Gilligans Backpacker, Cairns with Sharni

Cairns, a backpackers Paradise..

I (Sharni!) have just come back from a quick 3 days break in Cairns and had an AMAZING time!!! I have a group of friends who I used to live with in Ireland who are backpacking around Australia so I met them up there for a few days. 

Although normally I’m a bit of a hotel snob I decided to join them at Gilligans and can honestly say I loved it. The deluxe dorm rooms were everything you could ask for, with air-conditioning, a fridge and a balcony and comfy beds. I honestly couldn’t fault the place, especially for $12 per night ;)  The hostel itself is great too, with a tour desk, a kitchen, a gym, a fantastic lagoon style pool and a restaurant. Then there is the Bar/nightclub with its crazy drink specials and delightfully accented internationals, good times!!

I spent most of my time nursing my poor hungover self, BUT did manage to squeeze in a few awesome activities too ;)

My suggestion..

The best place to be in Cairns is at the southern end, near the lagoon and Casino. There are lots of restaurants to choose from and it’s an easy walk to everything you could ever need, including the Marina (so you can get on your boat and head to the reef ;)) Mantra Esplanade is a good 4* that super central and I really like…

Bay of Fires Lodge and Cradle Mountain Huts Walks

These are fully escorted and full board walking tours that leave from Launceston between the months of October and May. They are loaded in the system as MODS out of LST. 

Cradle Mtn Huts Walk

This is a 5 night/6 day walk that operates from Launceston daily during their peak times (based on booking numbers) and 2 – 3 times a week during their slightly slower periods.

This walk is the more challenging of the 2, covering 60 kms over the 5 days and the terrain itself is more varied and steep, but the pay off is the incredible views and the absolute wilderness experienced in this heritage listed National Park.

Their group sizes hit a maximum at 10 with 2 guides, there are private huts, 3 course dinners, and Tasmanian wines offered at the end of each day to relax while you take in your surroundings.

Picking up from Peppers Seaport, you travel to their orientation and checkin centre at Quamby estates then get bussed to Cradle Mountain for the start of your adventure. 

This is a truly unique experience and varied levels of fitness are catered for (with additional side trips off the tracks offered), but certainly something to prepare for. The maximum walking day is 12kms with and the terrain steep in some places, so get stair walking!

Bay of Fires Lodge Walk

This is the shorter and less strenuous option! 4 days/ 3 nights, 23kms and primarily flat! Sounds delightful doesn’t it? Throw in some stunning coastal views, beautiful lodge style accommodation (shared facilities), and you have yourself a gorgeous walking holiday.

Quamby Estates, Launceston

This is what used to be the old government house for Launceston and has been converted into a stunning and unique boutique property. It is homestead style accommodation with a seriously luxurious twist.

There are sitting rooms dressed in beautiful furnishing and gorgeous art work, a golf course and tennis court on site, and the service here is impeccable. They love their property and they want you to love it too.

And they do a lot of weddings on their perfectly manicured and picturesque lawns. Just saying ;)

Country Clubs, Launceston

This is the 5* option attached to the casino, just a short (free) shuttle away from the Country Club Villas. There are heaps of restaurants on site (even a small food court for some cheap eats!), the casino, a links golf course, swimming pools, beauty parlour, hair dresser, free wifi and complimentary valet parking to name a few.

The rooms themselves are quite old school glamour. The bathrooms are marble, the furnishings are decadent and there is a soft refurbish in process at the moment just to keep things looking fresh and up to date.

There are balconies on a lot of the rooms with smoking permitted outside. And quite a few of the rooms offer the interconnecting option. 

Country Club Villas, Launceston

This is the 4* option which is part of the Country Club (casino) group. In my opinion, it is an upmarket motel. The furnishings are pretty dated and not all of the amenities are top notch, but it is basic, clean and comfortable and the facilities on site are amazing.

There are 3 restaurants, a bottle shop, a bar, a pool, a spa, free parking, internet at reception, and full use of all the restaurant facilities at the Country Club. 

There are also a lot of animals around. It is about a 10 minute drive from Launceston and set on a lot of property so we saw heaps of birds and rabbits! (Which is pretty special to see just nibbling the grass in between rooms).

Mercure, Launceston

This is a really excellent lead in property for Launceston. It is a 4*, the “grand old dame” of Launceston, and not over the top or fancy, but just a really good lead in hotel.

There are 115 rooms across the property and 24 hour room service. The Tram Car Bar is a novel treat- an entire tram car is in the bar!

They have a range of room types and room make ups, some with shower over bath, some with walk in shower. All of the rooms are very large and spacious for a hotel style and any room types requested that aren’t loaded in our system can be requested direct from the hotel.

N.B. Not all of the rooms are air conditioned. Some are in the higher room types, then there are air conditioning units in the next level of rooms, then fans in the lower. This isn’t a big deal I don’t think as Launceston doesn’t get significant heat enough to warrant it as a concern. 

Sebel, Launceston (4.5*)

The Sebel was built in 2005 so it is very modern and hasn’t had the mass “tired” look creep in. A lot of the rooms are refurbished yearly to keep them looking fresh and it is a part residential / part hotel property which actually gives it a really nice fee. There is a lot of foot traffic at reception and the staff know their residential customers creating a homey feel.

The reception is 24 hours and all their staff have RSA’s (so can serve alcohol) and barista training so wine and coffee service is available at all times their licensing permits. They are also incredibly friendly and professional.

This is a hotel that is very proud of its standard, facilities and the property in general which leads to superior service and treatment of their guests. They WANT them to be there and want them to come back.

Market Square – the main restaurant – does breakfast and dinner daily and has a massive Tasmanian wine list. They also do their best to source as much of their produce locally so people are actually eating the region they are staying in.

The rooms are all king bedding or king split – there are no queens or doubles through the whole hotel. They are large and spacious, many with balconies, modern and VERY clean.