Australia, PNG, or Micronesia in March?

[caymaniac]

Many thanks to everyone for your advice!

In the end we have chosen option #2 -- a week of land activities in Australia plus a week on a liveaboard to the Coral Sea. We're leaving March 17th and will spend 3 nights in Sydney, 6 nights on the Nimrod Explorer, and then 5 nights in or near Cairns (these 5 nights are the one thing we still need to book).

We're very excited and would welcome any further tips on the Great Barrier Reef area of Queensland and/or the Nimrod Explorer!

Cheers!

This sounds like an excellent choice. At Cairns we spent one day getting to know our way around (as in public transport) which came in handy when one day we chose to go to Palm beach for a quiet day of beach relaxing. We spent one day going up to Karunda to see a Habitat, then in the sky car on the way back did some hiking and then in the afternoon we went to Tjapakai for a culural show. One day we spent sleeping in but in the afternoon start a tour called "wait-a-while" tour. They took us by bus into the Tablelands mountains for several walks though rain forest areas and pointed out birds, amphibian, reptiles. Then the tour continued on to private property where just before sunset we saw several sightings of the duck-billed platypus. Next we were off to dinner at amountain lodge, then after dark we went back into the rain forest with lights (really bright lights) to see tree kangaroos and possum + other marsupials, frogs and reptiles and luminescent fungus. We spent one day in port Douglas and we took the Quicksilver boat, we took a river tour and saw snakes, and crocs, this tour also took us to a local farm for a snack and you could try exotic fuits that were grown on the farm. We spent a day shopping in Cairns for a Digerydoo and then sent it home postal style, we also found plenty of places to eat in Cairns and the food is quite varied. I've heard good reports on the boat you're taking.
We'll be back in Cairns in July on our way to PNG, hope you have a great time and give us a good report.

Dive Safe,
Caymaniac

 

[Saipanman]

I enjoyed the Nimrod Explorer. There was a thread on it here, so do a little digging and read others' experiences (From what I recall, they were all positive).

While in Cairns, I spent a half day ww rafting (Fun, if you get the right guide and boat) and another half day quad-running up a mountain. That was a blast! Total mindless fun (real dusty and dirty, though, which made it even more fun!)

Aussie Beers were great! But you do have to hear an inordinate amount of Men At Work. But a blast!

I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip.

 

[cdiver2]

My vote PNG and a week in Oz. We did this and four days to the Coral sea the only disappointment was the Coral sea