I recently had the great fortune of attending the HelloWorld Frontliners Conference in Cairns. It was incredibly uplifting and inspiring to listen to stories from all four corners of the world, and how they have overcome the last two years of Covid, lockdowns and seismic shifts in the very foundation of the travel industry. A lot of hard work, determination and hope has kept the industry alive.

Mostly, however, it was exciting! To hear about the new innovations, the push towards more rewarding, sustainable travel, the desire to invite people to experience the wonders of this world - all buoyed by the knowledge that it is more precious than ever.

And in the spirit of adventure, I extended my stay in Cairns for another three days and boarded the ferry across to Fitzroy Island.

Fitzroy is the closest habitable island to the mainland and is a relatively calm 45-minute boat ride from the harbour. As we rounded the headland, the lush green hills rose gradually from the startlingly blue water, fringed by a pearly white coral-lined shore. The promise of relaxation flooded my senses.

As we deboarded, I was rewarded with spectacular views, schools of fish darting and flashing through the water and the rising form of Fitzroy Island Resort.

Now - my confession. I have a chronic instinct to overestimate my outdoorsy skills. And, in my great wisdom, I had decided that I would get a taste of the authentic island experience by hiring equipment and solo camping. I presented myself to reception, collected my equipment from the shop and set out.

As I rolled my trolley through the rainforest, my optimism was high. Forty minutes later, as I stared at a heap of twisted fabric lumped on the ground before me- the doubt had begun to set in. The equipment was old and falling apart and my camping knowledge was rusty at best. Fortunately, there is nothing like a conundrum to bring out the problem-solver in me, and I struggled, and wrestled and persevered until there was something like a tent standing before me.

I rewarded myself with a ripe mango, eaten with ferocious delight by the shore, and dove into the crystal-clear water.

What I realised later that night was that a) I will never take my mattress for granted again, and b) I had placed my tent directly on top of an ant’s nest. One sleepless night down, I moved my tent and faced the new day with optimism.

Unprepared and under-provisioned, I had a wonderful few days of exploring the island, eating nothing but mangoes and granola bars and swimming until my arms felt weak with exhaustion. With enough determination to make Bear Grylls proud, I endured the less than ideal sleeping arrangement, an invasion of snakes (and French tourists), cold showers and sunburn. Fortunately, I have found in my experience that there is little a Pina Colada can’t fix - and that certainly proved true on this trip.

My last night in Cairns was spent back on the mainland at the CrystalBrook Bailey. I cannot begin to describe to you the animalistic delight I took in faceplanting onto the soft mattress.

Travel is all about stepping out of your comfort zone. Whether that is to experience new cultures, environments, way of life or bedding arrangements. And although sometimes there are hiccups along the way, when faced with the spirit of adventure, it can lead to some of the most rewarding and inspiring experiences imaginable.

Happy travelling!

Sienna Gardner
Contact Travelling Places
PH: 07 5545 1600 E: travel@travellingplaces.com.au