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I said farewell to Andrea and Ethan as I continued my trip in Australia.
I was in awe of the natural beauty of the country. Australia was full of conservation areas, some animals were only found here in the wild and nowhere else in the world. I had a chance to see these wonderful creatures.
I learned that a group of Kangaroos were a ‘mob’. It was amusing to see a mob of kangaroos hop past me at the park. I had an extreme urge to join in their queue, to hop along with them like an imposter kangaroo.
Australia had so many colorful birds. I saw rock star cockatoos. There were parrots that looked like mangoes. There were budgie parakeets, with feathers painted like clouds. The birds were everywhere. I saw them roaming freely, heard their merry sounds of squawking and chirping in the air. I was lounging in an outdoor patio, when a cheeky parrot stole a French fry right off my plate.
I was an animal lover who was in an animal paradise.
The best of all my encounters was one I had with some koalas. I saw the grey fluff balls sleeping high in the trees. Their button noses were snug close to the bark. The koalas were deep in serene slumber. I wished to wake them up, but didn’t want to be rude. Luckily, the kid standing next to me had no such problem. He shouted at them with an unceremonious “Hey!”
He shouted a few more times, getting louder each time. The boy’s mother was trying her best to shush him and stop his mischief. His efforts paid off as one koala finally stirred. The sleepy koala looked around groggily. He was trying to find the perpetrator whose shouts trespassed his beautiful dreams.
I was laughing hard. The koala had the most dazed expression.
It reminded me so much of Cassie; her face early in the morning, when she had to take buddy for his walks.
I snapped a picture, captioned it as ‘Cassie’s mirror in the morning’ and send it to her. Cassie's reply was quick. She said though they both had the same sleepy expression, the koala’s ears were definitely fluffier than hers.
My trip was filled with wonder, and Australia was full of surprises. It had birds like the Carroway, whose talons were dangerous enough to stop you from ever petting it. There were friendlier birds like the Kookaburras, fluffy birds with a cute beak. Then there was the Quokka, a cute little smiling rodent, with the happiest expression. I took a selfie with the smiling Quokka. I will definitely frame the picture once I got home.
I didn’t want my journey here to end. There were places here to move hearts. Australia had natural heritage sites like Uluru and Blue Mountain. It had serene countrysides, romantic vineyards, and scenic red desert. It had eternal landscapes under an infinite sky.
Even though I was here for three weeks, Australia continued to surprise me each day. I think it would surprise me even if I stayed here for a lifetime.
My last stop to visit was the Great Barrier Reef.
It surprised me when I found out how large it was. The Great Barrier Reef was visible from space, and roughly the same size as Germany. It was home to thousands of sea creatures living in the coral reefs, the islands, and coral cays.
Every island along the Great Barrier Reef was very different. Some of these were coral cays. Those were low, sandy islands made by sediment deposits. There were large islands, with hilltop lookouts, and beautiful rainforests. I hiked the trails on each of the islands. They designated many of the islands as national parks. It was a place for people to visit, and a habitat for thousands of different animals.
I saw the world’s largest green turtle breeding site in Raine Island, which was in the far north. I saw lots of rare birds on the island, like the rare red-tailed tropic bird. I also saw lots of plants native to the area. I found incredible marine animals, birds, and plants everywhere.
I went to Heron Island in the south, which was a favourite nesting place for turtles. I found sooty terns at Michaelmas Cay. I saw brown boobies at Low Isles. I searched for the Green Triangle Butterfly in Fitzroy island.
Despite all of its wonders, I was sad to learn the Great Barrier Reef was under threat.
Things like global warming, shipping, development, and even tourism were destroying it. The corals were dying because of coral bleaching and rising global temperatures.
The Great Barrier Reef had a vital part in the health of our planet. I learned the Great Barrier Reef protected coastlines from waves coming from the open ocean. It protected the coastlines from extreme weather. The algae in the coral system cleaned the air by absorbing carbon dioxide. The algae were helping to reduce climate change.
The Great Barrier Reef needed our protection. I wished I could protect it.
I went snorkelling to see the reef up close. The boat I was on had a tour guide and several other tourists. It took us an hour to reach the dive site. I saw dolphins pass by as I looked out at the perfect turquoise waters. It was a paradise.
The tour guide told us how tourism was both a threat and a protection to the Great Barrier reef. Each year, tourists such as myself visited and fell in love with the reef. Tourists helped with the conservation effort, as the environmental management charge each visitor paid helped in saving the reef.
The guide told us a few rules to keep in mind as we went snorkeling in the water. The first rule was not to endanger yourself or the reef. We could not touch or damage the reef. We were told not to throw any rubbish in the water. We couldn’t wear sunscreens as that contaminated the waters. They were simple rules, but were especially important near the coral reefs.
This was my first time going in the water after I nearly drowned. I was not ready for scuba-diving, but I was okay with snorkeling. I wanted to stay closer to the surface. I couldn’t go in deeper waters yet. For snorkeling, I only needed some goggles, a breathing tube, and a pair of flippers. I was nervous, but I prepared myself mentally.
I took a deep breath before I plunged into the water.
Everything was so blue. As I dove deeper, I saw vibrantly colored fishes, darting in and out of the vast maze of corals and anemones. The guide mentioned that these corals were up to millions of years old. I could not see the colors of the corals that well. I took pictures with my underwater camera. The underwater pictures came out well. They showed the colors much better than I could see myself.
The guide told us to look for some creatures, but I wasn’t able to spot many. I didn’t see any whales, manta rays, or giant clams. I spotted some clownfish, some turtles, and an enormous potato cod swimming by. I felt I was in a marine wonderland.
The boat ride back was tranquil. The last item left on my itinerary was a helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef.
I booked a helicopter flight to see the Great Barrier Reef from above. I saw islands and coral reefs as the helicopter went soaring over the turquoise water. I could spot manta rays, their diamond-shaped shadows in the clear water. It was breathtaking to see the white sand beaches and lush greenery in the jeweled sea. As we hovered low over the reef, I spotted the heart reef, which was a coral reef section shaped like a heart.
Australia captured my heart and imagination with its natural wonders. I saw this incredible place on Earth in a way few people did.