Tag: Outdoors

Down Time in Lombok

We arrived in Lombok, Indonesia in late November. After three weeks in Indonesia getting to Lombok, we settled there for a bit and got to know the area. During that time, we went to a festival, visited some satellite islands, and enjoyed some down time in Lombok.

About Lombok

Lombok is an island east of Bali and west of Sumbawa. While its closest neighbor is Bali, Lombok is part of the province of West Nusa Tenggara. 4,607 square kilometers in size, Lombok is surrounded by several islets, a few of which we visited. It has a healthy population of over 4 million very friendly people. We spent most of our down time in Lombok in the northwest quadrant, north of the town of Senggigi, and east of the Gili islands. We also sailed to some islands on the southeast, visited waterfalls, and even rented scooters.

beach in Lombok Indonesia
A Lombok Beach
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Exploring Cairns Off the Reef

We spent a couple of weeks in Cairns, a friendly city in Far North Queensland. Best known for its proximity to The Great Barrier Reef, we enjoyed exploring Cairns off the reef. There’s a lot to do!

About Cairns

Cairns is a small city with a lot of visitors, who come for its two World Heritage sites: the aforementioned reef and The Daintree rainforest. Although Cairns’ population is only about 150K, compared to Sydney’s 5.5 million, its bustling waterfront and nightlife make it feel bigger.

Cairns has an easy to navigate downtown, which is well designed for the climate. Even in a beating sun or heavy rain, you can walk through the city protected by all the awnings and covered pedestrian pathways.

Cairns Highlights

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Far North Queensland Highlights

We spent our last months in Australia sailing north along the east coast before heading west to Darwin. From Townsville up the coast to Thursday Island, we visited memorable spots and met cool people. We stopped in fun cities and beautiful islands, our Far North Queensland highlights.

About Far North Queensland

Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the sprawling but not very populous region north of Townsville. Its biggest city is Cairns, and it is best known for The Great Barrier Reef, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a UNESCO heritage site.

Map of Far North Queensland
Map of Far North Queensland

Off the mainland coast of Far North Queensland are many islands in the Great Barrier Reef, some of which we were lucky to visit.

Stops in Far North Queensland

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