What Lies Beneath the Beauty May Be Deadly

Day 32, South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand Cruise

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022; Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

It is almost as if God gave Queensland, Australia, a beautiful coast where the rain forest meets the pristine sandy beach and decided it was too much of a good thing. So, God put dangerous beings in the water, threatening the lives of those enticed by its beauty.

That was my main impression during the 90-minute excursion north from our port of Cairns to the resort community of Port Douglas. We drove the winding road between beach and mountains, stopping at the mouth of one river to search for the elusive crocodiles that inhabit the muddy water and the coastal areas. We saw no sign of them, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. They are just that good at camouflage.

The same with the jellyfish – particularly a local species of box jellyfish, one of the world’s most venomous creatures. Its stings can lead to cardiac arrest within two minutes.

Our guide Ben described the dangers as well as the beauty of the area during our drive to Port Douglas. After stopping at the town’s four-mile beach (swimming only in the netted area), we had a few hours to explore the resort town.

This was my fourth cruise visit to Cairns, and I had already checked off what I consider the must-dos – snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef and the train ride to Kuranda with a return by gondola. I also had explored the small city on foot one year as it was decorating for Christmas. This time I decided to go further afield, and my new friend Nancy joined me.

Once we were set free to explore the town, we made lunch our first priority. And it was a good choice. We had some of the best fish (barramundi) and chips I’ve had in a long time. The weather was warm and pleasant at our outdoor table. From there we headed up the street, window shopping the tourist and souvenir shops and boutiques. My only purchase was at the gelato shop, although I chose scoops of passionfruit and papaya/lime sorbet instead.

The ship’s all-aboard time was 4:30 p.m., which in my estimation was much too early. We’ve usually stayed late enough to have at least a beer at the cruise terminal’s Hemingway Brewery, if not dinner at one of the many restaurants lining the promenade. But every itinerary is different, and I guess we need the time to make it to Airlie Beach, tomorrow’s port.

After my disappointing dinner at Rudi’s Sel de Mer earlier in the week, I was glad the previous last night’s dinner at Canaletto was wonderful. Nancy joined me, which was perfect because the specialty restaurant’s plates are designed to share. I think the veal and sage meatballs are the best of the many appetizers. I loved my braised beef short ribs with gnocchi. The orange blossom ricotta tart with fresh berries was on the dry side, and the berries were only two narrow slivers of a strawberry. But the bottle of prosecco we shared made it all delightful.