When you think of Australia, the image that comes to most people’s mind is the expansive red dirt of the outback. Our introduction to this country was the complete opposite. We were greeted by lush tropical green mountains, rainforests and hot, humid, wet weather. We started our visit in tropical Far North Queensland during the green (tourist friendly way of saying rainy) season. The Great Barrier Reef was a must do on the list of things to tick off. It was a full day out on a floating platform but since I’m not super fond of water, I didn’t actually get wet. I was still able to experience the underwater world including several turtles and sharks by way of a semisubmersible boat tour.
While wandering the streets of Cairns, the noise level grew substantially when approaching the library. The trees were alive with squawks and squeaks and when you look up to see what kind of birds make so much noise you are greeted by the curious stare of a furry creature.
A colony of thousands of Spectacled flying foxes call these trees home.
The fly out at dusk was quite spectacular to watch.
Their body size is about a foot and the wing span could reach over 5 feet. They were a definite highlight for me but it is not widely publicized that they are there.
We ventured up the mountain to Kuranda and did a total tourist day complete with petting kangaroos and wallabies, watching the wombats sleep and even hugging a koala.
We came back down via the Skyrail and on one of the stops midway saw a young python curled up on the ferns
After Cairns we went to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation for a night. This is the oldest, continuously growing rainforest on earth and one of its inhabitants looks straight out of the dinosaur era. The cassowary is a large flightless bird that eats fruits. We were not fortunate enough to see one while walking on any of the boardwalks. They are an endangered species and there are signs everywhere to help preserve the ones that remain. I’m not sure this is an official one but it does send a message.
We spent a couple of nights in Port Douglas before flying on to Melbourne. It was probably the last of the hot weather for some time so we soaked it all up.
Fabulous photos Jenn – did Darren enjoy the reef by getting into the water??? Enjoy!!!! Love AT