From rainforest to reef

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A busy couple of days!

Yesterday (Sunday) was riding in the rainforest, from a working sugar cane farm. The owner picked me up and dropped me back at the hostel, then once kitted out with a riding hat we met the horses. There were about 8 of us, and I was given a paint mare called Sox. First impressions were stocky, with hooves hard as nails and a stock saddle. The farm had very little grass - it's the dry season here - but the horses (all 60 of them) are allowed to free range each night. Hopped on and set off round the edge of a sugar cane field, which the horses loved. Sara (the guide) and I left the group for a long trot then rejoined the others to ride through the rainforest and round the edge of the lake before heading off for a canter, when Sox took me by surprise by 1) refusing to leave her friends and 2) being surprisingly fast! Back to the farm and sat down for a sausage BBQ before back to the hostel. My dislike of Australian sausages hasn't changed from my last trip!

Today was an early start, swapping rainforest for reef and boarding the Passions of Paradise boat at 8am for the Great Barrier Reef, meeting an Irish guy and English girl on board who I spent most of the day with. It took about 2 hours to get to Michaelmas Cay, where I took a glass bottomed boat to the beach then snorkelled back out to the main boat. Outfit was a glamorous stinger suit, floatation aid, mask, snorkel and flippers. There were fish almost as soon as I stepped into the water, and coral and further out. It was about a mile out to the boat, and there were loads of big fish around there. I'd rented an underwater camera from my hostel, which was great. Lunch was cold meats and salads (watermelon and coriander was surprisingly good!) with fresh fruit platters morning and afternoon. Second reef destination was in the open sea so was choppier than the first but such clear water and lots to see. The crew were really good and got us back to the marina at 5pm. Walking back along the esplanade I found a gelateria so stopped for icecream: turkish delight and mint choc chip = sticky fingers.

Now back in the hostel for my last night in Cairns. Tomorrow is less exciting with another early start to catch the greyhound bus to Airlie Beach - an all day journey, but the Whitsundays sailing trip starts Wednesday 😊

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