australia
° Brisbane ° Cairns ° Great Barrier Reef ° Port Douglas
° UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Australia is huge and greatly vacant: it is one of the world’s most urbanised countries, with about 70 per cent of the population living in the 10 largest cities. It is written that its biggest attraction is its natural beauty, and I would have agreed prior to visiting Australia. Now that I've been there, I'd say that in additional to its beauty and extraordinary beaches, the people are amazingly friendly and the beer plentiful. Absolutely fabulous place to visit, dive, swim, just hang out. . .
Brisbane
Wonderful sophisticated town, great accommodations, excellent day trips from the city. The 'roo on the top left was enroute to Queen Street Mall, just a few blocks from our hotel (the Hotel Mercure, which is an Accor Hotel and which you can book through the link on the right if you are interested in visiting Brisbane). Brisbane was an "accidental" stop for us. We didn't have time to get to Sydney, so started the our journey from Brisbane. 
We were delighted with this sophisticated, clean city. Besides, you have to love a place where the “trash birds” swooping for your lunch are beautiful Ibis instead of pigeons or seagulls don’t you? In addition to the Hotel Mercure, there are a few other fine hotels near Victoria Bridge on the Brisbane River. All are within blocks of the train station and close to the great shops in and around Queen Street Mall. A quick walk across Victoria Bridge leads to Southbank’s Parklands with man-made beaches, riverfront restaurants (and the Ibis), street artists, and museums. Day trips cruise to Morton Bay where it is possible to swim with dolphins, although that is a hit-or-miss proposition as these are wild – not captive -- dolphin! Brisbane is a city worth defecting to if one needs to defect.
Cairns
Cairns is a "small large town" on the East Coast of Australia. In addition to good shopping at the Marketplace, it has excellent and relatively inexpensive tours to diving areas of the Great Barrier Reef, such as Green Island. Options were viewing coral reefs and tropical fish from a "semi-submarine," or a glass-bottom boat, or snorkel from the beach to the reefs (which is what we did).
When we were there in 2003, one of America's Naval Pacific Fleet ships was in port and the fine young men and women were on our dive trip. They were all well-mannered and delightful company during a day-long trip.
We also joined a day-trip to the Cairns Zoo, which is considered the premier wildlife park in Queensland. It the closest we've ever been to "exotic" animals. We hand-fed kangaroos and this is one of the few places in Australia that you can hold a koala and have your photo taken. We missed the Night Zoo, which includes an Aussie BBQ featuring steak and seafood.
Great Barrier Reef
If you fill the Grand Canyon in Arizona with 80+° turquoise water and populate it with vibrantly colored tropical fish darting around you, you will have the Great Barrier Reef. We were in the area of the Reef out of Cairns . . . it is so vast, and visibility so excellent that it is eerie to swim in. Even though the reef is suffering due to environmental concerns, if you have previously not seen this world wonder, it is still amazing. The Great Barrier Reef is composed of 3,000 individual reefs and coral islands stretching approximately 1,500 miles off the northeast coast of Australia. It consists of more than 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 kinds of mollusks and dugongs (sea cows), and endangered green turtles. Among the 600 islands are 25 stunning resorts, cruises and dive-boats catering to those who just wish to snorkle and enjoy the warm waters (and still see lots of fish) or beginning and advanced divers.
Port Douglas
Port Douglas grew as a result of Australia's gold discoveries in the late 1800s. It does not resemble any American West Gold Rush towns; it more resembles a tropical port for pleasure boats with a lovely downtown area with the perfect for a leisurely afternoon stroll and shopping.
When we visited Port Douglas during the month of May, the weather was sublime, not too humid, just lovely. We've heard that humidity during an Australian summer is brutal.
We toured the Rainforest Habitat, about one hour's drive from Cairns, and which features an enclosed aviary wherein you can stroll within feet of hundreds of different species of birds and near kangaroos, cassowaries, koalas and some crocodiles. We didn't have time to spend the evening, but heard favorable comments about the buffet style dinners near the "immersion exhibits, providing guests with an experience found nowhere else. As guests mingle, the mournful cries of the curlew are heard as flying fox circle overhead and rufous bettong scurry between the tables.
In the flickering lights, performance artists entertain with Bush Ballads and Aboriginal dances. The menus include the Great Aussie BBQ to the Deluxe Seafood buffet.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Australia
- Great Barrier Reef (1981)
- Kakadu National Park (1981, 1987, 1992)
- Willandra Lakes Region (1981)
- Lord Howe Island Group (1982)
- Tasmanian Wilderness (1982, 1989)
- Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (1986, 1994)
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (1987, 1994)
- Wet Tropics of Queensland (1988)
- Shark Bay, Western Australia (1991)
- Fraser Island (1992)
- Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte) (1994)
- Heard and McDonald Islands (1997)
- Macquarie Island (1997)
- Greater Blue Mountains Area (2000)
- Purnululu National Park (2003)
- Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (2004)
- Sydney Opera House (2007)
Reading departure signs in some big airport