Cairns

Me holding a real life Koala

Yes I finally got the opportunity to go see the Great Barrier Reef. It was one of the most amazing things I have seen. There were the most beautiful fish I have ever seen. Some of them were huge. I saw a bright purple starfish, bright green, purple, and orange coral. There were clown fish and fish that had an iridescent color. There were fish that were the brightest colors and had really neat patterns on them. I even saw 4 turtles. At one point I felt like I was watching a fish parade, because there were several schools of fish that went right by me, and right after the other. I went snorkeling for many hours but I had to wear a lycra suit because its jellyfish season. Oh and I did see quite a few jelly fish and I saw a three foot clam shell. It was like I was a part of Finding Nemo. This all happened at Green Island. Then I went on a glass bottomed boat and saw even more fish. It was so amazing.

on gree island, the dark spots are where the reef begins

2 thumbs up

Then on another day I went to the tablelands. I saw Lake Barrine which is a fresh water lake that has eels in it although I didnt get to see one. However I did see a python. Then we drove through parts of the rainforest and saw some waterfalls. There was even whats called a curtain fig which is a tree and you will how large it is, its amazing. Then we went to a cattle station. They owned thousands of acres and they were so isolated. It was interesting to see though. Then we stopped by a banana/macadamia/avacado plantation. They grew lady finger bananas and it was interesting, I've never really seen that before. We even drove past fields and fields of sugar cane, and then some coffee up in the tablelands.

The Curtain Fig tree

Milaa Milaa Falls

The next day I went to the Daintree Rainforest. It was so humid and hot, I could hardly stand it. It was very pretty though. Then we went to Port Douglas and we even stopped a zoo type place. Then we went to Cape Tribulation and saw even more. Then we went on a Daintree River cruise so that we could see the crocodiles. There were probably about three that we saw, but many more we didn't because it was so hot. Then we left and I saw kangaroos grazing in some fields. Oh and whats interesting is that Cairns doesn't really have beaches, they have a lagoon which is really a salt water swimming pool. The beaches after world war II, were basically destroyed, because the allies had to dig the harbour deeper for the ships coming in. Well after they would just dump the mud out in the ocean and it would end up on the beach. So its yucky, the beaches you have to go a ways to get to. They are really pretty to but you cant really swim very many places because of the jelly fish and the crocs. Even at the beaches there will be an area that is sectioned off to keep crocs and jelly fish away from you. Its really quite bizarre. Its to bad they have such beautiful beaches, but many aren't used for those reasons.

Me and the Aussie guide Ian (notice the hiking boots and akubra hat)

Oh and I met some girls at my hostel named Nadi from Switzerland and Marjorie from France. They were super friendly and I really had fun with them. Oh and then we became friends with a guy my last night there from France but he lives in Zurich. It was really fun and they would practice their english with me. I would use their dictionary and try to pronounce some words and they would just laugh and then tell me how to say it after I showed them the word I was trying to pronounce. Anyways, it was a really fun vacation, and yes I finally got my black opal.

Marjorie, Me, and Nadi

Great Ocean Road

Last weekend I was finally able to take a tour and drive down the great ocean road. Its a ways away and you get to go through lots of little towns. The road was built after WWI. It was a government project that was strictly for returned veterans, to help them adjust back to real life. They built the road in two different sections and the last half wasn't finished until I want to say the 1960s or something. The great ocean road is famous for the 12 apostles which are rocks that shoot out of the ocean along part of the coast. The only thing is that one of them collapsed a few years ago, so now you can only see 11. It was so beautiful, but chilly, the wind was blowing hard. These are all shots from my trip down that infamous road. There are lots of little towns along the way and there might only be a handful of residents that actually live there, because most of the houses are holiday homes. That would be pretty nice to have a beach holiday home.

the road was quite windy at some parts because of the coastline and the mountains/hills

Fishermen

On this trip I got to see lots of farmland. It was fertile and green, which now I understand why Victoria is called the garden state.

vegetation which can withstand both the salt water and the wind

This was along Shipwreck coast. There are over 150 known ship wrecks along the Victorian coast line. There were so many, that in the 1980s the government made a law protecting them and making sure the loot belonged to them.

This is where after a shipwreck, one sailor and one Irish girl made it to shore while the rest perished.

Too bad it was so windy and chilly, I might have jumped in.

check out the rock formations

The 12 apostles, well really 11.

well you can only see a few of them, but they are there.

prime land for sheep and cattle to graze on.

This is Bells Beach where many surfing competitions are held, because of the large waves that come in here. Unfortunately I didn't see any surfers, but there were some just sitting in the water, hoping some waves would come up.

This is called London bridge, but in the early 90s part of it collapsed. It left some people trapped on the other side and a helicopter had to come from Melbourne in order to get them. Apparently two of them stuck on the one side, were having an affair with each other. How would you like that to be plastered all over the TV.

perth 2

Okay so I just realized I don't look very good in these pictures and I didn't take as many as I though I did. Oh well, here are some pictures from the second half of my trip. On Saturday we got up and went to the beach. We drove about an hour away to Yanchep Lagoon. We walked along the reef and saw a bunch of star fish. They were purple, orange, and one that was purple and green. Then we went swimming in the Indian Ocean and suntanned. Well at least we tried. Then we went to Yanchep National Park and we saw the koalas, had some ice cream, walked and drove around. Then we headed back to Jane's house in Sorrento a suburb of Perth. We went swimming with her niece and then had a barbeque. Later that night we went to the new movie Australia. Oh my gosh, I loved it. Everyone needs to see it. It really was like Australia though thats the funny thing. Then we went with her friends to a greek restaurant.

I'm sitting on the reef, its quite a ways out there, Jane was shooting this picture from the beach

This is the beach, your looking at the Indian Ocean, and it really is that blue if not more so.



Chilling on the beach




Yanchep Lagoon



We went past Yanchep Lagoon and went to a little strip mall type place. It used to be like a type of sea world in the late 1980s. It didn't survive and now it feels like a ghost town and for some weird reason they have tons of weird statues. This is just one example. It looks like Easter Island though.


Jane and I by King Neptune of the Sea.


More creeper statues.

Driving to Yanchep National Park. This is what Western Australias bush/outback looks like.

This is the lake at Yanchep National Park

The koalas having a little snack-um eucalyptus

The must see movie of the season. Four thumbs up. JK, no wait I'm serious.

On Sunday I got up and got ready, because I had to go home, and Jane had to go to church. She took me to Kings Park though on the way to the airport. Thats where the big memorial and the botanical gardens are at. We walked around and then she dropped me off at the airport. The trip was over, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Me and the skyline of Perth.

The war memorial and the flame. "Lest We Forget"

These trees I saw all over Western Australia. They are bright orange and beautiful.

Perth

Jane and I by the war memorial overlooking the city.

The australians look that you expect to see when you come over and never do. Khaki shirt and shorts, hiking boots with socks poking out the top, and the hat but I forgot its special name.

Proof that I've been there.

Trees at the botanical gardens.