Cairns

Cairns was a city where I truly got the most "Australia" experiences. First, I snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, which was crazy. It looked like those colorful fishbowls I made when I was little. Colorful rocks and beautiful fish were swimming right next to me and I will never forget it. Also, the island that we were on, called Green Island, had a path going through it which I walked along after I was done in the water. 

I also went to Hartley's Crocodile Farm where I got the true Australian animal experience! I went on a little excursion through a swamp with a bunch of the country's largest captivated crocodiles. During it, the ranger holds a long pole with some chicken meat dangling from it and teases the crocodiles, so I saw their jaws chomp and how fast they can attack their prey. It was crazy to see such a dangerous, but beautiful animal so up close and personal. 

On the other side of the farm were Kangaroos just roaming through an open area! I love that they were not constrained by a little cage and I got to literally walk next to them and say hello. They were adorable and incredibly friendly, but I still had to bribe them with carrots to take these photos with me;)

So if you know me you would understand how wack it is that I even went near these reptiles (...you can also see the pain in my face). There was actually an option to just take a photo with the koala, but I decided I was only going to be there once so why not torture myself just a little for a photo! In the end, though, my Australian adventure would not have felt nearly as complete if it had not been for my last minute decision to go to Hartly's Crocodile Farm!