Great Barrier Reef! (April 20-30)

On Saturday, April 20th we landed in Cairns after a quick 2.5 hour flight. Cairns is in Northern Queensland Australia and is the town from which many of the Great Barrier Reef tours depart from. It has a variety of little shops, markets, restaurants, a beautiful boardwalk along the waters edge. There are no real beaches in Cairns as the waters edge is a bird sanctuary, and because Crocodiles are found in this part of Australia. Instead there is a large, public pool area at the oceans edge with a sandy beach edge, for everyone to use free of charge.

 Views of the Great Barrier Reef from the flight into Cairns

"Warning Crocodiles inhabit this area. Attacks may cause injury or death."

Sign on the Cairns boardwalk

 Public pool overlooking the ocean



We checked into our lovely room at the Hilton (gotta love Hilton staff discounts!) and spent the day relaxing in the sun at the pool. Cairns location in Northern Australia makes it significantly warmer and more humid than the Gold Coast region.

Hilton Hotel, Cairns

 Views from our room

 Views from our room

Views from our room

 Hilton pool

 Hilton pool

 Poolside plants

On Sunday we took a full day tour that started with a Skyrail trip into the Rainforest. This consisted of 3 gondola's over a total distance of 7.5kms. The first one was roughly 10 minutes long and took us straight up into the mountainous rainforest where we got off to take a short walk on a boardwalk through the rainforest. The second gondola was another 15 minutes long and took us over a valley with views of a waterfall where we got off to take a short walk for more waterfall views. The last was another 10-15 minutes and took us into the village of Kuranda in which we had several hours to explore the small shops and markets. That afternoon we boarded the historical Scenic Railway for the 1.5 hour journey back to Cairns.

First gondola taking us up 

Way up..

 Views from the boardwalk at the first stop

Giant vines

Mel and I

 Trev on the second gondola taking us over the valley

 Waterfall views from gondola

Video of the biggest spider we have seen so far, at one of the gondola stations in the jungle. It is a giant Golden Orb Spider catching a piece of crumpled papaer we through towards her web. 

 Time to board the train

 Back down from the mountain



Monday the three of us decided  to take a Jet ski Crocodile Tour. The tour started near our hotel, headed up river and into several winding creeks. Mel and I had never been on a Jet ski before but had to pick it up quickly to keep up with the guide who had us following him at up to 80km/hr. With the tour guide's help we spotted a small crocodile on one of the sandy banks in one of the creeks.

 Me

 Headed up river

Mel and Trevor winding through a creek

 Mel

Trevor and I looking for croc's

 Trev and Croc

 Mel and Croc

Video of the croc

Monday night we got a call from Regan, who was on a Motorcycle tour with friends several hours north of Cairns. He badly broke his arm and was flown into the Cairns hospital where Mel and I visited on Tuesday before his surgery. Meanwhile Trevor had taken a bus out to Port Douglas to take a diving tour to a far outer reef, the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs...

The following is written by Trevor.
The boat left at 830a and took approx. 1.5 hours to get to the reef. During the ride out to the reef we got all of our diving gear ready so when we arrived we didn't have to waste any time gathering equipment. In to the water we went!  In total for the day I did 3 dives all were in different locations.  Each one was different from the last. Different corals, fish, plants, and other stuff I have never seen. AMAZING !! After each dive we always had time to snorkel before the boat left for its next location so most of the day was spent in the water. On the last dive we even got to jump from the boat while it was still moving.I felt like a stunt man !

The boat that took me to the reef.

The back deck of the boat with all of the diving gear. Boat held 80 divers and snorkelers

Pulling up to the outer reef. Sunny days and calm seas

Large fish hanging around the boat. I was told they were waiting for sea sick people to feed them.

Ray

Reef Shark

Clam with a bit of an electric pulse

Coral that grabs on to you when you touch it. Creepy.

Different Corals and Fish

Took this picture while snorkeling. The reef is just under the water.

Weird flickys that quickly hide when you get close

Giant puffer fish. It was about the size of a small dog.

The view from the bottom.

On Wednesday Mel, Trevor and I departed on an all day snorkel tour that departed from near our hotel. We went out to a tiny sandy island first for a 'beginners' type snorkel, than went farther out to deeper waters where the reef was amazing.

On the way out to snorkel the reef

 Pulling up to the second snorkel site

Candice trying to get the giant clam to close

Nemo! This coral is deadly to all fish except for the clown fish. They hide here for protection

 After a long day in the water. Look at the line around Mel's face.
I know you cant see the line because its the face is soo scary :)

Thursday was Candice's birthday and unfortunately also the day we had to leave Cairns. We spent the morning at the pool and went out for a birthday dinner at a little Mexican place in Gold Coast that evening.  The following day Mel and Candice said their goodbyes and Mel headed out Theodore for the weekend before returning to Canada.

Candice and I spent that weekend cleaning our little Labrador, Gold Coast apartment and packing our belongings for our big move to the Q1!!!