6th Feb 2016 my partner James and I woke to a beautiful last morning on Fitzroy Island. At 9.30am, we caught the 45 minute Fitzroy Fast Cat ferry to Cairns and left Fitzroy Island feeling relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

If you missed out on taking selfie pictures on the way to Fitzroy Island, be sure to take them as you wave goodbye to the island.

Once disembarking Cairns marina, we walked approximately 5 minutes to the Shangri-La hotel. The Shangri-la hotel always appears to be at full capacity during our stays due to conferences but we have never encountered any of the conference guests. We love being situated by the marina for both the water and mountain view. It always feels so peaceful.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Cairns,+Queensland//@-16.9185484,145.7430354,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x697862555ba22413:0x400eef17f207860!2m2!1d145.7780548!2d-16.9185514!1m0!3e0

We have been Shangri-La Cairns guests on 4 occasions and a couple of times when checking in reception have made errors with allocating our room however theses issues were resolved promptly. On one visit there were 2 errors, first we were given a room where someone else was already in the room and reception rectified the error with another mistake by providing James and I a 2 double bed bedroom. The duty manager offered us a 1 bedroom marina suite overlooking the marina and mountains to make up for the receptionist’s mistakes. The duty manager even escorted us to our room and our luggage was received not long after. The 1 bedroom marina suite was nice and spacious with glass doors that opened up to a large balcony that extended from the bedroom to the living area. It’s funny how something can go so wrong then sometimes turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

On this visit we treated ourselves to the Horizon Club room with marina views and exclusive Horizon Club privileges. The room was a good size with the bed facing the marina and the bathroom even had the option of viewing outside whilst bathing. The balcony has a nice seating area which I am sure anyone would enjoy.

http://www.shangri-la.com/cairns/shangrila/rooms-suites/horizon-club/horizon-club-room/

After settling in our room, we headed out for a walk along The Esplanade to the shops. The Cairns local council have designed such an amazing massive pool for the locals to bathe in. There is no swimming in the ocean in North Queensland due to stingers and crocodiles so it is nice to see  Cairns council look after the locals with such an awesome pool. Usually the pool is much busier than this however the weather took a turn for the worse later in the afternoon although it was still hot.

Walking down the Esplanade we stopped by  one of our favorite pizza shops Le Pizza and booked a table for later that evening at 8.30pm. I highly recommend this pizzeria for its food only. Staff always seem a little off-putting.

http://lapizzatrattoria.com.au/

A few doors down from Le Pizza is Peter Javer Art Gallery, please take the time to look at Peter Javer’s work. Peter Javer’s photography is amazing.

http://www.peterjarver.com/

Not much to see and do in Cairns CBD itself therefore we went back to the hotel for a swim before the 5-7pm canapes. James and I have already experienced tours in Cairns so this short overnight stay was just to unwind before going back to Sydney.

Tours we have previously experienced from Cairns are:

• Green Island helicopter tour:  I can not honestly give a genuine opinion of our experience at Green Island as it was a slight rush experience due to a mix up of dates we were locked into however GBR tours were able to provide us an alternate tour to Green Island versus the Great Barrier Reef tour originally booked. The helicopter ride was amazing and the start of many more helicopter rides for me around the world. James briefly snorkeled at Green Island while I basked in the sun –http://www.gbrhelicopters.com.au/departing-cairns/
• Jet skiing Eco Crocodile tour: I am not comfortable on jet ski’s but I will always have a test run to see how I cope with the water conditions and this Jet skiing Eco Crocodile tour was worth it for us as we saw a huge crocodile on the riverbanks –                      http ://www.nqwatersports.com.au/jetski.html
• Kuranda: More information on my Kuranda tips via my Palm Cove a secluded getaway blog –https://christinefrilaytravels.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/palm-cove-wow-was-it-hot/                                                                                                                                          

Around 5pm, we went to the Horizon Club lounge for canapes and drinks, the food looked delicious with hot and cold canapes. A good selection of Australian wines and champagne available for self-service and the hosts provided the spirits. James and I even ordered double vodkas and soda waters.

The Horizon Club guests enjoy a private lounge with complimentary facilities provided:

• Daily breakfast
• Evening cocktails and canapes
• Beverages served all day
• Wi-Fi and broadband Internet access
• Wide selection of newspapers and magazines
• Suit pressing and shoe shine service
• Use of meeting room facilities for two hours per day

http://www.shangri-la.com/cairns/shangrila/rooms-suites/horizon-club/about-the-horizon-club/

After 2 hours of over indulging we continued with drinks in our room then walked to Le Pizza for our 8.30pm dinner. We ordered our usual Tandorri Pollo and Supreme pizzas along with a bottle of white wine. The pizzas thankfully always taste the same even with change of staff. A little while later we continued our evening drinks at the Woolshed for a bit of a boogie and a few laughs. The Woolshed is a casual place to hang out and have a few laughs and dance. The patrons can be quite young and can get a little rowdy dancing on tables nevertheless we have had enjoyable times on the dance floor amongst ourselves.

http://www.thewoolshed.com.au/

The following morning we woke loving our Shangri-La horizon club room with the bed facing the ocean and mountain view and thought what a nice way to wake up. Both of us agreed lets stay one more evening so we changed our flight and extended our stay in the same room. We spent the morning nursing a hangover in bed and then relaxed by the pool with cocktails.

The restaurants in Cairns are usually very busy therefore please take note to book before arriving into Cairns or as soon as you have arrived. Earlier in the afternoon I booked James and I an outside table at Dundee’s on the Waterfront at 8.30pm.

At 5pm, we enjoyed our last evening of hot and cold canapes in the Shangri-La Horizon Club lounge. Knowing dinner was in a couple of hours we tried our hardest not to over indulge on canapes like the evening before.

After canapes we took a walk down to the Esplanade and watched the sunset before dinner. Such a magnificent sight.

An hour later we walked to Dundee’s Waterfront Restaurant by the marina, the restaurant was at full capacity. The food is always delicious here. I love Lobster Mornay and it seemed to be the only Lobster sauce that the restaurant did not have on their menu but thankfully the chef was accommodating. I enjoyed a superb Lobster Mornay.

http://www.dundees.com.au/

After yet another delicious meal, James and I briefly stopped by the Casino for a glimpse of the action then headed back to the Shangri-La.

The following morning on Monday 8th February, we enjoyed our last Horizon Club breakfast in the Horizon Club lounge, packed our bags and had a late check out at 2pm. We later caught a 15 minute taxi ride to Cairns airport for our 4.15pm flight home.

Overall, our 9 night trip to Palm Cove, Fitzroy Island and Cairns was the most relaxing holiday I have experienced out of my 32 years of travelling.

Please read the Palm Cove and Fitzroy Island blogs that we visited before this Cairns stopover.

• Palm Cove – https://christinefrilaytravels.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/palm-cove-wow-was-it-hot/
• Fitzroy Island –https://christinefrilaytravels.wordpress.com/2016/08/31/return-visit-to-fitzroy-island