Cairns Taipans versus Townsville Crocs

On Friday we were invited by Irelands Holden (Cairns) to join them in their corporate box for the Taipans/Crocs NBA game.  As we had never been to a game before, we jumped at the opportunity.  Oh my gosh!  What an experience.  The game was neck and neck for a good part of the game but in the end the Taipans ran away with the game.  The twelve seat corporate box was so close to the side-line that you could count the sweat beads on the players brows!  We were wined and dined and had a great time.
There is a rivalry between Cairns and Townsville that has been going on between the two cities forever and not just sporting.  It goes way beyond that! When we lived in the west Townsville was "The Big Smoke" for us.  We really looked forward to our twice yearly visits where the women could visit all the department stores and the men would find a mans toyshop.  We stayed at a motel and we had takeaways nearly every night.  It was, to us....bliss.
When the boys started boarding school at Townsville our trips became more frequent but our love of Townsville never waned.  The smell of saltwater after the smell of dust was food for the soul.
So when we moved to Julatten and Cairns become our "Big Smoke" our hearts were torn between the two cities for a long time but gradually Cairns has won our favouritism.
I personally think the rivalry began when Townsville was granted an International Airport in 1980 making it the first regional international airport in Australia.  Cairns was granted one shortly after.  But the Townsville International Airport was short-lived as Cairns become more popular with international tourists and the Townsville International Airport was closed.  I don't think Townsville ever forgave Cairns for supposedly "stealing" it's airport.  This is just my opinion.
I tried to take some photos of the basketball game with my iPhone but I am hopeless at using it.  Give me an SLR any day!  Here is one that is just OK.

A sea of Taipans supporters!