Just north of Cairns, the towering trees and tangled undergrowth of the Daintree Rain Forest come crashing to the water’s edge on Queensland’s golden beaches, where beneath the undisturbed surface of the ocean swirls the thriving underwater community of the Great Barrier Reef. Diving or snorkeling the reef is like exploring the surface of some foreign planet, with coral and tropical fish displaying colors as brilliant and beautiful as the consummate flower garden, all easily visible in the Reef’s crystal clear waters. Solitary rays, turtles, and reef sharks occasionally punctuate the colorful scenery, drifting through schools of fish that respond as one entity to any outside disturbance. The beauty of the Reef is almost indescribable.
The Great Barrier Reef, which stretches 2000km for essentially the entire Queensland coast, is just one example of Australia’s natural splendor. The Daintree Rainforest that nestles up against the Reef north of Cairns exemplifies the lush wildlife to be found in Australia, a sanctuary to primitive plant life and a constantly audible, frequently visible animal community. Curious creatures abound in Australia–kangaroos are the most prolific, but koalas, dingoes, wombats, duck-billed platypuses and other unique animals all share this vast continent. For those travelers who escape the cities and the most popular tourist destinations, which isn’t difficult in a country the size of the mainland U.S., these critters may be the only company in the immediate vicinity.
