Australia Part 7 - Karunda & The Great Barrier Reef

For part 7 we are still in Cairns but with the aforementioned trips to Karunda and The Great Barrier Reef.
I'll start with Karunda, we rode up in the Gondola, from just outside Cairns, it's a long way with great views over the forest and out to sea, you also have to change goldola cars twice, that gives you some idea of how far it is.

We saw a couple of birds on the way, two White-bellied Sea Eagles and some Sulphur-crested Cockatoos but that was it. Once in Karunda we had some time for a wander, to look at the Tourist Tat shops, but after eating we ditched that and walked down to the river, this was much better!
Bar-shouldered Dove

Olive-backed Sunbird,

 Forest Kingfisher,

 Welcome Swallow,

 Australian Brushturkey,

 and Spotted Catbird

other birds seen were; Rainbow Lorikeet, Little Blacl Cormorant, Australian Figbird, Common Myna, Whir-breasted Woodswallow, Intermediate Egret, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Imperial Pigeon, Australian Darter and Common Bronzewing.

So our trip out to the Great Barrier Reef the next day was brilliant, the area of the reef that we went to didn't have any exposed rocks or sand bars, so very little bird life, however there were some Terns about using the rafts and buoys to perch on,
Sooty Tern,

 Brown Noddy with the Sooty Terns,

Other Terns seen out on the reef were Caspian and Black-naped Terns. So 4 bird species for us at there.

The actual reef experience was amazing, with lots of activities to choose from, Snorkeling, Glass Bottom Boat, Semi-submersible, Scuba Diving and Helicopter Rides for those with deep pockets.

We stuck to snorkeling and going out on the glass bottom boat a couple of times, seeing different things both times as the tide changed. Here are a few shots through the glass..

So that was Cairns, a must when visiting Australia!

Next and last Australian stop, Sydney