Day 5 - Cairns

Day 5 – Elandra Resort, Castaways Resort and Spa & Cairns Colonial Club

“Elandra is the kind of place you’d love to throw a big party in”
(Ben Finan, Manager – First Choice, United Kingdom)

After a refreshing swim in the ocean in front of our balcony we ate a relaxed buffet breakfast and caught the Mission Beach water taxi back to the mainland and Elandra Resort. This was a whole new world. Maggie and I fell for the antiquities that adorned the resort. Everywhere we looked there was a unique piece of ethnic art or artefact complementing the otherwise modern fresh decor. Paths wind through lush fauna leading you to your room, no two are identical, and as we were becoming accustomed to, every room overlooks beautifully kept gardens and the ocean.

After a lunch array of cold charger style seafood and meats, our next stop was Castaways Resort and Spa on Mission Beach.  Anywhere would find it difficult to follow the Elandra but the newly refurbished Castaways Resort wooed us with its beach frontage and relaxing spa. Our Scottish Agent Alison was treated to a pedicure that reminded me of my first one during the interview event for the Best Job in the World.. The spa has a relaxing effect as soon as you step inside the door. Mellow light and the scents of massage oils and aromatherapies sooth you even in the waiting area.

We said goodbye to Mission Beach and headed south to bed down in the Cairns Colonial Club. The Poolside Cafe here serves the best Mango daiquiris in the world, a welcome treat after our sad attempt a few nights before. After a quick freshen up we whisked ourselves to the Bay Village Retreat. The owners have an infectious high energy charm that filters down through their staff to give the resort a warm and welcoming feeling.  We ate at the retreat’s award-winning Balinese restaurant right in the middle of the complex.

Local Tips:

• Take a tour on Castaways ‘Sea Legs’ boat. It can drive out of the water and onto the road.
• The Cairns Colonial Club is a ten minute walk from the Cairns Botanical Gardens where you’ll find beautiful examples of all the flora of the tropical north.