and so had to do some very interesting manuvers to get free. It was a complete contrast to the worst our guide had ever seen. Ten years ago he'd started a tour during a day when a cyclone was coming in. During the day the river rose 16 metres! That's taller than some of today's trees along the bank- but apparently they're mostly regrowth from various cyclones that batter the areas, felling forests.
At the end everyone from East Asia was was loudly commanded to get dried, changed, and back onto the coach for our return.
In Cairns the hostel gave us all free drinks for the mess after last night's meal. We then left for the two "must see" bars in Cairns.
The Woolshed is a bar n grill type place where after food we were invited to dance on the tables and the girls given free champagne. One of our whiter than white German girls was swarmed by a Japanese stag party, who all wanted photos with her.
Gilligan's is a huge night club, with an area outside for live bands, a pool for day time use, and a massive, ancient, tree in the roof that extends over the beer garden. We were all tired by this point. It was good, but nothing that I haven't actually seen before. Except for the wet tshirt competition, which was terrifying. And it proved that some British people abroad have no shame, unlike the Germans. Time To Go!!!
