Trip to Cairns

A much needed trip after completing first semester took us up to Cairns, in far northern Queensland. We wanted to get out of the winter weather in Sydney, which hasn't actually been colder than a hot autumn day. But nonetheless, we craved some therapeutic sun. We also craved a little camping trip, since we inevitably missed our annual May long weekend tenting adventure with friends back home. We needed a change of scenery as well, since we barely left our apartment during exam period due to the copious amounts of studying. And our goal was met, covering a ton of Cairns in a quick six days. The first day trip was out to the Great Barrier Reef, a long awaited item on my bucket list. It's composed of 1,500 different fish species and 2,900 individual reefs, making up the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. It's bigger than the Great Wall of China, and is the only living thing on earth visible from space. The reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, with the age of the present living reef structure being 6,000 to 8,000 years old. However, since 1985 it's lost over half of its coral cover due to climate change, pollution, fishing, shipping accidents, oil spills and tropical cyclones. We're so glad we got to see it when we did, and we highly recommend you do too! It definitely lived up to my expectations, displaying the most colourful coral I've seen and some really cool fish. 

We also saw some absolutely massive clams, which must have each measured up to the size of a medium dog. 

Even though I've snorkelled in Mexico, Hawaii, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia, the Great Barrier Reef surpasses them all. I literally screamed underwater every minute or so, when I saw something cool or got surprised by a fish. If I had unlimited funds, I could've spent DAYS on the reef! We plan on doing a live-aboard tour in the Whitsunday Islands at some point next year. Since the reef is accessible from multiple east coast locations, this will fulfil our desire for more reef exploration.   The following day was spent relaxing around Cairns; rejuvenating from our long day at sea and BBQing some camel burgers that Wes just had to try. It took less than an hour to ferry over to Fitzroy Island the next day for some hiking and beach action. Before it got too hot we hiked up to the lighthouse and then the summit at 882 feet, which offered incredible views of the ocean and surrounding land.  

With 97% of the island being National Rainforest, it felt a little bit like home as we trudged through the forest growth. After getting a good sweat going, we grabbed our snorkels and fins for a refreshing swim off of Nudie Beach. Not actually nude-permitted since the 60s, it felt like a hidden tropical paradise. The reef was nothing like the Great Barrier, but it still offered a wide array of coral and fish as well as turtles if you're lucky.

We sunbathed on the white sandy beach and took a break from the sweltering sun to have a picnic lunch. We then wandered through the 'Secret Garden' to spot a few wild parrots and butterflies, and finished off the day with a few seaside beers. Having another day to chill in Cairns was much needed, exploring the great length of the esplanade and scouring through trinkets in the night market. 

Since there isn't much of a beach in Cairns, the esplanade lagoon is a great alternative for those seeking sand and some relief from the heat. Our last but not least day trip was to the Atherton Tablelands, whose landscape ranges from extinct volcanoes and crater lakes to bird and wildlife rich forests and National Parks. Our first stop was Lake Eacham, formed 12,000 years ago by molten magma. We spotted numerous turtles and a python before devouring a delicious fresh fruit platter for morning tea. 

Hitting up a hilltop lookout along the way provided expansive breathtaking views of the surrounding tablelands. 

Then we headed to four different waterfalls, each of which offered beautiful scenery and refreshing water basins to swim in. The first was Ellinjaa Falls and then Zillie...

Then we ventured to Millaa Millaa Falls, which is an icon of the region and one of the most famous waterfalls in all of Australia. It's featured in XXXX Gold beer and Herbal Essence shampoo commercials, offering an exhilarating experience to those who crawl behind it. I'll have to admit that it was the coldest water I've felt since being Down Under, but totally worth it!

Our last stop was Josephine Falls, which was by far the funnest waterfall we encountered. It spanned over three different levels, with the lowest level bestowing a natural waterslide into its accepting basin. 

This ended our day as well as our trip to Cairns, and provided some unforgettable memories. Our tour guide was absolutely hilarious and we highly recommend going with Captain Matty's Barefoot Tours to the Tablelands. Now we can look forward to completing our two week clinical placement before we start second semester. There'll be updates more often from now on, I promise!