We arrived in Cairnes, pronounced “Cannes” by the locals, on Friday afternoon. After arriving at our resort and settling in we took a cab to the main drag downtown, the Esplanade. The area was bustling with tourists on holiday and many eager vendors. We noticed that shops in Cairnes stay open much later (some 24 hours) than in NZ where they all closed around 6 p.m. While wandering the streets we noticed a commotion across the street near the beach and found a group of entertainers dancing with fire on the sand to techno music. We watched for a bit as they twirled fire and even hula’d flaming hoops and then left to find something for supper. We ate at a local chain on the corner (Outback Jack’s). We noticed quickly that service at restaurants in Australia is very different from the attentive service in New Zealand. When I asked our waitress what the local fish Barramundi tastes like, she said “fish”. As the manager walked by, a gruff old Aussie, she asked him what the Barramundi tastes like. He echoed her response, “Fish”, adding that it doesn’t taste like Salmon. I found out later that Barramundi fish primarily live in the rivers in Australia, but swim down to the sea to spawn. Another interesting fact is that they change sex from male to female during their lifespan and then can change back to either gender later in life. I wasn’t so impressed by the taste; it reminded me of big catfish. After dinner we wandered through the night market for a bit to browse souvenirs and then took a cab back to our resort to rest.
Saturday we slept in a bit. After getting ready and eating we chose to take an afternoon trip out to Green Island to get some snorkeling practice and swim. We found out that no one actually swims on the beaches in Cairnes, partially due to the crocodiles and jellyfish, but because Cairnes beaches aren’t pristine. Green Island is a small resort island along the reef that has a small rainforest area. The water was a beautiful clear blue-green and we immediately were able to spot interesting fish while walking up the dock to the main island. While walking to the changing rooms we spotted some interesting birds walking about and even saw a few chicks cuddling together. Mike and I rented or “hired” (as Aussies say) a couple of Lycra suits for jellyfish protection. The suits are terribly unattractive, but when it comes to enduring a painful sting from a deadly jellyfish (called “marine stingers” here) or looking goofy, we both chose to look goofy. It was Mike’s first time to snorkel so we went around the edge of the reef and weren’t able to get too deep. The variety wasn’t too great since we were primarily in shallow waters, but we did swim over an interesting flounder disguised as sand and some long skinny fish we haven’t yet identified. We used the 27 exposures from our disposable water-proof camera within the first 15 minutes. We only had a couple of hours on the island and the time flew. After we arrived back in town we wandered around the Esplanade some more. This time we walked over to get a closer look at the salt water lagoon pool directly on the beach and took more pictures. Later that night Mike and I went to swim at one of the pools at the resort. It was an interesting pool with sand at one end to seem more like an actual beach. While swimming we talked to a gent from Wales who had gone to one of the outer reefs that day and he told us how amazing the colors were of the reef and the fish. Luckily, we already had booked a tour for Monday with the same company he had taken, so we knew it was going to be a worthwhile.
Sunday we decided to explore some of Australia’s rainforest with a bit more care. The bush in New Zealand is quite different than Australia. We knew that while in New Zealand we weren’t dealing with the same level of threat of dangerous plants and wildlife, Australia’s bush can be quite dangerous even on a tour. Our morning began aboard the Kuranda scenic railway where we learned about the brave settlers who had used pick and shovel to carve the train tunnels through the mountains. Along the way we stopped and viewed the magnificent Barron Falls which are 329 meters above sea level and drop 265 meters. They have a power station beneath the falls and the power generated by the falls supplies most of Cairnes. At the top we reached Kuranda Village. It’s nestled in the rainforest where locals and aborigines have markets and shops. We wandered the shops and saw many interesting sites and artwork. While in there we visited a spot called Rainforest Station where we toured a wildlife park and then rode on an amphibious army duck vehicle in a brief loop through the rainforest. The wildlife park was small, but the kangaroos and wallabies were roaming free in the park and we both were able to approach and pet both. They were sleeping, so all appreciated a nice scratch between the ears. We also saw koalas, and Mike promised me that I would get to cuddle one in person when we go to Sydney Zoo. There were many beautiful butterflies flying around the park (some wild, some escapees from the butterfly zoo). One stunning blue one was named the Ulysses Butterfly. The ride through the rainforest was informative and we learned a lot about the different types of plants. By the end of the tour we were able to identify different types of basket ferns growing on the trees. They look like parasites, but are called epiphytes and not actually harmful to their hosts. We saw a few dangerous plants in route such as the Walking Stick Palm and the Stinging Tree. Our guide said that if stung by the Stinging Tree, the burning effect can last for up to 6 months. After the wildlife tours we rode the Skyrail over the rainforest canopy, returning to our awaiting bus. During our drive back to town I spotted several wild cockatoos in the trees near the highway. Later that night we rushed to the grocery store downtown before they closed to stock up on supplies to eat at our place. After dinner we rested up for planned reef trip the next day.
Monday we rose bright and early for our trip to the Outer Barrier Reef. We rode a bus from Cairnes all the way to Port Douglas to board the boat. Along the way we saw a group of wild wallabies hanging out in an open field and saw a saltwater crocodile (called “salties” by the locals) sunning himself on a river bank. The bus driver said that at the local golf courses the golfers know not to retrieve any balls lost in water holes because most likely they are inhabited by salties. Once in Port Douglas we boarded Quicksilver’s Wavepiercer to journey to the Agincourt ribbon reefs. Quicksilver has a large platform out on the reef where you can get out of the water to rest when needed. Mike and I got on our smurf Lycra suits as quick as possible upon docking at the platform because we were anxious to get into the water. The water at this spot was much deeper, so we were able to see a much wider variety of fish and corals. Thankfully, we rented an underwater digital camera so we had more opportunity to document the wonders of the reef. We only had 4 hours on the reef and the time flew, and we were not ready to leave when the ship blew the warning horn to depart. Sadly, Mike accidentally lost his wedding ring while we were snorkeling, but I guess there isn’t a cooler spot to lose your ring then on the Great Barrier Reef. He said now I am married to a lucky fish. Thankfully, he was wearing his less expensive ceramic ring, so finding a replacement won’t be difficult. As we made our way home we decided that we wanted to see more of the reef since this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so we booked a trip for Tuesday aboard the Passions boat to a different area reef and Michaelmas Cay, a bird sanctuary. This was a smaller boat with fewer passengers, making the service much more personal. Once we arrived at our first destination we were offered the opportunity for a free scuba lesson with the option to continue the dive. We both decided that after snorkeling a couple of days on the reef we wanted the opportunity to see the reef up close and personal. After the intro and a couple of skills tests we were taken on a dive in guided small group with our instructor. During our dive we encounter friendly sea turtles that we both had the opportunity to feed. Also, were able to handle starfish and velvety sea cucumbers, and we even had a white tip reef shark swim directly underneath as we dove. It was an amazing day out and perfect way to experience the wonders of the reef. Both of us were thrilled to have our first scuba experience go so well, and now we’re hooked. After our reef trip both Mike and I were both sunburned despite sunscreen and had telling raccoon markings from our sunglasses. Today we departed Queensland and arrived in New South Wales to explore Sydney and its wonders. We only have a few days remaining for our exciting adventure and can’t wait to share more details when we return to the Northern hemisphere.
Cheers!
Laura & Mike
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