We made it! After ten days of a whirlwind roadtrip up the east coast, Geoff’s Van-Tastic Adventures promotional tour has reached its final destination – Cairns!
We dropped Geoff off at the Traveller’s Auto Barn so he could get all shiny and new for the big launch party at Calypso Backpackers and for his introduction to Adam and Hamish, the Van-Tastic Queensland winners. In only a few short days, he will be off again with the Kiwi boys on their Queensland adventures!
When we arrived at Calypso, owner Brett Claxton was ready and waiting with Adam and Hamish, eager to show us all around Cairns for the night. The guys were just as their submission video suggested – quirky, entertaining, and charming. Having just stepped off a plane from Athens, they already seemed ready for everything Oz was about to throw at them. Brett made sure that we experienced all that Cairns nightlife had to offer from the oceanfront lounge to the casino and live salsa bar to the backpackers club – needless to say, it was quite a welcome and a warm-up for the launch party the following night.
The big Van-Tastic launch party and Queensland roadtrip send-off was held at Zanzibar Bar & Grille at Calypso Backpackers. Adam and Hamish debuted their orange Van-Tastic T-shirts, and as usual, Geoff sat outside, inviting passers-by to join in the party. Hot appetizers were passed and cold drinks were poured as the Cairns tourism industry kicked off the night. It seemed that every adventure activity in the area (and there are lots!) was represented and was keen to meet the guys. Lucky them!
Backpackers started pouring into Zanzibar as the night wore on and soon it seemed the room was glowing in orange and buzzing about the Van-Tastic roadtrip. A DJ was on hand to entertain the guests and only stopped so that we could premiere Adam and Hamish’s Van-Tastic Adventures application video, which was met with rave reviews. The boys were then officially “crowned” Van-Tastic Queensland winners as Katrina from World Nomads introduced them to the crowd and presented them with leis. Not that you could miss them before!
The evening was a great success as the Kiwi guys got their first tour of Geoff and a glimpse of what the next six weeks had in store for them. They seemed at home with Geoff right away! So, we handed over the keys, thus ending the promotional roadtrip and starting the Van-Tastic Queensland Adventure!
We were up early the next morning for our excursion out to the Great Barrier Reef with Pro Dive Cairns. Trading wheels for water, we hopped onto the boat for the hour and a half long journey off the coast to the reef. A quick bout of seasickness could still not curb our excitement as we prepared to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. We geared up and leapt off of the back of the boat to check out the famed underwater playground we’d heard so much about. Schools of vibrant fish, towers upon towers of coral, and even a few sea turtles surrounded us as we explored the reef. It was quite easy to see that the Great Barrier Reef really does possess a magical quality. While the gray skies threatened above, a whole other world below was lit up with life…a truly amazing afternoon and a great way to end our journey!
Now, let the Van-Tastic Adventures begin! Watch out for stories, photos and videos from Adam and Hamish as the Van-Tastic Queensland Adventure takes off! These two crazy travellers are off and running on August 3rd! Can’t wait to see what they get up to!
Think you’ve got what it takes? There are still five legs of the Van-Tastic Adventures up for grabs! For more information and to apply, check out http://vantastic.worldnomads.com.
See ya on the road!
