Cairns Part 2

     Day 3 we headed out to the Great Barrier Reef to do some more snorkeling while Dave and Kat went scuba diving. The last time we were at the Great Barrier Reef it was at the southern end at the The Whit Sundays and this time it was on the North end.
     This trip out was completely different from the first. The boat was huge with air conditioning, scuba dive deck, buffet, and an upper platform as a viewing deck. It was staffed by 10 crew members to take car of your every need so that you could get in and look at the reef without having to worry about your equipment.
     The reef was SO much better than the first. We saw so many different types of fish and coral. The water color was so clear and blue and warm that we were literally the last ones of our group to get out of the water. We even saw a shark and blow fish which even for the reef are pretty rare.
     The next day we did a day trip to a Crocodile farm that was amazing! Our tour guide was so hilarious that there is not enough room to tell you the stories he told and his insanely, and sometimes crude, humor. We saw enormous crocs and even got to feed them.
     After that we lounged around the city relaxing by the pool, shopping for friends and family, and eating at some really great restaurants. As our time in Australia was drawing to a close, we said our goodbyes to Dave and Kat as they headed back to the states.
     Our next stop: Bali, Indonesia.

 Beautiful waterfall near Cairns

 Tree Kangaroo - Never even knew they existed

 Insane tropical flowers are everywhere

Flock of bats at dusk

Boarding our dive/snorkel boat

Dave & Kat going diving

 Clown fish

 Fish of some sort lol

 Scuba Diver instructor blowing air rings

 Fresh Water crocs at the croc farm

This was Erica feeding the croc

Cairns Part 1

     The drive to Cairns was long; about 9 hours. And, once again, we did it driving in the night preventing a wasted travel day. We checked in at our hotel at 3 am and crashed.
     The first day we took it easy and just motored around town to get our bearings. The second day was great where we ventured just North of Cairns for a day trip into the Daintree Rain forest and Mossman Gorge. The rain forest was definitely awesome, just like a scene out of the movies. There were huge vines wrapped around trees that both clambered for sunshine. Many different varieties of Mushrooms sprouted here and there bringing colors from browns to reds to bright yellows. There were many spiders, literally the size of an adult male palm, littering trees and vines hoping to catch there next big meal. Small bridges crossed over streams that brought life to the parched ground where 98% of all rainwater is captured by the giant trees, vines, and palms. One stream we found had pooled into a small pond where we found several big fish, and to our astonishment, a freshwater eel!
     After that we headed back to our hotel for an awesome dinner on the beach overlooking the jellyfish infested waters of beautiful Cairns. Days 1 & 2 were complete and they were awesome.

 Rhinoceros Beetle we found near the Rain Forest

 Looking up at the trees towards the sky

Pond where we found the freshwater eel

 Dave and Brandon taking a ride down the fresh water rain forest river at Mossman Gorge

Vines climbing a rain forest tree

Panorama of the Cairns Beach Road