I’m back from Australia and had a fabulous time. What a wonderful, vibrant country! I can’t wait to share my experiences with you.Before I begin I want to give you an update on my new “featherweight” luggage I bought specifically for my trip to Australia. Given I could only take 23 kilos (50 pounds) on certain flights within Australia, I appreciated the lightweight feature. However, to help keep the bag lightweight (only 5lbs.10 oz. empty,) they did away with the handle on the side, which made it difficult to maneuver onto carts, for checking-in, taking off the conveyor belt, etc. Otherwise, it was fine and my luggage never exceeded 21 kilos.
We arrived into Cairns on April 16 (two days later than when we left due to passing over the international date line.) Even thought the actual flight time into Sydney is less than13 hours and another three hours to Cairns (in northern Queensland on the Coral Sea,) I felt like I had been on the plane forever. Thank goodness for movies. I caught up on all the good pictures I missed this past three months. Two thumbs up for Slum Dog Millionaire.
April is autumn in Australia (Australia is in the southern hemisphere south of the equator) and the weather was warm with a nice breeze. Instead of staying in downtown Cairns, I opted to stay in a small town in the Northern Beaches area, about 25 minutes north of Cairns. I immediately felt like I was on vacation. Everyone in the group decided to come in a day early to rest up from the long flight and get acclimated to a different time zone (Cairns is 19 hours ahead of Los Angeles.) We stayed at the Angsana Resort and Spa, right on the beach in Palm Cove.
Surrounded by tropical gardens and palm trees, it reminded me of Kauai 25 years ago. For a day and a half we lounged, swam in the different pools, had massages and strolled on the sandy white beaches. When time came to play tourist, we were ready!
Our first major outing was on the Ocean Spirit, a 100 ft. catamaran that took us out to Michaelmas Cay in the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world.
The Great Barrier Reef is over 133,000 sq. miles and is composed of 29,000 individual reefs and 900 islands. Other than the Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef is the most visited tourist attraction in Australia.We had a ball. Most of us were snorkelers, but there were a few divers in the group. After we signed up for our respective groups, and picked up the appropriate gear, we set off for the beach. The water was clear and warm, really no need for a wet suit except for protection against jellyfish, which I never saw.
I have snorkeled around the world including Hawaii, Tahiti, the Caribbean, Mexico, etc. and I was expecting really colorful coral and more brightly colored fish. It may be where we were snorkeling, because the divers, in far deeper waters, saw a much larger array of fish and types of coral. However, I did see blue coral, which I had never seen before,
and giant, iridescent clams.
I always enjoy my snorkeling experiences and was thrilled I had the opportunity to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef. We spent the entire day on the reef and by the time we returned to Palm Cove we were exhausted. I tell you, it takes energy to play tourist!!!The following morning we were off to the rainforest, or, more accurately, the Rainforestation Nature Park in Kuranda. Even though it has tourist stamped all over it--it was fun and educational. There are three ways to reach Kuranda Village--bus, rail or skyway. Our package included the skyrail up to the village, a tour of Rainforeststation and returning by train.
The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway glides over and through the rainforest stopping at two different stations where you can get out and take a short nature walk before reaching Kuranda Village. The “ride” takes over an hour and for someone who doesn’t like heights, I really enjoyed the skyrail. As you first ascend up to the canopy the views of the water and the valley below were absolutely spectacular.
The “village” is cute and really has some nice galleries featuring aboriginal art. We spent about 30 minutes browsing through the boutiques and galleries before going into the nature park. The park is divided into three main attractions: the Aboriginal Experience, the Wildlife Park and the Army Duck Rainforest Tour.The Aboriginal Experience was interesting; we tried our hand at boomerang and spear throwing, watched as the dancers told stories of the indigenous peoples and their culture,
and listened as our guide played the didgeridoo, an ancient wind instrument of the Aborigines of northern Australia.
Once we entered the Wildlife Park we didn’t want to leave. The exhibits were interesting, but the kangaroos and wallabies were wonderful as they hopped around the park “greeting” tourists from around the world. They are really cute and it was great fun being able to actually pet and feed them.
We ended our tour of the park with a ride through the rainforest aboard an amphibious World War II Army Duck. Our guide, who truly loved his Army Duck, did point out the many different tropical plants and kept his eyes peeled for reptiles lying in wait in the tall grass. We never did see a crocodile, except for “Big Sam” in the Wildlife Park.
We came up by the skyrail and down by the Kuranda Scenic Railway.
The railroad dates back to the 1800’s. By shear determination 150 miles of track was laid along with 15 tunnels, a dozen bridges and over 90 sharp curves. It really is an engineering masterpiece given the rough terrain and no modern equipment.
Another full day of touring. There really is a lot to see in and around Cairns. “I wish we had another day,” became our mantra throughout the trip. Join me next week as we journey to Uluru in the Australian Outback.
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