Etty Bay

During our time in Mossman and the Daintree Rainforest we had hoped to catch a glimpse of a Australian cassowary, an endangered bird only found in north Queensland. Whilst at Mossman we didn’t spot any of the birds but were told that we would probably spot one at either Etty Bay or Mission Beach, so that is where we headed. During the wet season swimming off the northern beaches of Queensland isn’t recommended due to the number of jelly fish inhabiting the waters, luckily Etty Bay had a stinger net and so we were able to spend the day on the beach and in the sea whilst waiting for a cassowary to appear. Cassowaries are very odd looking birds, with their wattles and horn they look pre-historic. Armed with a dangerous claw you are advised to be “cass-o-wary” and give the birds right of way… so when one emerged from the forest and headed straight for our table I quickly got out of the way, retreating down the beach to take some photos. The final photograph in the post is of the Big Cassowary in Mission Beach, another big thing to add to our collection!

Granite Gorge

Our last stop in the Atherton Tablelands was Granite Gorge Nature Park, 12km southwest of Mareeba. The gorge is home to rock wallabies, secluded swimming spots and a walking trail that took us scrambling over huge granite boulders.

Coral Bay

In order to explore the Ningaloo Reef we based ourselves in Coral Bay, warning a lot of photos in this post. Shortly after arriving we bought snorkels and headed out to the reef, which was easily reached from the beach. After swimming out to the reef we let the current carry us along the coast, as we watched all the fish below us. The next day we caught a boat out to a patch of reef a little further out for more snorkeling before heading to Coral Bay’s infamous bakery for hot pies and cake.

P.S. Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a lovely day with your friends and families. You may have noticed that the blog has fallen slightly behind in regards to where we are now in Australia (we have made it back to the East coast now) but hopefully I will get caught back up during the New Year! xx

Monkey Mia

One of the main attractions within Shark Bay is the opportunity to visit Monkey Mia, which is famous for its dolphin population. Every morning wild dolphins arrive in the shallow waters of Monkey Mia to be fed. Being able to watch these dolphins being fed so close up was a great experience.