High on our list of must-dos in Australia was scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef – how could we pass up that opportunity? So we headed towards Cairns, a coastal town famous for being a jumping off point for reef adventures. We thought it fitting to kick off our time there with a fabulous seafood feast.
To explore the reef, we booked a 1-night, 2-day “live aboard” diving/snorkeling package. We met at the wharf early the next morning and hopped on a boat that drove us 2 hours out to the boat we would be staying on for the night. The accommodations were surprisingly comfortable and we were also both impressed by the food! The boat was decked out with everything we needed for diving and snorkeling.
Both the diving and the snorkeling were amazing – there was so much life! We saw sharks, squid, sea stars, eels, crustaceans, jellyfish, and tons of beautifully colorful fish. Not to mention all of the different kinds of coral that are the foundation of these ecosystems. It really seriously fascinating.
It was also jellyfish season so they insisted we wear these ‘stinger suits’ to avoid injury. We both wore them because we loved the look.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a proper underwater camera so all of the pictures we took turned out blue rather than show off how colorful it all was. But we did manage to capture a few fishies! The fish we saw the most of were parrotfish. They come in all sorts of colors and have beak-like mouths that they use to chomp up coral. You can hear them crunching underwater nonstop. The sand on the reef floor is actually mostly made of parrotfish poop, they are constantly producing little clouds of sandy poop as they swim along.
Also included in the live aboard experience was a night dive and it was actually a bit terrifying. We went into the water after sunset equipped with underwater flashlights to explore the reef after dark. That was quite the experience! Having so little visibility underwater was pretty sobering and made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. Who knows what water monster of the night was stalking me down there? If I turned my flashlight off, I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. It was intense and such a highlight!
Daintree Rainforest
The last stop on our road trip north was Daintree Rainforest – the oldest rainforest in the entire world! With the hopes of seeing some of the wildlife Daintree was known for, we booked a little boat ride down the river that meanders through it.
We had a really nice ride down the river with an incredibly knowledgeable local guide. He knew every bird that flew by and could name them just by hearing their call. We saw several beautiful birds and we even spotted a massive crocodile! The guide told us it was actually rather small at 3 meters and he has seen them in the area up to 6 meters long. And he has also seen these giant crocs brutally fighting for territory. Whoa.
About a month previous, there was a massive flood of the river and nearby town and the destruction was still evident. The trees looked swept over and tons of roads were washed away – but apparently the rainforest is used to this.
Alas, our road trip north had come to an end. It was time to hop on a flight back south where we would meet my friends who live in Melbourne! This beautiful frog bid us farewell 🙂
Wandering Between Meals 
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