Well after 36 hours plus travel time finally made it to Cairns (pronounced cans). The first day we went snorkeling outside of Port Douglas on board the Calyps, over crowded and really not too well run. My first impression of the Great barrier reef, is great....really?...., maybe just in size, but nothing else, there is a lot of dead coral and not a great variety of fish. We went to Opal reef, where tourists from abroad and Australia thrashed around the coral with complete disregard. two women with young boys and spaghetti sticks to float had their fins all over the coral and no one from the boat called them out on it. When my daughter mentioned it to the crew they said feel free to say something to them, really our job to police your passengers and your reefs? Of course we scolded right and left to no avail!
There is a great article in the Economist the speaks to the state of danger the reef Isis and the UN is considering to put it on the world heritage danger list. One would think that Australia would do everything in its power to protect its national treasure. At a cost of $200 plus a person to take a ride out to the reef it is a huge money maker for them, but one that is being abused by the tour operators in catastrophic numbers! The state of Queensland makes over 5 billion a year in revenue, what will they do when it is no longer there to view? The government even approved a project to dump dredging spoils in to the waters of the reef for a new port in Abbot Point, is there nowhere else in this enormous country to dump it?
On another note, Aussies so far from the ones we have interacted with are witty, curious and so friendly! One has to adjust as to how curious and conversational they are.
Another thing I have noticed is their deep sense of community. For one, the Sydney seige, such an outpouring of compassion for those that lost their lives and suffered through the ordeal of being held hostage. A memorial with thousands of flowers and people standing in line weeping. I have not seen such an outpouring community and compassion since Princess Diana.
An 18 year old young man attacked and killed by a shark, his friends set up a prayer vigil, the family expected a few dozen people, several hundred showed up! This helped the family through their grief and loss. Why are we not like the Aussies? Have we become too desensitized because of daily killings and decades of war?
