Everyone would like to say they've swam in the Great Barrier Reef but saying you've done it and actually doing it are two very different things and having recently discovered our lack of love for snorkeling, the latter didn't seem all that appealing. That said, we couldn't come all the way to Cairns and not do it so we soon found ourselves sailing out to the middle of the ocean to find this big old reef.
The journey out was over two hours long but it still didn't give us enough time to psych ourselves up and get our gear on. We were two of the last off the boat, fashionably late but wearing the least fashionable attire we could possibly think of. Watching Hana bob up and down on a purple noodle and trying to talk to me through her funny looking mask, I was sure that whatever was going on underneath the water couldn't possibly be as entertaining as the scenes above. Nevertheless, I had to find out. When I couldn't put it off any longer I dunked my face beneath the surface to see what all the fuss was about.
My first feeling was one of relief. Whereas in the Whitsundays the fish had been literally flapping around in our faces, here they swam in and out of the reefs which were at least a couple of metres down. And admittedly they were rather pretty! Once I relaxed and remembered to not hold my breath, I really quite enjoyed it. I can't say I'm a complete convert but I can certainly understand the appeal. The big problem which remains for me though is that the smaller fish don't excite me much (I have goldfish at home bigger than some out here) and if I were to see anything interesting like a jellyfish or baby shark, I'd be back on the boat before you could say nemo. In fact, that's exactly what happened at our second swim stop which was completely infested with white bulb jellyfish. Though the crew insisted they were completely harmless (even fishing one out the water and throwing it at another crew member to prove it) they still didn't look like something I wanted to share a bath with. Having spent a good half hour snorkeling at the first stop we felt as though we'd accomplished enough for one day and so climbed aboard where we had first dibs on the amazing lunch waiting for us. Win, win!
The other 'must do' trip whilst in Cairns is up to Cape Tribulation. Whilst there we visited a load of different sites, my favourite being Milla Milla, a beautiful waterfall which is believed to be the set of Peter Andre's music video for 'Mysterious Girl' - the best song to have stuck in our heads all day, obviously. For lunch we stopped at a small rainforest area which is supposedly famous for finding tree kangaroos. We're yet to spot a single live kangaroo in Australia but we've now seen two dead ones; the first at the side of a road in Torquay and the second here, in a pie on our plates. I wasn't expecting to like it but it was actually delicious and our guide explained that eating kangaroo is good for the Australian ecosystem. As if we needed an excuse to eat something tasty!
With the Kangaroo Cafe in such close proximity to the rainforest, I was hardly surprised that we didn't spot any tree kangaroos; if I were them I'd hide too. What was a little disappointing, however, was that we didn't see any platypus either. They're known for being shy creatures but most groups will see at least one throughout the day. Our guide still taught us lots about them though and after learning that they eat half their body weight in food every day, I not only wanted to see one, I wanted to be one too!
We had a couple of spare days and nights in Cairns which we spent sunbathing on the Esplanade, hitting the infamous Gilligans with friends and exploring the city. It's a funny old place, more a town than a city with no high rise buildings or busy streets. The weather has been a bit crazy what with it being summer but rainy season at the same time (I still have no idea how that works) but we've managed to enjoy our time here regardless and used the wet weather as an excuse for more cups of tea with Tim Tams!
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