Saturday, August 28, 2010

The Great Barrier Reef - Cairns, Australia (18th-21st Aug 2010) - III

Flight No: CX103/CX102 (HKG-CNS-HKG)
Date: 18th - 21st August 2010
Flying Hours: 7 hours 5 mins
(GMT +1000)

Quicksilver Cruises to the Outer Great Barrier Reef
Quicksilver takes you to Agincourt Reef, at the very outer edge of the Barrier Reef. Here, special reefs known as ‘ribbons’ run parallel to the Continental Shelf. Adjacent to the Coral Sea trench, these ribbon reefs are recognised as the most pristine eco-systems in the reef’s environment.

Clear water provides the best possible underwater visibility, encourages rich coral growth and supports spectacular marine life. As the region’s outer reef pioneer, we chose the best location available to show you nature’s finest.


The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. This reef supports a wide diversity of life, and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labeled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland.

A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish.

The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating AU$ 1 billion per year. With my dear classmate, Macy Sip. This was my first time flying with her.
Seafood Buffet Lunch on the cruise, it was parked on the Agincourt Ribbon Reef, I enjoyed the spectacular view of it while enjoying my lunch. What a life~
Cairns Festival 2010


Snorkelling at one of the 7 Natural Wonders - "The Great Barrier Reef"
Click PLAY

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Cairns, Australia (4th-7th Aug 2010) - II

Flight No: CX103/CX102 (HKG-CNS-HKG)
Date: 4th - 7th August 2010
Flying Hours:
7 hours 5 mins
(GMT +1000)

I swapped in this 4 days direct Cairns flight and a Bangkok overnight with my original 4 days Toronto, a good swap indeed. This time I flew with another 4 Malaysians, ISM (Annie Loo) and SP (Eileen) are Malaysian, and another 2 BC, Alan (my classmate) and Jessie. It was quite happy to fly with so many Malaysian crew, you can hardly see so many Malaysians in the flight, not mentioning the KUL and PEN flight.
I have planned for a road trip hiring a car before the flight and I have invited Alan to join me, invited Jessie too but she's having medical problems and she couldn't join. Alan invited ISM and SP along too, so there're 4 of us who went for a road trip all the way to the North from Cairns to Cape Tribulation.
It was my first time driving out of my country and it felt great and awesome, and I am gonna do this more often in different countries so that I can explore more places, especially the places that public transports can't be reached. Of course, we can enjoy the flexible time all on our own.

Our journey on the 6th Aug:
Cairns - Trinity Beach - Palm Cove - Daintree - Cape Tribulation - Port Douglas - Cairns

Alan and I organised a barbeque dinner on the day of arrival, every crew attended. Each one of us contributed AUD20 for the food and drinks. Here's the evidence that we stole the trolley again from Woolworth, and pushed all the way back to our hotel, Rydges Esplanade. I mentioned "again" as this was my 2nd time pushing the trolley illegally back to the hotel, I did it once during my first time to Cairns last month. I really need to apologise for not being thoughtful and I am really feeling sorry for the peoples who's helped in returning the trolley back to Woolworth.

Our first stop - Trinity Beach

2nd stop - Palm Cove3rd stop - Rex Lookout4th stop - Walu-Wugirriga5th stop - Cape TribulationLast stop - Port Douglas