Following our stay in the paradise that is Long Island, we boarded the bus for one final long journey, this time to Cairns, a destination with such a relaxed beach culture that it seems more like a town than the large city it is. As it is my final day in Cairns (and thus my FINAL DAY of the World Traveler Internship... how extremely depressing), I can say now that my time in Cairns has been marked by adventure and firsts more than anything. First scuba dive, first bungee jump, first time seeing and holding a koala, and first hot air balloon ride, not to mention my first time dancing with a group of indigenous people!

Which story to tell first, then? I suppose I'll start with the easiest: Kuranda and the koalas. On our final day as a group in Cairns, we caught the Skyrail tram for a breathtaking view of the rainforests, sea, waterfalls, and rivers below, and our journey ended in the village of Kuranda. While Kuranda has been around quite a long time as a home to the aboriginal people, it seems now to be more of an easy-going and tourist-driven town in the midst of the rainforest, priding itself in expansive markets and more cafes and coffee shops than one person could possibly count. Aside from just bumming around town, we all made sure to stop by the wildlife center to cuddle koalas! Since it literally says in the center's brochure that people can “cuddle koalas” and get photos, I made my way there with wonder and awaited the koala-holding session with great excitement. And when the time to cuddle finally arrived, I hugged the thing like I'd never let go and shot my grin toward the camera. The result? The most awkward photo ever. It's clear I'm about to pass out with excitement, and it looks like a really strange family portrait with the backdrop of painted leaves. Needless to say, I love it. That baby's gettin' framed.

Next up: the bungee jump. The day after the group separated, a couple of us remained in Cairns, and we made our way out to the AJ Hackett bungee site bright and early in the morning. My fellow travelers Simon and Stu joined me in signing our lives away with fingers crossed, and we arrived to the site to see a beautiful day to jump off a perfectly good platform with rubber bands attached to our bodies. Yeah, buddy. After climbing about 400,000 stairs to reach the top of the platform, I didn't have time or energy to feel nervous, and before I knew it, Stu had already made his jump! Then I shimmied to the edge, got a rush of nerves and feelings of impending stupidity, spread my arms for the elegant swan dive, and ...deep breath... I was off! I jumped off that thing like nobody's business, and I would just like to say that I think for a novice I had terrific swan dive form. Then Simon let 'er rip, and since he'd said he wanted a dip in the pool below, he tore into the water with impressive velocity. What a grand time! I'd do it again :)

Next story: the first scuba dive. The group set out on a sadly overcast day to explore and adore the Great Barrier Reef, and let me just say that we did in fact both explore and adore that great mass of coral and sea life. Did you know the Reef is the largest living organism in the world? Yeah, neither did I until I dove it. Anyway, a huge number of Connections travelers opted to try the introductory dive, following a dive instructor into the reef for a half hour or so, trying to get the breathing scenario under control while hyperventilating at the sight of all the beauty surrounding. And I'll go ahead and say now: the place and first dive were wonderful. More wonderful, however (exhilarating and otherworldly, at that) was the second dive which only a handful of us chose to do because of the cold weather and additional cost. Let me tell you – if ever you have the opportunity to do a second dive on a tour like ours, forget the cost or cold! You have a wet suit, and you'll have the rest of your life to worry about money. You may never again get the chance to dive the Great Barrier Reef. Anyway, the second dive was extraordinary. While a wall of intensely colored coral swarmed with life on one side of us (and when I say wall, I mean at least 40-50 ft high on average), the other side presented a gradual and astounding slope down to the depths of the deep, deep ocean. It just stretched and stretched and stretched, that slope. We swam around doing flips, touching various creatures, and sticking our hands into 5 ft wide clams that moved when we touched them; and, since we had already each done one dive, we understood the breathing equipment and no longer had to think about it as we voyaged! I'm serious – it was like a dream world. Or another universe. And it is one you all must visit if you get the chance.

Okay...this is just getting too long for one blog. I'll cut it off here and do you the favor of leaving a marking point from which you can begin the next installment (as I suppose you'll need a nap, coffee, or weeklong hiatus before you begin reading again). But make sure to tune back in, as I'll be sharing about our night with the aboriginal people and my hot air balloon ride this morning!

Until next time...