Oceanxplorer Reef Sleep Port Douglas

We arrived back in Cairns today at 7:30 am and returned to the Hilton. Unfortunately we couldn't fly out of Cairns due to having to wait 24 hrs. post-diving to fly, so we decided to rent a car and drive up the coast to see Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rain Forest. One of our liveaboard friends came along as well.

As Doug forgot his Driver's License (conveniently???) it fell to me to do ...

... re-enactment of the landing. Fishing and drinking are the other activities here it seems.

We decided against going up Cape York – I have no doubt that it’s wonderful but neither of us was bursting to cover 1000km (and back) just to say that we have stood on the northernmost tip of Australia.

We came back to PD via the inland road – nothing to report except Rob saw a massive dead pig on the side of the road, and at a ...

After getting 4 loads of washing done we headed off to the Port Douglas Sunday Markets. Had a good time and bought a couple of things. Tasted coconut juice and then ate the fresh coconut from the husk, drank freshly squeezed sugar cane juice with lime, and saw these great coconut husks carved into animated faces very well done. Also enjoyed other ...

... for a couple of lookouts and saw a laod of hangliders flying over some cliffs. Looked like fun! We also saw Bat Reef, well an island by Bat Reef, which is where Steve Irwin died. After we got back from the trip I was kanckered so had my free meal then an early night! Making the decision to go to Cape Trib was one of the best I've made in Cairns. It was so nice to be somewhere else - exploring again! I'd got into too much of a rut, although budget dictated it so, so a break was nice.

20 March 2009 So up I get and head off to explore Cairns and what it has to offer - now what this means is I arise at noon figuring I could just do with a nice lie in - and to be honest - not sure that Cairns indeed has much to offer. Decide to go into town and check out who'll be showing the rugby tomorrow night - at 3.30am in the morning - nobody it turns out. Then head into a nice beachfront restaurant for some fish - only get there at about 3 - not much going ...

Thursday was our last day in Cairns, and it was unexpectedly a great day. We initially thought our flight back to Sydney was at 2:00, so we were going to go to the airport, fly back to Sydney, get some dinner and go out in Sydney for Courtney's last night in town. As it turned out, our flight wasn't actually until 6:00. We decided we'd try and get on the 1:00 flight that Virgin had, so we went out to the airport to get on the earlier flight. As it ...

... calling us all back to the train, could I, should I, what if, bugger it I had to run back, so missed my shots of the falls, fated or what. Will I return again it's doubtful, but I said that last time, never say never is something I learnt a long time ago. Other than being late for every other venue things went ok, although we arrived back for the last boat back to the ship 30 mins late, having had no time to look round the numerous local shops for souvenirs and the like.

... the night before we arrived, so we got fairly nice, misty weather. Meals at the resort take place in a lodge down the hill from our cabins. To get there you have to walk down a winding path over the creek through the jungle. The path was lit with torches and the frogs were chirping so loudly that it sounded like drum music. It was all right out of an episode of "Survivor." Over dinner we found ourselves discussing who we were going to have to vote ...

... on to and it was an amazing experience. He told me loads about the reef, pointed out fish and told me the names of all the different speices, he dove down and picked up different pieces of coral for me to touch, we saw turtles and an unbelievable amount of fish including a Maouri Wraase, a huge fish about 4 feet long but really big all round that was the highlight of the reef for me. The lunch served aboard was really good then we went to our ...

... rocking its crazy. After two drinks we risk going back to the camper and going to sleep. Saturday 29th We manage to sleep till 6.40 then we have a lovely breakfast over looking the sea and then have a wash in the public toilets. After we head over to the Marina to park as we are jumping on a dive boat to go diving near the Anderton Reef which is way up the north of the Great Barrier Reef. The dive boat is massive and very luxiourous we must first fill up all the paperwork and then we ...