One of Many Vacations

Two quick 50 minute flights, first one to Townsville, and I’ve arrived in sunny Cairns. So far it feels a lot like Southern California, countless pretty people lying around half naked in the baking sun (a nice change from looking at coal all day). It’s been sweet having my meals paid for, the only good part of my Mackay experience, and now I’ll have to switch over to survival mode again. I’ll be staying in a two person bunk room tonight at the Waterfront Backpackers, right on the main drag in town. I may switch to the dorm rooms for the rest of the week if I like this place to save money. I’m meeting up with Jane from the Straddie project whose been staying in this backpackers for the past few weeks, working on a snorkeling boat out on the GRB.


Flying over the Great Barrier Reef was awesome, luckily the plane was empty so I was able to steal I window seat. It really is great. You don’t see much at a distance, the ocean looks just as ordinary as a nice day in Monterey. But when you’re directly over the reef, its true form is revealed. Huge emerald green and brown crescent shaped formations extending for hundreds of miles, separated by deep blue channels and lagoons. I’ll have to find a way to get out to them at some point over the next few weeks since I’m here, but I’m sure the boat trips won’t be cheap. It sounds like Jane won’t be able to get me a deal either.

I’m already impressed with the birding here. A quick stroll along the boardwalk afforded great views at about 10 new species; including Reef Egrets, I new type of Curlew I have yet to identify, and I believe a type of Kookaburra that is not common in Australia. There isn’t much beach on the coast; it’s mostly all mudflats and mangroves. A perfect habitat for shorebirds, which is great since I haven’t seen too many Australian shorebirds thus far. I don’t have time to look up the exact species yet but I’m sure I’ve never seen them before. Apparently there’s a really good river boat birding tour through the rainforest that I hope to jump onto in the next few days.

When I finish this I plan to take my hammock out to the lawn next to the ocean, and sway in the steady trade winds. I’ll be sure to keep my ears out for those pesky saltwater crocs though.