#84: Great Barrier Reef!

Our trip to Far North Queensland wouldn’t have been complete without the opportunity to cross off one of my 103 Things (http://phillipdavid.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/103-things.html).  And with it, I finally completed all eight of my 103 Things located in Australia – in just under 3.5 years.  There are many options when it comes to visiting the Great Barrier Reef:  flyovers, glass bottom boats, snorkelling, and diving.  I opted for the snorkelling – must easier than diving and way closer to the action than a flyover or a glass bottom boat.

Many a company offer day trips out of Cairns and Port Douglas to the reef and it took a bit of research to select one.  There are bigger boats at lower cost, or more expensive smaller boats which provide a more personal, small group experience.  The bigger tour companies have floating platforms out near the reef where you can sun yourself between swims, but the smaller companies provide more commentary and information.  We opted for the more personal experience and chose Calypso Snorkelling.  There were probably only 30 or so of us on the boat – not a big crowd for that type of tour.  We also had to select the Low Isles or the outer reef.  The Low Isles are much closer to the mainland and combine snorkelling with stunning beaches on relaxing little islands.  The outer reef is about twice as far out and is 100% reef – no islands, just snorkelling – and usually a better place to see wildlife.  As I was here to see the reef, I chose to sign us up for the outer reef.  And off we went!

The seas were choppy on the 90-minute ride to Opal Reef, site of the first and second of our three swims.  But once we got in the water and took in the views, the rough ride was totally worth it.

The variety of colours was gorgeous.

And the colours weren’t just on the coral either.  There were plenty of fish in the sea, literally, and they came in every colour of the rainbow and then some.

I saw 1 fish!

2 fish!

Red fish!

Blue fish!

I’m a nerd.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see any turtles, sharks, dugongs (a cousin of the manatee), or any other crazy species, but I feel like another trip out to the reef will be in my future, so I wasn’t too disappointed.  Instead, I put my feet up and enjoyed the ride back to shore.

The Daintree Rainforest

Aside from the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest is one of the major tourist draws to Far North Queensland.  The largest rainforest in Australia, the Daintree is world heritage listed and contains a disproportionately massive percentage of Australia’s bird, frog, reptile, marsupial, bat, and butterfly species.  It’s home to the endangered cassowary and one species of the elusive tree-kangaroo.  Port Douglas is a great launching point for a day trip into the Daintree, though two or three days would definitely be more appropriate.  But that’s ok – it leaves me with more to do and see next time.

We began our day just down the road from town at the previously mentioned Mossman Gorge.  The gorge marks the generally accepted southern end of the Daintree Rainforest.  From there, we moved north, and our first big stop was none other than the Daintree River.

We had seen crocodiles in captivity the previous day, but we thought it better that we should see some in their natural habitat.  With several tour companies to choose from, we opted for Bruce Belcher’s Daintree River Cruises.  It had the best reviews on TripAdvisor and the name seems more home-grown and less commercial than some of the others.  The boat didn’t get too close to the crocs (there are restrictions in place to protect the vulnerable species), but I got to really test out the zoom on my camera and was pleased as punch with the results.  We saw a baby croc:

A few female crocs:

And even a big nasty male:

The guide also pointed out some tree snakes:

And a wide variety of birds, including this gorgeous blue Little Kingfisher, a cousin of the kookaburra:

From there, we headed on the quick car ferry over the Daintree River and stopped at the destination that I was most excited for:  The Daintree Ice Cream Company!

We were in the middle of one of the richest, most diverse habitats in the world and all I could focus on was ice cream.  Typical me.  The Daintree Ice Cream Company has unique tropical flavours – 4 to a cup.  On offer for our visit was banana (always my sister’s favourite), macadamia (always my favourite), wattleseed (a popular flavour from the edible seeds of Australia acacia trees, with flavour that contains hints of nuts and coffee), and black sapote.

I was most excited by the macadamia, but most intrigued by the black sapote, which is a fruit I had never heard of before.  Originally from Central America, the black sapote has been introduced to the US, Australia, and the Philippines.  The fruit’s pulp, when ripe, is often likened to chocolate pudding.  While I didn’t think the flavour was quite that chocolate-y by any means, it was indeed delicious.  The Daintree Ice Cream Company grows the fruits on their property and also had fruits on display so we could see what their rare fruits look like.

We stopped at Thornton Beach for a photo opportunity or two… or more:

And from there, we headed up to Cape Tribulation, our northernmost destination for the day.  Cape Tribulation is a headland, small village, tourist stop, and most importantly, the last place on the paved road.  From there, it’s over 100 kilometres north on an unsealed road to get to the next sign of civilization – a little place called Cooktown.  We went no further in our tiny little rental car.  We set out on the little boardwalk to see some of the viewpoints from Cape Tribulation.

Afterward, we stopped at the Dubuji Boardwalk for a look around.

One of my biggest hopes for the day (aside from the ice cream) was to see a cassowary in the wild.  A rare bird, sightings are seldom but I had hope.  Unfortunately, the closest we got to seeing a cassowary were the constant warning signs about them:

And, of course, the cassowary speed bump signs.

We did, however, see a wild pig!

It was far less exciting.

Port Douglas

After arriving in Cairns, my little sister and I headed straight up to Port Douglas.  Situated about an hour north of Cairns, Port Douglas is a tiny town which has become increasingly popular with Aussie tourists.  The number of people in the town at any given time is often double the actual population of 5,000 or so permanent residents.  Accommodation and dining options seemed to be unlimited, and I was shocked to find that some of the restaurants were booked out days in advance.  On our first night, we discovered that the Italian restaurant that a work colleague of mine recommended was booked solid until 10pm three nights later.  Fortunately, there was a Mexican restaurant with only a two hour wait.  The Mexican food wasn’t half bad for a tiny Australian town.  Kudos to Port Douglas.

Just south of the town was Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures – just one of many zoos that dot Far North Queensland.  We began our adventure there with a boat ride on Hartley’s Lagoon – a man-made lagoon with roughly 20 or so crocodiles in it.  The boat was full of children which made for a miserable ride and I was hoping the driver would sacrifice one to a hungry croc.  Alas, he did not, but our time there improved greatly once we were back on land.  A crocodile show was next on the agenda and it was spectacular:  one giant croc and two well-trained idiots in its enclosure.

We got to meet a cassowary named Big Bird:

And it was Melissa’s first encounter with a kangaroo.

She also became quite fond of this little guy:  a pademelon.

Of course, just like any Aussie animal park, there was a koala for the petting.  And if you’ve ever pet a koala, you’ll know that they smell like marijuana.  Or eucalyptus they say, but I’m still convinced all koalas are stoners.  I mean, their daily routine involves 20 hours of sleep and 4 hours of eating.  Munchies much?

Between Port Douglas and Hartley’s was the Rex Lookout – a fantastic spot for a photo op of the Far North Queensland coast.

In the opposite direction, just north of Port Douglas, sits Mossman Gorge.  Located near the southern tip of the Daintree Rainforest, the gorge has an Aboriginal cultural centre, some great rainforest hiking trails, and even a few swimming spots (but it was a bit chilly so we opted to not take a dip).  My friend Andrea was in Port Douglas at the same time and she gladly tagged along.

Back in town, we also opted to avoid swimming at Port Douglas’ Four Mile Beach.

It is true:  everything in this country wants you to do.

Port Douglas is also home to the world’s creepiest mannequin:

For the true Queensland experience, we also got tickets to see the cane toad races.  Cane toads were introduced to Queensland in the 1930’s to eat a beetle which was threatening the state’s sugarcane crops.  Unfortunately, the cane toads didn’t do a good job at eradicating the beetle as the beetles sat atop the sugarcane out of the toad’s reach.  Instead, the useless toads spread over great distances and have become a massive pest, probably one of the most noted pest species in Australia after the rabbit.  The cane toad races – put on in a bar in Port Douglas – are a tacky tourist trap but fun nonetheless.  I’m just glad my ticket didn’t get called.  Those lucky participants had to kiss their toads before the race.  Ick.

In addition to deadly beaches, creepy mannequins, tacky touristy toad races, and halfway decent Mexican food, Port Douglas also serves as an excellent jumping off point for day trips to the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, and Atherton Tablelands.  More to come on each of those in separate posts.