Cairns

Map of the Northern part of Queensland Territory, including Cairns

Cairns

Acasia Court Hotel, our base during our visit, facing the ocean across the park

Cairns

The next door hotel

Cairns

View from our balcony

Cairns

Relaxing in the pool

Cairns

Shopping center next to the harbor

Cairns

Inside the shopping center

Cairns

Sail boats - the passion of the inhabitants in the area

Cairns

One of several boats taking tourists to the Great Barrier Reef

Cairns

Filling the hot air baloon from a propane burner

Cairns

It is early morning - forbidden to rise before sunup

Cairns

The first load takes off

Cairns

"Fly me to the Moon"

Cairns

The basket took about 20 people

Cairns

Sonja and Petter have boarded

Cairns

Colors in the baloon canopy

Cairns

Nice views and photo opporturnities

Cairns

View down to "our" minibus and ballon transport vehicle

Cairns

A farm down below

Cairns

Circular fields from the days of watering. Various fruits are the most common crop in the area

Cairns

The baloon transporter was waiting

Cairns

The basket landed on the trailer

Cairns

Everyone had to participate to empty and pack the baloon

Cairns

And this is the toral baloon package!

Cairns

After a champagne breakfast: A gondola trip over the rainforest canopy

Cairns

View from the gondola across the plains

Cairns

Sonja enjoys herself!

Cairns

Dense rainforest

Cairns

Right on top of the canopy

Cairns

A Kauri pine, with hights up to 50 m, striving for sunlight, and growing no lower branches

Cairns

Closup of the trunk

Cairns

And some plants habitate on others

Cairns

The tallest "mountain" we saw in the area

Cairns

Crossing a river towards the end station in Kuranda Rainforset Park

Cairns

Trail in the dense forest

Cairns

An aboriginal playing a didgeridoo, a rythm instrument made from hollowed out tree limbs

Cairns

Brightly colored peacock

Cairns

Another tropic bird

Cairns

The old train returning us to Cairns

Cairns

Back to oceanside scenery

Cairns

The beach East of Cairns

Cairns

An eucalyptus stand next to the beach

Cairns

Coconuts hanging overhead

Cairns

Note warning sign in the lower, left coner: Beware of falling coconuts!

Cairns

We enjoy the "summer" in the Australian winter in July

Cairns

Night is falling

Cairns

Our dive boat to take us out to the Great Barrier Reef

Cairns

The high speed boat used about 1 1/2 hour to reach our diving destination

Cairns

Sonja enjoys the view

Cairns

One of the small islands on the Reef

Cairns

A popular dive spot with several other boats in the area

Cairns

Sunning on the foredeck before the dive I

Cairns

Sunning on the foredeck before the dive II

Cairns

My diving instructor

Cairns

Off we go. The depth here is only 10 m

Cairns

Most people snorkeled, which is also a very nice experience here

Cairns

Sea life I

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Sea life II

Cairns

Sea life III

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Sea life IV. The shell is about 60 cm, and the one I poked, closed up immediately

Cairns

The sun is bearing down

Cairns

Relaxing after the dive

Cairns

Sundown

Cairns

Model of a 7.9 m crocodile. as compared to 8.6 m, the longest recroded

Cairns

Crocodile pretending to be a log

Cairns

Surfacing from hiding below the leaves

Cairns

Gamekeeper feeding with a chicken

Cairns

Living dangerous!

Cairns

The saltwater crocodile "Trinity", 4 m, captured in an area where people surfed

Cairns

Tough skin!

Cairns

A kolala sleeping at daytime, and wakes up at night and feeds on leaves and ecalyptus

Cairns

A snake at rest

Cairns

A kangaroo at rest

Cairns

Our beach for the day, with lazy Pacific waves

Cairns

An Australian Lemon-based drink, similar to the namesake Norwegian drink

Cairns

A forest fire North of us (we are on the Southern hemisphere), where the sun plays in the smoke

Cairns

Our last sundown in Australia

Cairns

Morning light

Cairns

A morning swim before departure

Cairns

Quantas took us to London, via Darwin and Singapoore in 26 hours

Cairns

A Norwegian girl returned together with us from a one year study trip in Australia