REAL TALK WITH DANIELLE - Travel in The Great Barrier Reef (Cairns and Port Douglas)

The Great Barrier Reef was the main event on my bucket list during this round the world trip. I vividly remember the first time I saw it on the projector in my 7th grade history class. Our teacher showed us pictures of this natural wonder, and explained that the reef is dying. She showed us the colors fading due to global warming. So if we ever wanted to see it, the sooner the better. I remember thinking, “I’m going to go there as soon as possible.” That was 13 years ago. Now that dream has finally been fulfilled, and I got to explore many other great things this area has to offer!

Activities:

The Great Barrier Reef: This giant ecosystem is over 1,600 miles long and is the worlds largest structure composed of living organisms. Snorkeling and diving companies go to many different parts of the reef to enjoy hours to days of swimming in the water. We were encouraged by our hosts to go to the Low Isles, and I always go with a local recommendation. We went snorkeling with Reef Sprinter for two hours in the ocean and the visibility was crystal clear. It was the most breath-taking experience to see all the colorful wildlife under the sea. The Blue Sea Star appeared like sapphire, a huge school of Lemon Damsels were bright sunny yellow, and the Surf Parrotfish shone the colors of a white opal. It sounds like an exaggeration, but the hues were so bright, it looked almost fake. These were just the standouts among many other fish. The most exciting and terrifying creature I saw was the The Box Jellyfish, popularly coined “stingers” by Aussies. I was in a stinger suit, so I thought I was fine, but the only thing that wasn’t covered was my face. So imagine my surprise and my underwater shriek when I turned to the right and saw one directly next to my cheek! I have never swum so fast. The coral in the backdrop to all of this, however, shows some of the dramatic effects of climate change. The colors are faded and dull. Our tour guide explained that the coral was affected by a 2016 monsoon that wiped out a lot of the coral from too much sun exposure, but he seemed optimistic that they were growing back to normal. My only disappointment after being in the water was missing out on all the Green Sea Turtles. I didn’t even know they lived in this area, but when we got back onboard the tour guide said that they saw 6 or 7 from the glass-bottom boat. None of us swimming out in the water saw them. Always the way, isn’t it?

The Daintree Rainforest: This 60-mile rainforest starts in a beautiful area called Mossman Gorge. We bought a shuttle ticket, which brought us to the boardwalks around the jungle, and over a suspension bridge for majestic views of the Mossman River. We wished we had more time to jump into the river or do the 2.4 km circuit hike. Unfortunately, we fit this part of the forest in at the last minute! Following the highway to the North, we crossed via the ferry over the Daintree River, and this is where most of the action starts. We visited the Mount Alexandra Lookout which gives expansive views of Port Douglas (where we stayed), Low Isles (where we snorkeled), and quite far along the Daintree Coast. We also indulged in some biodynamic ice cream at Floravilla (more on that below)! My favorite part of this day trip was along the Dubuji Boardwalk, which brought us through the jungle to the beachside of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s kind of like the forest moon of Endor in Star Wars. Intense humidity, green forest everywhere, and lots of little creatures that may or may not be threatening.

Port Douglas Sunday Market: This market in the town where we stayed is a dream come true for anyone who likes to peruse jewelry, art, clothes, and food. You can even get a psychic reading there! Port Douglas itself is a tourist town, meaning it is almost exclusively full of hotels, restaurants, and activities for people to enjoy while on holiday. But from 8-2 on Sundays, many of these stores set up tents very close to the wharf and create an adorable place for tourists to shop until they drop!

Flagstaff Hill Lookout: During a drive around town we came upon this gorgeous view of Port Douglas’ Four Mile Beach. Honestly, there’s not a lot to do here besides take selfies, but it was a good find nonetheless.

Four Mile Beach: Quick reminder - Australia in the summer is extremely hot. 90-100°F every day kind of hot. It is also the warmest water I have ever swum in. We only lasted about 30 minutes on this beach. One interesting thing here was that the lifeguards set up a net around the swimming zone that actually kept the jellyfish from this area. I can imagine that if it wasn’t so sweltering, this would be a beautiful beach to walk along and go swimming in. But I would suggest going anytime besides the height of summer.

Cairns Lagoon: Before our last day in this area, we drove down to Cairns to be near the airport for our early flight. At the edge of the city, The Lagoon is an absolutely amazing, “do not miss this” type of experience. It is an enormous pool set against a beach backdrop, and it is free to swim in all day long. We went in twice because we were so desperate to beat the heat. At sunset, the bat migrations fly high over the pool, and we watched literally thousands of bats flying across the sky for about a half hour. I don’t recommend Cairns for more than a day because it’s a small metropolis that isn’t close to The Great Barrier Reef or Daintree Rainforest. But... can’t say enough good things about The Lagoon.

Food:

Floravilla Ice Cream Factory: Made from local ingredients and using traditional ice cream making techniques, Floravilla ice cream is a whole new experience in the Daintree Rainforest. When you walk into this tropical garden, you are greeted by Betty, the owner, and a chalkboard with about thirty flavors to choose from. My favorite, by far, was called Ironbark Honey, which is made from the ironbark tree, which is native to Australia. I will say, however, the chocolate did not live up to my expectation. But is that because I’m so used to chocolate being packed with sugar? Who knows? I like what I like, though!

The Coffee Club: I don’t feel great talking up a chain restaurant, but I really enjoyed the food and coffee from this place. It’s almost like I discovered another Starbucks or Panera. Good is good, you know? They had something called Flat Grills, which is almost like a tortilla flatbread sandwich. The chicken, sweet potato, and pesto is on point. Plus, they had these really adorable cupcakes with the face of cookie monster. There is also free WiFi, so ‘twas an excellent place to write. Five stars!

Paddy’s Irish Pub: This is a locally favorite restaurant famous for live music and delicious food. Paddy’s has a pretty authentic Irish pub feel to it, and it is fully air-conditioned inside. We visited here twice, and I tried the French fries, chicken wings, and roast pumpkin salad. The food is perfectly seasoned, fairly priced, and they give you so much to eat. Paddy’s is a hub not to miss in Port Douglas.

Capannina: Do not go anywhere else for your ice cream. I promise you it doesn’t get better than this. As soon as we walked in, the couple who owns the establishment introduced themselves and told us the ice cream is made fresh every morning. The wife let us try basically every single flavor. And by “let us try” I mean literally put ice cream into our hands without us having to ask. I didn’t even have to make a choice because she gave me two flavors (chocolate and coffee), and told me “these go really well together,” and she was completely right! My point is, they know what they are doing here and if you let them guide you, you will have the best ice cream experience there is in Port Douglas. 

Fun Facts and Travel Tips:

Wear Shoes: I feel like I shouldn’t have to write this, but there are people walking around the Daintree Rainforest without shoes on. I don’t know who they are. I have researched this and Google also does not know who they are. But! Should you ever question the power of good walking shoes, this is not the place to do it.

How to Prepare: Sunscreen, insect repellent, and a rental car are essential to experiencing The Great Barrier Reef. This is an area of the world where the giant hole in the ozone layer means you can get a sunburn within 5 minutes of walking outside. Insect repellent is also a must because the mosquitoes (or “mozzies” as they are called here) are out for blood, and they are not messing around. Lastly, you can technically get around with tour groups, but it is more expensive than just buying a rental car. Take the roads slow at first! They are narrow and often ride along the edge of a cliff. That being said, the highway ocean views between Cairns and Port Douglas are some of the most stunning in the world.

Coffee: Many people in Australia habitually put cocoa powder in their coffee. It’s as essential as sugar is to most coffee drinkers. Furthermore, if you order an iced coffee, you will be asked if you want it with or without ice cream. Basically what I’m saying is, if you order coffee, prepare for a sugar overload. This was fun at first, but then I just wanted regular coffee. Also, everyone calls it coffee, but when you actually order it, they don’t serve drip coffee. You have to order an espresso-based drink, like a latte or a cappuccino. (Such a hard life I’m living, right?)

AirBNB: We had our first ever absolutely dreadful experience with an AirBNB in Cairns. The room was falsely advertised. The room in the picture was not the room we were staying in. The description also boasted that guests “have a full floor to themselves” but failed to mention that it was the floor of a converted garage. It smelled like mold, had many spiders and cobwebs, grime in the bathrooms, and was just overall gross. The owners also did not give us the WiFi password, and when we sent them a message complaining about all of this they did not send the password along. We ended up sleeping in the rental car that night, and my husband got basically no sleep at all. This was one of the worst moments of our trip, I’m sharing this because it is important for me to give the full picture of travel. It’s not all glamorous. Cairns is an expensive city, and it didn’t make sense to pay for a hotel room that we had to leave at 3 AM. We got a full refund, but not without the owner’s smart response that if I wanted a room up to my standards I should have booked a motel. (Except that I have now stayed in 7 other places in the country that met my standards, so sit down ma’am). Anyways, if she hadn’t been rude, I probably would have left this alone. But since she was... Here is the link to an AirBNB you should never stay in if you travel to Cairns.

So, to make a long story short, take in the colors of The Great Barrier Reef! Go on excursions to The Daintree Rainforest. Be careful with your money in this part of the world because it is quite expensive. And stay safe because there are people out there who are happy to take your money in exchange for uninhabitable accommodations. Happy Travels, everyone!

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