The Great Barrier Reef …. calm warm
seas, clear as crystal competing with the cloudless sky for that
perfect shade of tropical blue. Nearby the dazzling white beach of a
desert island paradise with palm trees waving in the gentle breeze.
Under the water a kaleidoscope of colour from a hundred different
corals ... and the fish providing an amazing display - looking for
all the world like a splintering rainbow … and …
...and then I woke up to hear the rain
still beating down on the tent as we shelter for yet another day from
what is constantly being described as “unseasonal” weather - the
“Douglas Phenomenon” has struck once again. Of course we should
have known – this is where the Rainforest meets the Reef, and the
clue is in the name RAINforest!
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| Where the Rainforest meets the Reef and meets the Douglases |
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| Port Douglas sheltering from the weather - probably not the best snorkelling conditions! |
We have somehow ended up at a bird watchers retreat at Julatten in the mountains above Port Douglas. Elderly bird watchers armed with binoculars, and cameras with lenses the length of bazookas, stalk the forests looking for the native birdlife. Setting off at the crack of dawn to scale mountain tracks looking for that “elusive” bird they return several hours later - soaking wet, birdless and covered in leeches, but not disheartened – they'd try again tomorrow. Sandra is slowly but surely being drawn into their circle and is thinking of taking a dawn tour herself – I somehow doubt it, she hasn't seen 6am for a long time!
I took a drive down to Port Douglas to suss out the weather at sea level for tomorrow's trip and was initially heartened to find the temperature 6C degrees warmer and with less rain. This enheartened feeling was firmly put into perspective when I arrived on the wharf to find tomorrow's forecast chalked up on the board “ROUGH”
I'll let you know how things work out – I'm now off to look out my snorkel and Quells.
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