Australia 2020 – Port Douglas, Great Barrier Reef, Cape Tribulation and the Daintree River

Today was the day. We lost our virginity… on the Great Barrier Reef.

If someone had said recently that we would go snorkelling I would not have believed them. For many, it’s a piece of cake having carried out this activity since they were children. But neither of us had snorkelled before let alone swam off a boat in the middle of the ocean.

What an introduction, no less than the Great Barrier Reef itself. While all the experienced swimmers set off as a group we were given private tuition with crew member Monique who assured me she had actually done this before (in fact thousands of times, being a diver herself).

We had two sessions during the trip. Before I had even got off the boat I was gagging at the thought of putting the mouthpiece in. Then, coerced into the water, with one hand I grasped the orange lifebuoy ring, while the other tightly gripped Monique’s hand. The calm water splashed around my face, and water was getting in my mask and up my nose. Monique sorted me out and suggested I put my face in the water. I thought ‘Are you kidding!’ I did as she said and was so surprised how everything became calm immediately.

We swam gently along and beautiful corals came into sight. I was particularly drawn to some golden corals which looked as if they were molten lava dripping over rocks. The whole experience was like floating over a beautiful garden.

Then we came upon a giant clam (which cleanses the water as it passes through itself). As Monique swam gently by, it closed its shell. Then a turtle passed slowly under us. Then a huge fish, which must have been 3 feet long with a depth of 18 inches, hung around us. Next we saw a one metre long sea cucumber, not green but cream with beautiful brown markings.

There were shoals of fish, some tiny and bright and almost see-through. Others were in singles or pairs. What also caught my eye were the brightest blue seastars and the abalone shells with their pearl interiors shining out like little jewels.

We have heard the reports of coral bleaching from the environmentalists over recent years, but were told that this part of the reef is healthy and thriving well. We saw masses of corals with no sign of bleaching.

By the end of the second session I was much more relaxed and even managing to adjust my water-filled mask from time to time to save myself from drowning, thanks to Moniques’ careful instruction.

But my ‘firsts’ were not to end there on this leg of our journey. Another first was my performance of the St Vitus dance.

The following day we took a trip to Cape Tribulation, including a cruise along the Daintree river. Cape Tribulation is a remote headland in northeast Queensland and was named by Captain James Cook, as his ship was damaged on the Great Barrier Reef in 1770 and marked the start of ‘all his troubles’.

The river trip was within the Daintree forest, considered to be the oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest in the world, dating back millions of years. As we meandered along the Daintree river we watched fruit bats fly and hang upside down, and saw a crocodile swimming nearby.

We then headed for a forest walk and towards the end, as our guide was pointing out one of many poisonous insects, I caught sight of a guy beside me jumping and hitting his legs. The next thing I knew I was copying with gay abandon. We had managed to tread on an Oecophylla smaragdina nest, otherwise known as green tree ants.

These ants swarm. My trainers were covered in them and their first stop was my legs, before travelling as far as my neck. They bite and then spray formic acid into the wound. This feels like lots of painful pin pricks. As I jumped up and down trying to get rid of them I was assured they were not on the extensive list of highly poisonous insects and animals in Australia and if I squeezed the sac on their backs I would get a refreshing lemon taste from it – not easy when continuing to bash my legs to get rid of the pests.

These activities were carried out from Port Douglas. This was once a destination for the gold rush, and later farming. Now it’s a destination for holiday makers, a few shopkeepers and extensive sugar cane production.

Our next point of call is Hervey Bay, Fraser Island and Lady Elliott Island via Brisbane, more than 1,200 miles from our current destination. We move onward.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2020