Australia Part 2! Including a bigger detour than Kauai to see the Great Barrier Reef, and good times in Brisbane with another friend. A busy last week in Queensland!
The Call of THe Reef
So. I knew the Great Barrier Reef was in Australia. And I knew that I’d be in Australia. But my brain failed to connect those two ideas, until I saw the reef on the plane’s map screen as we approached Sydney…
Initially I figured I’d come back to see it in Summer, with warmer waters, until Mike told me this is one of the best times of year to see it… So I ate the cost of my poor planning and ended my time in Ballina early so I could fly up north and see the reef before moving on to Brisbane.
In his infinite generosity, Mike offered to drive me nearly an hour to the Gold Coast airport early in the morning. A few hours later, I arrived in Cairns, which felt much more alive than the central coast cities I just left – tons of Asian restaurants, night life, and people. Before I could explore those, I used my one ‘free’ day to visit the nearby town of Kuranda, in the Daintree Rainforest.
I went by way of bus and Skyrail, a (very expensive 🙃) gondola lift that runs above the canopy, with stops along the way to learn about the rainforest and its ecology. They had an audio guide by an aboriginal elder that explained the area’s history and significance, which I really appreciated.
Historical Reckoning
Compared to the U.S., and similar to what I’ve seen in the Netherlands, there seems to be a more visible effort in Australia to acknowledge the history of its native peoples, and the atrocities committed against them. Sydney’s Harbor Bridge flies the Aboriginal flag alongside the New South Wales state flag; the beach trail I hiked to Ballina had a ‘heritage trail’ on the site of a massacre of aboriginal people; some cities I visited had community and support centers dedicated to aboriginal groups.
My friends told me this is a relatively new shift for Australia, one that came from tireless advocacy of the indigenous community.
Colonialism and its impacts on the world were not new concepts to me, but there is something grotesquely fascinating about seeing its legacy through my travels. The same story, played out over and over in different ways. The lives and histories of the Maya destroyed by Spanish conquistadors; the past and current struggles of native Hawaiians to honor and preserve the islands; the murder and oppression of aboriginal peoples by British colonists.
When I visit these places, I imagine what they might look like today, if their peoples had been met with kindness and curiosity instead of fear and greed. And how the world, and humanity as a whole, could be different.
Kuranda Scenic Train
Kuranda is a nice little town with a few hiking trails around it. I think it’d be a nice base for camping and seeing more of the rainforest, but since I only had a couple hours there I mostly explored shops and art galleries. I had to leave by 3 to catch the ✨SCENIC TRAIN✨ back to Cairns, which was less expensive and more worthwhile than the skyrail (imo). Overall, I had a really nice day by myself, and was happily surprised I could enjoy my own company so much 😊
Aus Variety Hour
The next 3 days were full-day tours I booked as a package, nearly fulfilling my ‘Australian Sampler Platter’ with visits to the outback, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Daintree Rainforest (again). The rainforest and outback were group trips in a 15-seater van, with the same guide (and two of the same travelers). The reef day was on a big 100ish person catamaran with no guide, so I got to do my own thing.
This post is already gonna be long, so I’ll try to summarize the rest of my time in Cairns quickly:
Day 1: OutBack Adventures
Atherton Tablelands, Chillagoe Caves, Granite Gorge Nature Park
- Long drives, lots of kangaroos and wallaby (some as roadkill 😰)
- Dry sunny heat, cool change of scenery
- Questionable ethics, undeniable cuteness
Day 2: The Great Barrier Reef
Norman Reef (Not Pictured) & Saxon Reef
- Truly one of the most incredible things I’ve seen and done
- 10/10, will be coming back to get my scuba cert here someday
- Fulfilled a childhood dream of mine, felt much love for little me
- High winds = Free Infinity Pool and sketchy shallow reefs
- Choppy seas = Upchuck Central (I was fine 💁🏻♀️)
- Top 10 Sunset at Cairns (compensation for lack of pics)
Day 3: Daintree Rainforest
Madja Boardwalk, Cape Tribulation, Daintree River
- No Cassowary Sightings :'(
- Mangroves are Cool as Heck
- Crocs are Intimidating. We met Bruce (she/her):
Detour Thoughts
I really wish I had thought to plan a reef trip in, but my focus on staying with friends kept me from considering it. I’m glad I got to see the rainforest and some of the outback though, which made the one-day snorkel a bit more worthwhile. Plus, it was nice to get some alone time on this trip.
But I’ve only seen 0.0001% of the reef, so I’d really love to come back some day on a dedicated trip. There are multi-day boat tours, and scuba schools that take training dives in the reef, so I’d likely do a combination of that. As I learned in Belize on my first big trip, I LOVE this shit and could do it all the time.
Bizzy
My detour cut into the first night I was supposed to be in Brisbane, so I got the earliest flight I could the next morning. My Peru Travel Buddy Supreme, Preethi, picked me up at the airport (🙏) and we explored the city until we both lost steam in the late afternoon.
Brisbane is honestly one of my favorite cities I’ve ever visited. It’s got a big river with cheap public transit, beautiful mixed-use public spaces, plentiful restrooms and drinking fountains, and it seems like no shortage of arts and events. Although I did come during some great weather, as I hear it can get pretty hot in this part of the country during the summer…
I was yet again privileged to be welcomed into a friend’s community, and we spent the first night in with Biryani and Board Games. After losing an egg-peeling race by a mile, I got a chance for redemption in a few games of Catan with Preethi’s partner Sharan and their friend Susan.
Last Bits of Aussie Nature
We took the next day a little easy: a little hike to walk their dog Vada, lunch with another of Preethi’s friends, and a night in with a movie. The next day took us to the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, where we also caught an incredible show at the Planetarium (I love me a planetarium show).
I split from Preethi to explore a bit more of the city on my own and check out some of its nightlife, which did not disappoint 😉
My last day, Preethi took me to her “favorite hiking spot”, the Warrie Circuit at Springbrook National Park – full of incredible views, waterfalls, and this mountain-jungle hybrid bush forest unlike anything I had ever seen.
At the start of the hike, there’s a view all the way down to the coast, where you can see the skyscrapers of Gold Coast at the foot of the valley. It has this otherworldly look to it, out of place in the vast nature surrounding it. I felt like an explorer coming across an alien city, or some high-tech metropolis hidden away from the rest of the world. My picture doesn’t do it justice, but it was truly an awesome sight.
Thanks to road closure on the way there, we didn’t have time to complete the whole circuit. Still, it was a great hike, and a wonderful way to end my time in Queensland. The next morning, I bid farewell to my hosts and took a train to the airport, marking the end of my 20 days in Australia.
Queensland – Impressions
- God, this country is HUGE. It’s wild how few people live here compared to the size of the landmass.
- I suppose if I considered the natural diversity across the entire U.S. the same way I lump in “Australia = Wildlife”, it would seem just as varied.
- Although not planned, I feel like I got to see most of what the east coast of Australia has to offer.
- Next time I go, I’d like to get a camper van so I can be even more mobile. It seems like a fairly common (and easy) thing to do here!
- Again, the Reef is… beyond words. And that’s just the tiny part I saw.
One of my major travel goals has been “see the natural beauty of the world, while it still exists.” I’m incredibly lucky to have seen and done everything I did on this trip, and hope I can continue it in other parts of the world.
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