Australia and the Great Barrier Reef - home Feb 19th

The Traveling Aggies trip "down under" ended with a cruise on the Great Barrier Reef.  After flying to Townsville, the group embarked on the Coral Princess, a small expedition type ship (25 cabins and very nice).  Our 3 night cruise was terrific.  The weather could not have been better - warm and sunny skies.  The crew of the Coral Princess did such a great job and were true professionals.  Three nights was not nearly enough - there is so much to see and do in this part of the world.

One of the highlights for us was snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef.  A glass bottom boat was also available for those who did not want to snorkel.  The viewing was incredible - so  many fish, coral, and crystal clear waters.  Swimming around the barrier reef is like swimming in an aquarium.  It is shallow enough you can see everything and be 'up close and personal' in these warm, tropical waters.  We had several lectures and informational sessions on the ship which aided us to know what to look for and identify what we were seeing. 

Our adventure took us to Palm Island and Magnetic Island.  The group enjoyed a nature trek through the lush rain forest.  The island is surrounded by fringing reef where we got to see a giant turtle and many colorful fish (including the "Nemo" fish).  We also sailed through the scenic Hinchinbrook Channel populated by mangroves and mountainous cliffs.  Time was spent on the Thetford reef (even doing a fish feed in the water and fish coming right up to you). 

The tapestry of life on the Great Barrier Reef is breathtaking - from brightly colored starfish and sea cucumbers to hundreds of types of coral, plants and fish.  We even saw 2 white tipped sharks (luckily they don't like people!).  A few of our group did some scuba diving which they really enjoyed as well as lots of snorkeling.

We can not say enough great things about the ship, the cruise, and the staff - truly a remarkable adventure and experience. 


Our cruise ended in Cairns.  After disembarking the ship we toured the city and spent time at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Park - seeing some shows, demonstrations and displays. We learned about the Indigenous Australians (Aborigines) of North Queensland. 

Cairns is a beautiful and lively city with a wonderful pier full of restaurants, bars, and shops.  We could have easily spent a couple of days here.  Unfortunately we had to fly home the next morning, but not before a group farewell dinner at Salthouse Restaurant.

The trip home went very well (a long journey but so well worth it).  Sadly we had to say goodbye to each other and Australia/New Zealand.  I think everyone had a fantastic time.  We could have not asked for a better group - we had 41 folks from several different schools and by the end of the trip we were one big happy family. 

A big thank you to our group for being such great travelers and friends.  And many thanks to Gohagan and staff for such an excellent trip. 

Here is to fond memories and new friends from our journey "down under" and many more to come.