Australia Adventure Day 6 - Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome

1 February 2018 -

Breakfast at Caffiend - 

Our breakfast place was settled the night before as I googled for nice breakfast cafes. Our original plan was to go to Frydays but we have already went there. Caffiend was one of the options that appeared in the search. As I looked through the menu online, I found scambled eggs! I never really saw many scrambled eggs dishes in Aussie.

Naturally, I went for the Miso Scrambled Eggs (A$17) and added the Smoked Salmon & Avocado (+A$8.50). The scrambled egg is so amazing with a good blend of miso flavour. The topping of bonito flakes and seaweed compliments it well too. Together with the appetizing wakeme salad, even the avocado could fit in well. I have been indulging in so much smoked salmon at this point!

My bf had the Chilli Eggs (A$16.90) and an add-on of Bacon & Avocado (+A$7). Their home-cooked chilli jam is a refreshing change from the usual breakfast we have been eating. It was like nasi-lemak chilli with poached eggs. Together, it was indeed an amazing big brekky! Piccolo taste good, but the quantity is too little for the love of coffee in me.

Caffiend ranks number 2 favourite for breakfast cafe! I still prefer the sour dough toast at Bang & Grind.

After our breakfast, we went to Woolworths to buy container and rice! We went back to see if we can place the Gopro inside to dry and revive it. Unfortunately, it did not revive. I don't know what is wrong with it. It is currently laying lifeless at my bf's house.


Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome -

It is located in the The Reef Hotel Casino and just a walking distance from our place. You can identify it from the glass dome tip of the building. Take the lift to Level R (I guess it means roof?) and you will see the entrance to the shop. We bought the tickets for the entry + 4 zoom activities each, at a total of A$135. This is after the use of the 10% discount we got from the voucher booklet we got at the airport on the first day (Raging Thunder also gave us one when they knew we were going). Entry ticket allows for re-entry for 4 consecutive days after too!

Funny how I expected it to be an air conditioned place since it is indoor, but it is hot like in the animals' natural habitat. While it was tempting to explore and look at the animals, we should finish all the zoom activities (no cameras allowed though) first. Mid-zoom is a prerequisite for Hi-zoom, so we started with that first. It is like a series of obstacle courses and it looks really fun. After gearing up, we went up and I was first to go. They have a full roller system which we were attached to as we moved. Pretty much a safe and self-operating system.

I exclaimed as we started, "Why did I choose to do this?!". My legs were jelly-ish and I was sweating profusely from going across the various forms of "bridges". The height was not even that high yet. But well, it got better and more fun after each obstacle. Everything just seems so scary at first. Even the first low-level zipline made me nervous about letting go. After all, I don't remember if I did complete any stuff like this before. There was only one time during camp in secondary school.

When we finished the first activity, the staff was asking me to take some rest and have more water because I was so red! Then I told him that it was probably because I was sun burnt! My whole back was soaked. We quickly hydrated ourself and sat in front of the fan to cool down.

The hi-zoom was next and it is a longer route. There are some obstacles that are more challenging. One of them requires moving across sideways on the metal bars and ropes. One of the courses that I took a significantly longer route is the one with the tyres. Every step I took, I had to find my balance as it was so shaky! You really have to find the balance and get the momentum because the ropes you get to hold on are not stationary to provide support. There are about 3 ziplines, which is relatively fast and fun. Do you dare to zipline above the 4.1m big crocodile, Goliath?

We rested awhile before we went up to the dome outside. It must be guided by their staff. Our guide was a very friendly lady by the name of Rose. It was scorching hot outside! My legs tremble at first looking at the height. I move forward with caution. Rose told us to stand at the edge and let go, but my body just could not relax. Hahaha so much for the canyoning training! The view is lovely and it was relatively windy. If it was not so hot, I would definitely have enjoyed it better.

 
We headed down to wait for Rose for our next challenge! It is for those who are up for the balancing challenge. (Power Jump was closed for maintenance, much to the dismay of my bf.) It is to slackline across the webbing strap and turn back again. That sounds easy but it is not. The ropes we get to hold on will wobble and so will your legs. They really will jiggle like jelly on the rubber strap. Initially, I followed the instructions to move forward foot by foot with my toes pointing to the front. But it was really jiggly and I took too long to stabilize myself before moving on. I later discovered my better strategy to open up my legs with some space between each foot, with my toes tilted outwards for better control. For my bf, his tactic is to walk sideways.

My start was slow, but the Uturn was faster. It was so fun to see my bf wobbling wobbling on the strap while trying to balance. The last part before reaching the the ground, Rose challenged us to let go of the ropes we were holding! By that time, we were like pros already! 

Our next itinerary was to see all the animals and birds. Most of the birds are just roaming about and I love it! There was a sign warning us not to get too near to the ducks because mother duck just had babies and will be protective of them. I particular like this beautiful white kookaburra. Apparently, he is the most popular in the wildlife dome. He displays the cool vibes. Due to his bright colour, it was not easy to survive in the wild being unable to camouflage in the greens.

There was also crocodiles - the big and small ones. We managed to watch the feeding session of Goliath. This crocodile is huge and when its jaw shuts to grab the food, it produces a resounding snap. There is a cute little kangaroo-like animal (oh no I forgot the name) running about too. I happened to catch the moment that it was smelling the shoes of my bf.

We thought we could not manage to see the koala bear because it was nowhere in its enclosure. She turned out to be camouflaged by the leaves! The staff was kind enough to bring her to us so we could have a pat and feel the fur. So cute! When the staff placed her on a branch that provides more visibility to watch her, she leaped to the other tree and back to her favourite spot! Gosh, koala bears can jump well. We were so surprised when we saw that.

I was slightly disappointed when I came to Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome because I may have expected a little more. But we turned out to have lots of fun! This small space can fit many activities and it is great for families too. The best thing is, re-entry is allowed for the next 4 consecutive days. 

As we walked back to our hotel, we passed by this very lovely gift shop - Ok Gift Shop. What a cute name. It was not just OK, it was amazing. I liked the way they present their goods and and the products they sell are high quality and unique. I bought my eucalptus tea leaves and lemongrass hand lotion there.

Dinner at C'est Bon -

After a nice refreshing bath, we dressed up for our dinner at a more atas french restaurant. We took that dinner as our belated monthiversary dinner (no, we don"t actually celebrate usually). We did not have any reservations but we went earlier than the usual crowd. Otherwise, we might not get a table.

We decided try their dinner set menu which includes 1 entree, 1 main and 1 dessert each. We added on escargot as well. As we had a choice to add on sides for our main course, we wanted to order 2 of the potato dishes. The staff was concerned and pointed out that we might be ordering too much, so we reduced to one side. Thank goodness for his advice because we were so full!

The bread was served first. It is so yummy with the garlic & herb butter. I wanted some white wine but I had no idea what to order. The lady staff recommended Jim Barry Lavender Hill Riesling 2015 to suit my preference for sweet wine. It is very lovely indeed!

The seared garlic squid appetitzer is amazing. I wonder how it is done so well-marinated and tender.  The mushroom soup has a puff pastry cover which goes well with the authentic creamy shrooms soup. The escargot comes served with some bread at the side so we can dip in the sauce. The garlic sauce is very flavorful and delicious when paired with bread.

The mains are great as well. The black couscous pearls with the salmon taste like the sago you eat in desserts. Quite interesting to try it for the first time. The salmon is soft and moist. The other dish features the chicken meat in two different flavours. The potato gratin is buttery and the potato slices were just right and retained its firm texture.

People always say - There is always space for desserts! The last two highlights are the opposite of each other. The chocolate mousse is sweet and very much to the liking of my bf. The lemon tart on the other hand is just crazily sour for him. The soft meringue balances and lessens the sourness well.

The tea came after the dessert in a nicely designed teapot. My bf was going to ask for a tea cup before I stopped him and asked  him to look closer at the design! He could not see the handle from his view and he did not realised that the teapot is sitting on top of the cup. He always only drinks english breakfast tea, what a boring guy lol.

We went for a romantic stroll after dinner to digest our food. I absolutely love the feeling of night walking! Although it was a little warm, it was nice to immerse in the ambience of the night life along the bars and restaurants. We walked till Cairns Night Market and decided that we will go back the next day for a massage! Turned in for the night with my favourite combination - Coke & Whiskey!