We split up the drive from Magnetic Island to Cairns with a night in Mission Beach. The Mission Beach area is technically a collection of four small towns along a pretty stretch of coastline. The area is notable for the presence of a very rare bird called the Cassowary, a large, colorful, flightless species that resembles an emu. On the way up to Mission Beach, we saw a dramatic change in the landscape as we crossed a small mountain range and left the dry, parched scrub bushes behind for lush rainforest.
The towns that comprise Mission Beach are small and low-key with a lot of well-to-do aging semi-hippies (expensive crystal shops, flowy skirts and earthy soap). South Mission Beach is home to a population of wild wallabies, which were fun for us to see, but the locals consider them pests.
The towns that comprise Mission Beach are small and low-key with a lot of well-to-do aging semi-hippies (expensive crystal shops, flowy skirts and earthy soap). South Mission Beach is home to a population of wild wallabies, which were fun for us to see, but the locals consider them pests.
We grabbed dinner at a Thai restaurant called Nana's across from the beach, just barely escaping a massive downpour from this storm:
On Mission Beach - storm's coming!
It was just like Karate Kid II
We had a great dinner at the Thai place, which proved to be extremely popular. By the time we'd been there 20 minutes, they were already turning away even takeaway orders for the rest of the night. After dinner, we headed back to our hotel for the night, a rustic B&B in the middle of a rainforest garden called Licuala. Although the owners were super nice, I can't really recommend the place because the bed was uncomfortable, the walls were thin and there was no hot water in the morning. The next morning before we left, we found this guy rooting around the garden:
A cassowary right outside our room! They are supposedly very difficult to spot so I guess we were lucky.
Cairns
That morning, we headed up to Cairns. On the way, we ran into a random DUI checkpoint where everyone had to stop and take a breathalyzer test. Since we are a couple of dorks, we were actually pretty excited to try out the breathalyzer.
That morning, we headed up to Cairns. On the way, we ran into a random DUI checkpoint where everyone had to stop and take a breathalyzer test. Since we are a couple of dorks, we were actually pretty excited to try out the breathalyzer.
At the DUI checkpoint (at 10AM on Sunday). Of course, I pulled out the camera! We had a nice chat with the police officer about Boston.
Cairns was a much larger city than we'd expected. It's a hub for all different types of travelers, as it's a logical jumping off point for seeing some of the best parts of the Great Barrier Reef. There are lots of restaurants and bars, and it turns into a major party scene at night.
Once we arrived in Cairns, we checked into our Reef Palms apartment and set out to plan the next couple of days. Our plan was to try to get in a few dives on the outer Great Barrier Reef. Like everywhere else in Australia, you get a much better deal working through a local travel agent vs. booking on your own online. It's really difficult to compare travel packages online in Australia, yet there are countless travel agents competing for your business on two streets in downtown Cairns. So after visiting a few of the local agents, we ended up booking our stay for the next night on Fitzroy Island, and a trip for the following day to head out to the reef.
Fitzroy Island vs. Green Island
There are several islands off the coast of Cairns. A few of them are really high end and expensive. The two most popular and reasonable islands are Fitztroy and Green islands. Both islands have one resort, yet Green Island is a coral cay (like Heron Island) and is much smaller than Fitzroy Island. We chose Fitzroy Island simply because our dive day trip through Cairns Dive Center stopped at Fitzroy on its way out to the outer reef. Had we gone with Green Island, we would have had to book a much more expensive day trip for our dives.
Fitzroy Island & Diving the Outer Reef
The next morning, we headed off to Fitzroy Island, which is located about 45 minutes by ferry from Cairns. There is only one resort on the island plus a small camp site. There are two beaches that can be reached on foot, and the remainder of the island is wooded with two peaks that can you can hike to. The island was beautiful and the resort's amenities were very nice. Our room, however, did not meet our expectations. We were on the ground floor facing the forest. The resort's walkways were located outside our only window so the room received very little sunlight. No only did this result in a dark room, but it also smelled of mildew. If you find yourself considering an overnight at Fitzroy, make sure you book a room facing the beach!
That evening we had a picnic on the beach at sunset with some groceries we purchased in Cairns. We then went to the resort bar, Foxy's, for a couple drinks which we enjoyed to a playlist of cheesy 90's music.
Once we arrived in Cairns, we checked into our Reef Palms apartment and set out to plan the next couple of days. Our plan was to try to get in a few dives on the outer Great Barrier Reef. Like everywhere else in Australia, you get a much better deal working through a local travel agent vs. booking on your own online. It's really difficult to compare travel packages online in Australia, yet there are countless travel agents competing for your business on two streets in downtown Cairns. So after visiting a few of the local agents, we ended up booking our stay for the next night on Fitzroy Island, and a trip for the following day to head out to the reef.
Fitzroy Island vs. Green Island
There are several islands off the coast of Cairns. A few of them are really high end and expensive. The two most popular and reasonable islands are Fitztroy and Green islands. Both islands have one resort, yet Green Island is a coral cay (like Heron Island) and is much smaller than Fitzroy Island. We chose Fitzroy Island simply because our dive day trip through Cairns Dive Center stopped at Fitzroy on its way out to the outer reef. Had we gone with Green Island, we would have had to book a much more expensive day trip for our dives.
Fitzroy Island & Diving the Outer Reef
The next morning, we headed off to Fitzroy Island, which is located about 45 minutes by ferry from Cairns. There is only one resort on the island plus a small camp site. There are two beaches that can be reached on foot, and the remainder of the island is wooded with two peaks that can you can hike to. The island was beautiful and the resort's amenities were very nice. Our room, however, did not meet our expectations. We were on the ground floor facing the forest. The resort's walkways were located outside our only window so the room received very little sunlight. No only did this result in a dark room, but it also smelled of mildew. If you find yourself considering an overnight at Fitzroy, make sure you book a room facing the beach!
That evening we had a picnic on the beach at sunset with some groceries we purchased in Cairns. We then went to the resort bar, Foxy's, for a couple drinks which we enjoyed to a playlist of cheesy 90's music.
Fitzroy Island
Nudy Beach on Fitzroy. It's the only sandy beach on the island and about a 10 minute hike from the resort. Despite the name, it's not a nude beach!
Resort pool
Fitzroy Island ferry
Afternoon clouds rolling in over Nudy Beach.
Fitzroy Island
The next morning we were picked up by the Cairns Dive Center (CDC) to head out to the outer reef for a couple of scuba dives. While waiting on the jetty, we noticed another couple around our age waiting with a Pemberton Farm shopping bag. Pemberton Farm is a small specialty grocer in Cambridge, so we asked them if they were from Boston and sure enough, they were. Small world!
CDC brought us to a small part of the reef called Briggs Reef. We had two great dives that day and saw the most beautiful reef we've ever seen. The water was incredibly clear and we floated among a city of fish, coral, sharks and turtles. It was a spectacular array of moving colors and and shapes. At one point I was face to face with a sea turtle, both of us curiously evaluating each other for a few seconds, before it swam to the surface for some air. After our first dive, we saw a whale in the distance, although sadly we didn't get to see it underwater!
We did both of our dives with a guide named Killian from the Cairns Dive Center. Killian was awesome - the best dive guide we've had thus far. He brought us around to the best spots on the reef and pointed out lots of interesting sea life that we probably would have missed on our own. Overall, we found this company to be amazing, with an incredibly professional and friendly staff. We would highly recommend them if you are considering diving in this area.
CDC brought us to a small part of the reef called Briggs Reef. We had two great dives that day and saw the most beautiful reef we've ever seen. The water was incredibly clear and we floated among a city of fish, coral, sharks and turtles. It was a spectacular array of moving colors and and shapes. At one point I was face to face with a sea turtle, both of us curiously evaluating each other for a few seconds, before it swam to the surface for some air. After our first dive, we saw a whale in the distance, although sadly we didn't get to see it underwater!
We did both of our dives with a guide named Killian from the Cairns Dive Center. Killian was awesome - the best dive guide we've had thus far. He brought us around to the best spots on the reef and pointed out lots of interesting sea life that we probably would have missed on our own. Overall, we found this company to be amazing, with an incredibly professional and friendly staff. We would highly recommend them if you are considering diving in this area.
Waiting to dive Briggs!
Super happy after our first dive!
The liveaboard boat. CDC also offers overnight and multi-night packages for diving. You sleep on this bad boy - the Kangaroo Explorer - and visit different reefs on the GBR.
That night we were dropped of back at Cairns and headed into town for some burgers before turning in for the night. The next day we had an early departure for the airport to head on to our next stop - Melbourne!
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