Our second and last stop was at the outer reef. There we found the most colorful and diverse shapes of coral and fish.
After our boat adventure we met the Smythe family for a BBQ near the water. Todd had previously met Campbell at a Logos seminar and kept in touch through email. We were happy it worked out to meet the whole family. We had a nice visit and even got to try kangaroo steak which was really good.
We were excited to finally see the Great Barrier Reef. Our boat tour held a maximum of 30 people so we got to the reefs faster and had more time in the water. We first stopped at Michaelmas Cay, a white coral sand island home to thousands of birds.
We both snorkeled and Todd scuba dived in the gorgeous reefs. Lots of beautiful fish and coral. We rented an underwater camera and Todd took over to get some cool shots of a clown fish and some other creatures on his dive. He got to touch the giant clam too.
The next morning we rode a tram up to the rainforest village of Kuranda. The tram ride took about an hour each way as we coasted 200+ feet above the forest floor. Along the way there were two platforms to stop off at and walk the trails. Saw lots of cool bugs and a giant spider.
Kuranda was mostly a touristy town with shops and cafes. We walked through a bazaar and had to take pictures of a kangaroo-skin bikini and real cane toad novelties.
Our last five nights in Cairns we decided to stay in a luxury hotel close to the center of town and the harbor. We searched online and found The Sebel which had surprisingly comparable rates to the Comfort Inn type motels we had stayed in. So we booked it with a mountain view to save a little extra money. We pulled up to the entrance and realized it was a very fancy hotel. We get to the front desk and the receptionist upgraded us to an ocean view on the 16th floor (the very top level). It was amazing 🙂
Our last night before heading to Cairns (our final destination) was spent in an eco-cabin in the Eungella National Park. It was a beautiful mountain facility located next to the Broken River which was home to several Platypus.
In the late afternoon we spotted 3 or 4 Platypus. They were very shy, but one surfaced close enough to take some pictures. They were also much smaller than we had thought, only about 17”-20” in length.
The next morning we saw the sunrise over the valley and stopped at a giant Mango on our 9 hour scenic drive to Cairns.
Here are a few road signs we saw along the way. My favorites, of course, were the signs for the native animals. The other signs warned of driver fatigue, they all encouraged drivers to pull over if feeling tired. One of the more popular safety signs (which I didn’t photograph) read “Stop. Revive. Survive.”
The next morning we took a ferry from Hervey Bay over to Fraser Island. The island is all sand, so only four-wheel vehicles are allowed. We decided to take a Hummer vehicle tour which included another couple (our new Facebook German friends) and our driver.
We explored a rainforest, an old shipwreck, waded through crystal clear Eli Creek, drove on the beach (official state highway), watched dingoes run along the shore, and finally swam in the all sand Lake McKenzie!
It was one of our favorite adventures, well worth it!
After Noosa we made it to Hervey Bay for the sunset. The lighting was beautiful as we walked along the pier (it was 1km in length).
I like to throw in random pictures with pretty ones, just to warn you there are dead fish pictured. I only put them in because they are unlike fish we see here.
This past week Todd’s brother and his girlfriend were visiting from Arizona. Actually, Samantha was not his girlfriend for long, Keith proposed in the Seattle area and she said yes! So they returned to us a newly engaged couple. It was great having them here, wish it could have been longer.
Here are a few impromptu photos I took of them in Fairhaven. I was having fun with Lightroom, can you tell?
We left the zoo in the late afternoon and found the giant pineapple on our way to Noosa Heads. Todd let me drive in the parking lot which was a one time thing, I guess I drove a little crazy for him 🙂
The next morning we hiked through Noosa National Park along the coast line. We saw dolphins and cool crabs in the sand. The giant pelican was also on our list of big things.
La Casa Blanca 