Jim had mentioned that there would be a beach nearby and that likely it would be netted off so that sharks could not get in. Upon checking into our motel, the front desk agent told us, “Do not get into the water here, in fact, don’t even walk on the beach, we have mud flats and there are crocodiles.” She said some bird watchers had to be rescued who walked out on the flats to take some photographs and got stuck. They were perfect waiting bait for the salt water crocodiles.

We’d heard there was a beautiful man-made lagoon next to the beach where people can swim without any threats and were looking forward to going here. Yet when we arrived we found out it had closed for a month, on the day we arrived, for major renovation work.

During our brief time in Cairns it rained quite a bit (oddly enough during the “dry season”). We walked along the boardwalk with our umbrellas (no sightings of crocs) and also, walked on a boardwalk through a mangrove swamp (testing our luck here). We saw a beautiful butterfly and an odd fish with legs – it looked prehistoric.

We stayed in Cairns mainly as our jumping off spot to get out to the Great Barrier Reef yet had enough time to explore the area. It did not seem to have a pulse like the other Australian cities we visited. We found it to be rather blasé and the highlight, other than where we stayed and our walks, was Rusty’s Market, a hot spot for local produce and gift items.

A short drive from Cairns is a lovely beach area called Palm Cove. It is much like the La Jolla area in San Diego with trendy restaurants, upscale shops, and posh hotels. The main difference is the warning signs for crocodiles and marine stingers for beachgoers. This area did have the netting in place so people can swim without being attacked by sharks yet during much of the year there are marine stingers which can get through the net (as can the crocs). The stingers are a deadly type of jelly fish. When someone is stung if he/she does not receive prompt attention, one can be dead in less than 4 hours. During the height of the stinger season everyone must wear a full wet suit including a face covering to avoid getting stung.

On our way to Daintree Rainforest, after leaving Cairns, we stopped in Palm Cove for a picnic lunch. In spite of the warning signs people were in the water in droves - kayaking, swimming, paddle boarding, and  all else. As much as we have been enthralled with Australia, we aren’t sure how we’d adapt to all of the hidden and in some cases, not so hidden dangers prevalent here. Although San Diego has had its share of Great White sightings and even, attacks…..

It took us about 4-5 hours of sailing and motoring to get out to where we would moor for the first dive and on the way the boat leaned so far to each side so many times, Suzan thought it might capsize. We stopped at Norman Reef and everyone began suiting up for the first dive. Suzan joined the two Swiss women to snorkel and found a wet suit vest with a hoodie to wear over her rash guard to stay warm. Turns out this trip was well-suited for divers; the rain and wind did not help us snorkelers. I swallowed far too much salty water yet in spite of it, thoroughly enjoyed the views (even if not as sharp with the weather). I even saw both black-tipped and white-tipped sharks!

During our one night on the sailboat Jim went to bed early, and Suzan stayed up to play several games of Uno with Peter and Katie. She also practiced her Spanish with them (realizing how if one doesn’t use it, one can lose it….with living in San Diego, there are no excuses).

Overnighting on the sailboat took some getting used to. The constant swaying motion felt like being in a rocking cradle so this we found soothing. The continual noise of the generator right near us, not so much. Also there is an art to taking a shower, and using the bathroom. Suzan ended up with quite a bruise on her leg when she took a shower in the cramped quarters and a heavy, rolling swell surprised her.

Overall Jim experienced 4 dives (including Hastings Reef). The Great Barrier Reef had been a lifelong dream for him yet the visibility, coral life (colors, etc), and underwater sightings did not live up to what he’d anticipated. The very poor weather conditions played a significant role so maybe we’ll need to come back for another experience. Fortunately on the second day the sun came out for one of his dives. Due to this we have some photos of underwater life to share with you!

The zoo had quite an array of animals including many salt water crocodiles. We observed their feeding as they chomped down entire chickens (in one bite) along with a whole wheelbarrow of beef steaks. It is the “dry season” yet the owner told us it has been pouring rain every day so his place had become a swamp. Some crocs didn’t eat because they weren’t happy with the weather so they were on a hunger strike (actually we learned they can go 6 months without eating yet watch out when they finally do)!

We also saw a rare Casawary Bird, owls being fed dead baby chicks (ee-uu), colorful parrots who chatted with us (mostly in loud squawking lingo and Dingos, wild dogs, which we wanted to pet through the fencing yet feared our hands might get chewed off. We also saw wild Turkeys being chased by an Emu as the Turkeys ran after the sheep and goats. We found this zoo to be quite entertaining!

The first night in Daintree we arrived late in the afternoon and learned the owners would not serve dinner as they were going out to celebrate their anniversary. We were the only hotel guests too (full reign at the zoo)! We drove to the nearest town for dinner which took us about 30 minutes in pitch dark on curvy roads. Yet fortunately we found a quaint pub at the Exchange Hotel. Jim had some real Fish n Chips and Suzan greasy lamb chops whilst taking in great local people watching (especially a large boisterous group with more beers on the table than they had hands to grab them with).

The next day we took a ferry across a croc infested river (though no sightings), and then drove for hours stopping at various places with boardwalks to walk through mangrove forests, and other types of rain forests. In one area we walked out to a beach and were fascinated with the patterns in the sand made by the sand crabs. We also encountered rain, of course (well, it is the RAIN forest)! We made it to a famous eatery called Nelson’s where we had quite the Bushman’s feast. We shared mini-burgers (crocodile, emu, kangaroo, camel, buffalo, and wild boar). Our favorites were crocodile, kangaroo, and buffalo)! Suzan has become a carnivore during this trip….