GREAT Barrier Reef

You know that a trip is good when the place has the worst weather it has seen in months, yet you still come out of it thinking it was the best trip ever.  So was our experience in Cairns.  Cairns is in Northern Queensland (about a 2 hour flight north from where we are in Gold Coast) and is known for its sunny, tropical climate.  The 3 days we were there, we witnessed the tropical side of the climate with an absence of the sunny side.

We arrived late Thursday night and got to bed since we had a shuttle picking us up at 6:40 am to go White Water Rafting.  We made the shuttle and eventually got onto the river about 9:00.  The day was filled with Class 3, 4 and 5 rapids, cliff jumping, natural water slides and swimming down rapids outside of the raft.  Our tour guide Marty was the perfect fit for our raft of five young guys.  He was all about the thrill and gave us a great tour.  Perhaps the best part of the trip was the incredible scenery.  Literally we were rafting through the Australian rainforest with breath taking views of tree lined mountains, waterfalls, and incredible rock arrangements.  What a trip.  That night we went out and had a good time around town, despite knowing we had another early bell.

We got up the next morning and walked to the marina to catch our cruise to the Great Barrier Reef.  Throughout the day, we went snorkeling and scuba diving while seeing some of the most colorful fish and marine life around.  I cannot put into words how awesome it was to be right next to the cast of Finding Nemo.  The colors and majesty of the Reef was an experience I will never forget.  Despite the occasional sea sickness (clearly aided by the amount of drinks we had the night before), we were all thrilled to know that we had yet another experience in Australia we will never forget.

The next day in Cairns we simply walked around enjoying the touristy feel to the city.  We hit up a few more pubs that night, but took it easy and simply enjoyed each others' company satisfied that our expensive trip was well worth the money and stress.  We all talked about just how lucky we are to be able to have these experiences before we really have to "grow up."  It's a thought I've been having a lot lately.  I am slowly realizing that I am getting to the point where I need to start looking for jobs that will lead me to a career with graduation on the horizon.   It is a nice refresher to know that I still have a few weeks left in Australia to have some last fun, enjoying the company and good times with my mates.