Last stop in the Land Down Under

Today, the ship faced challenges aligning the tenders with our vessel for us to disembark at our last Australian destination. After successfully docking at Yorkey's Knob, we enjoyed a comfortable ride to a yacht club, from where we took a shuttle into Cairns.

Upon arrival, we leisurely walked through a park along the ocean, and through an esplanade, and eventually entered the wonderful shop called Ancient Journeys. This shop showcases Aboriginal art and pieces from various local artists. We "played" with the wildlife on display and purchased a unique piece of jewelry named "Swimming after Rain."

Cairns serves as the entrance to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, both of which we explored during a past trip. It's evident that Australians have a deep appreciation for water. While strolling, I mistook an advertisement for the chainsaw Jeff uses, Stihl, for what turned out to be an indoor swimming pool. We also noticed a large pool by the ocean, and it seemed likely that many of our crew members were enjoying a swim on this warm, muggy day.

This wraps up our voyage to the fourth continent on this journey, Australia, which followed our visits to North and South America, and Antarctica. Our next destinations include ports in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Next stop: Indonesia. Hope to see you there!