Floating in a Glass-Bottomed Gondola over the Wet Tropics

Raindrops fell as we floated up above the canopy in a glass box and disappeared into a cloud. For a minute we couldn’t see anything except off-white and a few stolen glimpses of wet, green leaves. But the rain wasn't a surprise; we were in a rainforest after all.

We were lucky to have three nights in the northeastern city of Cairns (pronounced “cans”), which would be just enough time to explore the two UNESCO World Heritage sites that sandwich the city: off the coast, the Great Barrier Reef; on the land, the Wet Tropics.

Since we were limited to a one-day rainforest trip, we took to the skies. Just outside of town, Skyrail runs gondolas above the treetops. The “diamond” gondola was enticing, as is anything with a glass bottom, so we paid a tad extra for it and hopped aboard. The floor-window didn’t necessarily offer much better of a view, but it was neat to be standing on nothing, watching lush greenery flow under my feet.

Down in the dense tropical forest is one of the most ancient ecosystems on the planet. If you’ve seen FernGully (which takes place in Australia), you get the idea. Virtually untouched by humans, it represents a massive living record of the ancient world, the closest modern-day counterpart to the extremely old Gondwanan continent. This is where Australia’s marsupials came about and primitive flora can still be found. The region’s weirdest fauna award goes to the flightless cassowary, the second heaviest bird on earth that sports a blue face, red wattles and a huge horn-like spike on top of its head.

Though we didn’t get to see any super-amazing wildlife from our viewing post, the skies did clear to reveal a jaw-dropping view. We saw steamy tree-covered mountains, families of pure-white cockatoos and ribbony waterfalls.

There are multiple stations throughout the journey to hop off and have a look around - umbrellas provided. The wide rope-lined boardwalks (there to preserve the environment) meander through the trees, filling people's ears with sounds of rainfall and dozens of bird calls.

At the end of the line, the town of Kuranda offers more sights and attractions to fill a day. Unfortunately, we had a late start that morning and got delayed by a passing storm at one of the mid-points, so we just stayed on the gondola to head back down the mountain. Though this coastal rainforest takes up only 0.2% of Australia, it contains the most diverse selection of plants and animals in the country. It’s a spectacular sight to witness first-hand, as long as you can see it through the clouds.

Disclosure: I am traveling around Australia on a DTour for DoubleTree by Hilton.

Video: A Thousand Bats Fly Over the City

Apparently Cairns, a tropical Australian town sitting between two World Heritage sites, was built around a huge colony of fruit bats that refused to leave. That’s fine by us, because we love just about all animals. And as weird as it may be that there are mammals that can fly (basically rats with wings), we think they’re pretty cute. These particular guys are as large as cats and mostly live in a cluster of big trees right in the middle of the city. Every night around sunset, they slowly wake up and stretch, and then take flight in search of fruit to munch on. We were lucky enough to have an excellent view of the mass ascension from the 9th floor of the Hilton Hotel. And we were so captivated, we went back each night of our stay to witness the amazing event.

Finding Nemo for Real: Scuba Diving at the Great Barrier Reef

Apparently, you don’t need to be certified to scuba dive in Australia. After a quick lesson aboard the “Calypso” and a standard sign-my-life-away waiver, I donned a full-body stinger suit and scuba gear for the first time. Then, beside the boat, I had a quick three-part safety test underwater with Jenny, our guide for the day. Though I didn’t ace the quiz, I passed. Down we went, three of us following her slowly into the depths along a thick, moored rope.

We couldn’t not try scuba; we were at the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest single structure made of living organisms. Totally bucket-list material. It’s a good thing we got the chance, too, because the fragile system is not going to be around forever. Some experts give it only another 50 years or so, which is why scientists are racing to photo-document its current extent. Though it’s shrinking every year, it’s still so big that it can be seen from space, and we were lucky enough to get a closer look.

About 7 meters down on a small patch of sand, Jenny motioned for us beginners to kneel down in a circle. She then picked up a sea cucumber and handed it to me. It was slimy and weird-looking, so after a quick inspection, I passed it down the line. A few minutes later, she led us to a giant clam about the size of checked luggage with a wavy gaping mouth, and motioned for us to each touch it gently. It flinched shut with a slight creaking sound when my finger grazed its lips.

The dive lasted only about 30 minutes, but it was so amazing, we couldn’t turn down another opportunity and decided to spring for a second dive at the next site ($50 each extra). That time, I was allowed to bring my GoPro camera. I reached a depth of 10.1 meters and saw more amazingness, like a clownfish (Nemo!), a sea turtle (Crush!), and a lot more otherworldly corals. Check it out:

On the ride back to shore, Kristen and I were a bit delirious with the things we’d witnessed deep in the Coral Sea. Full scuba certification might be in our future. And just maybe another visit to the reef.

Disclosure: My trip to Australia as a DTourist is sponsored by DoubleTree by Hilton.