Start of the Endless Summer

---

08/10/08


I am so happy that people are actually reading this! Thank you very much to everyone that spends a few minutes reading my ramblings; it makes me feel like I always have someone to talk to. I can’t believe I am really literally on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef. I have always regarded it as one of the wonders of the world, and to think that it is just a few miles offshore is really incredible. I feel like Cairns is a really laid-back base for such a spectacular site.


Firstly, back to Sydney. Nothing special on Tuesday, unfortunately. The sky was finally clear, and it was really quite warm. My intention was to go to Bondi Beach and do the Coastal Walk to Coogee Beach, but I only made it to Bondi Beach at around 5 pm. Bondi Beach struck me for the second time as nothing special, and somewhat uninviting. I didn’t really feel like the area had character, but maybe I wasn’t there long enough or should have come earlier or maybe my mood affected my impression of it. I did the Coastal Walk as far as Bronte Beach, which was small, quiet, and clean but unimpressive. I suppose coming from Southern California, I may be a bit biased. The walk itself was quite lovely, right along the cliffs, and it’s definitely popular- I constantly had to be wary of being trampled by runners.


I flew to Cairns the next day. When I stepped off the airplane on Wednesday evening, I already could feel I was in a whole different world. The sticky heat enveloped me immediately and I could see hills covered in lush green vegetation. I shared a taxi into town with a girl from my flight, more so for the sake of possibly making a new friend than for the convenience. I was so happy to have met Tara, her positive energy and the warmth and excitement of Cairns put me in a really good mood, especially after I had spent four days alone in Sydney. The center of Cairns is spread out along the water, and is mostly tourist centers, touristy and clothing shops, restaurants, and hotels. The street running along the water is the Esplanade, and there is a really nice saltwater pool. There isn’t really a beach, it’s a bit more of a lagoon and it looks quite marshy, so no one swims there.


I took Tara to the hostel I booked, since it’s only $15 a night. I was really pleased with it; only 4 beds per room, very clean, small and quiet, and friendly service. We were also excited by the free dinner voucher that guests receive every night. If anyone reading this ever stays there, say hello to Angelo, he’s super friendly and helpful. We had our free dinner at the Woolshed, which for a major backpacker site (most hostels give out the vouchers), is actually pretty nice. Dinner consisted of pasta and a dollop of sauce; it really tasted FREE, so we decided to get some McDonald’s ice cream afterwards and a Guiness at the Irish pub. A pub-crawl group arrived at the pub and we decided to go along with them. At every place we stopped there were ridiculous spring-break type party games, and I actually managed to win a discounted reef cruise through my prowess in musical chairs and rock-paper-scissors!


Since we came home close to morning, we ended up sleeping in a bit and then having breakfast in a café. After breakfast we took the bus to Palm Cove, a popular beach about 20 minutes north of Cairns. The lifeguard assured us there were no “stingers” (jellyfish) yet. My first swim of the trip! The water was a murky brown, apparently from the sediment washing down the rivers, and I emerged from the water with my formerly white bathing suit a nice shade of brown. I was amazed at how warm, almost hot, the water was. When I was exploring the beach, I saw a sign warning of crocodiles in the area!


That evening we went to dinner with Cristina, a girl that had just moved into our room. We had a lot of fun walking and talking, got some coffee, and then discovered there was free champagne for ladies at the Irish pub again. I feel like I am going to get used to free stuff! I talked for a while with a guy in the Australian navy about how his experiences and how Americans are viewed. He says sometimes he is mistaken for an American but as long as he clarifies that he’s Aussie and then adds something about hating Americans, then he’s welcomed with open arms. Apparently American soldiers are just seen as assholes compared to most others, and are quick to put a gun to your head.


Tara left for New Zealand in the morning, and Cristina and I had a lazy day wandering the streets, booking the reef cruise and a trip to Cape Tribulation, and trying to find some deals for trips to the Whitsunday Islands and Fraser Island. They are two major tourist and backpacker destinations and I’ve been told by everyone I’ve met that they’re worth seeing. I’m really glad that Cristina and I are going to travel together, I couldn’t imagine going on those trips alone. She’s a French teacher from Jersey and she’s really so sweet and a lot of fun.


Saturday morning we woke up early, ready for our adventure on the Great Barrier Reef! We went with Down Under Cruises. The normal price for the reef cruise would have been $119, but since we were doing 2 for 1, we each paid $60. Of course what they don’t tell you is that there is a reef levy of $20, and that if you want to scuba dive, that’s an extra $65. Also, they are experts at grabbing money wherever possible. Snorkeling gear is included, but if you happen to want a wetsuit, you have to rent one for $10. Lunch is included, but you must buy your drinks. I guess it’s always the same.


It was wonderful to get out on the water, which was a brilliant blue, and the boat was really nice. It took just over an hour to the first stop, which was at Saxon Reef. From the boat, the reef could be made out by the waves breaking on the other side of it, and the turquoise color created by the sandy shallow floor. At first, I was a little disappointed by the lack of color in the coral. I’m by no means a coral expert, but some of it looked a bit dead and lacking life. Some of it was definitely broken and lying along the floor. I wasn’t sure if this was normal or if this was all evidence of the decline of the reef. I’m sure it’s a bit of both. The fish were brilliant though, big and small, and of every color imaginable. I forgot to buy an underwater camera on land, and the ones on the boat were $30. I figured I will definitely go again, either in Aus or in Thailand, so I could get photos later if it was worth it. I saw butterfly fish, angelfish, parrotfish, and HUGE sea cucumbers lying in S-shapes all along the sandy floor. The highlight was a massive dark and spotted cuttlefish that was hovering deep down below me. The coral were of every shape imaginable; antler-like branching coral, brain-shaped, lettuce-shaped, and even giant round balls of solid coral. I really enjoyed the ones that waved gently with the current. A few times I got a bit nervous because I swam into areas where the coral was quite shallow and felt like I couldn’t swim out. Knocking into coral is really hazardous for both you and the thousands of tiny animals that make up the structure.


We had a rather nice BBQ lunch, I was really excited to have lots of leafy green salad finally! Being a backpacker really makes you appreciate things more, especially good food and fresh veggies. Our second stop was at H______ (either Harrington or Hastings) Reef, and this time I could tell from the boat that it was going to be even more spectacular. We saw alligator garfish, which are long and thin with tube noses swimming all around the boat and brilliant steephead parrotfish, who are bright iridescent blue and indigo. My favorite were the moon wrasse and it’s smaller cousin the six-bar wrasse, which are both painted all over in bright fluorescent colors. They also seemed to be just as curious of me as I was of them, and hovered in the water staring back at me. Every once in a while when I was swimming around making Darth Vader noises I was like WOOOOWWWW!!!! GUESSS WHERE YOU AREEEE!!! THE GREAT BARRIER REEF! I tried to suck in everything I could and photograph it with my eyes, attempting to imprint it on my mind forever.


Somehow on the way back to shore I got majorly burnt, mostly on my bum, although I thought I was constantly applying sunblock. Back in Cairns, Cristina and I booked our trip to the Whitsundays and Fraser Island, but missed out on our free dinner and so decided to have the gelato I had long been coveting. Resourceful Cristina discovered that there was salsa night at Café Meze, so that’s where we went. I really liked the atmosphere, there was a really good mix of people, even though the DJ really couldn’t mix his music. Cristina danced a lot, I danced alittle, and we met three Aussie pilots. A busy and unforgetable day!

---

Photos

Sydney skyline
What I found when I got lost looking for Bondi Beach.

Tara!!!
MMM Guiness

Party Games
As ridiculous as it gets on the Cairns Pub Crawl

New friends!
Tara and I

First Swim!
You aren't going to see this again.

These legs were made for walkin...
...around the world

Girls night with free champagne
Me, Tara, Cristina

Aussie boys
Not exactly what the girls were hoping for...