Cairns - as green as it's blue
Cairns needs no introduction. Nestled between verdant hills of oldest rainforests and turquoise ocean hosting miles of corals, it gloats of its well-earned appellation 'Gateway to Great Barrier Reef (GBR)'. While the rainforests garb Cairns in a gamut of greens, the Coral Sea coats the coasts with hues of blues. Little wonder, it's fabled for rainforests meeting the reef and thus, it's as blue as it's green.
Diversity is rich, ranging from ravines to hill tops and sandpipers to red/ crepe ginger. The GBR Drive winds its way up north to Daintree Rainforest kissing the coast at times and peering down deep warily through tangled vines at others. While gorges and creeks allure ones imagination to the west, the clear cathartic colours around the coral cays and bommies clamour for attention in the east.
Thus, when our friend decided to visit us, we introduced Australia through Cairns, far from the cacophony of the popular cities (albeit after Sydney Opera House closest to home).
Our first day was a catamaran ride to Green Island, booked through Great Adventures. We soaked to the skin in the glassy waters around the 6000-year young sand cay, walked amidst its rainforest (the only sand cay with that), and indulged in photo shooting before delving into two adventurous activities - wading on the sea bed 4m beneath the surface and glass bottom boat tour combing through nature's vivarium, marvelling at the treasure trove and mysteries the dour blue waves fiercely guard and conceal.
Of these, the sea bed walk, Seawalker Helmet Diving of scouring the sea bed for a peek into a sliver of GBR was remarkable. After a briefing about the activity, and sign language to be used under water, a crew of six adept divers assisted six of us to a small boat and ferried us to a diving platform 5 mins away from the island. The platform was tethered to the sea bed with hawsers, the central square hollow core was a perfect window to watch yellowtail fusiliers frolicking in cyan water. But our adrenaline rush was unbridled and we could hardly wait for the weights to be fastened around our waist so we could dive into their school.
One of the witty crew members quipped, 'Welcome to my office.' Such a cool refreshing office to have!
Soon we were atop a ladder, one at a time, donning the iconic helmet for the descent. Water isn't exactly my forte; as the helmets of my husband and son dipped and vanished, **trepidation sneaked in. But an obdurate inner voice wouldn't yield! Pinching my nose and wagging my jaws to adjust pressure on eardrums, I lowered myself one rung of the metal ladder at a time. Not knowing how many rungs to conquer didn't help! But, thanks to the extremely dextrous guide, I safely reached the bottom after the 10th rung to kneel down beside my son and spouse, posing for some amazing shots that the crew arranged under water. Post a brief walk past ginormous clams, brain corals, and clown fish sliding in and out of a clump of swaying sea anemone, we stopped for more photos and videos before ascending up to the diving platform. On our boat ride back to the island, we hoorayed at a lone loggerhead turtle when it surfaced to breathe - a perfect addition to GRB trip!
All the while, the helmet has a steady incessant supply of air through yellow tubes from the diving platform. It stalled the salt water at our neck leaving our faces dry and free from hassles of tackling underwater breathing - perfect for non-swimmers like me. The technology was simple. As young children we all experimented by submerging an "empty" glass in a bucket of water and letting air bubble up, proving the glass wasn't empty - there was air in it that was eventually displaced by water. The constant supply of air from the diving platform never allowed that displacement, thus leaving us exploring without even getting our hair wet - and extraordinary experience harnessing an age old technique.
Our second day was planned at unsullied secluded beaches north of Cairns across Daintree River, a healthy habitat for crocs. The change was stark. It appeared like the ferry transported us to a tunnel of trees from flat grasslands of lower Daintree region. An hour's drive of 37 Km weaving through peaks and troughs of hills lead us to Cape Tribulation and Thornton. Beaches were firm and shallow for miles, awashed with warm tropical waters, and fabled for hosting the confluence of reef and rainforest. For a change, we picked up a handful of broken corals washed to the shore in shells' stead - how unique is that! No amount of time could've quenched our thirst of prancing and pirouetting in knee-deep transparent waves, but the ferry to cross Daintree River wouldn't listen! Thus we returned, rested, and readied ourselves for the next day at Kuranda.
Across the Barron Gorge awaits a quiet quaint cute Kuranda. Fifteen oak carriages from early 1900s chuggs and trundles along 3'6" narrow gauge tracks through tunnels, past valleys, around the hills - each of the 98 bends reveal a fold, a gorge, a river capering deep in the ravines, and falls bubbling down the viridescent slopes enfolded in rainforests. The highlight of the two-hour scenic journey is the mighty Barron Falls, sprouting from the dam that has tamed the torrent of Barron River since late 1950s. Return by skyrail offers a viewing deck - its sublime location is a perfect portal to experience and gasp at the gushing waters from beneath the canopy of rainforest. On our third day, we made the most of both the vintage charm of scenic railway and contemporary skyrail over rolling hills hiding Barron Gorge, Barron River, and Barron Falls from the plains at the coasts.
We planned the grand finale on our final day inadvertently. Though we had some hint how it appears, when the bewitching beauty unfolded, we stared at it dumbfounded. Miles of the mighty GBR sprawled before our bewildered eyes lending us a taste of its unfathomable expanse, grandeur, magnificence from the fraction we witnessed. Thanks to the immaculate arrangements of Daintree Air Services and to our knowledgeable pilot, Jessie. Without much ado, I'll let the ineffable resplendence speak for themselves.
We'll be inebriated in these intoxicating colours for years to come. I'm not sure if I'll like anything in Australia as much. It'll be the epitome of all my travels - The Kohinoor!
Between our jaunts to east, north, and west, we tucked in a few popular spots - The Lagoon Esplanade, Palm Cove, and Crystal Cascades. A couple of captures would hang on our memory wall forever as mementos from Cairns.
On our flight to home, we tended our wounds inflicted by bugs - little pesky pets of the venomous temptress in agathokakological world of rainforests.
Last but in no way the least, thanks to the veteran planner, my spouse, for his immaculate chalking of schedule and execution to the tee months before stepping into reality! What would we do without this trip advisor - our own planning aficionado!!!
Trips such as these (Tassie, Uluru, Cairns) cost an arm and a leg, but needless to mention, every penny pays. The tapestry they indelibly etch are priceless. What could be a more perfect than a long return journey to retrospect?
Dona, Sydney, Dec '24
** alternatively - butterflies fluttered in my tummy but I clipped their wings and plunged.
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