Plenty to love about adopted home
LAURA Drewsen arrived in Cairns in 1996 and never looked back.
The Whitfield mum of two said her husband, Holger, arrived in the Far North in a similar fashion.
“I met my husband in 2005 when he was up here from the Gold Coast for a weekend, and since then we’ve never left,” she said. “I’m from Dublin, so I’ve done city living. I’ve lived in Sydney and Melbourne. But I love the weather here, and I love how relaxed and laid-back everything is.
“I think it still has the same feel now as it did back then.
“I fly for work a lot, but when we land in Cairns Airport, I still get that warm, fuzzy feeling and think to myself that I’m so happy to be home.”
Ms Drewsen said the charm of Cairns was all about the convenience of the regional city.
“I tend to say that everything I need is in a 5km radius,” she said.
“We’re very lucky that we don’t have a big commute, be- cause the kids both go to Mother of Good Counsel on Sheridan St.” Ms Drewsen said she and her family were settled in for the long haul in the Far North. “I don’t see us leaving here. I think we’ll live here forever,” she said. “When the kids are older, I’m sure they’ll move away for college or for work. “My son would definitely come back though, he loves Cairns.”
Ms Drewsen said her kids Finn, 9, and Lulu, 8, loved the outdoorsy lifestyle.
She said she’d seen a lot of change in Cairns as it had expanded over the years, but that it was mostly for the best.
“You can see the change in the mornings driving along Sheridan St; it’s just absolutely bumper to bumper,” she said.
“There are more flights in and out of Cairns and things are a bit busier than they used to be. It’s a fine line to walk. But I think being busier means we have more things to do, more places to go, and better facilities.”
WHEN WE LAND IN CAIRNS AIRPORT, I STILL GET THAT WARM, FUZZY FEELING