Cairns is pronounced cans as the ‘r’ is silent. Although Brisbane is the capitol of Queensland, Cairns is affectionately referred to as the tropical capitol. It is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
My impression was that of a sleepy
tropical town, even though the population was 73,000.
Settled in 1876, it became a town in
1885, and a city in 1932 with a population of approximately 10,000. We were told that the older homes were built
on stilts in order to catch the sea breezes. It is too hot here for many crops
to grow, but sugarcane, macadamia, and pineapple do well and there are many
such plantations around. Rain evaporates rapidly producing high humidity.
I’ve snorkeled the Great Barrier
Reef twice. The second experience was the better of the two. The Coral Sea
borders Australia on the north. It was a
short drive from our hotel to the waterfront where we boarded a catamaran for a
trip out to Green Island, 12-15 miles off the coast.
Catamarans are the most
common means of transport, probably because of their shallow draft, and because
they lend itself to the spaciousness of the accommodations. The catamaran guide
informed us that Captain Cook named Green Island which is a natural mature
coral cay.
The island is small and
houses a restaurant, gift shop, dive shop, toilets, design lockers, and a
swimming pool. The tropical foliage lends a very relaxing and calm atmosphere,
and there are sandy beaches for swimming. This was my first trip. Green Island
is very commercial and the best I can say is that one experiences the reef.
My travel buddy and I walked the two mile perimeter of the
island walking in shallow water.
After lunch only five of us took a motor boat to the reef
to snorkel. Once again my prescription
mask again came in handy.
The 1258-mile-long Great Barrier Reef lies 12-32 miles off shore. It protects
hundreds of small off shore islands on Australia’s east coast from Brisbane
north to Cairns, and the reef itself is protected. The reef contains 400
species of coral. Because I didn’t have a buddy I didn’t wander too far away
from the boat, but I was the last one out of the water. The water was shallow
in many spots, and there was some current so I was glad I had my fins. I saw
several corals I’ve never seen before. The water was warm and the fish were
fairly plentiful. It was good snorkeling, but not as good as that I had done in
Belize
Snorkeling was a new experience for many
people on both trips. On my second trip it was September vs November and we
were told that box jellyfish wash down from the rivers and are near the
shoreline. This deadliest of all
jellyfish has only a fist size body but 4
meter long tentacles. Some beaches enclose a netted area for safe swimming.
We waded out to a small motor boat that took
us out to the waiting Rum Runner IV, a 55-foot catamaran. Thirty young adults
joined us on the cat, so the boat was pretty full. It was an hour and a half
ride out to the largest coral reef system in the world.
Most of us were out on deck, and before
long the wave splash got us pretty wet, and long before arriving at the reef we
were soaking wet. Fortunately although it was a misty day, it was a warm one. By the time we anchored and got
in the water it was actually raining. The water was warm. The snorkeling was
quite good.
I kind of swam around by myself, as most
had not snorkeled before. The crew was most helpful. After getting everyone
fitted with mask, snorkel, (I had my own) and some basic instructions, they
took 2-3 at a time holding on to a life ring and towed them around over the
reef. For the most part the beginners were thrilled to have had this
experience. For me it was a good swim!
Green Island is by far the most popular spot
for tourist to visit the reef. It was way too commercial for me. There was no
one around for my second trip to the reef and it was much more pleasant and ‘real’.
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