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Travel to the tropical north of Queensland Australia and you will witness civilization in harmony with two great natural ecosystems, the rainforest and the reef. It is a humid paradise where the wet season can last a few months, and the summer season can easily rival our own for heat and searing sun. Traveling this far away proved to be more than a vacation because the aussies share their land with a melting pot of eastern cultures, and I enjoyed the experience of being a part of that mix..
My journey started with a 5 AM check-in at Charleston International, hopping to Houston, then 8 hours to Honolulu, 7 hours to Guam, and 4 hours to Cairns, Australia. Even with smooth connections this was a grueling 30 hour travel marathon. A short commute from the airport and I arrived at Palm Cove for the first part of my stay. Tropical air, frolicking colorful birds, and hibiscus hedges spoke to the warm climate. A fine-sand beach with a fishing jetty and boat dock were right out front of my hotel. The first day, I awoke and headed to the hotel restaurant for some coffee, bacon and eggs. As I ordered my accent stood out and the waitress flashed a knowing smile that there was an American in Australia. As we visited, I learned right then that things would be just a bit different while Down Under. Brekky was their name for this meal, coffee was called a flat-white, eggs came sunny side up, bacon was really what we call ham, and there is no jelly, only vegemite. I headed to the beach for a swim and I noticed a large sign explaining to swim only inside a small enclosure. The sign mentioned that the enclosure was surrounded with stinger nets, which is a screening method meant to exclude potentially deadly marine stingers (box jellyfish) from the swimming area. The sign mentioned the presence of saltwater crocodiles, and also warned of sharks. My swim in the Coral Sea was brief as I realized I’d have to survive the marine stingers and swim around the crocs before I had to worry about being eaten by a great-white shark.
Just inland of the entire immediate coastline there was a mountainous escarpment that was covered in rainforest. I met up with my Aussie host and we drove into the mountains to visit a town by the name of Kuranda, where we had stockman’s pie and barramundi for lunch. The stores and restaurants were all open air and the tropical environment smelled clean and fresh. The tourist stores had kangaroo hides, crocodile leathers, and aboriginal art for sale. We toured a butterfly garden and an aviary enclosure. We also rode a cable-car that went over the top of the rainforest and allowed us to gaze at the Barron River Falls.
My primary reason to visit Queensland was a life-long dream to fish on the great barrier reef. Departing out of Port Douglas on the 60 foot Norseman, we motored for 40 minutes before arriving at the first patch reef around an old shipwreck. My biggest surprise was that fishing rods were not used for this reef fishing because it was done with hand lines. That famous Aussie bravado had them hauling in fish hand over hand for generations. Success came quickly as I caught silver perch and red emperor, while others caught coral trout and red-throat emperor. Other fisherman were from Greece and England, and we all had a great day fishing, and shared some XXXX gold lager too. I dined on coral trout that evening and looked forward to my next fishing trip to target barramundi.
While I had fished the reef, I had not seen it in as much detail as I expected. The captain told me the best way to see the reef was from a helicopter, so a few days later I boarded a Quicksilver tours helicopter and headed out from Port Douglas where we first flew over the mountain range to see the Daintree rainforest from this unique perspective. We saw vast fields of sugar cane planted on the small fertile plain between the beaches and the mountains. When we reached the Daintree river and Cape Tribulation, where Captain Cook visited in 1770, we took a right turn and headed for the Coral Sea. The great barrier reef runs hundreds of miles along the Queensland coast, and this air tour gave me the best idea as far as the scope and differing habitats. We viewed patch reefs and ribbon reefs, sandy cays with bird life, and we had little trouble spotting sea turtles, fish and sharks in the crystal clear waters below us. We passed St. Crispin’s reef and made our way to Aggincourt reef where we landed and I continued my tour via snorkeling. I had a few hours to spend in the water with other tourists who had arrived here via boat. As I floated in the coral sea and looked down on the perfect three dimensional habitat that the coral formed for the fishes, I thanked God that I had lived long enough to see this wonderful creation, and knew my mortality was a blip compared to the longevity of this living reef. There were fish of every color and every imaginable color pattern, along with giant clams, squid, and multiple coral types such as stag-horn or brain coral. I rode the big catamaran boat back to port that afternoon and was glad to have explored the reef properly. That evening I dined on the popular ‘reef and beef’ offering at the local restaurant.
Next up we headed inland for a three day excursion to see the Outback. Driving south from Cairns we passed through Innisfail where Cyclone Larry had recently hit. Larry was a major storm and the surrounding hillsides of the coastal Gilly’s mountain range were denuded of their foliage. Trees that might snap were broken, sugarcane and banana crops lay on their side, roofs were peeled off, and signs were missing. It reminded me very much of the devastation of Hurricane Hugo. Driving inland for 5 hours we saw the terrain change dramatically from dense green thick forests to savannah-like terrain with red earth, large rocks and intermittent trees. The road became dirt, free range cattle could be seen near the road, and six feet termite mounds told me we had reached the Outback.
We stayed at Undara National Park, an ancient place formed by the oozing eruptions of the Undara volcano. Daybreak at Undara brought a cacophony of kookaburra calling, and kangaroos appeared outside the window. After a “billie tea” or campfire breakfast, we boarded a van to explore the lava tubes that are unique to Undara. The lava tubes formed when ancient lava flows, that flowed for months, were exposed to rain or cool air that made the top layer crust over. This crust formed a roof causing an oven-like effect for the lava which then flowed in the tunnels for miles until they reached a water source. When the lava flow stopped, the cavernous tunnels lay empty. Over thousands of years some of the ‘roofs’ have caved in leaving entrances into these geologic masterpieces. Thousands of bats are known to live in these caves, and our imagination pondered what the aboriginal people thought when they first discovered these caves. This landscape was awesome in its own right and our trip to the Outback seemed to take us back in time.
We took a day to drive through the Atherton tablelands which is a fertile valley between two mountain ranges. Farming operations, cattle pastures, winding roads, and a wind farm were some of the scenes I observed. Next we headed north of Cairns to stay in the Daintree rainforest, which is a world heritage preserve.
The tree-house rooms at silky oaks lodge were engulfed by tropical foliage and surrounded by botanical marvels. I went for a swim in the invigorating waters of the Mossman river before dinner, which was served in an open-air dining room overlooking the river.
Our four course meal was delectable, and I noticed a mist starting to form over the river. Before dinner was over the mist had changed into a light drizzle, and then into a good rain. Later that night the rain became a thunderous deluge and I was glad to be in a rainforest. The next day we took a boat ride on the Daintree river and saw mangrove-lined banks, azure kingfishers, brahminy kites, and of course saltwater crocodiles sunning on the banks. Later we pushed northward to Cape Tribulation, and walked on the beach in the shadow the mountains. Truly the rainforest with its thick and dense foliage dominates northern Queensland.
The last few days of my trip were spent back in Cairns, a city on the coast that is the perfect place to relax. Just as I became familiar with my surroundings, and comfortable with the lingo, it was time to head back home. I have gone to the other side of the globe and am richer for the experience, and as the aussies are quick to say, there are No Worries mate.
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