Here are some ways to do it, and we did 'em all!Queensland, Australia November 15, 2001
Australia's Great Barrier Reef extends 1200 miles along Queensland's coast, extending north from Brisbane past Townsville and Cairns (pronounced Cans). I hadn't looked too closely at the map, nor had I done any research before we arrived in Townsville, so I was surprised at how hot (about 90F) and muggy it was in early November. The tourist season runs mid-April to October, (Aussie winter) when it's mild and dry. Actually, Cairns is just 16 degrees south of the Equator, and along with sandy beaches, mountains and mangrove forests the Queensland's coastal landscape includes tropical rainforests, sugar cane farms and banana plantations. It was too hot to do much golfing, but evenings were perfect, balmy and great for outdoor eating.
The sweltering weather made it
especially delightful to be in the temperate, though still refreshing, water.
It became a daily goal to
get wet.
Here are some ways to do it, and we did 'em all!
o Walk along a beach and swim in
the Coral Sea. (Unfortunately, the coastal waters are bedeviled with box jelly
fish, otherwise known as stingers, much of the year. These can cause
death, so swim in a protected area; just running into the surf is not a good
option.)
o Find some sprinklers to meander through; watch your toes!
o Take a boat to one of the protected islands and snorkel nearby.
The coral sands are hard on city feet; flip-flops recommended.
o Walk through the rain forest and pray for a downpour (which hopefully
will not be so heavy that it floods the river or the local roads.)
o Raft down the grade 4, whitewater rapids of the Tully River. Two people,
a guide and a passenger, have died in the last six months, but what the hell.
o Find a creek or swimming hole and splash around; but first make sure it's free of
crocodiles!
o Hike to Jourama Falls, scramble along the rocks beneath and jump
into one of the inviting natural pools. Getting in is easy, but the
slippery, slimy rocks make getting out rather difficult.
o Jump into the hotel's
swimming pool; best done at the deep end.
o Take at catamaran to the Outer Reef and snorkel (great fish, good coral!)
Three elderly snorkelers have died this year, so it's best to do this while you're
young.
Cairns is Australia's dive center with more
i-centers
for booking activities and accommodations than anywhere else we've been.
More than two dozen trips go to different parts of the reef or to local
islands each day, most offering introductory dives, no experience
required. After being warned by the skipper of the Mikado that it's
important to have a "dive" physical and that the local dive industry
has recently gotten a bad reputation (caused by problems with untrained
beginners), we figured the snorkeling was good, so why risk it.
Still, 5-day dive courses with overnights on the boat can be had for a very
reasonable price, and if you're looking to get certified, this would be the
perfect place to do it -- clear, warm water
(though divers all use wet
suits) and so much marine life to see. If you go, pick a calm day.
The
trip to the Outer Reef, even on a fast boat (90 minutes), can be rough when it's
blowing 15-20 knots. From personal experience, I can report that at least 10% of
the passengers turn green and hold barf bags at the ready at this wind speed. Moreover, water clarity and ease of snorkeling
are reduced when the wind is up.
If you love being in the water, then driving and getting wet along the Queensland coast is a brilliant holiday. Before you go, check these useful, but otherwise boring, details.
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