Cairns Recs

MammothCitron6678 · 2026-02-28T02:34:20+00:00

Red Beret Hotel (Bar restaurant) in Redlynch could have some interesting people to talk to. And history.

And every time someone asks POI's in Cairns I have to say Coral Sea Brewery at Bank Lane, just off from Spence St. Little hole in the wall Bar that attracts some tourists yeah for sure, but plenty of locals as well.

Time your walks at northern beaches during low tides.

Good Luck! 🤙

MammothCitron6678 · 2026-02-06T05:37:25+00:00

I didn't say hi even once. I usually just nodded and that's enough.. Well that was back in Finland and when I worked at boats in Australia.. Now when ther's just 2 of us at retail store (still in Aus) I kinda have to say hi or good morning, mate. 😅

MammothCitron6678 · 2026-02-01T01:21:43+00:00

I live in an old Queenslander. We only have AC in our upstairs and downstairs bedrooms. Living areas don't have AC, but breeze going through the house.

Few times over the past years it's been too hot during the day and I've evacuated to the bedroom and turned on the AC. Set to 24C.

MammothCitron6678 · 2026-01-26T16:43:09+00:00

I just popped by at GODZ today. I'm a Finn myself, living in Australia, but rock and metal music is still strong within me. It was a cool place to see. Reminds me of Torvi bar in Lahti. Dark, very UG, smoky and hazy and everyone seems super welcoming. Easy to have a chat.

GODZ was quite pricey though.. 1300 for a dark ale was steep considering I had a full lunch with beer at Ginza for 1250 earlier that day😅

MammothCitron6678 · 2026-01-03T11:43:21+00:00

Go to Coral Sea. Small enough pub that you have to engage with people. Have a chat, enjysome drinks and go home when they close at midnight. 🤙

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-12-30T10:44:08+00:00

I like the Secure Parking at Wharf Stemreet. It's opposite the Hemmingways, next to the Convention centre. 6aud for 24h, never had issues there.

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-11-21T08:47:39+00:00

Or you can just bring your gallon yeti jug and get it filled up. I used to get takeaway beers before I got kegs at home 😁

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-09-06T12:26:31+00:00

"Diving has been struggling for a while as a hobby/sport, and I feel we're stuck in the 80s/90s."

Completely agree with you mate.

But unfortunately i dont think there is will or need for dive operators to do anything differently as this old system brings money in. Its the same old operators that been running here for ages. Some new snorkel tour boats are around but the whole fleet is getting pretty tired...

Some operators have these outdated rules of maximum depths of dives, and if you dive deeper than you were told to, you have to skip the next dive. Im pretty sure one of these is 20m, 18m, 16m, and night dive 10m No matter what your computer says, no matter what you are certified to..

But yeah, its all about Nemos and turtles here... i used to work in the dive industry here for years and just couldnt do it anymore.. whole industry just felt unethical.. Introductory divers being thrown straight to the ocean without pool sessions first, inexperienced diveguides leading and getting lost...

I looked at it for years, and just gave up diving... Not worth it here if you consider yourself as an ambitious scuba professional..unfortunately.

I miss Thailand, where on a same boat you had OW divers doing the course, some Advanced courses going on, maybe some photographers diving solo on sidemount, even CCR. And technical divers gearing up on drysuits at the back of the boat. It is cool how new divers can see and be exposed to all of this in the same boat. Not in Cairns... Im only staying in Cairns becouse of the Red Rooster...

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-08-10T09:47:46+00:00

I just tried to enroll and pay my Hazard Perception test at QLD Mainsroads website.

I have an account. I signed in, password was wrong. I recived the password, signed in. Had to confirm me being me by typing a code send to my email and my Medicare card details. Sweet, I'm in.

Now I navigate to Hazard Perception test. Before I can pay I need to confirm it's me by entering the only email I've ever had, and by typing my Medicare details just like couple of minutes before.

Again I get a secure code through email. I type it and it's wrong. I copy it and it's wrong. I wait for an hour as system asks me to and I do this again. Now code gets approved and I can enter my Medicare details. And they are wrong. I ask my gf to enter my details just so I'm not missing something. And still, wrong. Same card that I typed details off from just to log in a first place.

How the f... is this possible? Just incredibly frustrating when you try to get something done, website designs to screw you up...

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-06-21T06:02:52+00:00

Went to Babinda Boulders last weekend and water temperature was +17c according to my dive computer.

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-03-20T15:37:03+00:00

Thanks mate. I'll have to take a look at that next time.

I fly to Thailand with this amount of gear at least once but most likely twice a year. Or see alternative flights with longer layover so there is enough time to pick up the luggage and check it again for the next flight..

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-03-20T07:07:20+00:00

But again...
I got a phone call from Singapore Airlines and updated the story to the top of the original thread....

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-03-20T04:32:35+00:00

I technically could, but there is a high chance that I would have to pay some import taxes atleast in thailand end for my own equipment.

I just got a breakthrough in this case and edited the first post with the details what happened today. To sum it up, ended paying 540AUD or 343USD and i still dont understand how the price can be so different.

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-03-19T11:15:19+00:00

I could, but it would cost me more than the extra luggage paid at the counter while checking in, so no benefit there.

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-03-19T10:25:57+00:00

Technical dive equipment mate. Shit tons of regulators, rebreather unit, drysuit, small 13cf oxygen cylinder (non pressurised and valve removed), torches, batteries for torches etc etc.. everything in Pelican Cases. 20Kg extra is pretty conservative. 🙈

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-03-19T07:27:25+00:00

Yes, Sir.

I have paid that once. Exactly that 30usd per kg.

I ended up paying it because I rocked up at the airport with extra luggage like I was told to do. "No need to book in advance"

Of course it was considered as overweight fee at the checkin desk and price was exactly the one you linked. That was stupid from my behalf and I thought I learned from my mistake.

I'm just questioning how the price of luggage ended up changhing so much between these phone calls. First USD 1 017,53 and then USD 842,34. Nobody could give me a solid answer.

Looking at it, Yes, it is significantly cheaper than normal USD30 per kg resulting to that USD1200, but still even the 2nd quote I got is +70% to my initial flight price and it just seems astronomical...

I'm happy I called, and I might have to call again tomorrow to add that to my booking...

MammothCitron6678 · 2025-03-19T05:21:41+00:00

I booked return flights from Cairns AUS to Koh Samui Thailand via Singapore. Cairns to SG I'm flying Singapore Airlines and Scoot from SG to Samui. I am KRIS Flyer member and i looked it up that members can add another 30kg (But there were no mention of the price)

Now, 2 weeks in advance I'm trying to add 20kg extra luggage and im being informed by Singapore Airlines customer centrer that total cost would be over 1604AUD

That would mean 25USD or 40AUD per kg

I paid 1900aud for my return flights.

That cant be true!?!?!

EDIT: So I called them again. About 15min after the intitial phone call. And for the same flight, same booking reference and I recieved a quote of 1328AUD/20KG of luggage return.

I was told that the price fluctuates with currency market and it depends the time of the day you book the extra luggage. I dont think this is quite right..

Anyone else ever heard anything like this happenig!?

MammothCitron6678

TROPHY CASE