Friday, October 28, 2011
Daintree
I'm tired tonight, after a long, lovely day in the area northof Daintree. We went a few kilometers north of Cape Tribulation but I'm going to leave the blog till tomorrow and get an early night tonight.
Reef Magic
What an amazing day!!
This morning we drove into Cairns, where we checked in and boarded the Reef Magic II catamaran. Leaving at 9 am, we enjoyed an hour and a half's cruise across the beautiful Coral Sea. Well, some of us did. Esther turns out to share her Dad's tendency to get "dizzy" from the boat's motion and became very quiet, eventually falling asleep! Arthur (like me) was totally unaffected, and had fun staggering all over the ship as it rode the swell. He was also very interested in the video presentation and talk we had from a marine biologist, who told us about how the Great barrier Reef was formed; the difference between fringing reefs, patch reefs, cays and coral islands; hard and soft corals and how they are formed, and described some of the fish found in the reef.
Eventually we reached our destination: the Marine World pontoon moored on the Outer Reef. We had five hours in which to enjoy our choice of activities, but after changing into swimming gear our first appointment was a private snorkelling lesson and tour with Amy, the marine biologist who was on board with us. We had been given a demonstration onboard of how to use the snorkel and fins, but Philip thought it would be better to have some more formal instruction before venturing into the Outer Reef on our own! The added benefit of another pair of hands with the kids as they gained confidence was a bonus.
That was a truly amazing experience! Looking down into the reef, with the many colours and shapes of the corals and the rich diversity of fish was like catching a glimpse of a whole new world! While we got the hang of breathing through the snorkels and listened to Amy's explanations of what we saw, we came face to face with Wally, a big Maori Wrasse. He was amazingly friendly- swimming among us as though in greeting, nudging our hands with his mouth and rubbing against us much as a cat would!
Later we took a ride on the Semi Sub, which gave us a different view of the reef and an interesting commentary. The children were particularly delighted to learn that parrot fish use their beak-like mouths to scrape at the coral, and then "poo out sand"... and that sea cucumbers breathe through their bottoms! We saw examples of staghorn and plate corals which grow relatively quickly, as well as the slow-growing boulder corals.
The view through the windows couldn't compare with the amazing sights while snorkelling, however, so we found some flippers and snorkels and got back into the water- this time on our own. Esther went with Philip, while Arthur and I kept an eye on each other. We were amazed to see how confident they were. At first Arthur wanted to be totally independent, but after he had swum up and tapped the "wrong Mum" on the arm he decided it was just as much fun holding hands and pointing things out to each other.
Included in this amazing package were the use of snorkelling equipment including swimming vests, tours of the reef in a Semi-Submersible or a Glass Bottom Boat, fish feeding, an underwater observatory, morning and afternoon tea and a delicious buffet lunch. Apart from having lunch, we had no time to do any of the other activities, let alone the optional extras on offer such as a helicopter tour, scuba or helmet diving or a massage. Seldom have five hours gone so quickly! We were extremely impressed with the cheerfulness and friendliness of the staff. They made us feel personally welcome and when we needed anything they were more than happy to help. I don't have an underwater camera, but a professional photographer in diving gear took photos while we were snorkelling, which we were able to purchase on a USB stick along with a series of reef photos. The credit for all the underwater photos included here go to her!
Thank you Philip, for a wonderful birthday present! As the children kept saying, "The best part is that we can share it too!"
This morning we drove into Cairns, where we checked in and boarded the Reef Magic II catamaran. Leaving at 9 am, we enjoyed an hour and a half's cruise across the beautiful Coral Sea. Well, some of us did. Esther turns out to share her Dad's tendency to get "dizzy" from the boat's motion and became very quiet, eventually falling asleep! Arthur (like me) was totally unaffected, and had fun staggering all over the ship as it rode the swell. He was also very interested in the video presentation and talk we had from a marine biologist, who told us about how the Great barrier Reef was formed; the difference between fringing reefs, patch reefs, cays and coral islands; hard and soft corals and how they are formed, and described some of the fish found in the reef.
Eventually we reached our destination: the Marine World pontoon moored on the Outer Reef. We had five hours in which to enjoy our choice of activities, but after changing into swimming gear our first appointment was a private snorkelling lesson and tour with Amy, the marine biologist who was on board with us. We had been given a demonstration onboard of how to use the snorkel and fins, but Philip thought it would be better to have some more formal instruction before venturing into the Outer Reef on our own! The added benefit of another pair of hands with the kids as they gained confidence was a bonus.
That was a truly amazing experience! Looking down into the reef, with the many colours and shapes of the corals and the rich diversity of fish was like catching a glimpse of a whole new world! While we got the hang of breathing through the snorkels and listened to Amy's explanations of what we saw, we came face to face with Wally, a big Maori Wrasse. He was amazingly friendly- swimming among us as though in greeting, nudging our hands with his mouth and rubbing against us much as a cat would!
Later we took a ride on the Semi Sub, which gave us a different view of the reef and an interesting commentary. The children were particularly delighted to learn that parrot fish use their beak-like mouths to scrape at the coral, and then "poo out sand"... and that sea cucumbers breathe through their bottoms! We saw examples of staghorn and plate corals which grow relatively quickly, as well as the slow-growing boulder corals.
The view through the windows couldn't compare with the amazing sights while snorkelling, however, so we found some flippers and snorkels and got back into the water- this time on our own. Esther went with Philip, while Arthur and I kept an eye on each other. We were amazed to see how confident they were. At first Arthur wanted to be totally independent, but after he had swum up and tapped the "wrong Mum" on the arm he decided it was just as much fun holding hands and pointing things out to each other.
Included in this amazing package were the use of snorkelling equipment including swimming vests, tours of the reef in a Semi-Submersible or a Glass Bottom Boat, fish feeding, an underwater observatory, morning and afternoon tea and a delicious buffet lunch. Apart from having lunch, we had no time to do any of the other activities, let alone the optional extras on offer such as a helicopter tour, scuba or helmet diving or a massage. Seldom have five hours gone so quickly! We were extremely impressed with the cheerfulness and friendliness of the staff. They made us feel personally welcome and when we needed anything they were more than happy to help. I don't have an underwater camera, but a professional photographer in diving gear took photos while we were snorkelling, which we were able to purchase on a USB stick along with a series of reef photos. The credit for all the underwater photos included here go to her!
Thank you Philip, for a wonderful birthday present! As the children kept saying, "The best part is that we can share it too!"
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Ellis Beach 2
Philip drove into Cairns today, leaving us here at ellis Beach. (Yes- a repair on the car. This time one of the suspension air bags he'd had installed in Darwin had ruptured around the seam. As it was under warranty the job cost him nothing, fortunately!) I'd promised the kids that we'd pack lunch in their rucksacks and go on an expedition, but they helped me put a load of washing on first. While we were waiting for it to finish, Arthur and I went looking for mangoes. We found a few amost-ripe ones, but we also found a carob tree with many pods lying on the ground underneath it. They smell strongly of the "healthy" chocolate-substitute, but I haven't been game to see how they taste. I never much liked carob, anyway!
Then Arthur got a phone call from his kinder friends! He was so pleased to hear his teacher's voice, and smiled form ear to ear when they sang "happy birthday" for him.
Finally the washing was clean, dried and folded and we set off on our walk. Part of going on an expedition involves stopping frequently for a snack, which we did at almost every suitable spot (as determined by Esther!) Along the way we discovered a "river" and had a look at how a gorge is formed by water erosion. We hunted for crabs among the rocks, found a coconut and looked at how the fibres can be twisted into a rope, searched for pirate treasure (which eluded us, unfortunately), and simply enjoyed the sand, sun and water!
On the way back we saw Philip walking towards us, and Arthur ran to meet him. He'd bought new bathers for the children so we had to try them out in the pool as soon as we got back!
I thought it seemed like a good idea to sit in a deck chair by the poolside while the children swam, but the march flies are vicious in these parts! Swatting at them every time they bite is not particularly relaxing. And then, before long the children decided to share my deck chair . There are at least ten chairs arranged invitingly around the pool, and we were the only ones there. Nonetheless, they insist on sharing with Mum! As we sat there, a small lizard came right up next to us. Arthur has tried to catch many of these, but they are off like a flash as soon as he moves! This one seemed not to be at all afraid, however, Esther slowly got down and sat on the ground near it, and instead of running away it came closer. Seeing one of the dead march flies, she picked it up and dropped in in front of the skink. It darted forward eagerly and gulped it down. Arthur joined her, and they threw it a few more flies, which it accepted gratefully. Then they started holding them out for the lizard to take from their fingers, and even got it to climb onto their hands. When we ran out of flies, all we had to do was wait. If the lizard had retreated a bit, he'd spin around and come back when he heard a slap! It was amazing!
On the way back to the caravan we pass a particular bush where Arthur had spotted a "hummingbird" the other day. It was in fact a sunbird and we'd noticed it at the same place several times. This time I had my camera with me, so I decided to capture it if I could. It took a while but I eventually succeeded!
I've been sitting in front of the caravan with the laptop on my knees, enjoying the balmy evening temperature and listening to the waves crash onto the beach only metres away. When I started typing this entry, we received a visit from a bush stone-curlew. As I write it has come back and I was able to take a photo of it! They are nocturnal birds with a strange, loud call that echoes through the night. It can be a bit disconcerting when it's immediately outside your bedroom window! They are endangered in the southern parts of Australia, so it's a bit exciting to see them so close!
Tomorrow is my birthday and Philip has organised a special outing...
Then Arthur got a phone call from his kinder friends! He was so pleased to hear his teacher's voice, and smiled form ear to ear when they sang "happy birthday" for him.
Finally the washing was clean, dried and folded and we set off on our walk. Part of going on an expedition involves stopping frequently for a snack, which we did at almost every suitable spot (as determined by Esther!) Along the way we discovered a "river" and had a look at how a gorge is formed by water erosion. We hunted for crabs among the rocks, found a coconut and looked at how the fibres can be twisted into a rope, searched for pirate treasure (which eluded us, unfortunately), and simply enjoyed the sand, sun and water!
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| erosion in action |
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| "Pirate Cove" |
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| Esther was fascinated by the coconut fibres |
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| A cornered crab on the defensive. |
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| Amazing patterns on the rocks. I'm not sure what forms them... |
On the way back we saw Philip walking towards us, and Arthur ran to meet him. He'd bought new bathers for the children so we had to try them out in the pool as soon as we got back!
I thought it seemed like a good idea to sit in a deck chair by the poolside while the children swam, but the march flies are vicious in these parts! Swatting at them every time they bite is not particularly relaxing. And then, before long the children decided to share my deck chair . There are at least ten chairs arranged invitingly around the pool, and we were the only ones there. Nonetheless, they insist on sharing with Mum! As we sat there, a small lizard came right up next to us. Arthur has tried to catch many of these, but they are off like a flash as soon as he moves! This one seemed not to be at all afraid, however, Esther slowly got down and sat on the ground near it, and instead of running away it came closer. Seeing one of the dead march flies, she picked it up and dropped in in front of the skink. It darted forward eagerly and gulped it down. Arthur joined her, and they threw it a few more flies, which it accepted gratefully. Then they started holding them out for the lizard to take from their fingers, and even got it to climb onto their hands. When we ran out of flies, all we had to do was wait. If the lizard had retreated a bit, he'd spin around and come back when he heard a slap! It was amazing!
On the way back to the caravan we pass a particular bush where Arthur had spotted a "hummingbird" the other day. It was in fact a sunbird and we'd noticed it at the same place several times. This time I had my camera with me, so I decided to capture it if I could. It took a while but I eventually succeeded!
I've been sitting in front of the caravan with the laptop on my knees, enjoying the balmy evening temperature and listening to the waves crash onto the beach only metres away. When I started typing this entry, we received a visit from a bush stone-curlew. As I write it has come back and I was able to take a photo of it! They are nocturnal birds with a strange, loud call that echoes through the night. It can be a bit disconcerting when it's immediately outside your bedroom window! They are endangered in the southern parts of Australia, so it's a bit exciting to see them so close!
Tomorrow is my birthday and Philip has organised a special outing...
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Ellis Beach
We're about to have a barbeque and get the kids to bed early after a long, relaxing day at Ellis Beach. I think the pictures and captions will tell today's story!
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| The children wanted to go and play on the beach at six this morning, and by seven Esther had made this mermaid. |
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| There was only one way to stop them asking for the fiftieth time WHEN we were going to take them to the pool! |
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| Morning tea- mangoes fallen from a nearby tree! |
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| Meanwhile... |
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