Our own private beach… kind of

June 25, 2010 - Instead of staying in the Port for our last day before our liveraboard trip, we hopped on a shuttle at 5 a.m. for Cairns. Once in Cairns, we headed to the Marina for a day trip to Fitzroy Island, where we could hike, snorkel, and sun bathe. Fitzroy Island is about a 45-minute ferry ride from Cairns, and offered a secluded beach for visitors. Once on the island, we headed for a hike toward the Summit. As the name suggests, it was an uphill battle that was almost 2 miles and lasted a little over hour. But, the panoramic view was completely worth it.

Just the beginning...

Almost there....

Serenity now :)

After our descent from the Summit, we grabbed our masks, snorkels, and fins to cool off in the water. Snorkeling proved to be less rewarding than we had hoped. Coral patches lay conveniently close to the shore but were barren of any fish. Fail. At least the cold water cooled us off. We spent the last few hours of our excursion laying on the beach and then hiding under trees when it got too hot. In the late afternoon, we boarded the ferry back to Cairns. Dinner at Nando’s for peri peri chicken and a beer at a local Irish pub was the perfect way to end our exhausting day. Not that we would have much time to rest and recuperate before our 5:50 a.m. departure for the Great Barrier Reef this next morning.

 Goodbye Fitzroy!