For the excursions on the coral reef there are hundred of possibilities, from diving (even for the one that doesn't have the certification) to the snorkeling, I chose to make snorkeling on Green Island, it concerns a small coral island that I could define simply wonderful. Besides the passage in boat there is the possibility to rent fins and mask (that I had brought from Italy) or to make a trip with a submarine; to walk between the corals the plastic sandals are absolutely essential. The more beautiful point to swim was around the wharf around 20 meters from the beach. I remained absolutely AMAZED, I swam in the middle of hundred fishes of all dimensions and colors; before leaving the island someone has thrown from the boat some pieces of bread, after a few second there were ten and ten of enormous fishes (they seemed some epinephelus). I also made a turn with hydroplane on the barrier and I took some beautiful pictures.

An excursion that unfortunately I wasn't able to do was the excursion to the village of Kuranda, that it is able to reach with a train that crosses very suggestive landscapes or with an cableway that passes above the Rain Forest. 

Left Cairns the following stop was Airlie Beach, good base of departure for cruises in sailboat between the Whitsunday Islands. 

To move me along the coast I acquired a Greyhound pass that has a very capillary net buses. The buses are very comfortable, to whom it generally travels alone the place of side is usually left free, the disadvantage is that they are very slow considering they stop in each town and in some they make standstills of 1-2 hours; for trips of 400-500 Km they take around 8 hours. It has me very amazed to notice like l’80-90% of passengers were backpackers. 

During the trip between Cairns and Airlie Beach there are due to stop to a kind of customs, the customs officers have climbed on the bus and they checked all the purses attentively to the search of fruit. I have discovered so that the zone of Cairns was under quarantine because  fruit was infested by the 'fly of the papaya', are necessary therefore to avoid to bring fruit between a city and the other or delivering it, penalty salty fines. 

Airlie Beach is a very small town, is worth the punishment to stay only if it has intention to make some cruise. 

A few moment before embarking me, my agency communicated that my cruise was cancelled proposing me of it another, I would have sailed on the Iceberg. I had never been on a sailboat, I have owed to adapt me so to narrow spaces, to the rationing of water and the jolting. The first day was decidedly pleasant, we sailed between an island and the other, I finally enjoyed a little bit of relax taking the sun; the skipper stopped in a pair of islands bringing us with the raft in some bays particularly rich in sea fauna, were almost impossible to swim as there were so many fishes!!! 

Unfortunately with the evening started the troubles, a perturbation was about to arrive, that has made me discover to suffer the sea sickness, so while my companions dined with a beautiful dish of lasagnas, I was in box with the nausea. The second day the situation was not able what to worsen, in fact with the sea moved decidedly we would have owed to cross a narrow enough binding, so while the boat was inserted between a breaker and the other, I was hocked to not vomit, fortunately the tablets anti sea sickness that I brought home, done owing. The third day the situation improved slightly, so before returning to the base we have gone down on an island to do a walk the forest. 

When have finally put again definitely the feet to earth, I would liked to do like the pope when he kiss the ground!! For half hour then while I walked, I had the impression that everything how much around me it rippled. 

The following stop was Hervey Bay, point of departure to visit Fraser Island, the island of sand more great 's of the world declared from the UNESCO Patrimony of the humanity; in the period between end August and October besides cruises are organized to sight the whales. 

It's possible to visit the island autonomously but it moves only with 4WD cars and is necessary to make a permission relaxed for the guide and the camping. The hostels organize some tours for the backpackers furnishing jeep, maps and camping utensils, once formed the groups (4-5 persons) they create a common box for the acquisition of the foods and they plan the visit of the island keeping in mind that the group will owe to manage the unexpected possible autonomously; the principal advantage of these tours is the cost, if I don't remember badly the expense for 3 days was 120 A$. For lack of time I chose the tour with guide of 2 days. 

My group was composed from around 20 persons and it moved with a big 4WD bus. To arrive on the island we took a small ferry; arrived in proximity of the beach, lowered the anterior hatch and the vehicles have started to disembark, the scene remembered so much to me the unloading of the Marines seen in so many films of war!! 

The island and covered from a sharp pain forest that is crossed from small street  not beaten and therefore the guide and quite difficult.

The points that I more liked, the Waddy Point from which dolphins, sea turtle and mantas can be sighted, the Champagne pool, the Lake McKenzie and the Lake Birrabeen. To reach another small little pond the Lake Boomanjin we made a beautiful walk crossing a small 'desert'.

On the island are very common the dingoes, this wild dog eats of everything; while we were in the camping for the lunch we saw one eat a hat, after some minute that we observed it one Swedish man of the group noticed that the hat was his, it remained to recover it remained, if nothing else he brought home a particular souvenir . 

Returned on firm earth, I had a night transfer to Brisbane, quite a lot persons I talked, said that it was not worth the punishment to visit it, but  I liked it.

I made a stroll for the center and in the afternoon I took the bus for the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where I was finally able to see from near these nice marsupial.

Copyright © 1999 Giuseppe Ruperto. All rights reserved.