Reef-er Madness

The northeast coast of Australia is home to some of the most unique natural wonders of the world. From the largest reef in the world to some of the wettest rainforest, this part of the country has nonstop highlights to visit. The heat and the humidity was incredible when we arrived in Cairns but we were here to see things so we headed north to Port Douglas to start our tour of Queensland beaches. Next on the agenda was the Great Barrier Reef. We took a cruise on the Ocean Spirit and soon found ourselves floating around in the most gorgeous 'aquarium' we had ever seen. From parrot fish to brightly coloured coral to sea turtles to giant clams to angel fish, it was a visual feast. It was a personal high to be sharing this experience as a family. We were constantly pointing at one fish after another to make sure none of us missed anything.

Cairns and the other coastal cities of the region are nestled between the ocean and the mountains. We traveled into these mountains to visit Kuranda and the Barron Gorge Falls as well as the Atherton Tablelands. One of the main tourist attractions in the area is the Curtain Fig but we had a pleasant surprise when two tree kangaroos showed up as we were walking around the famous tree.

We traveled south to Cardwell where we were very fortunate to be able to stay with Paul and Karen Savy who live in a resort-like home they've christened 'Creole Castle'. With a moat, a yard full of animals, and dozens of exotic trees and bushes, it was a beautiful place to call home for a few days while we got to know this part of the coastline. Two years earlier Cyclone Yasi had blown through and destroyed just about everything in the area. We could still see signs of the devastation as we toured the surrounding countryside. We again were lucky enough to see an exotic animal when we saw father and child cassowaries (the mother just takes off) roaming Eta Bay. Not so exotic is the cane toad which arrived in Australia years ago and has reached plague proportions. They have contributed to the destruction of many other wildlife species since they are poisonous to eat. After a relaxing day at Mission Beach, we stopped in at Tully which holds the bragging rights to being the wettest place in all of Australia. Their Golden Gumboot stands 7.9 metres tall which is how much rain fell in 1950. Now it was time to continue driving south along the coastline to our next destination.