Great Barrier Reef and Kuranda Rainforest, Australia.

Our goal for Australia was almost singular: see the Great Barrier Reef. On two separate snorkeling excursions - one to Norman Reef and another to Green Island - we got to swim with tons of fish and coral of endless varieties of shapes and colors, most we couldn’t name. Here are some we could identify: hawksbill sea turtles, angel fish, a black-tipped reef shark, jellyfish, anemone clown fish, butterfly fish, blue spotted stingrays, box fish, brain coral, parrot fish, sea cucumbers, pink whipray, and a giant clam. (We opted to use an underwater camera on the first trip, but the photos turned out rubbish so we only included a few.)

In addition to snorkeling around Green Island, we visited the Marineland Crocodile Park there, home to Cassius the largest saltwater croc in captivity.

Cassius was rehomed from Darwin, Australia in the ‘80s after years of attacking boats and people. They think he’s about 120 years old and going strong.

The Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland are “where the rainforest meets the reef” and the only two UNESCO World Heritage sites that sit directly adjacent to each other. It makes sense since they were once connected, ecologically speaking, and both hold vast numbers of living species not found anywhere else in Australia. We took the Skyrail over the Kuranda Rainforest, visited Kuranda village and the Kuranda Koala Gardens.

Jellyfish season means full-body stinger suits

Suckerfish (though we reaaaaly thought it was a black-tipped reef shark at first)

Swimming with a hawksbill turtle

Finding a spot by the fan

Admiring the turtle

Tails as stabilizers

4000 psi of croc bite

Giant Cassius (note missing front leg)