Where the Rainforest Meets the Sea

A strange place for a window!

Off on our snorkelling adventure on the Great Barrier Reef.

View from the toes - Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas.

The view from our dinner table in Port Douglas.

Ho hum, another day, another World Heritage Site (or two). In this tropical paradise called Port Douglas (one hour north of Cairns) we have been privileged to experience many splendours.

The Great Barrier Reef

I can't put into words what it was like to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. We went with a very commercial outfit, Quicksilver, but what that meant was that we were looked after very well. Since our whole snorkelling experience added up to a few hours years ago in Cozumel, we needed looking after.

The "beautiful" wet suits were optional, yet most people listened to the advice and rented one for $5. The chance of running into jellyfish was slight (the season is almost over, and they seem to prefer waters closer to shore), but the sun was intense, and the chance of burning delicate skin near the cheeks quite high! We got some instruction, found equipment to fit (even flippers for Ross's size 15s) and we were off into a wonderland. I know we saw only a small portion of the reef, but in that portion we saw Nemo and all his friends, and so many kinds and colours of coral. It was a spectacular day on Agincourt Reef - one we will remember always.

Daintree National Park (Dubuji) and Cape Tribulation ( Kulki)

We have had very knowledgeable guides in Oz. Chris, our Billy Tea Bush Safari guide, showed us so much in Daintree and Cape Tribulation. The rainforest really does meet the sea here, but you have to drive quite rough terrain to get there. We saw two very large crocodiles on the Daintree River cruise and learned a great deal about tropical vegetation. It's not a surprise that several films have seen shot in this area.

To get here we drove through sugar cane and tea plantations, saw the part of the reef where Steve Irwin met his demise, learned about a raptor like bird called a Cassowary (and learned to stay away from it), met two multi tattooed young Americans, one from Denver and one from Minneapolis, who had met on the Internet and decided to travel together. We ate well, steak and salad for lunch, dragonfruit, robinia, mamisopoti, papaya, organic bananas, passionfruit, smooth skinned pineapples (all introduced fruits) and diampa and cane syrup for "tea". Another great day.

Our remaining time in Port Douglas, a tranquil fishing village, was spent shopping, eating at the combined clubs ( the Retired Servicemen's Club - thanks for the tip, Tim!). That is where the picture above was taken. We sunned in the ocean, in the enclosure so we wouldn't run into jellyfish, and by the pool. It is very strange to see miles and miles of beach, with not a soul in the water.

Cairns

Cairns is very definitely a city. There is none of the small town charm we found in Port Douglas. The main street, "The Esplanade" is filled with relatively expensive restaurants. ( Most food in Australia is expensive, whether you are eating in a restaurant or buying from the grocery store). We have a great one bedroom apartment here, close to everything. Oddly enough there is a window in the living room, which looks into the shower (see above)! There are shutters on the living room side to cover the window, but we can't really figure out the purpose. There is a T.V., so it can't be for entertainment purposes!

I have to comment before I end on all the misplaced apostrophes in this country. They are in the wrong place everywhere - on official documents, signs, menus, everywhere. There are more incorrect apostrophes than correct ones. Just had to say it!

We leave by train on Thursday, and will stop at the Whitsunday Islands and in Brisbane before ending in Sydney. For those of you who have our itinerary, our flight from Minneapolis home has been changed. We are on flight 137 and get home at 8:38 p.m. after a very long May 10. Lee has promised to pick us up. Until then, "No Worries"!