I’ve made it all the way up the east coast of Australia, from Byron Bay to Cairns!

Here’s what the route looks like — it would take about 25 hours by car.

It takes me about four weeks to cover this stretch of Oz, but that includes a full week in Cairns to complete my Open Water Diving course, so if that’s not on your agenda then this trip could be completed in 3.5 weeks.

But I have a few days before the course is schedule to begin so I take the time to explore Cairns. This is their big lagoon:

The bay sits empty on the other side of the lagoon.

It’s a stark contrast to see the blue water and brown mud side-by-side:

Of each lagoon I’ve visited so far (Brisbane, Airlie Beach, and now Cairns), this one is my favorite.

One night I grab dinner at Grill’d, known for their lean burgers (and not-so-lean fries):

My hostel is near the Green Ant Cantina and I eat dinner here THREE times over the course of a week. I’m thrilled to eat Mexican food again. They have a special backpackers menu with great prices.

Let me introduce you to the best latte of my travels — a caramel coconut latte from Caffiend. It’s like drinking a Girl Scout samoa cookie.

Oh, and let me tell you about this special Aussie instrument — the didgeridoo.

I legit thought that was a made-up word the first time I heard it, like “thing-a-majig.” It just doesn’t sound like a real word. But it’s a popular wind instrument created by Aborigines.

Here’s what it looks like in action:

[image via]

I love the pieces of cultural identity in each new place I travel. And now if I’m ever on Jeopardy and the clue is, “This Aboriginal wind instrument is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet,” I’ll be the first to buzz in.

My flight out of Cairns is quite scenic — I snap these photos:

There are a few adventures in Cairns that I’m excited to share in the coming days — a helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef, a tour of the Daintree Rainforest, and my Open Water dive course.