Hamilton Island, Australia...and the legal limits of adorable

Okay, Australia... I'm on to you!! Here I am trying to innocently visit another one of your amazing islands, and you just have to pull out all the stops. Never mind that your country is already one of the most incredible destinations in the world, full of life, nature and down to earth folks. No, it's not enough that you find yourself often bathing in the joy of actually being exactly what you claim to be... a country that really reaches out and shakes your hand. Nope, instead, you coincidentally happen to have a few of these laying around.

Koala  paw, Hamilton Island, Australia

While we will certainly come back to the subject of Koala's and Australia's shameless, if not barely legal cuteness levels inflicted upon unsuspecting tourist, I feel it is now necessary to go on with my Hamilton Island experience. After all, Hamilton Island is a wonderful place to visit.

Hamilton Island, Australia

It's important to note that Hamilton Island is part of the Whitsunday Island chain (74 Islands) at the  Great Barrier Reef and a part of Queensland. I also feel that it's important to note that one of my all time favorite movies, "Muriel's Wedding" was partially filmed here as well. If you've never seen the movie, it's fantastic. You might be familiar with the stars Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths, but enough about that.

Whitsunday Islands, Australia

Sailing through the island chain was quite beautiful. What surprised me was that it almost felt as though I was sailing through the Vancouver, B.C. area islands. I only mean that the trees and various islands had that familiar northern look to them. The weather was quite different though, being tropical and humid.

Whitsunday Islands, Australia

The morning I arrived, the sea was perfect. The Tender took us through the small islands as it headed towards the dock. Various buildings and houses doted the island, and I couldn't help but to feel jealous of those who were lucky enough to wake up every morning to such as view.

Hamilton Island, Australia

The many yachts at the small marina made it obvious that this was certainly a playground for the wealthy, or at least those who saved up a nice vacation nest egg. Once I stepped onto the pier, I could see the immaculately clean town that lined the waterfront.

Hamilton Island Marina

Golf carts darted up and down the small roads. It was explained that this was the preferred method of getting around the island, and they could be rented by the day or week. Although the island isn't huge, it's large enough that the many hills and trees make it seem to go on forever. The trees, coves and terrain make it feel like you've landed on Fantasy Island, instead of a typical tropical beach.

Hamilton Island, Australia

Even though there were people walking about, it wasn't crowded at all. This was a nice treat. We were told that a free shuttle bus was offered to take people to various stops around the island. It took a short while to wait on the bus, and after riding it up and over the hill...we realized that it would have been just as easy to walk.

Hamilton Island, Australia

Granted, the shuttle was comfortable and air conditioned. There are different routes for the shuttle, but the one that my travel partner and I got on, dropped us off at what looked like a hotel. There was a large, open air lobby that was quite beautiful. The trees surrounded the building and a nice ocean breeze blew through as we walked towards the swimming pool.

Hamilton Island Resort

Although I didn't take pictures of the whole property, it spread out quite a bit. Once we passed the pool, we saw the entrance to the beach. Wow...really beautiful! On this side of the island, the beach was in a large and spectacular cove. Again, not over crowded.

Hamilton Island Resort

It only took us a few seconds to find some white plastic beach chair to lounge in. We kept wondering when someone was going to run over and try to charge us for the luxury of laying there while gazing at the beach, but no one came.

Hamilton Island Beach

There was a small shack to the right of us, which house many types of water equipment for rent. Various surf boards and wind sails were laid out in the sand for those who so chose to participate.

Hamilton Island Beach

I couldn't believe how beautiful and relaxing this beach area was. I truly felt as though I had made it to the far side of paradise. As usual, it's nearly impossible to accurately capture the immersion of one's senses in a photograph.

Hamilton Island Beach

None of my pictures could do this place justice. Between the breeze, the smell and the sounds, it was perfect.

Mother and Daughter on Hamilton Island

There were two mothers and two daughters who sat next to us. They were very kind and friendly and seemed to be in the same intoxicated, blissful state of awe as we were. I took some photos of them to share.

Mother and Daughter on Hamilton Island

It was fun watching people play around with the water sports equipment. The boards with the sails on them proved particularly difficult for most everyone. We watched as a young lady tried numerous times to stand up on hers, while nearly braining (with the sail) anyone who happened to be within 10 yards. Finally, she made it up for a few moments.



After enjoying the wonderful beach for a number of hours, we decided to go see more of the island. We had only taken a day trip there and wanted to find out more of what Hamilton Island offered. After walking back up towards the information desk, we noticed that there was another large and elaborate pool. I have to say, this place was luxurious.

Hamilton Island, Australia

We really felt as though we were illegally crashing a resort. I decided to ask the young lady at the front desk about the cost of their hotel rooms. She gave me a puzzled look and said that they didn't have any rooms, since it wasn't a hotel. Hmmm...okay. So, after a few more questions and strange looks, it appears that we were simply enjoying what amounted to a all-inclusive resort. Apparently, if you pay to go to the island, then the resort is there for your use. Of course, this doesn't include the cost of food and certain equipment rentals.

Hamilton Island, Australia

Since the walk back to town was so simple, we decided to skip the shuttle and enjoy the short trek. Walking from the beach to the other side takes you on a nice, shaded road. There is a bit of a hill...and it's hot and humid, so it depends on whether you're up for that or not. As we began walking, we saw some really interesting and nice bungalows that lined both sides of the street.

Hamilton Island, Australia Bungalos

It didn't take long before we saw a small entrance to what seemed like a zoo. There was a small shop with the usual zoo items, but after looking around and asking, we found out that it was an animal park. The star attractions were....yep...cute and cuddly Koala. We gladly paid the entrance fee and walked up the short steps to the park. This would be my first time seeing Koalas in real life. Even on my previous trips to Australia, I had never taken the opportunity to see one up close.

Koala on Hamilton Island

The area where the Koalas were, was right at the entrance. I instantly saw a number of lounging around on the small trees with not a single eye open. It was nice being so close that you could almost...but not touch them.

Koala on Hamilton Island

Okay, I have to warn you, even the hardest of hearts would be foolish to try and resist the overwhelming cuteness of the Koala. This is Australia's trump card (well, one of them anyway). What you see here is simply a bundle of fur, eyes, paws and the occasional Koala yawn. Resistance is futile.

Koala on Hamilton Island

Now, it's time for some Koala education. This is going to be similar to revealing that there's no Santa Clause, because there's more to this little critter than meets the eye. First, Koala's are small, and some are tiny. When you see a photo of one, you generally imagine that they are a bit bigger than they really are. I'm sure that some do get bigger, but all of the ones that I saw there, were bite size...and you can imagine that this clearly has NO effect whatsoever on their adorable appeal.

Koala on Hamilton Island

Second, most photos of the Koalas that you see with wide-eyed stares are the result of someone sneaking up on them and giving them a good fright. Okay, that's probably not true, but let me explain. Most people know that Koalas eat Eucalyptus leaves...and that's pretty much all they eat, aside from the occasional snack of other tree leaves. Koalas rarely drink water, because they receive most of their moisture through the leaves that they consume.

Koala on Hamilton Island

Of course none of that sounds too bad, right? However, here's the clincher that would even temp Nancy Reagan to restart her "Just Say No" campaign. Koalas are constantly asleep, except for a couple of hours a day. Now, most people who do research on these animals will tell you that Koalas sleep because the Eucalyptus leaf has toxins in it that the Koala has to digest and process slowly and it takes a lot of energy to do so, therefore they have to sleep it off.

Koala on Hamilton Island

However, there's been a rumor going around for years that the Eucalyptus leaf causes a reaction in their stomach that is similar to a narcotic, therefore, they spend most of their time in a drugged out, addicted state. I should have told you to cover your children's eyes for that part.

Koala on Hamilton Island

I don't know what's really true, but I do know that I've seen stoned, and I've seen not-stoned and, well...I'll leave that conclusion to you. LOL

Koala on Hamilton Island. "Just Say No"

However, in all seriousness, these little guys are amazing. There have been issues over the years with development of highways and so forth causing many of them to die out. I am told that in order to get from one tree to the next, they have to crawl down one tree and up the next. They don't seem to move too fast and this makes them susceptible to predators. Development makes it difficult for them to get to the next tree and therefore an issue. I was told though that Australia is working hard to fix this issue by creating safe pathways for the Koalas to reach protected areas. I don't know much about it, but I know Australia takes pride in it's nature and animals and of course is doing all they can.

Koala on Hamilton Island

I have to tell you that the nature park where I took these photos, is quite small. In addition to the Koalas, it houses a few other small animals....including a very stuck up Kangaroo who apparently is really fed up with all the attention that they Koalas are getting.

Kangaroo on Hamilton Island

Don't get me wrong, the small size of the park is not a problem. I felt the experience was well worth it, and the staff were great. They don't give you a time limit on how long you can watch the animals, and the way the walkway is built, it's easy to see them from every angle. There are certain times of the day where you can pay extra to hold a Koala and have your photo taken with it. As I said though, Keep in mind that these little one are generally asleep and rarely move around unless they want to get more comfortable. I was only able to capture a few moments of movement here and there.

Hamilton Island, Australia

After spending a while in the park, we decided to continue heading back to the main town area. The main town is very clean and nice and consists of a few blocks worth of businesses. There is a small store to buy food items and drinks, along with a number of cafes and upscale places to eat.

Hamilton Island, Australia

We decided to try out a fish and chips place that was supposed to be all the rage. Had I know that I was going to be more comprehensive with this blog at the time, I would have taken more photos of these places. However, we found the shop and placed our order. The lines were pretty long and the prices were slightly higher than I'd have liked, but the results were great. I thought that getting one piece of fish and some chips wasn't going to be enough, but I honestly couldn't hold it all.

Hamilton Island, Australia

There's not much seating there, so we walked over to a grassy area a few yards away  where the Palm trees gave some shade. I was amazed that there were a number of wild Cockatoo walking all over the grounds. I tried to get  a quick snapshot while balancing everything else in my hands. Cockatoos apparently are not ashamed to ask for food...although I didn't share since I wasn't sure if it would be safe for them or not. However, they are friendly enough that you can sit on the ground and they will come right up to you.

Wild Cockatoo on Hamilton Island

Overall, Hamilton Island is amazing and beautiful. I could have stayed there for weeks. I wasn't able to see the whole island and I didn't even do a fraction of the hundreds of things to do there. This is a resort island that consists of hotel accommodations and condos. I would be lying if I said that Hamilton Island was for the budget conscious, because it's a bit pricey.

Hamilton Island, Australia

However, it's well worth that price. It's possible to get accommodations as low as $300 Australian per night, but the average prices is a bit higher than that, depending on the season. There are plenty of "Packages" offered to go there and some of them include breakfast, but generally you have to eat in the cafes, or buy your own groceries if you rent a place with a kitchen.

Hamilton Island Condos

The condos on the island are very, very expensive to buy, so you're not likely to get a good deal if you're in the market. There is an airport on the island, so you can fly directly in from other Australian cities (which is what many people do, unless you're on a cruise). There are also boats that you can take from the mainland, such as Shute Harbor (which is not really close to the major cities). There are plenty of excursions to the Great Barrier Reef from the island, if you want to snorkel or dive.

Hamilton Island, Australia

As with all Australian tourism, the people who work on this island take good care of their visitors. I found it wonderful that I could just use the resort facilities, pools, etc... just by being on the island. I didn't get the feeling that the island was full of rowdy college kids either, although I'm sure that changes during school breaks.

Hamilton Island, Australia

I would highly recommend Hamilton Island. In fact, I plan to go back there are stay a while at some point. There were many more things I wanted to do and I felt completely at home and safe. As usual, you have to take lots of sunblock, but at least you can generally find shade. There is a link to the main website HERE, which will help you find accommodations and information. My little report on my day there certainly doesn't do this place justice. There are also a few more photos that you can access on my Flickr site HERE.

Hamilton Island, Australia

Green Island, Australia...and the mysterious itch

A lazy day on Green Island, just outside of Cairns, Australia. Sun, soak and sand. I know these first couple of photo seem boring, but this is part of my post where I reveal a tiny little secret about myself. I figure that I had better just get it out of the way. You see, it was a moment when I decided to walk into the wooded trail area of Green Island and take off my then wet and sandy shoes.

Green Island, Australia

I had been plodding along the sandy beach for a while and it was about time to clean out the mud before I explored the rest of the island. A wooden bench stood next to me and quietly called out for someone to sit on it.

Green Island, Australia

The shade from the trees was wonderful and along with the slight breeze, I began to cool off. I removed my small backpack, which housed my camera, a bottle of overpriced water, and then I peeled off my wet socks. As I stood there, I began giving my weary bones a good stretch upwards, then sideways. I closed my eyes to enjoy the slight bit of sunlight that cut it's way down through the trees and listened as the chattering of Mandarin approached from down the trail. At first I didn't notice the tingling on the top of my left food. I kept my eyes closed for the moment and then imagined that a small leaf blowing across the wooden planks had landed on my bare skin. Then another one tickled across my right foot.

Green Island, Australia

As I stood there, three Asian travelers walked past me and said "Hello" with a thick accent. I opened my eyes and responded with a smile as I saw the friendly man and ladies walk away. As the tickling began to bother me, I reached down to brush away the "Leaves", which unfortunately turned out to be rather large spiders that had decided to make themselves familiar. Within seconds I saw that a number of spiders had made their way up onto the planks and were both surrounding and crawling on my feet. Sadly enough, I screamed like a girl, yes, I admit it...and jumped 10 feet into the air. It wasn't my intention to scare the hell out of our Asian friends...but non the less, I did. My secret is that I have a fear...no...unhealthy terror of spiders. Add to this that I've seen way too many nature documentaries and the BBC has done a great job of convincing me that everything non-human in Australia is capable of carrying off a small mammal, making lunch of it in a dark hole somewhere.

Green Island, Australia 

For the rest of the day, I had to endure the pointing and snickering from various Asian tourists as they mimicked my jumping into the air along with a look of sudden terror. Apparently, it translates into Mandarin quite well.

Green Island, Australia

So, let's roll back to the beginning of the day, and start from there. I was standing on the bow of the ship and marveling at the amazing scenery before me. The city of Cairns stood up against mountains that were blanketed with green trees and gave off that familiar tropical vibe that I had been encountering so far in Australia. No desert, no dust, just water and green. It was still early morning and the sun was coming down through some clouds and brightening the buildings of downtown Cairns. Our approach was beautiful and peaceful. I was quite happy that the port was right on the edge of the city.

Cairns, Australia

I was quickly running through my mind trying to figure out how I was going to spend my time. Even though I was traveling while Virgo, I am often quite spontaneous with my travel plans, thus forgoing the traditional pre-arrangements that would generally come naturally. I was impressed with what I saw of the city so far, it was immaculately clean and organized. After hopping off the ship... and proving to the port officials that I wouldn't even think about trying to smuggle bananas into this wonderful land... I found out where the nearest tourist office was, and ran.

Cairns, Australia

Luckily, it was only a few blocks away. There were a number of people already crowding through the doors and behaving in typical cattle-like fashion. There were pictures and brochures everywhere around the office. I listened as others were trying to figure out their plans and how much it would cost. Cairns, has a lot of interesting attractions. Aside from the fact that it's a great entrance to the Great Barrier Reef, there are also various land-based trips such as the Kuranda Scenic Train ride, white water rafting and a Skyway cable ride back down the mountain. I'll give you a bit more information on those things later.

Cairns, Australia Port Worker

As I finally made my way up to the tour desk, I quickly decided that I wanted to go out to an island and see part of the Great Barrier Reef. There were a number of options for day trips, diving, snorkeling, etc... I finally settled on a trip to Green Island. The cost for the day, which included lunch, the trip out there and snorkeling gear, was about $60... and it leaves in five minutes... of course. So, I paid and ran my butt off to the wharf. I finally found the ramp to the boat and was greeted by four very friendly Australian guides who ushered me onto the boat.

Cairns, Australia

The boat was the size of any millionaire's yacht and had three levels. I found a spot on the outside railing and leaned while watching the motors start up and push us off. Within seconds, the intercom of the boat was broadcasting Mandarin. I had just spent months in Asia and was wondering what was going on. As I looked around, I realized that there were about three hundred Chinese tourists throughout the boat, and they were all on a group tour to Green Island. After a few moments of the Chinese guide speaking on the intercom, an Australian bloke came on and began to speak about our destination and the rules.

Cairns, Australia Marina

In the best sing-song accent that my Australian intercom brother could muster, he talked about the safety of snorkeling and what to expect. After a few safety tips on equipment, the Chinese interpreter came on and repeated everything. Heads turned and passengers chatted in agreement. Australian guy came back on and talked about other Reef interests before finally getting to the subject of deadly Box Jellyfish and Sea Lice. My ears perked up. Huh? Yes, I had heard about the scary and infamous Box Jelly, but didn't really think about them being here. However,  it became clear that these critters were not going to be anywhere near where we were going. I think it was a combination of season and area. Apparently they don't really go that far out into the ocean.

Cairns, Australia

I wish I would have thought to record this entire speaking ballet between the Australian and the Chinese interpreter. In typical Aussie fashion, our guide described the Jellyfish and their potential of completely obliterating the human race and your grandchildren with one sting... all the while keeping the biggest smile in his voice as if he was describing a Keg of Beer that just feel from Heaven. I understood the humor and laughed... but none of this translated into Mandarin very well. The Chinese translator came on and began talking. I watching as the Asian tourist listened... and listened harder... and then their eyes got big as saucers. A collective gasp of air... and then massive chatter. Apparently, Box Jellyfish sounds WAY scarier in Mandarin. It took a few moments of back and forth whispering between the guides before a proper interpretation was given to a satisfied crowd.

Cairns, Australia

I had a lot of fun with the Chinese group. The boat ride to the island took a couple of hours, so I had plenty of time to engage myself with the curious tourists. I volunteered to use a married couple's camera to take their photo for them. Then of course I did it forty more times in the duration of the trip. That will teach me. I had a lot of fun with the other tourists and many of them wanted to practice their English, so it kept me busy. However, at one point, an American couple came over and stood by the crowded railing. In no time, I realized that I recognized their accent. I said hello to the man and his wife. Yep, from Oklahoma???? I grew up in Oklahoma, and people from Oklahoma just don't travel around the world. Okay, obviously some of them do, but the people I grew up around... never. It was a retired Sheriff and his wife. Really nice people. I won't get into the intricate complexities as to why it was surreal for me to be talking to an Oklahoma country Sheriff in the Great Barrier Reef, but if you grew up there, you'd understand.

Green Island, Australia

We finally arrived to the island, it was beautiful. The water was so incredibly blue. The camera didn't capture that properly, but trust me, it was clean and wonderful. I could see so many fish swimming around. Hoards of birds would dive down and try to catch them on occasion. It was the most interesting, chaotic site. A long pier stretched all the way from where we dock to the island. I could tell from just getting off the boat, that the island was pretty small.

Green Island, Australia

There was activity everywhere. Sea Planes taking off, Divers going out to the dive house, Snorkelers everywhere and various other water activities. By this time, the sun was hot and bearing down. I couldn't get enough of the fresh ocean air though. It's like an injection of life when you get to breath that in.

Green Island, Australia 

I made my way to the island. When you enter, you walk into the woods. The small gathering of buildings and businesses are all built into the woods. This was nice to help with the shade from the hot Australian sun.

Green Island, Australia

I decided to head off to my left. There were trails that went in three directions, but I was interested in exploring the island and it's beaches. I began walking through the wooded area, and of course got sidetracked by a bird. Well, there were lots of these birds walking all over the ground and through the woods. I have no idea what it was, but it made for an interesting picture.

Green Island, Australia (Edit: Recently informed that this is a "Buffbanded Rail")

Anyway, the wooded trails were supported by a nice planked walk. There were various signs pointing off into various entrances to the beach and other parts of the inner island. I made my way onto the first beach area and watched as tourists played in water. Green Island is a resort island and it's not a place where people live. It's simply a small island with some hotel bungalows, a small shop or two and a few small places to eat.

Green Island, Australia

Don't get me wrong, it's not insignificant, it's a beautiful place and controlled this way so that the guests can have a unique and wonderful time. A lot of people take day trips here to enjoy the island and the water sports, such as snorkeling. The reef all around the island is teaming with life and color. Guests who rent bungalows for the night are treated to a more upscale experience. Accommodations run about $560 and up per night, so if that's not your thing, then a day trip is perfect.

Green Island, Australia

I finally found a patch of beach that I liked on the side of the island. The island is not round, but long and narrow. I was surprised that the beach wasn't crowded, but I was told that they limit the number of non-overnight guests that can come to the island each day. I guess this makes it a bit nicer for everyone involved. 

Green Island, Australia

I finally settled down by dropping my things off on a patch of beach and went into the ocean. Ahhhh...pure bliss. As I was saying earlier, the water is so clean that it's...strange. There is nothing like being out in the water and looking back at a small piece of land miles out in the ocean. I waded and swam for quite a while. I could hear the distant laughter of kids and parents, along with various accents and languages from around the world. I always find it great to watch people from all walks of life have fun and laugh.

Green Island, Australia

I know that you're still thinking about the two words that I casually mentioned earlier in my story and yet somehow managed to not elaborate any further on...."Sea Lice". It just twirls off the tongue. Okay, here's the skinny. They're in warm waters all over the word, including Mexico, the Caribbean and even some coasts of the United States, so don't go thinking that it's Australia's fault! Sea Lice are not actually Lice, but microscopic larvae of the thimble jellyfish. They are about the size of a flake of pepper, so you generally don't see them. They're not dangerous and they're not going to swarm you and kill you. Basically, what happens is that they tend to get into the folds of bathing suits and body crevices such as your underarms.

Green Island, Australia

Due to the squish or friction, they will create a sting, but you generally won't feel it while you're in the water. You'll generally notice it later that day when you're walking to buy a bottle of water... er... when you happen to be doing something else and all of a sudden it's uncomfortable in unmentionable places. You will generally notice a red rash, and it will feel as though your bathing suit has been rubbing in the same place for too long. Again, this is not dangerous, just slightly uncomfortable and a good shower and some dry clothes will often help. It may take a few days to go away. Because of this possibility, some people prefer to wear wetsuits while snorkeling. The tour companies that take you over for the day will provide these for a small fee. Don't let this scare you out of the water, it's really not a big deal and doesn't stop millions of others from swimming in it every year.

Green Island, Australia

After my horrific spider incident, I put my shoes back on and walked through the rest of the trail. I wanted to circle the island. There were a number of interesting signs along the trail that talked about the various wildlife and plant life on the island. I was impressed that they took the time to do this.

Green Island, Australia

As I came out on the other end of the island, it was pretty deserted. The shore there was quite rocky, or I should say solid with a hard rock like surface, so no one was laying out on the beach. What I found interesting, was another bird who happened to be completely unafraid of me. He was searching for food in the various tide pools along the beach.

Green Island, Australia (Edit: Recently informed that this is a "Reef Egret")

Some beautiful driftwood that had been almost bleached white was up on the shore from a previous storm.

Green Island, Driftwood

I spent some time walking around on that side, but decided to walk back through the woods instead of going all around the island. It was possible to continue around, but I was getting a bit burnt from the sun by then and decided that I didn't want to be exposed any more. The trail back took me to the center area where the food and shops were. The prices for something like Fish and Chips ran about $15 Australian dollars. However, my meal was included with the day trip and it was a buffet... consisting of mainly Chinese food. I guess they were catering for the large tour group. None the less, it was good.

Green Island, Australia

I walked around to the other side of the island where the bungalows were. They're quite nice and tucked back in the woods with a small gate at each entrance. I can see where staying here for a few days would be wonderful.

Green Island, Bungalos

I talked to some of the employees on the island and they were all quite nice and helpful. There is more than one company that sells day trips to the island, so you will see their information booths in the tourist center. There are plenty of showers for men and women, and there are plenty of lockers that you can rent for the day.

Green Island, Australia (Back side of island)

Overall, I loved Green Island, but it's important to know that your day trip can be either a half day (returning at 1pm) or a full day, which leaves at 5pm. You may want to take a book or rent some shade on the beach if you're planning on staying the full day. You can't really sit out in the sun the whole time.

Green Island, Australia

In addition to the water activities that I described, there is both a glass bottom boat, and a small submarine with glass windows. These are great if you don't want to snorkel and want to see the fish and plant life in the Reef. I took the glass bottom boat and it was pretty amazing to see the many sea creatures. They even feed some of the fish, which is fun to watch. I tried to get some photos of the fish through the glass bottom, but they didn't come out too well. The reflection, the dirty glass and the guide who kept telling me to sit down for my safety, prevented my success. LOL

Green Island, Australia...a refreshing bath!

Keep in mind that there are many other places to go around Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef. There are also other day trips for snorkeling to other islands that are larger in size with more accommodations. Some of the boat tours though are not all covered, so always inquire about the type of boat if you don't want to end up sitting out in the sun for two or three hours each way.

Green Island, Australia

As I mentioned earlier, the Kuranda scenic train is pretty amazing. The train ride takes you up through the mountains to the town of Kuranda. There are plenty of shops and places to eat there. On the train ride, there is a waterfall that you will pass under, but it's not always flowing, depending on the time of the year. The train ride is great for those who want to see the tropical mountain regions of Cairns and it's a nice experience. The way back down the mountain is by the Skyrail. This is a one of those enclosed carts that take you by cable back down to the bottom. The tickets for the Kuranda and Skyrail combination run about $106 Australian as of now.

Green Island, Australia (Reef)

Most of the tours and activities can be booked through the tourist office which is right across from the Casino in town, or you can book them online before you arrive. If you happen to be going to Cairns by ship, then realize that you may have to fight for tickets to various sites if you arrive with a large group. Sometimes it's better to book ahead or just buy your excursions through the ship.

Green Island, Australia

I didn't spend much time in the city of Cairns, so I can't write a lot about it. From what I saw and experienced there, the city is quite clean and safe. The people are friendly and it's certainly a great place to spend a week or so. There are a few more photos of Green Island and Cairns in my Flickr album, which you can access HERE. The main web site for Cairns Attractions and the various things to do, is located HERE. If you'd like to have the link to the Green Island Reef tour that I was on, the link is HERE for Green Island Big Cat.