Covered Travel From The Great Barrier Reef And Beyond

Taking the four wheel drive carry all into consideration, it emerged into the bright coastal sunlight as it burst out of the cool, dark forest after rocking down the rotted jungle track. It was the Daintree rain forest that was one of the great natural wonders of the world we left behind only to face another one 10 miles offshore in the Great Barrier Reef. In one of the least developed regions along Australia's tropical northeast coast, northern Queensland, is where you will be able to see two wonders side by side. To read other travel Insurance articles make sure to visit budget travel insurance australia.

Actually, one of the oldest rain forests in the world can be found here. In this part of the northern coast is where the reef, stretching north and south along 1,250 miles of shore, swings closest to land. The rainforest and reef provide easy visitor access. By using a submersible glass sided craft, watching from an underwater observatory, or by diving, you can see 1,200 species of tropical reef fish or the 350 types of spectacularly colorful living coral that make up the reef.

When it comes to the jump off point, it was Cairns, a small tropical city of 85,000 that is as beautiful as a British colonial outpost serving as the gateway to Australia's Marlin Coast. Riding on the 100 year old Cairns Kuranda Railway, our out of town trip took us twisting 21 miles up and through rain forests, gorges, and mountains to the village of Kuranda. We drove for 90 minutes north along the Marlin Coast and inland toward the rain forest after returning to Cairns.

13 of the 19 families of ancient plant life still found on Earth are contained in the nearby rain forest. A number of them date back to 130 million years. What lines the forest are old rutted dirt tracks that were built for logging and passable via four wheel drive vehicles. In order to look at the rain forest more leisurely, there are pull offs including one that opens on to an hour's easy stroll along a well marked trail. Obtain further advice on travel insurance policies and the subject of travel Insurance.

Trips into the rain forest that are environmentally sensitive are offered by a tour service and it starts at Silky Oaks and includes a boat ride down the Daintree River. From Silky Oaks, we took a short drive to the old gold rush village of Port Douglas, one of the major gateways to the Great Barrier Reef. There were chartered boats for scuba divers, there were sailboats used by skimmers, and for groups of people who preferred to view the reef atop permanent platforms there was a fleet of twin hulled jet catamarans.

You need not get all wet in order to view the beauty of the coral reef and its multicolored fish by boarding one of two glass-sided semi submersibles that offer 30 minute trips alongside the coral. You will be guided by trained marine biologists when you go snorkeling. We stayed at this local hotel, whose open air coffee shop has become a gathering point for locals and whose swimming pool has private grottoes, one behind a waterfall. It was outside downtown Port Douglas where the famous Four Mile Beach can be found and it is where beautiful stretches of palm fringed white sand curve along the ocean.

In terms of Port Douglas, away from sea it is also a jump off point that offers a different view of the northern Queensland environment. It was during the past century when a tableland high above the coast became a prime cattle raising area and you will still see some of the original homesteads on the old cattle ranches today. Wetherby is the site of a 1870s homestead and still a working cattle station. With the family proprietors opening it for tourists, they can see the real Australia.

Be sure to get travel insurance before leaving. Traveling will be hassle free.