Swimming with Turtles

In order to get across to the east coast we had to go back on the route where we had just driven, so we took the opportunity to make another stop at Mataranka and had a dip in the hot springs.

It was a very long drive across to the coast made even longer because it was primarily all dirt tracks and river crossings. The majority of the road was also corrugated which meant it was a very VERY bumpy ride. How our suspension survived I do not know but the eggs in the fridge certainly didn't. It took about 4 days of literally seeing nothing but red dust and burnt out cars.

We eventually arrived at the Daintree rainforest which would be our first stop on the east coast. Being world heritage listed and one of the oldest rainforests in the world we didn't want to miss it. We spent the day doing some of the many walks and looking out for any wildlife and crocodiles, though we didn't actually spot any. After, we began heading south for Cairns when we made the quick decision to turn off at a town called Port Douglas. There were signs everywhere for the Great Barrier Reef so we knew it must have been one the main places to see the reef. We found ourselves a picnic area right by the beach and started researching. It was honestly over whelming the amount of tours offering different packages, prices, inner reefs or outer reefs, snorkelling or diving, large groups or small groups etc. It was so hard to work out which we wanted to do so we went to a tourist information and with their help and advice booked a full day snorkelling tour for the next day. Both of us had really been looking forward to this part of the trip ever since arriving in Australia so it was exciting for it to finally be here.

It was one of the outer reefs where we were going as they had the best visibility being closer to the ocean 'drop off'. This meant that it took roughly 1 and a half hours just to get there but the service on the boat was great and included drinks, muffins, biscuits, pastries, sandwiches, salads, pasta, cakes etc. Needless to say we made sure we got our money's worth. The day was split up into three separate reef spots, and each was fantastic.

Because it was coming into jellyfish season we were given full body stinger suits to wear which were great as we didn't have to worry about the sun for the 3 hours that we were in the water. Unfortunately though we didn't think about our poor faces, hands and feet, they did get somewhat burnt.

After the trip we continued to head south towards Cairns where we found a really nice campsite right on the beach.

Cairns pleasantly surprised us and we could easily see why people fall in love with it. Fair enough it is known for its nightlife but along with that you've got the Great Barrier Reef on one side, rainforests and gorgeous countryside on the other and just a really nice city.

We kept seeing everywhere that Cairns was another great place to do tours from and the more we spoke to people and the more we looked online we decided we really didn't want to miss out. On the other hand the tours are anything but cheap. Being the indecisive people that we are we decided to head in land, do a bit of exploring there, and then by the time we get back to the coast we would decide whether or not to go for round 2. It also gave us a much needed few days for our sun burn to calm down!

It was a really nice scenic drive in land, going past all of the banana plantations, peanut farms, and sugar cane fields, with lots of little villages along the way, one of which was Yungaburra. Here we spent a couple of hours trying to spot Platypus's swimming in the creek, which it was well known for. It didn't take long for them to appear. They were so small and cute!

We continued on the drive stopping off at a few sights along the way such as a big old fig tree and the Millaa Millaa waterfall. Apparently the most photographed waterfall in Australia.

Eventually we were back at the coast and both of us agreed we really wanted to do another trip. This time we found a half day tour which got us to the outer reef on a jet boat in half the time. We booked it for the next day.

It turned out to be an amazing trip, and to our surprise even better than the first. The coral was so colourful and the amount of fish was unbelievable. We even got to see a turtle which was more than happy to pose for photographs. It swam right up to Sean and must have been about 30cm from his face!

 

Spot the shark 

The following day we visited a place called Paronella Park. A series of castles, bridges, waterfalls and pathways that have slowly been taken over by the rainforest. It really was like something from a fairy tale.

Today we had a beach day and it was actually the first time we have just sat on a beach and relaxed. It was also the first time we have gone in the sea in Australia without it being on a tour strangely enough. There are so many gorgeous beaches here but the strong waves, threats of crocodiles and jelly fish and goodness knows what else often puts us off. By chance where we were today at Mission beach actually has stinger nets in the ocean to stop them getting too close to shore so we could have a stress free swim for once.

:)