Australia: The Land Downunder Part 2

In my previous photosNtravel article, we visited the south eastern part of Australia. Today we are continuing our trek by heading north to Queensland, and the coastal city of Cairns. Situated on Trinity Bay, the city of Cairns is set against the magnificent background of jungle-covered mountains, with sugar cane fields everywhere.

I took the seaside tour to the small village of Kuranda, passing along steep cliffs, which overlook Trinity Bay. The village of Kuranda is known for its native arts and crafts, and many colourful shops. It is also the ‘home’ of bungee jumping, a sport I have not yet participate in.

The aboriginal name for this region is Tjapukai, a tribal word for rainforest, and is also the language spoken by the Tjapukai people. Their traditions include the haunting sounds of the didgeridoo.

From Cairns, I journeyed along a picturesque route to the small coastal town of Port Douglas, for an adventure on the Great Barrier Reef. On board a catamaran, we travelled at speeds in excess of 80 km an hour. Once I arrived at the reef, I transferred to a floating pontoon to enjoy a day of snorkelling, and underwater viewing of the eighth wonder of the world.

The Great Barrier Reef is the Earth's largest living ‘thing’ visible by astronauts from the moon. It stretches 2,000 km or 1,200 miles along the north eastern coastline of Australia.

After a long day on the reef, I left the area for my next destination: the Australian outback and world-famous Ayers Rock, located deep in the centre of the vast Australian desert.

The colour of the landscape is reddish-b