ARLIE BEACH AND CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

 February 21 and 22, 2023

Our ship made a stop in the Bay at Airlie Beach, a small town in the northern part of Australia.   Airlie Beach harbor is the launch point for resorts on the Whitsunday Islands.  


We took a bus tour about 25 miles to another small town that didn’t have much going for it other than sugar refineries.   Sugar cane is a huge economic driver for the region and we saw fields about as far as one can see of early growth sugar cane (they harvested last in November).   Vera saw a wallaby in a field as our bus sped by…the only other highlight of our visit to Airlie Beach on a rainy day.  Our ship had anchored offshore, so the return trip in the tender during a little squall was pretty choppy.  


We sailed overnight to Cairns and docked there in the morning. Cairns is regarded as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef which stretches northward about 1400 miles.  It is the largest continuous coral reef system on Earth.   We learned that the reef has lost about 50% of its coral in the past 25 years.   Causes include rising sea temperature, a predator starfish and water pollution.   The State of Queensland and Australian are working hard to stem the coral loss and are having some success.


We didn’t get to see the coral ourselves as the weather was not conducive.   (This is their monsoon season.)  We did get to see some animals at the Wildlife Dome which sits above a casino.  The Dome is a wildlife sanctuary for many animals native to Australia, including tropical birds, crocodiles, boa constrictors and koalas.   Our tour included a walk around a narrow ledge (we were secured with a harness) on the outside of the dome, some 8 stories above the  street.   Richard, with his love of heights, was a big fan—not sure if the white knuckles show up in the picture below (smile).  Vera says the view of the surrounding area was great. 


                           Harbor at Arlie Beach


                                         Sugar Cane - 4 months growth


                                      Tawny Frogmouth...very tame...sorta looks like an owl


                                                  Fresh water croc


                                         Big guy - salt water croc


                                                  Koalas


                                             Masked Marvel getting harnessed up


                                                  Wonder Woman ready to go


                                                  Fearless Dick

                                         Cairns Harbor where we are anchored


                             Hemingway"s Brewery where we had a brisket taco and craft beer


     Banyon Fig tree.   Branches grown down to the ground and become part of the root system


                                                  The Wildlife Dome


                                         No big deal (Rich is still holding on)

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  1. DorisFebruary 27, 2023 at 3:22 PM

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    1. DorisFebruary 27, 2023 at 3:31 PM

      Sorry, just trying to see if I can make a comment. Love the pics and narrative. Know you are having a great time. ❤❤

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