Cairns and around
Trip Start
Jan 06, 2008
1
66
125
Trip End
Dec 20, 2008
Cairns,
Queensland,
Australia
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Second, it was super great to see dad and Anne. The plan for the 2 weeks looks pretty good. First week in Cairns and around, using our rental car and enjoying the nice flat and beautiful front beach, located 8km north of town. We have been to the Great Barrier Reef the 15th and it was just amazing. We saw a whale and her baby on the way, what an experience seeing it jump above the water. The site is huge and I found it a lot more impressive than in Pulau Tioman even if there was maybe less diversity. The day on the river with mangrove and crocs was also a very good time.
Pilar arrived from Brisbane Friday evening and we spent the week end in Kuranda, walking in the forest, cuddling koalas and kangaroos, enjoying a butterflies sanctuary and an impressive waterfall
small parrot
. It was also the right spot to buy a nice didjeridoo.We went to Green Island the 19th to snorkel and enjoy the beautiful beach there. It was a very windy day with 24 knots and 3m waves. Choosing the sailing option was therefore a very good decision to have a full experience.
The choice was to go north to Cape York the second week, towards the real Aussie outback. Even during the dry season (now), there are plenty of creeks and a 140m wide, 1.2m deep river to cross. A man already died crossing this river, eaten by one of the numerous crocodiles. Nice one.
Far from being put off and confident that our natural talent would compensate our lack of driving skills and outback experience, we only had to give up when Avis refused to insure us. Damn it. South we go.
