Cairns and Sydney: From the Great Barrier Reef to Bondi Beach

The GBR from the airUnder the sea, under the sea…what a world of wonder, under the sea.  This is the rainy season in Cairns but we couldn’t have been more fortunate with the weather.  The wind from the North was mild leaving the ocean calm: perfect conditions for diving and snorkeling.  We chose a cruise on an eleven-passenger yacht, the Coral Seas Dreaming, for a one night, two-day visit on the Great Barrier Reef.

We left Cairns around 8AM and four hours later arrived at Thetford Reef, on the outer Great Barrier Reef.  Over the course of our cruise, we visited 6 different reefs.  I had hoped to try diving but unfortunately I was not medically cleared.  The reason: the radiation treatment I received may have compromised my lung capacity.  I don’t think this is the case but since I had not had a pre-dive physical, I was not allowed to dive.  Happily, the snorkeling was fantastic so it all worked out.

Sunset on the Great Barrier Reef

Mark chose to snorkel with me.  At the first reef we saw a turtle swimming and the most colorful fish and coral I have ever seen.  It was spellbinding; we were overwhelmed.  We had entered a magical world.  Everywhere you looked there was something new and fascinating.  The reef pulsed with life.

Captain Extraordinaire

Wearing stinger suits    

Even though I teach English, words cannot begin to capture the feeling and awe of the Great Barrier Reef.  Symphonic music or a great work of art does a better job of relaying its mystery and grandeur.

Four O'Clock Moth

Titan Arum

While we were in Cairns we enjoyed a few hours at the Cairns Botanical Garden.  Serendipitously we saw the Titum Arum in bloom.  This peculiar flower blossoms rarely for only a few days and is the largest flower in the world.  It is also remarkable for its noxious smell.  The gardens were replete with indigenous Aboriginal medicinal plants, orchids, Gum trees, and many tropical trees, shrubs and flowers.  We saw a Four O’clock moth hanging on a tree branch, a Blue Ulysses butterfly darting past and a colorful turkey like mound building bird amble across our path.

When we arrived in Cairns we were told to visit Daintree National Park.  Daintree is the oldest rainforest in the world.  It is also the only rainforest that goes directly to the sea.  So on our last full day, we were picked up early in the morning and with 11 other passengers in a small bus we headed along the coast to Daintree National Park.  It was a beautiful drive along the coast passing vast, empty beaches and stunning vistas.  Walking on or swimming in the shallow waters of Northeastern Australia in the summer can be deadly due to the inflow of Box and stinger jellyfish.  The Box jelly is fatal.  The stinger jellies, smaller than the size of a pinkie finger, are so toxic its victims require emergency treatment.

View of the coast from Daintree

Once we reached Daintree, about 2 hours North, we took a riverboat to see crocodiles, birds and mangroves.  The crocs were not visible (though we understood that if we chose to leave the boat, they would be more than happy to emerge and gobble up the swimmer) but we saw lots of mangroves and birds.  It was steamy but a breeze off the river kept us relatively comfortable.

After our river tour we stopped for lunch and had a chance to feed a group of kangaroos and wallabies kept by the restaurant.  What a treat!  I had a blast feeding a kangaroo named Wally who became my pal.  Unlike the kangaroos that were very friendly, the wallabies were a bit more reserved.  Whereas the kangaroos are soft, the wallabies are covered with coarser hair-like fur.

Lunch time

From here we continued north and visited a chilly river swimming hole where we happened upon two girls we had met on our Great Barrier Reef sail.  Small world!  We had a chance to try some local fruits including rambutin, mangoes, mangosteen and a fruit that resembles a sweet potato.  Then it was back to Cairns and a dip in the hotel’s lagoon pool.

Early the next morning we headed to Sydney, the last stop on our Australian itinerary.  Sydney is more citified than the rest of the Australian cities we have visited.  Like Perth, Melbourne and Cairns, it too has a lovely botanical garden. The Royal Botanical Garden is located on a peninsula just behind the Sydney Opera House.  Not only is the garden gorgeous, but also the views of Sydney Harbor from the garden are excellent.  We were also intrigued and a bit creeped-out by the squealing flying foxes (they looked like bats to me) hanging out in the large gum trees.

As with the rest of Australia, Sydney also proved to be a problematic spot to get Wi-Fi.  Our hotel in Sydney charged $5.50 per ½ hour for Wi-Fi and it was only available in the hotel lobby.  Once again we found the library to be the best place to get Internet access.

The rain we had so long avoided finally caught up with us.  We ducked into a small shop and both got haircuts.  We also went to the library and then headed back to our hotel.

Sydney's Royal Botanical Garden

On day 2, we still had to contend with bad weather but we made the most of it by taking in an excellent exhibit on Antarctica at the State Library.  I was particularly excited with the ancient maps on display.  It is fascinating to see how technology affects our worldview and how slow we can be to embrace change.

Though overcast, the afternoon weather was good enough for us to walk around Darling Harbor, to the Rocks, by the Sydney Harbor Bridge, up to the Observatory, back by the Opera House and then to again stroll through the Royal Botanical Garden.

We found a delicious Indian restaurant (I have become a fan of Indian cooking) where we met a lovely couple—Jim, a Delta pilot from Texas and his girlfriend, Jillian from Sydney. Their long distance relationship seems to be weathering their frequent geographic separation.

With Sydney Opera House behind us

Our last day in Sydney the rain turned into sunshine so we decided to give it a try to see as much of the Sydney area as possible.  We purchased an all-day metro pass that we could use on the ferry, bus and train and headed to the harbor.  We hopped on the Sydney ferry to Mosman Bay, stopping at three tiny docks along the way.   We then walked from Mossman Bay along the boardwalk and Cremorne coastline to the Cremorne  Point ferry stop.  It was a beautiful walk along the cliff side. We returned to Sydney and set out on another ferry for Manly, a famous surfing beach on the Pacific Ocean.  The beach town was bustling with Australians on their summer break.  The waves weren’t terribly impressive but the undertow caused them to recommend swimmers not to venture into water over waist deep.  After walking the beach, we got fish and chips at a local pub by the shore and then returned by ferry to Circular Quay where we jumped on a bus to Bondi Beach on the Sydney’s East coast.  Bondi is another surfing beach but also famous for its town-to-town cliff walk.  We made our way along the meandering cliff perched path admiring the glistening ocean, ebbing tide and sun worshipping beach bathers.  Unfortunately the rigors of the day caught up with me so we only went about 5 km on the path before we caught a bus and then rode a train back to the city.  I am pleased that we were able to venture out of the downtown and see why people rave about Sydney.  The central business district is nice but the surrounding area is stunning.  I can see why people love this city.

Mosman Bay by Sydney