ChrisJenTravel.com – Honeymoon Trek

Leaving Indonesia marked quite a transition in our trip as we left the last developing country for all the modern conveniences of Australia, New Zealand and Europe. We left behind the strange customs, foods and toilets but we were also leaving the inexpensive caterings. Adapting to the high first-world prices was going to be difficult but we were definitely ready for the conveniences and predictability of first-world countries again. Not to mention, Australia has been a dream destination for both of us for years. For all the unknowns, coming here felt like turning the corner towards coming home and we couldn’t have been more excited.

With only a month for Australia we decided to concentrate on the East Coast. We would begin with Cairns in the North in order to see the Great Barrier Reef, then work our way South all the way to Melbourne. Unfortunately we arrived in Cairns with two bad feet, a serious leg burn and a case of traveler’s stomach as a parting gift from Indonesia so we were moving at half-speed. With only a few days to spare before we snorkeled the GB Reef, we wanted to revive as soon as possible. We found a nice double room in an ultra-modern hostel for $60 Aus. (about $48 US – let the sticker shock begin!) and laid low to nurse our wounds.
Our first night out for dinner we noticed two things straight away: the prices (higher than the US) and the closing times. Walking around town at 6:00pm this well-populated city looked like a ghost town. All the shops and restaurants had closed an hour earlier. Even the mall closed sharply at 5:00pm. We wondered how anyone got anything done around here. A few bars remained open which served meals for around $15-$30 and beers starting at $4.50. We worried our budget would be completely blown just to get some dinner but luckily, we found a Woolworth’s that stayed open a little later. The small grocery/department stores, now virtually extinct in the US, are everywhere in Aus. For us it was like walking into a Super Target and we were thrilled to find fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and frozen foods. Jenny found a rack with real gossip magazines! The prices were still a little high but we could eat well and stick to our budget.

We booked a decent snorkeling tour of the outer reef for $100 Aus each. Sure, the tour in Thailand only cost $18, but this one was well worth the difference. We loaded our 80ft boat at 7:30am with around 30 others and set out at 8:00 after complimentary morning tea, true Australian style. The crew introduced themselves and seemed passionate about taking us out to see their treasure. Instead of a few random teenagers driving the boat and dumping snorkelers into the water like in Thailand, we had a real Captain, first aid, a chef, underwater photographer and trained dive professionals. We were still a bit nervous about being in the water all day with our wounds so the first aid guy set us up with some good bandages and we were on our way.

The GB Reef is the largest living organism on earth – it is larger than Japan. As the water temperatures rise due to global warming, the reef will slowly die and greatly affect the marine life that relies on the reef. Seeing the reef was important to us and we soon made a pact to return one day. The boat took us to two different outer reef spots for about 4 hours of total dive time. For us it felt like 10 minutes, as we couldn’t get enough. We’d heard how amazing the reef was but we were blown away seeing it in person. The colors and variety of reef growth, corals and the size and shapes of the fish were simply breathtaking. If snorkeling Phi Phi Island was like being in an aquarium with its cute little fish this was like being a part of the ocean. The boat took us 2 hours off the coast and the water was clear and chilly. We undulated up and down with the currents and swell of the ocean and watched the fish as the currents forced them in one direction and then the other with us in tow. Fish of every color imaginable swam around like you weren’t even there. Some were the size of your hand while others were as large as a beach ball. Swimming with or against the schools of fish as they brushed against you was magical. Reaching our fingers out we could practically pet the fish as they passed by. Sea Turtles swam below and stingrays gracefully fluttered their wings and disappeared under the reef. We found fish that we particularly liked and dove down to follow them, only to discover some twice their size hiding beneath. We envied the divers since they could dive deeper and stay under longer. And the reef! The boat dropped us off just yards away from the edge, so we swam up to it with the water depth quickly rising from 50ft deep to only 10ft. You could swim down the edge of the reef as long as you could hold your breath to see the sights that waited at each deeper level or you could just swim atop and around it checking out the intricacies in the shallow areas. We saw huge boulder-shaped rocks covered with a spectrum of growth and oyster shells the size of a suitcase. It was easily one of the best natural sights we had ever witnessed. On the ride home, as people shared their experiences, the crew broke out some wine to toast the day. We were elated at our first true Australian outing and couldn’t wait to see more.