The city of Cairns in the Australian state of Queensland is a rather unique city as it is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Its warmth and seaside location give it a tropical feel.

On Wednesday morning we boarded a catamaran with Great Adventures Cruises for a 50-minute ride toward the Coral Sea for Green Island, a single island that sits right on top of the GBR, with its crystal-clear water and amazing undersea life. Upon arrival this little island gave off Gilligan’s Island vibes, a tropical paradise in the South Pacific.

We immediately signed up for a sea-walker experience, a chance to walk on the sea floor, 12 feet underwater, to see what it really looks like “under the sea”. What an experience that was, so many different types of fish everywhere, and many other types of sea life including a giant clam and Nemo. We all wore wet suits as the water was below 80 degrees, and we were underwater for nearly 24 minutes. We wore a helmet that held an air pocket inside and we could breathe like normal but completely under water. Highly recommend if you have the chance.

 The day was finished off with a sweet treat, a churro from Churro Time. This was a first for Tammy and I, and we went all out, with stuffed versions. Alex had ice cream with his, Yum!! Today, Thursday, we slept in a bit as we didn’t have an excursion planned. After breakfast we headed out to explore the city. We visited an art exbibit that focused on the Aboriginal protests from 2005, went through Rusty’s Market and picked up a fresh mango and ate it with a delicious specialty coffee from Annee’s. After more exploring and relaxing we ended our day with dinner and something none of us have experienced, a sushi train.

Full album of pictures: https://jeffgibson.smugmug.com/The-Great-Barrier-Reef