Day 21 - Alone in Cairns

They left us. You read that correctly. They. Left. Us.

I woke up this morning at 7:30 AM so that we could meet the members of our 2016 Euro Family that we have spent the last few weeks with, in the lobby at 8:00 AM. This was not so that we could all hop in our vehicles and head off to some fantastic adventure in Northern Queensland. No, this was to say - goodbye. 

A number of weeks ago, we had a change in our flight to Bali which had us leaving a day later than we had originally planned, meaning we had to book one extra night in the hotel that we are staying at (The Mantra Esplanade Cairns). Alf, Di, Steve & Margaret had made their own plans to drive down the coast of Australia to the Brisbane region, where Alf & Di had just moved into a new home (6 weeks ago), and their plan was to leave on the morning of our original departure. When our plans changed, it had us staying one day longer than them. Such is the way of the traveller. You have to be prepared to go with those little bumps along the way. 

As we arrived in the lobby, Alf & Di were there waiting and Steve and Margaret had just made their way to the loo for bladder relief for the drive to their next location. I think they were stopping at a Spanish style ruins about an hour away. There were hugs, handshakes and plenty of well wishes. There was even talk about how soon "next time" would be - possibly in Canada.  I guess we will see.

We took a final photo for this segment of our friendship. What's fun about this one is that Laureen said, "Ok, let's take a picture", and instinctively we all got into position. You know you're close when the pictures take themselves.

The Aussi Chapter of the Euro Family Adventures

They stepped into the elevator to make their way to the second floor, and when the doors closed, we raced outside to get to the exit of the parkade. Laureen thought we had to go around the far side of the building out the back, so we did - but that was the long way.  Regardless, we stood at the bottom of the parkade and when they came by, they rolled down their windows and were waving goodbye. 

Then, they left us.

Alf, Di, Steve and Margaret Driving Away Leaving us Alone in Australia

The first thing we did was go to Oishi Oishi and have Japanese pancakes without them (no we didn't, but when Margaret reads this, she's going to be drooling). We did make our way to Coast Roast Coffee and had some breakfast. It felt a little weird being by ourselves. There was no one to make fun of. 

After breakfast we took a little walk around the area as I wanted to pick up a waterproof case for my phone so that I have one for when we are snorkelling in the other locations. We checked out a few places and I eventually purchased one from the tourist/dive shop just on the corner by our accommodations.

We then made our way to the car and took a drive to DFO Cairns. As we walked up to the car we instinctively went to the doors that we would normally go to when back at home. When we realized what we had done, we both burst out laughing. I better remind myself to stay left on the roads.

Our Rental MG Without it's KIA Friend beside it (they left us)

DFO stands for Direct Factory Outlets and is kinda like the Outlet malls that we have been to all through our travels.  I don't particularly think that these places have the best deals, but just like most stores, they have some stuff that might be a reasonable price. I recall looking at a shirt, seeing that it was made in Vietnam, and then putting it back on the rack. I might as well just wait and get it from the manufacturer. 

Laureen got a couple of things for herself including a little leather bag with a longer shoulder strap. I did pick up a cheap shirt with palm tree's on it (that was not made in Vietnam, or Bali, or Thailand, or Hong Kong). I found something that would be a perfect fit for my favourite first daughter in-law, and sent her this photo. If I had room in my suitcase, they would have come home with me. I have four more legs to go and not much space as it is.  I told her that I would have to discard some clothes to bring them back, and she replied that I can always buy more clothes when I get home. LOL. Now that's clear priorities.

Maggie's Shoes - Still At the Store 🙁

From there we drove back to the mall we were at previously (where Steve lost his phone) because Laureen wanted to go check out The Reject Shop. She had read in a recent news article that Dollarama Inc., a Canadian corporation, had made an offer to purchase the Australian organization for $259 million dollars. Sure enough, they seem very similar. I think Laureen purchased a couple things from here as well. We wandered around the mall for a while more and then made our way back to the car and back to the hotel. 

It was after 1:00 PM when we settled back into our room and I took a walk over to Wooli's to grab something for lunch (since Margaret ate all our food yesterday). I took a bag this time as I didn't want to have to buy ANOTHER one. Laureen wanted some yogurt and a cinnamon bun for breakfast tomorrow, and I was looking for something for lunch for me today. There were no cinnamon buns (I asked at the bakery), because they didn't have any glaze to put on them, so they didn't make any. So I found her something else. And for me I stumbled upon the sushi bar and picked up a couple of salmon sushi containers with a little extra soy sauce. Mmmmmmmmm. 

I'm still dealing with having a bit of a cold, and haven't been sleeping all that well the last few nights, so I decided to take a nanny nap. I guess hanging around with those old people for the past three weeks (yes, we've been in Australia for three weeks as of today) started to rub off on me. Ahhhhhh. 

We did a little pre-packing of our stuff as checkout time is 10:00 AM tomorrow.  At about 4:30 PM we made our way down to the lagoon and went for a swim. The temperature sign at the pool said it was 33.6 degrees C out there. It didn't feel that warm, but it sure felt humid. It was nice to soak in the cool water.  We had to keep a watch out for 'crooked-eye Larry' (that's the name I gave him), as there was this dude with what must have been turrets syndrome, talking to nobody, eye's pointing different directions, and swearing up a storm as he wandered around in the water. 

We also were witness to a water Zumba class that started up at one end of the lagoon (the one where we were).  Poor ol' Crooked-eye Larry didn't know what to do with himself. We didn't really take part in the class, but watch the fun take place.  There were quite a few people splashing around to the music. If I had to guess, I'd say 70ish. One of the songs that was played twice (I looked up the artist, he's an Aussi and is representing Australia at Eurovision 2025) was, The Milkshake Man. Apparently his talents include riding a unicycle while playing the guitar. You can decide if you want to add this to your playlist or not. 

Back to the room to shower and get ready for dinner. We just went back to a restaurant nearby called Lemoncello, and had a greek salad and a margherita pizza. I had a Great Northern Super Crisp beer in honour of our Euro family that left us today.  Cheers mates. That was dinner part 1. Dinner part 2 was a short walk away to a gelato shop. Somebody would be so proud of us right now. ;-). We also took a final walk through the Night Market. Nothing was purchased, we just walked through to help burn the memories of the place into our holiday memory banks (and said no 10 times to massage offers). 

Tonight's View From Our Balcony

As I gaze out at the night sky on our last full day in Australia, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude. So far, this journey has been more than just a trip—it has been an experience filled with connection, discovery, and unforgettable moments. Reuniting with Steve, Margaret, Alf, and Di was a true highlight, reminding me of the importance of lifelong friendships and shared history.

From the vibrant energy of Sydney to the relaxed charm of Brisbane and the tropical beauty of Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, each place had something unique to offer. Whether it was taking in breathtaking views, exploring new places, or simply enjoying good company and multi-part meals, every moment felt special. This adventure has reinforced just how vast and beautiful the world is—and how fortunate we are to have been able to experience this corner of it, down under.

As this chapter comes to a close, we carry with us not just memories, but a renewed appreciation for travel, friendship, and the incredible experiences that make life so rich.

Time to turn our thoughts towards Bali. Here's hoping the travel goes smoothly. Filling out the online forms to get our Balinese Visa was an interesting endeavour. We seem to have what we need, but only time will tell.

Curt and Laureen (our last night) in Cairns, Australia