Hartley's Crocodile Adventures

On Thursday June 27th we rented a car and went out touring. We first went to Outback Opal Mine Store and learned about opal mining in Australia and looked at the beautiful stones they had for sale. Our next stop was Hartley's Crocodile Adventures which is not only a crocodile farm&park, but also home to some other animals. We walked around and saw loads of crocs, most of which were pretty motionless. The first pen we got to, Dave thought they were fake because they were so still. Then we took a tour of the farm, where they raise crocodiles for profit and saw the year old babies. The most valuable part is the skin and then the secondary parts are the meat. They use all the meat from their farm in their on-site restaurant, which we ate a crocodile burger at. All of the skins from this particular farm are sold to Louis Vuitton. We also saw a snake show and a crocodile attack show. During the attack show we saw the famous crocodile roll and the head shake to tear their victims apart. We went on a short 30 minute boat ride around the lagoon, where our guide fed the crocodiles from a wooden pole. It was really cool to see them jump out of the water to get the meat off the stick. They really do move quick and jump high to attack and eat. We also got to see koalas and the Australian Cassowary, which is the largest bird here standing at 6 1/2 feet tall and weighing about 100 pounds. There were also lizards, turtles, snakes, birds, etc. Our favorite part was most definitely the kangaroos and wallabies. We were walking to get to the wallaby feeding at a certain time, and while following the path we arrived at a gate. The gate was closed, but not locked with a "push" sign on it. Then there was a second gate also. Over the fence we could see all these cute wallabies and kangaroos. There was no one else around and we weren't sure wether we were suppose to go through or not. After all the gate wasted locked and it said push, but we couldn't fathom the thought that anyone would be aloud to go into the pen with these animals. I mean could you imagine that at Jacksonville or Atlanta Zoo? We debated the topic for about 5 minutes, then went through the gate. After about 10 minutes of being alone, a park ranger came in with the food. We got to feed them right out of our hands and pet them all as much as we wanted. It was really cool. We loved the little guys. It was certainly the highlight of our day.
After the crocodile park, we drove up to Port Douglas, a small resort town north of Cairns. We walked around town for a bit, then had a yummy meal at one of the local restaurants. It was a lovely day for exploring.

Rescue Diver Dave

Last week Dave completed his PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course, and this week he has completed his Rescue Diver Course. He has gotten to do 22 dives on the Great Barrier Reef and has loved every one. He is really enjoying upgrading his dive certifications. The Great Barrier is like nothing you've ever seen before. There is no comparison at all to the reef in the Florida Keys. They are like night and day to each other. It is beautiful and unbelievable!

Barron Falls

This past week we have been continuing on the job hunt. We have both applied for numerous jobs and Dave has been working hard to get his name out in the fishing community. We have settled into our apartment and are enjoying the area. Our apartment complex is located right next to the Cairns Botanical Gardens which has loads of trails and paths to explore. We have been trying to get out and walk or bike the area as often as we can for both exercise and knowledge of the area.
The day we moved into our apartment we went out exploring in the rental car we had gotten for the day. After shopping for linens  , groceries, cleaning supplies, bathroom necessities, etc., we didn't have a ton of time left in the day, but we figured we should make the most of having a car. We drove about 30 minutes to the small town of Kuranda. Its a neat little tourist town that a train from Cairns runs to. Also a sky rail from just north of Cairns goes up the mountains into Kuranda. We didn't do either of those, but we did go to Barron Falls. This waterfall is super tall but doesn't have a ton of water running over it since its the dry season. It will be cool to go back in the wet season and see the falls gushing with water. The river apparently rises an incredible amount and the width of the falls widens. We'll have to make a trip back in a few months!

Cairns Apartment

This week we have been exploring Cairns and getting to know the area. We bought bikes and have been peddling all over town. We have looked at several apartments this week, and finally decided on one. We signed a lease on Friday. We move in on Sunday for 5 months! It is a one bedroom apartment at "The Lakes" in Cairns North. It is about a 15 minute bike ride to the city center, but an enjoyable one. Because we are pretty much directly north of the main city area near the water, we can use the Esplanade the whole way into town. The Esplanade is about a 5 mile stretch of park along the waters edge ranging from 50 yards wide to a couple hundred yards wide. All along the grassy Esplanade are bike trails, walking paths, playgrounds, bbq areas, fitness stations, a children's water park, a huge public pool, skate park, beach volleyball courts, tennis courts, and anything else you could imagine. It has all been really well designed and is landscaped beautifully. So from our new apartment, we cross over two blocks east to the esplanade and head south into the heart of town. Of course there is plenty in the area that we are in as well, but the main shops, marina, and attractions are in the center of town. So far we are really liking the area. It is much bigger than the town we lived in, in New Zealand. Cairns has a little over 150,000 people including the suburbs, which will be a nice change for a little while. We do love small towns, but sometimes its nice to have good shopping, big grocery stores, and a nice selection of restaurants. The next couple of days we will be getting ready to move into our apartment and get settled.

Leaving T.I.

Today we are leaving Thursday Island to go to Cairns, Australia on the mainland, where we will spend the next 5 months. We will be quickly getting an apartment and jobs. This past 2 weeks on T.I. has been so wonderful. It is such a beautiful remote place. Since our camping trip last weekend, Dave and Jason headed out fishing on the boat a couple times and we also fished from the wharf on Horn Island and a wharf here on T.I. Yesterday was our last day, and it couldn't have been more perfect. We took Jason's boat over to Prince of Whales Island and found an amazing beach to spend the day at. On our way over we stopped at a Japanese Pearl farm on Friday Island to have a look around. Kazu Pearl Farm is a large producer of pearls here in Australia. We wanted to have lunch and do a tour, but they were fully booked, so we opted to shop a little in their store. It was such a neat spot all alone and secluded on it's own island. They had some really nice jewelry and nice Mother of Pearl Shells, along with other pieces. On Prince of Whales Island we enjoyed ourselves playing on the beach, swimming, fishing, grilling lunch, shell hunting, and relaxing. The water was clear and shallow, and the perfect temperature too! We found a small river and the guys did a little fishing and netting. We headed back in the afternoon and ended a truly perfect day.