Australians have a designated
study week break from when classes officially end to when the exam period
begins. At Griffith University, our “study week” was June 4–8. With this time
off, Autumn and I ventured off on our last major trip within Australia.. we
flew to Cairns!
We arrived Monday (6/4) afternoon
and took advantage of the beautiful weather straight away. The weather on the
Gold Coast has certainly been getting cooler recently, and the couple of days
before we left had been filled with rain. So when we arrived at Cairns to a
clear, sunny, hot day we couldn’t have been more excited. In the middle of town
there is a lagoon that is a major attraction for locals and visitors. We
relaxed there all afternoon, soaking up the sunshine.
Tuesday we had a day planned
to explore the rainforest village of Kuranda. Kuranda is located 1,000 feet
above Cairns in the middle of world heritage rainforest. We took the skyrail cableway
up, stopping along the way at some lookout points (Red Peak and Barron Falls).
The skyrail was pretty cool, as we glided effortlessly high above everything. We
felt like we were flying. Once we made it to the top, we explored the quaint
little town. I enjoyed walking through the original markets and the heritage
markets. I also didn’t mind visiting the Candy Kitchen and the Fudge Bar ;) On
the way down we took the train. The scenic railway gave us great views as
we made our way back down.
Bright and early Wednesday
morning we headed out for our snorkeling adventure on the Great Barrier Reef!
This is what I was most looking forward to, but I was also a little nervous. We
went with a company called Silver Swift, and they were great. I highly
recommend them.
It took about two hours to get out to the first reef we were stopping at. It was a rough ride out, but luckily I remembered to take seasickness pills and I was ok for the whole day. I rented a stinger suit for the day to stay protected from the sun and from anything in the water that might brush up against me. That suit was impossible to change in and out of, especially once it got wet. (Thank goodness for Autumn helping me!)
We visited three different Outer Great Barrier Reef sites in all and spent between an hour and two hours at each spot. We stayed in the water the entire time at each site, until the ship's horn called us back, signaling it was time to move on. The water was warm, much warmer than the windy air once we got out of the water. Throughout the day, while traveling between reefs, we were provided with endless food and beverage refreshments.
The reefs were amazing and absolutely beautiful! We saw so much coral, so many fish, and all different kinds of sea life. I found Nemo and friends on the anemone! I also saw a sea turtle from the boat. Most exciting of all.. we saw (and swam) with a shark! Surprisingly (and strangely), I wasn’t nervous when I saw him. I felt nothing more than as if I were seeing a clown fish. It was more exciting to me than scary. The best part is that we were able to catch him on video swimming right by us (see my videos on Facebook). It is a good thing I have proof, because I am sure some people wouldn’t believe that I swam with a shark on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia (when I say it out loud, it is even hard to believe it myself!)
We had a great day snorkeling and exploring the reefs, enjoying the sun, mingling with new friends, and eating “heaps” of food!
It took about two hours to get out to the first reef we were stopping at. It was a rough ride out, but luckily I remembered to take seasickness pills and I was ok for the whole day. I rented a stinger suit for the day to stay protected from the sun and from anything in the water that might brush up against me. That suit was impossible to change in and out of, especially once it got wet. (Thank goodness for Autumn helping me!)
We visited three different Outer Great Barrier Reef sites in all and spent between an hour and two hours at each spot. We stayed in the water the entire time at each site, until the ship's horn called us back, signaling it was time to move on. The water was warm, much warmer than the windy air once we got out of the water. Throughout the day, while traveling between reefs, we were provided with endless food and beverage refreshments.
The reefs were amazing and absolutely beautiful! We saw so much coral, so many fish, and all different kinds of sea life. I found Nemo and friends on the anemone! I also saw a sea turtle from the boat. Most exciting of all.. we saw (and swam) with a shark! Surprisingly (and strangely), I wasn’t nervous when I saw him. I felt nothing more than as if I were seeing a clown fish. It was more exciting to me than scary. The best part is that we were able to catch him on video swimming right by us (see my videos on Facebook). It is a good thing I have proof, because I am sure some people wouldn’t believe that I swam with a shark on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia (when I say it out loud, it is even hard to believe it myself!)
We had a great day snorkeling and exploring the reefs, enjoying the sun, mingling with new friends, and eating “heaps” of food!
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