Most people I asked where I should go while in Australia have said "Cairns". So, last week I bought a one way ticket. The first night I booked a room at a hostel called "The Asylum". It was was the cheapest, but it turns out even I have standards for where I will sleep. So the next day I found a room at the "Reef" which is a bit nicer. I spent the rest of the day walking along the beach, touring Cairns and eventually wandered into a tour booking company office.
They offered me a deal for a free scuba dive with a reef snorkeling trip. I figured it was time to give diving another try and see if my ears would clear now that I have been out of NM for a while, so I took them up on it. And, that's how I found myself scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef on perfect Saturday morning.
I have two pieces of good news. The first is that my ears do clear again with patience and the second is that my water proof camera really is.
When I went to Cairns I had been told that the three places one must go while being there were the great barrier reef, the tropical rain forest and the Johno's blues bar, no matter in which order, and that proved to be true. Seems like you've checked the GBR and that you don't drink beer, so you still have the rainforest to go hike in. If you have the chance to go to the Daintree National Park don't miss it. Also the Daintree River is one of your best chance to see wild saltwater crocodiles.
ReplyDeleteFunny to observe that nothing seems to have changed in Cairns in 7 seven years. When I was there I also spent my first night in the worst hostel I've ever seen before moving to somewhere else. And I was also offered the free scuba diving with the snorkeling tour, which I suspect is actually included in any package from any company.
I went to the Daintree forest and river the next day. Pictures up shortly. That is kind of interesting that nothing has changed. I did talk to one person on the boat who did not get a free dive thrown in. He had to pay for his, and there were a lot of people who only went snorkeling. I did kind of wonder just how often they do "free" dives.
ReplyDeleteGreat way to test the waterproofness of the camera! Fantastic pictures..
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