Reefs n' Rainforests

One of the many redeeming (well, maybe just redeeming) qualities about traveling with your family is that they are often willing and able to afford expensive adventures that I myself would never consider if I were traveling solo. Consequently. The highlight of our stay in Port Douglas was a 2-day Reef n' Rainforest combo tour that really allowed us to take advantage of the two natural wonders in proximity to PD.

As it turns out, PD is a great vacation location not only because it's a fantastic beach town, but also because of its proximity to two, separate natural wonders: The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and the Daintree Rainforest. I feel like the GBR needs no introduction. If you think GBR means Great Britain, then you need to brush up on your geography. If you have never heard of the GBR, then there is nothing more I can do for you. The Daintree Rainforest, on the other hand, is arguably the worlds oldest rainforest. It is especially cool because large parts of the rainforest grow very close to the Coral Sea, which is the big body of water off the coast of Port Douglas. Because many of the rainforest tree species cannot function in salt water, a very visible pattern of growth has developed between rainforest tree species, mangrove trees, and the coastal beach waters. Mangrove trees can survive in saltwater and they form a buffer between the sea and rainforest along much of the coast. 

I've been snorkeling before in Florida and Thailand, but nothing matches the underwater sights on view in the GBR. It's just an unbelievable reef teaming with wildlife. The tour boat took us to three different spots along the reef that are actually protected by laws designating them national marina parks. We saw small, brightly colored reef fish, other big fish, turtles, stingrays, and one reef shark. I really feel like it's the apex of the snorkeling world, even with my limited experience. I have also concluded that it is literally impossible to snorkel on the reef and NOT compare everything to “Finding Nemo.” Not joking, my sister and I described the fish in this manner: “I saw two Dory fish, only one potential Nemo, at least three of the fish with the scars, and none of the kind of fish who is obsessed with bubbles. Sadly, didn't see any Crushs.” I think the saddest part is that we both immediately knew what the other one was talking about. It's like being on a big boat and not standing at the front and yelling “I'm king of the world!” It's just about damn near impossible. It should be an unwritten law of this world. Kind of like the unwritten law which says that anyone human who wears flannel shirts also plays guitar. At least a little bit. 

The rainforest is nice.

Graffiti + Sense of Humor= famous road sign.

NEMO (almost)