Open Post: This week, I went to Cairns. I win.

This week, I traded chilly Sydney for tropical Cairns. So basically it was the best week ever.

Welcome to Open Post. If you’re new here, this is the place on Mamamia where we come together and talk about our weeks. Absolutely nothing is off-limits.

I’ll kick us off.

This week, I went to Cairns. For five glorious, stress-free days, the only thing I had to worry about was which cocktail to choose (which WAS tough, by the way).

Did I feel guilty leaving my colleagues behind to pick up the slack while I sunned myself and swam with turtles all day? Nope nope nope.

Now, it’s back to the reality of freezing Sydney weather, deadlines and traffic (sob), but still – I have my memories and Instagram photos, and my food baby courtesy of about 546 fish and chip meals.

Here are the highlights, if you find yourself up that way any time soon:

1. Diving the Great Barrier Reef.

This has always been on my bucket list, and this week I finally got to tick it off – and it was definitely worth the wait.

My fiancé and I spent three days and two nights on the Great Barrier Reef on board a boat with Cairns Dive Centre, diving and snorkelling all day.

The reef actually is as beautiful as all those tourist brochures suggest, and we had the chance to spot giant turtles, reef sharks, stingrays, eels and heaps of tropical fish (even a few Nemos).

We did dawn and night dives too, which were slightly terrifying (hey, I’ve seen Jaws, ok?) but awesome, and also had plenty of time to chill out on the deck and recuperate from all that exertion.

Turns out scuba diving isn’t so scary when there’s one of the seven wonders of the natural world right in front of you to distract you.

2. Touring the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation.

Next up we did a day-long tour of the Daintree and Cape Tribulation with Billy Tea Safaris.

It kicked off with a river cruise where we spotted a five metre croc almost as soon as we boarded the boat.

Then we got to check out the rainforest, which is actually the world’s oldest (who knew?)

Other highlights were looking out for cassowaries on the Bloomfield Track, swimming in Emmagen Creek, walking along Cape Tribulation Beach and feeding wallabies at an animal sanctuary.

3. Checking out the beautiful Atherton Tablelands.

On our last day we hired a car and took a self-guided tour from Port Douglas back to Cairns via the Atherton Tablelands.

It’s ridiculously beautiful with cute little towns, national parks and huge waterfalls.

Once we got to the airport, I almost had to be dragged on to the plane – five days here was definitely not enough.

That’s enough holiday boasting from me though. Over to you…

What’s been happening in your world this week?

Here are some more Queensland happy snaps…