Because I had mistakenly thought Sydney, Australia was an oceanfront city, I double-checked my facts before going to Cairns. Yep! Cairns is an oceanfront city in the northwest corner of the Australian continent, where the temperatures are balmy throughout the year. Since it’s located smack dab in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef, I should have no problem finding great beaches where I can soak up some rays and warm my tired ol’ bones – something I was really looking forward to.

Cairns City Backpackers

I’d also done some checking on backpacker accommodations and found that Cairns City Backpackers offered wireless Internet connection. Access to the Internet is important because it allows me to upload my photos and post to the blog, so it has been a major criteria in searching for accommodations during the entire trip. Much to my surprise, it has been difficult to find even moderate priced accommodations that offer wireless access. Finding hostels and backpacker accommodations with wireless is really unusual, so I made a reservation for a private room at Cairns City Backpackers for four nights, sight unseen.

A few words here about hostels and backpacker lodges around the world. They are absolutely the cheapest accommodations available. They come in all sizes and configurations, but basically they all have some combination of dormitories and private rooms. The dorms are further divided between big rooms that sleep 16 to 20 people – bunk beds lined up down the wall – and smaller dorms that sleep four to six. Dorm rooms are usually mixed gender, Continue reading →