The Great Barrier Reef — Country Nights & City Lights

Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and is a must do when in Australia. The first night I rented a car and stayed in Port Douglas which is about an hour drive from the airport in Cairns. If you rent a car, remember they do drive on the left side of the road in Australia, and it is tricky to get the hang of it. I may or may not have popped a tire hitting a curb in the first ten minutes...

The Sheridan Hotel in Port Douglas is ridiculously cool. I think you could spend a few days here relaxing and swimming in the many lagoon pools and enjoying the gardens and the 4-mile beach. They have rooms with balconies that connect directly to the lagoon pools with steps to enter the water, so you can swim to leave your room and go to the swim up bar or beach which is so amazing. The town of Port Douglas is about five minutes away from the hotel and is a quirky cute coastal town, with loads of restaurants, shops, ice cream, bars, and even a Target on the main street.

The only down point was how far it is from Cairns, which is where I booked the boats for excursions, and the beach was unsafe for swimming with signs to watch out for crocodiles and jellyfish.

A day at the Great Barrier Reef

I booked my tour through Reef Magic Cruises www.reefmagiccruises.com; it was a whole day excursion checking into the reef fleet terminal between 8:00-8:30 and arriving back around 5. The trip to the Great Barrier takes about an hour and a half on a ferry. During this trip, you can go over the basics of scuba or snuba diving and get snacks. If you are prone to seasickness, I would recommend seeing the doctor before you leave and getting the behind the ear patches. I was able to make the trip without getting sick, but I saw many that were not so fortunate.

Once you arrive at a large pontoon boat in the middle of the ocean, you disembark the ferry and can find yourself stinger suits, snorkels, and fins and hop in the ocean whenever you are ready. Even just snorkeling is a fantastic experience! The amount of fish and the size of them is incredible. I didn't see any sharks or turtles, but I have heard that there are sightings. The water is crystal clear, and they have lifejackets and noodles to make snorkeling easier.

I have never gotten my scuba certificate even though I have always wanted to, and on this trip, I found a great combo of snorkeling and scuba called snuba. You wear the scuba mask but have the air connected to your mouth that is floating on a raft above you. Once you get used to breathing comfortably through the tube, the instructors place a weighted belt on you, and you are free to drop to depths of 20 feet below. It is an amazing experience. Snuba is an excellent option for all swimming abilities and ages over 8. They do small groups, and you are in the water for an hour.

The rest of the day, you can snorkel, hang out on the boat or take a glass bottom boat excursion out and watch when they feed the fish. The company serves lunch on the boat. Seeing the Great Barrier Reef was top 5 on my bucket list and I am so glad I got to experience it! I would recommend bringing seasick patches or pills, a swim shirt, sunscreen, and towels.

Green Island

I spent a day here and although it was cool, I didn't feel like a day at both the reef and here was necessary. There are options to do a glass bottom boat, parasailing, snorkeling, crocodile park, nature walk or hang on the beach. Everything but the beach was an extra charge, and the beach chairs were an additional fee. It seemed like a tourist trap and was very packed with people.

I think you could entertain yourself for a week in Cairns, but plan to stay at least three days. The largest living thing on Earth is definitely worth exploring!