No internet, yes fun

You have probably thought I had fallen off the face of the Earth by now. Although there are an abundance of internet in cities like Sydney, as I make my way up the East coast of Queensland, a wireless signal has been hard to come across. I've been styaing in some pretty remote areas. After leaving the Gold Coast and venturing past Fraser Island and Airley Beach, I made my way through Northern Queensland. All of my trip has been done by bus and I've stopped off in some small towns where the main attractions are a stinger infested beach and a short row of shops including the local butcher, a gas station, and maybe a cafe.
Northern Queensland is home to some crazy creatures, and the jellyfish or "stingers" are especially bad here during the summer months. Heading into fall, stinger nets are still in place the local beaches. Lifeguards keep watch over small areas of the beach roped off my stinger nets, and are prepared with vinegar in case there is a sting. These small creatures are apparently very painful and toxic.
I finally made my way to Cairns, which wasn't originally on my list of places to visit. I was told that you could see the Great Barrier Reef from the Whitsunday Islands. While you can get out to the main reef by taking a fast boat from Airlie Beach, I was advised that it's a much better idea to go to Cairns. I found that it is also cheaper to fly on JetStar or a comparable airline from Cairns to Sydney than to take a bus or train from Airlie Beach to Sydney.
Cairns is much smaller and quieter than I expected it to be. It's definitely a tourist town, with the main attraction being the Great Barrier Reef. There are tons of boats that will take you out there, and I found that it's best to book trips in advance, although you can book trips upon arrival with relative ease if you're flexible.
Cairns is a central hub that offers great backpacker accomodations at low prices, several travel agents to help travelers with planning their next destination, and is also close to many of Queensland's biggest attractions. Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation, Cape York, and Trinity Beach are all within a few hours. Single and multiple day trips run out of Cairns with relative frequency.