The Scenic Way Home - The Beginning

Arriving in Cairns at 11.30pm at night, I was expecting a cooler air but no it was unbelievably humid!! I have never felt humidity like that ever!  Waking up the next day and seeing our surroundings you could understand – it is so tropical up here. So much greenery, lush trees and lots of wildlife to go with it!!  Cairns is a beautiful place, obviously very focused on the Reef and the tourism associated with that but it does have a little charm of its own. 

Monday we went on the Great Barrier Reef...what a day!!! It was surreal swimming down there and a little nerve racking! I nearly drowned in my excitement of spotting a turtle!!

Lisa Cahill's glass piece

Visited Cairns Art Gallery the next day, which is housed in a beautiful Government building and with amazing air-conditioning!  I saw a glass exhibition that really opened my mind to glass work and showed me a really exciting side to it.  One piece by Lisa Cahill was a beautiful snowy scene inspired by her travels to Iceland.It was a beautiful piece and reminded me of my friend's work, Jo Bramley.  Her work uses different materials, such as paint but they both had this similarity of exploring these snowy untrodden landscapes.  Lisa Cahill creates a multi-layered piece using glass, like Jo, building up the image and it is also something I can relate to in my own working style.

Artwork by Jo Bramley

For the next couple of days we hired a car, giving us some freedom to explore.  Driving up to Kuranda on the first morning through the rich dense rainforest was a great drive and winding through those towering trees I couldn't help but think of Rosie Snell's work.  In anticipation of seeing the elusive railway or skytrain, I was reminded of her intricate landscapes and striking industrial machinery that she so carefully places within this.



Kuranda

Reaching Cape Tribulation later that day was an unforgettable drive.  Driving along the Captain Cook Highway was just incredible.  Being up in the north of Queensland really did feel like we had landed on a tropical island paradise.  The greenery, beautiful beaches, lush rainforest, endless encounters with nature is all so overwhelming - ahhh Australia :)