Cairns,
Australia
Discovered
when European explorers were searching for land below Asia, Australia
is known as the “Land Down Under” because of its position in the
southern hemisphere. It's the only continent with a permanent
population living below the equator, but this is the only thing
“under” about this country with a population of 22 million and
enjoying one of the world's highest standards of living.
After
flying on Qantas from Los Angeles to Brisbane, I transferred to the
domestic terminal to wait for my flight to Cairns. Just as I was
about to log onto my computer, I looked up to find my Aussie friend,
Margie smiling at me. Hard to describe the excitement at seeing my
“Assisi buddy” (We were in the same Italian class last November,
2011.) on her home turf. We had a quick coffee together and got
caught up before I had to board the plane for the next leg of my
journey.
Arriving
at the hotel, I took a needed shower and then walked along the
waterfront/harbor in search of something to eat. There were plenty of
restaurants to choose from and, as the waiter at The Salt Bar was
very friendly, I stayed there, sat outside, ate a small portion of
grilled ahi, and drank my first ever so cold Australian beer...And
that was the extent of my activity on arrival day...hot weather + one
ice cold beer + jet lag = spending the rest of the afternoon and
evening in my hotel room looking at the water.
I
met the rest of the group the next morning before we all left for the
Daintree Rainforest which has been around for the past 70 million
years and is the oldest rainforest on earth. (As an added note of
interest, this was the site used in the movie Avatar.) Our tour was
conducted by members of the Kuku Yalanji people; we learned about
their culture and traditions and were treated to hearing the unique
sounds of the didgeridoo.
The
next day I opted for going on my own tour of the Kuranda Rainforest
which began with a scenic rail trip over 46 miles long-tunnels,
curves, steep ravines, and waterfalls before arriving at the village.
While there, I took a boat ride and learned more about the flora,
fauna, and animals in the area and saw some local turtles at play. The highlight of the day was the
SkyRail trip over the rainforest canopy. Now, I'm not "big on cable
cars", but I was ever so fortunate to run into my tour guide who
was there with the rest of the group. He sat with me, kept me calm,
and even had me standing up without holding on....quite a feat for
someone with a fear of heights.
The
next day we all boarded a catamaran for a ride out to Agincourt Reef.
I've wanted to go to the Great Barrier Reef for many years so to
actually be there was one of those ”wow” moments. This marvel of
nature stretches over 1400 miles along the coast of North Queensland,
having evolved over hundreds of thousands of years, and is, actually,
made up of 2900 reefs plus islands. The fish, the coral, the color of
the water...remarkable; my 15 minute helicopter flight over the
reef...priceless...
Up in the Air...
The Great Barrier Reef...From a Helicopter
The Great Barrier Reef...From a Helicopter
Sunset From my Hotel Window - Cairns
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