Bound by Marlin Marina, Trinity Bay, and a backdrop of green mountains, Cairns, about three hours by plane from Melbourne, was a jewel of a city that seemed to be all about suntanned bodies promenading on the Esplanade, sunshine, pier shopping, sailing, sand, and shore. But beneath the warm waters of the Great Barrier lay its true treasure. During a memorable cruise on a five-star catamaran to Michaelmas Cay - while snorkeling or enjoying the view from an air-conditioned submersible - we peered into a dazzling array of colorful, sometimes odd-looking but always interesting species of marine life: parrotfish with its beak-like mouth, surgeon fish with scalpel-like fins on its tailbone, eerie-looking live coral that looked like a tangle of spaghetti or wrinkled cauliflowers and giant mushrooms, and countless other awesome sights. Alas, we searched in vain for Nemo, but saw only distant relatives and look-alikes.
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| Ready to snorkel |
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| Great Barrier Reef |
All the while, we were regaled on board with drinks, a hot and cold lunch buffet, afternoon tea, presentations by marine biologists, live musical entertainment on the way home, and a final glass of champagne.
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| Post champagne euphoria |
From the depths of the Barrier Reef, the following day we were back on land, on a historic scenic railway ride through tunnels, waterfalls, and rain forest to Kuranda, famous for its arts and crafts and aboriginal artifacts. Scouting for interesting cuisine for a light lunch, we found it simply irresistible to not try a kangaroo pot pie for lunch, so there!
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| Ready to board |
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| Filipino Crocodile Dundee |
Then, on by skyrail above the canopy of a dizzying array of gigantic kauri pines, we continued on to Tjapukai. It was an interesting immersion into the ancient culture of Australia’s indigenous clans. We learned how to throw a boomerang, enjoyed a multi-media holographic and live performance on aboriginal legends, listened to didgeridoo music, and sang, clapped, and stomped our feet to ceremonial dances and songs.
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| Aborigine playing didgeridoo |
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| Kauri pine |
And what better way to end the day than with an exotic Balinese cuisine consisting of crocodile satay, fried bean curd in turmeric sauce, and mie goreng.
Tomorrow, on to Sydney; but for now, we say DJIRRI NYURRA! (G’Day, in Tjapukai
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