A major attraction is the barrier reefs, a major highlight that one would not think of visiting Australia and not see the reefs. We had to take boat ride to see the reefs. The weather had been messy and raining before our arrival which played havoc on our boat ride of about an hour and a half to our destination. The waters were choppy and so bad; that people were getting sick by the minute. It struck me that the crew was well prepared based on the receptacles available. It was so bad for some that people were airlifted on the return. Fortunately neither my travel partner nor myself got sick though I believe if we had a little more time we would have gotten sick as our stomachs were getting a bit queasy.

There is a platform area way out at sea where we got off the boat and was able to walk around, swim and dine. In order to see the Barrier Reefs we boarded a submarine type boat specifically designed for this purpose. Unfortunately the water was so murky that we were not able to see and appreciate the beauty of the reefs. I am not sure if that was just a fluke with the weather because in general the weather was comfortable with beautiful sunshine in the month of August. However, people snorkeled while we were out there, not me for sure, I do not swim. It was a pleasant stay out there but missed out on the view I had hoped for. Need a return visit to see the reefs.

Our expedition in Cairns continued with a visit to view koala bears seen perched on eucalyptus trees and with the assistance of a gate keeper could pose for photographs. One needs to be aware that there is little if any interaction with them but you are able to touch them while supervised.

Crocodiles were also an attraction and we were able to experience a crocodile adventure. We boarded a boat which meandered through the groves where crocodiles could be seen swimming around. What was amazing is how high up they could jump out of the water to fetch the dangling meat from an extended pole offered by a crew member. I believe all of us were startled by the speed and height the crocodile displayed. We also visited a crocodile farm where they are reared in these huge tanks.