16:34.781 S  146:01.970 E

GREEN ISLAND

4^th August 2007

Jim Wallace very kindly offered us a trip out to Green Island, a small atoll just 17 kms out from  Cairns on his fast catamaran he owns as part of his Green Island Reef Cruises, together with our friends Don and Robyn and Don and Liz

Perfect weather, hardly any swell or wind to upset the other tourists!  We even braved the cold water (about 22C) to go snorkelling.  The soft corals and fish were a delight in good 15 metre visibility.

Included in our package was a trip on the submersible, so that not all of us had to get wet to see the fish and coral!

We even had a visit from a turtle, and the giant sea clams are never a disappointment seen so close up!

The hump-back wale even gave us a wave as we cruised past.  The staff of the Green Island Reef cruises were wonderful, slowing the jet-cat down for us to enjoy the spectacle!

5^TH AUGUST –Driving down the Bruce Highway to Hinchingbrook Island

Via Mission Beach and Cardwell Beach

This prehistoric Cassowary bird actually crossed the road in front of us along the road from Mission Beach!  The mountain range on Hinchingbrook Island is impressive.  The swampy mangroves that separate the island from the mainland is seen here at the viewpoint near Cardwell.  There was a ‘seafest’ happening at Cardwell, with a bank playing to all these bikers who had stopped for a rest from their off-road event.

The Wallaman falls are the highest in Australia at 278 metres.  A very good road all the way to the top saved us time on this 700 km round trip from Cairns!