Diving the Great Barrier Reef and cuddly koalas

December 29
I was up at 4:00 am because of some inconsiderate people in the park. They were swimming and partying in the pool...kept most everyone up. The owners were told about it and the partners were asked to leave.

We had breakfast and headed off to the marina for our dive in the Great Barrier Reef. There were a total of 80 people....divers and snorkelers. We dive with Aqua Quest, a dive company just trying to get established in Port Douglas. It was a bit congested and unorganized with everyone going in the water all at the same time. It was a great day diving with Bradley. Unfortunately, I am unable to upload the diving videos. Sorry.

December 30
We were on the road by 7:15 am because we had lots of distance to cover. Port Douglas to Airlie beach is an 8.5 hours drive. We stopped in Townsville to visit the Billabong Sanctuary to see and cuddle the koalas. Unfortunately, cuddling wasn’t until 4 pm and we still a long 3 hours to go. Here are some of the things we saw....
Feeding the crocs

Can you find the lizard?

Momma roo and Joey

Bilbies are desert-dwelling marsupial. They survive but remain endangered. It is currently listed as a vulnerable species. It’s fur is usually grey or white, it has a long pointy nose and very long ears, hence earning its nick-name, the rabbit-eared bandicoot.s

Cassowaries are one of the largest birds still alive. ... Cassowary has been named the world's most dangerous bird in the Guinness Book of Records. Found in the rain forests of Australia and New Guinea, these shy birds can slice you into two pieces with a single fatal kick when slightly exaggerated.

Then we found the cute and cuddly koalas....sleeping.

After a swim we headed into Airlie Beach to explore. I underestimated the walk....it was far!

By the time we got there all the stores were closed, we grabbed dinner and walked back.

Calamari was delish!