when you're on a golden sea...you don't need no memory

I knew I was headed for summer in Australia, but I had NO idea (mostly due to a lack of research and preparation) that my first destination city Cairns was HOT AS BALLS. Surrounded by rainforests on the north and west and the Coral Sea on the east, Cairns' climate is humid and tropical. 

JWayne and I went scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef yesterday. It was my first time diving so half the time I was freaking out trying to remember how to breathe and the other half I was freaking out over the beauty of the coral and fish. Floating in between crevices of this living, breathing monolith was such a surreal and humbling experience. While snorkeling, we chased schools of fish and made a sea turtle friend!

Into the rainforest tomorrow, off to Melbourne on Saturday!

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On the road to Port Douglas, a beach town north of Cairns.

Beach architecture courtesy of one toiling crab.

This is the car we rented from Wicked..."Officer, I swear we're not!"

Kangaroo burger!

Beach in Cairns, desolate for miles

Making guac on the beach with a Leatherman #resourcefulness

UH HELL YEAH I DID. Fuzzy koala butt is fuzzy!