Overall, looking back on Australia during our last nights there what stood out to me the most is the fact that there is a sentiment in Australia of doing things well and looking at life from a laid back perspective. Australia is a country where you need to take a step back and just absorb what is going on around you. There is so much to experience and so much to see and enjoy that at times you feel overwhelmed, but in a good way.
Cairns in particular, is truly what made Australia unique for me because of the fact that is it was unlike Melbourne or Sydney in the sense that it was more of a small oceanside city than a urban center. It gave somewhat of a Caribbean feel and made it seem like you were in a unique and spectacular place. Its proximity to the mountains, the forests, and the Great Barrier Reef makes it an incredible place to visit and its tropic feel is beautiful and calming.
It showcases an enriched environment that gave us not only a side of Australia that was closer to aboriginal tribes, but also a taste of what rural Australia is, and while we were not in the middle of the countryside we were able to see the slower and calmer side of Australia, which was really beneficial.
— Joe Incorvia
Down Under Cinema: Film Studies in Australia and New Zealand 