Great Barrier Reef - one of Seven Natural Wonders of the World

K and I travelled to Cairns (pronounced "Cans") from Uluru on Friday evening, March 28th.  Our flight was a bit delayed so we didn't get to see much in Cairns that night.  Our voyage to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) was schedule for 7:30 the next morning.  We did end up visiting a bit of Cairns on our return from the GBR and the next day, but I'll post that later.  [Side note: our flight from Ayers Rock airport to Cairns was the first delayed flight we have had on our trip.  That is completely amazing to us and we realize we have been so lucky.  We totaled up about 12 flights so far and (knock on wood) no significant issues.  Qantas does run an efficient ship.] 

We went with a group called Seastar Cruises for our GBR trip.  They seemed to cater more to snorkelers versus scuba divers (although some of each were on our boat).  I would recommend them to anyone.  Nice crew and pretty great lunch considering you are on a small boat with a tiny galley.  Here is a picture of our boat.  K's only complaint was that she wished there was more space to sit on deck in the sun.  There is a huge number of these GBR vessels available, so if you come to the GBR, do your research and pick a boat and group that suits your needs.

As for the GBR, yet another amazing experience.  Those that know me know that I joined the Army and not the Navy for a reason.  I am not afraid of the water, but I don't do well on boats or at sea.  Again, we got lucky as the ocean was very calm on March 29th when we took our excursion out to the GBR.  The days before, it was pouring rain and very choppy waters (we were told).

The gal on the boat giving us our safety briefing in the morning asked how many of us were subject to sea sickness.  When a number of us raised our hands she suggested the purchase of tablets to ease any issues (I had already taken mine that morning).  Then she asked how many people were not subject to sea sickness.  When a number of people (including K) raised their hands, she said "ok - then for you, there are sea sickness tablets that you can purchase or if you prefer the paper bags are free."  It was funny, but did cause a little uneasy feeling in all of us.  It turned out to be a non-issue as we had great weather and hardly any chop.

As we left port, it was a little cloudy and misty.  This is a picture from aft of the boat with Cairns and the port in our rear view.

It took about 75 minutes to reach the first parts of the reef.  As we arrived at the GBR, it was already clearing.  It turned out to be a gorgeous day with warm skies and even warm water (27 degrees C, 80 degrees F).

The GBR is huge and the name is a bit of a misnomer.  It stretches nearly 1400 miles and is actually not a single reef, but a large collection of reefs and small islands - some 2900 reefs and 900 islands.  Parts of the GBR actually start up near Papua New Guinea and it stretches down toward Brisbane.  Cairns sits about in the middle of the stretch.
.
Our particular excursion included two stops on the reef.   The first was Michaelmas Cay.  This is a coral/sand beach area near the middle of the GBR about 20 miles out from shore.  The water here is pretty shallow - maybe 20 feet deep around the little sand island.  K and I did not go on the little sand island at Michaelmas Cay (you are allowed), but were later told that it was a good idea that we did not because the bird poop created such a smell you wouldn't want to be on it.

It is here that all of the divers and snorkelers were required to don lycra stinger suits.  We did not encounter any jellyfish, but the suits were for protection just in case.  Here is K in hers.  The photo was not taken willingly - so forgive if it is not the best shot of her.

I made the mistake of saying I make the Blue Man Group outfit look good.  After K took this picture, I may have to reassess.  Watch out fishes - here I come.  Jacque Cousteau I am not.

After our first swim and then some lunch, we headed out to deeper water - right on the edge of the reef - to Hastings Reef,  about 30 miles offshore.  Here the fish are a bit bigger, the water maybe 35 feet deep - however, the coral is so rich here that at points the coral is only a foot under you as you swim on the surface.  In fact, you had to be a little careful not to go into areas that were so shallow that you couldn't swim out.  No beaches at this location - but you could see the edge of the reef, deeper water colors, and large waves breaking at the edge from our location on the reef.

Here we are about ready to enter the ocean.  "Here fishy fishy fishy."  Our snorkel guide is the gal behind me in my picture.

At this point, I would love to show you all the fantastic creatures and coral we saw.  Unfortunately, one mistake K and I made was not getting an underwater camera the night before or that morning.  Thankfully, the Seastar crew did take pictures of us and the many creatures of the sea that we did see that day.

 

 

Angel fish, clown fish (Finding-Nemo-fish), sea turtles (two varieties), rainbow fish, wrasse, tiger fish, and many others.  I'm afraid I am not too good with my fish identification, so I probably saw more that I have know idea what they are.

 

The colors of the reef and fish were just amazing.  K absolutely loved it and I think she is ready to learn scuba.  To my cousins and friends that scuba (Brian, Sandy, Dave and others) I can certainly see the appeal, and I think you should get yourself to the GBR at least once in your life.  I can't imagine the water or diving to be any better anywhere.  Having said that, for me the experience was awesome, but I would say even in snorkel gear, I found myself a little claustrophobic and uncomfortable in the gear after the first hour of each swim.  Back to dry land for this Army boy.

The one picture we wish we really had was that of a small reef shark - yep, we saw a shark!  In true fish story form, I will tell you it was as big as a bus and about ready to eat us.  However, in reality, it was about 16 inches long and more terrified of us than we of it.

Here is our boat coming back into Cairns.  It was hot and humid in Cairns (about 90+ degrees with the same humidity level).  Cairns sits in the middle of the rainforest.  Nice weather if you can find it this time of year.  We were told by a guide that they have two seasons in Cairns - wet and dry.  Again, I provide more details of Cairns tomorrow.

I can say it was yet another experience that K and I shall never forget.

Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta or the Olgas is the name of the other rock formation in the national park in the southwest part of the Northern Territory of Australia.  It is about 16 miles to the west of Uluru and is actually higher than Uluru.  Whereas Uluru is essentially one big red rock, Kata Tjuta is a series of domes with valleys between the domes.

Together, all the domes make up an area bigger than the mass of Uluru, and some are taller than Uluru, but because there are valleys between the domes it can look smaller and Uluru's bright red sand makes it stand out a bit more than Kata Tjuta.

K and I were given a tour of Kata Tjuta the day we left the Ayers Rock area.  While the Anangu people also manage this rock formation (it is part of the same national park as Uluru), it is called a "men's site" meaning that it holds more of a sacred place in their culture and the stories about it are not shared with white people.  So while culturally significant, we are not to know why.  What we do know is that Kata Tjuta means "many heads" in the Anangu language.  We were told the Anangu only had words for one, two and three in their language.  After that, it was just "many".  Since there are 39 domes in Kata Tjuta, they just called it "many" and "heads" for the domes.

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, Kata Tjuta is made of conglomerate rock (versus the sandstone of Uluru).  That is quite evident as you step onto Kata Tjuta domes and quite different from Uluru.  Even what look to be big boulders that have come off the domes turn out to be big chunks of conglomerated rocks and stones.

 

We hiked one of the valleys between the two biggest domes - Walpa Gorge.  The views were stunning and there was a bit more wildlife (we saw a wallaby and we are told a lot of the wandering wild camels come into the valleys) because there is more vegetation in the valleys.  Because there was a pretty stiff breeze down the gorge canyon that morning, the flies were kept away.  So we could enjoy our hike net free.  Here are some of the pictures from the gorge in Kata Tjuta.

After hiking the gorge valley, we stopped at a lookout point that provided a panorama of all the Kata Tjuta domes.  The flies were back by then, so the nets were removed just briefly for this photo.

Here is a picture of Kata Tjuta at sunset that I took the night before.  As Kata Tjuta is to the west of Uluru, many get a chance to see Kata Tjuta through the sunset while watching the colors over Uluru.

 

Dingos and other wildlife

There isn't all that much wildlife in the Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park.  A few smaller kangaroo (wallaby), birds, many lizards and snakes (which thankfully we did not see).  One animal we did see, which is frequently seen in the area (and we had not seen yet in Australia), is the dingo.  Scientists believe the dingo was brought by the Aboriginal peoples when they came to Australia tens of thousands of years ago (probably by land bridge from what is now Indonesia).  Dingos have had a hard time in Australia since they didn't get along well with the sheep and cattle herds brought in by the English.  Now they are protected and in certain spots doing better.  Our tour guides were quick to tell us not to pet or feed the dingos - they may look like normal house pets but these are very much wild animals.

 Gecko hanging around our hotel.  Good camouflage!

Birds in the Kata Tjuta Gorge

The resort we were at actually had a couple of dingo pups hanging around it.  When we had our dinner under the stars (see below), they showed up to see if they could get some scraps.

Longitude 131

During our time in the Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park area, we stayed at a resort called Longitude 131.  This is a hotel that K had learned about many years ago on the Oprah show.  To say that it is an upscale resort is to say that the Waldorf Astoria is a nice hotel - a vast understatement.

There aren't too many options when it comes to accommodations near Uluru and most things are a bit pricey, but Longitude 131 is the crème de la crème of resorts in the area.  The price tag is $2000 a night.  Choke, swallow hard.  That is what I have to do every time I say or hear that fact.  It is an all inclusive place - airport shuttle, food, drinks, tours to Uluru and Kata Tjuta are all taken care of.

The price tag is high, but having said that, this resort is something like I have never experienced.  I joke about a place or restaurant being "K approved".  Well this one defines "K approved."  What may surprise you is that it is a resort made of tents.  But like no tent I ever stayed in while I was in the service (I might have stayed longer if we had tents like this).

This was our "tent".

 And here is the view from the window of our tent.

The chef at the resort was phenomenal.  And if you were hungry or thirsty, you were provided for immediately.  In fact, the room came with a fully stocked fridge.  Just what every man needs after a long day out in the desert.

The resort also provided the guides and transportation into the rock formations.  These folks were just outstanding.

And the highlight of our stay was a dinner under the stars right next to Uluru.  I will remember the evening for the rest of my life.  First off, there is absolutely no light pollution out in this part of the world.  I have never seen the sky lit up with so many stars.  You can easily see the milky way and shooting stars are going off like fireworks.  The people at the resort are happy to point out any constellation to you - and given the clarity of the sky, it isn't hard to see them.

The dinner was a four course gourmet feast with three different types of wine served - white wine with the appetizer, red with dinner, and a aperitif with desert.  And there was entertainment.  We had Aboriginal dancers give us a show and a didgeridoo player give us some music (if that is what you call the sound that comes from a didgeridoo). 

 

K and I are the ones in the middle of the picture - if you couldn't tell.  I recorded a bit of the sound of the didgeridoo player and native dancers - even though the pictures are black (they played in the dark or firelight), you can hear the sound with the videos.

 

So that was our trip to Uluru and surrounds.  It is just another part of our amazing journey that I will never forget.  I can't tell you just how lucky K and I feel to be able to be here and to be able to share the experience together.  All our love to those back home.