There aren’t too many places in the world
where one can almost travel back in time and
experience an abundance of endemic life both above
and below the water’s surface like when visiting
Australia’s northeastern coastal region of
Queensland. Bordering the Great Barrier Reef and the
Coral Sea, the area is a haven for divers and
naturalists.
A quirk of nature kept Australia — the only
country that is also a continent — isolated from the
rest of the world to develop many creatures and
plants not found anywhere else on Earth.
After stepping from a rain forest land of
predinosaur life, visitors can explore the Great
Barrier Reef — the world’s largest living organism —
and then the fascinating underwater realm of the
Coral Sea.
A Captive History
 While the continent has been inhabited by the
aboriginal people for possibly 65,000 years,
explorers from other countries didn’t discover this
southern landmass until nearly the 17th century when
the Dutch and Portuguese made brief stops along the
western and northern coastlines. Unimpressed with
what they found, the Dutch named the land New
Holland and went off to settle more profitable lands
farther north.
A few English explorers made note of the land,
too, but it wasn’t until Capt. James Cook’s 1770
voyage of discovery that the more inviting eastern
coast was discovered. Cook’s survey of the new
region aboard the Endeavour turned up many new
species of plants and animals during his land excursions, including one six-week
stint forced upon him and his group when they
discovered that the Great Barrier Reef can put a
hole in the hull of a ship.
After the American Revolutionary War, Great
Britain found itself without a convenient place to
dump unwanted prisoners, so Cook’s report of this
new land seemed to offer a good solution to
England’s overcrowded jail problem. In 1788, a fleet
of 11 ships with about 1,100 people (of which more
than 700 were convicts) arrived in what is now
Sydney Harbor to start a new settlement. The penal
colony eventually grew as additional fleets arrived
with more “captive settlers” and new cities began
appearing from the expansion.
A gold rush that started in 1851 and lasted
several decades helped expand the country’s
exploration, immigration and settlement. Further
immigration swings occurred after both world wars
with about 96 percent of the estimated current
population of 19.2 million being of European decent, mainly British and
Irish. About 20 percent of today’s Australians were
born in other countries.
The aboriginal population has dwindled over the
past two centuries and now accounts for less than 1
percent of Australia’s total population with many
living in tribal communities in remote areas.
 While
Australia is the sixth-largest country (about the
same size as the continental United States) it has a
sparse population (6 people per square mile [2 per
sq km]). Nearly 80 percent of Australia’s population
lives along the southeastern coast with Sydney and
Melbourne each containing more than 3 million
residents. In fact, about two-thirds of all
Australians live in cities with populations of more
than 100,000.
The Commonwealth of Australia, the country’s
official title, is divided into six states and two
territories. Good early planning placed the capitals
of each of the states and territories along the
coastline near protected harbors and major rivers.
Only the country’s capital, Canberra, is inland, but
even it is only 80 miles away from the coast.
Like Canada, Australia is a constitutional
monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II of England serving
as the ceremonial head of state, but with little to
no power. Instead, the country is ruled by a
parliamentary system of government with a prime
minister acting as the head of the ruling coalition
or political party.
Like No Other
Place on Earth
When Australia separated from the southern
supercontinent of Gondwanaland (which also included
Antarctica, South America, Africa, India and New
Zealand) more than 50 million years ago, its lack of
destructive forces allowed its rain forest
inhabitants to evolve in isolation to their current
form. Angiosperms, the most primitive of flowering
plants, can only be found here in the oldest rain
forest on Earth (the Amazon is just a tyke compared
with this one). The King Fern, with fronds up to 20
feet (6 m), is basically the same plant as it was
325 million years ago.
Queensland’s rain forest, filled with 60 percent
of the continent’s butterfly species and such
marsupials as the cuscus, sugar gliders and tree
kangaroos, is part of the United Nations’ World
Heritage Area, along with the Great Barrier Reef.
Surprisingly, one of the most feared land animals in
this region is the cassowary, a large flightless
bird related to the emu. This bird’s aggressive
nature, coupled with sharp talons on powerful legs,
can make it a dangerous encounter in the bush.
Yet, nothing strikes fear into the locals more
than having a “saltie” surprise them along the side
of a river. Another relic from ages past, the
saltwater crocodile can grow to 20 feet (6 m) in
length and humans are not excluded from its diet.
They prefer the brackish waters of tidal rivers, but
can go far inland and out into the ocean. The crocs
prefer to lie in wait underwater and then propel
themselves at missile speed with their powerful
tails to snatch unsuspecting prey along the river
edge.
Another hazard that swimmers face at certain
times of the year is the box jellyfish, or
“stingers.” At times from October to March (usually
the wet summer season) many beaches are closed as
these jellyfish with tentacles as long as 9 feet (3
m) inhabit the coastline and can deliver fatal
injuries.
The Greatest Reef
 About
500,000 years ago, coral polyps began congregating
off Queensland’s coast in great quantities. Now
billions of these tiny organisms have formed the
world’s largest chain of reefs (more than 2,500) and
islands that extend about 1,250 miles (2,000 km).
The Great Barrier Reef is as close as 10 miles (16
km) from Queensland’s coast in some areas and as far
out as 100 miles (160 km). Divers can explore this
chain’s 400-plus species of coral and 1,500 fish
species in tropical waters that range from the
mid-70s Fahrenheit (23-25 degrees Celsius) in the
winter to lower 80s F (27-28 C) in the summer.
Beyond this barrier reef system and the normal
range of day boats lies the Coral Sea, our
destination for a week’s worth of live-aboard diving
on the Mike Ball Expedition’s Spoilsport live-aboard
that departed from Townsville. Other boats that
offer Coral Sea trips from Queensland include the MV
Nimrod Explorer and Spirit of Freedom. The Coral Sea
is part of the South Pacific Ocean, but is an area
that contains an unusually large number of coral
atolls, submerged seamounts and bank reefs.
One of the first stops on the way to the Coral
Sea is the shipwreck of the SS Yongala, which is
within the Great Barrier Reef system but beyond the
range of most day boats (48 miles from Townsville).
This 394-foot (120-m) steel passenger and freight
steamer sank without a trace in March 1911 during a
storm. All 122 passengers and crew perished and the
wreck remained undiscovered until 1958.
 Since its sinking, the Yongala has become a
haven for marine life with the ship resting at a
starboard list in a depth of 100 feet (30 m) on a
sandy bottom while the upper structure sits at 52
feet (16 m). Hard and soft corals cover the ship’s
surface for a colorful landscape with schools of
trevally, kingfish, grunts, silversides, barracuda
and batfish making their rounds over and under the
site. Sharks lurk around the wreck while hawksbill
and loggerhead turtles graze off the abundant food
supply. Curious olive sea snakes wind through the
ship’s outcroppings while lionfish stay tucked away
in recesses of the wreck. Numerous cleaning stations
attract a wide variety of customers, including huge
stingrays that are not shy around divers.
The Flinders Reef complex of the Coral Sea
includes walls, seamounts and lively reefs ranging
from depths more than 100 feet (30 m) to relatively
moderate depths of 50 feet (15 m). Swim-through
canyons can be explored at sites called Anemone
City, Berlin Wall, Trigger Happy and Cod Wall.
Currents are generally light in most areas and the
75-F (24-C) water temperature during the early
spring season (end of August) invites the use of
light hoods and gloves while diving. A 3-mm or 5-mm
wet suit is recommended. Coral polyps spawn around
October or November.
Since most of the diving in the Coral Sea is
based from a boat at anchor, divers normally exit
the stern and follow a descent line to the dive
site. Occasionally, some sites require the crew to
use inflatable boats to ferry divers back and forth
and eliminate long surface swims. Nitrox and E-6
processing are generally available.
 Purplish football anemones are common throughout
the Flinders Reef complex, with their clownfish
partners either hiding in their tentacles or boldly
attempting to drive divers away. At depth, gorgonian
sea fans grow to great size, some as wide as 15 feet
(4.5 m).
One of the highlights of the Spoilsport trip was
a visit to the boat’s private Scuba Zoo. The only
creatures that you concentrate on at this site are
the 30 or more sharks that come to put on a show.
Four large shark cages in a V-shape permanently sit
50 feet (15 m) down on a sandy bottom at this site
where divers are invited to kneel on top of the
cages for an unexposed view of the pregame show.
Between the cages is a large, secured barrel filled
with fish pieces that are hooked to a chain with an
attached float.
With cameras snapping away, sharks begin
circling the barrel for nearly 20 minutes as they
wait for the contents to be released. Save some film
for the main show because the crew will usher you
into the cages while a divemaster manipulates a
series of ropes that releases the barrel’s lid. Up
goes the float and in come the sharks into a massive
feeding frenzy. It lasts only a minute or so before
the sharks quickly disappear and divers can pour out
of the cages in search of shark’s teeth on the sandy
bottom.
In addition to live-aboard diving there are many
dive operators that run day boats to the reef from
Cairns, Townsville and Port Douglas.
Australia Walkabout
Accommodations in Queensland range from simple
bed-and-breakfast homes to elaborate coastal
resorts. Camping is also quite popular.
A broad range of international restaurant fare
can be found across the country, albeit with an
Aussie flair. A well-decked out hamburger usually
includes a beet slice and probably a fried egg.
Ice-cold beer is a popular beverage, usually sold in
“slabs” (cases) of 24 “tinnies” (cans). Native wines
are gaining in popularity both locally and
internationally.
In many restaurants, you grab a table and then
go up to one counter to order your food and over to
the bar to order your drink. The food will come out
to your table while you’re enjoying your drink.
Perhaps this is why tipping isn’t customary in
Australia except at upscale restaurants, where 10
percent is acceptable.
Cairns is a central location for many
activities. Trips to the rain forest jungles of the
Daintree and Cape Tribulation national parks
generally include an hour-long boat ride up the
Daintree River to spot some “salties” and other
exotic creatures. Another popular tour includes a
scenic train ride up into the Atherton Tablelands to
the tourist village of Kuranda. After shopping and
lunch there, you hop on a Skyrail gondola and ride
the cableway nearly five miles over the rain forest
canopy back to the suburbs of Cairns. Next to the
cable station is the Tjapukai aboriginal cultural
park where you can get a lesson on native culture,
arts and even instruction on how to throw
boomerangs, spears or make music on the didgeridoo.
Rental cars are available for those who wish to
strike out on their own. Driving is on the left side
of the road. The interiors of automobiles are
reversed to accommodate this so many of the controls
are on the opposite side of the wheel. (This
explains why the windshield wiper comes on when you
think you’re activating your turn signal.)
White-water rafting, kayaking and canoeing are
also big outdoor adventures to be experienced, along
with sailing along the coast. Spectator sports
include Australian-rules football (which from what
we observed means no rules at all), rugby, cricket
and soccer. You can take a short flight or long
drive down to Brisbane and stay out on Fraser
Island, the world’s largest sand island. Nearby
Hervey Bay usually has about 3,000 humpback whales
visit each year during their migrations. September
is peak whale-watching time. A little way up the
coast is the Mon Repos Turtle Rookery with a variety
of turtles nesting there from early November through
the end of March. Turtles come ashore to lay eggs
around midnight when the tide is high. From
mid-January to March, the young hatch and scamper to
the water.
If you do plan a visit to
Australia’s tropical vacation state, then allow
plenty of time to experience the world’s oldest
continually surviving rain forest as well as the
diverse underwater ecosystems of the Great Barrier
Reef and the Coral Sea. In either setting, you can
kick back and enjoy the land of, “No worries, mate!”
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