Green Island - 2 hours return by ferry

The last day of our Australian vacation has been a great day, as if we would have doubted that. Two weeks ago we had booked an excursion to Green Island on the inner Great Barrier Reef and started our day off with a pleasant 30 minute walk to the esplanade, which runs along the ocean by the wharf. We were able to watch a colony/flock or whatever you call them, of pelicans sun bathing, preening, stretching and sleeping and not being the least bit bothered by everyone on the walkway watching and photographing them.

The 50 minute fast catamaran trip over to Green Island was a bit rough as we got closer to the reef. We had an option of taking a glass bottom boat excursion or going snorkelling so we chose the glass bottom boat and after seeing where people were snorkelling (the water doesn’t get deep) we were happy with our choice. The boat driver was very informative and did his best to find us a real variety of things to see, while being careful not to run into the reef, a real feat in some places. We saw many varieties of coral, sea cucumbers, large turtles, 100 lb clams, zebra fish, bat fish, sting rays, and many other reef fish. What an amazing ecosystem.

Green Island

 

 

The reef is like an aquarium

Huge clams

A turtle swimming nearby

After we got off the boat we had lunch and were joined by red banded rails, real pesky birds who we watched swoop down and actually steal chips off peoples plates! One young boy made the mistake of holding his burger to the side and one of the birds landed on it! One little fellow landed on our table and was desperate for a handout but we didn’t oblige. There were several places to get lunch as well as shops, parasailing, scuba diving, sea walking (they put an air dome over your head),scuba doo (an underwater seadoo (that you again wear a water helmet for),  helicopter rides and many other activities you could take part in.

Finishing lunch it was time to walk some more. They have a boardwalk through the rainforest with interpretive signs so off we went. There were many beach areas with people trying to swim and snorkel but the tide was going out when we got there and continued to do so making the water shallow and the reef parts harder to get to again reinforcing our decision to not snorkel. In some ways we think this may have been what Disney’s Castaway Cay would have been like.

The wind picked up as the afternoon progressed so the catamaran trip back was rougher. At times there was only sea out of the side window and at times only sky. One poor Japanese lady was on the floor and having a really hard time with it. Norma had a little nap! There were actually lots of people sleeping after their busy day on the island.

There is a night market on the esplanade every evening so we had decided to stay in that area and see what it was all about. It was a bit early for opening so we went to the pokies again. Not many people there and you can see why as they pay so poorly. They still have the old fashioned way of paying you in coins! It sounds good when you cash out but then you have to find a bin to take all these coins to the cashier where she puts them in a plastic measuring jug and weighs them. We did buy a few things in the market but will do the rest of our shopping in the duty free tomorrow.