I was a little disconcerted that I had to wear the suit at first, but once I was in the water with a snorkel and mask, I completely forgot about it. What I saw below me surpassed any underwater experience I’d previously had. I’ve done plenty of diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean, but the reef here was literally teeming with life and color. 

Directly below me, life on the reef carried on with no attention paid to my presence. Five banded angelfish the size of a computer screen swam around with no apparent worries. Electric blue coral glinted in the sun and huge blue and yellow parrotfish paraded around brain coral. A unicorn fish hid under stag horn coral and I saw a fish I’d never seen before – a chocolate-dip damselfish. It’s easy to see how this fish got its name. Everything but its white tail is chocolate brown and it looks as if someone picked it up and dipped it head first into a chocolate sauce.

After an hour in the water, it was time for a delicious buffet lunch on board while we drove to the next site – Upolu Cay. Here the bottom alternates between sand a coral. Some of the things you might see (but I didn’t) are stingrays, turtles and more reef sharks. Many of these were spotted by other snorkelers, but I must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. I did see bright blue starfish, a sea cucumber and more of the same fish I’d seen earlier. Hardly a disappointing adventure. I didn’t want to get out of the water.

After sailing home, we walked back to the hotel and continued glimpsing some of Australia’s diverse wildlife. Huge pelicans cleaned themselves just off shore and egrets stood tall among them. Purple and orange crabs skittered along the muddy beach and mudskippers bounced along the incoming tide. Everywhere I look in Australia, I see something that I’ve never seen before. It’s incredible. 

From Cairns, we headed down the coast to Townsville – the gateway to Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island

When Captain James Cook sailed by Magnetic Island, the needle of his compass went a bit funny. He paid little attention to this and simply named the island and carried on - perhaps a great mistake, for what lies on Magnetic Island is definitely worth an extended layover. Like most islands, Maggie, as she is lovingly referred to, has a laid back atmosphere and plenty of beaches for soaking up the northern Queensland sun. 

But surprisingly, the beaches and the expanse of shimmering blue waters are not the highlight of this small island. What makes Magnetic Island so special is the abundance of wildlife present virtually everywhere. All the brochures, guidebooks and tour guides advertise the presence of animals such as koalas, colorful birds and wallabies, but I kept thinking - Sure, if I'm lucky. 

It only took several hours before my first wildlife sighting took place. I was making my way to the showers when I was stopped in my path by a huge lime green frog. It sat at the entrance, almost as if waiting in line for his turn. I wasn't sure what to do - it hardly seemed to notice me, but as Australia is famous for venomous creatures, I took great care not to upset the frog. I learned later that it was a green tree frog - completely harmless and plentiful all over the island. The hotel owner even warned me to be careful when I turned on the taps as the frogs love water. They have been known to crawl up the pipes and come rushing out when you turn on the water. 

My next wildlife interaction was shortly afterwards at dinnertime. As we sat at an outdoor restaurant, a strange looking bird, a curlew, made its way to our table. The curlew's oblong body sits on long, thin flamingo like legs. It has a pointy beak and brown and white feathers cover the small body. This one reached up to about my waist. Their screeching has been likened to that of a crying baby and they aren't shy. Probably the most common bird on the island, you'll soon learn to ignore their loud calls.

Besides curlews, you'll see plenty of rainbow lorikeets on Magnetic Island. These colorful, small parrots flit from tree to tree in groups, twittering all the way. Flashes of green, red and blue constantly fill the sky and it’s only when they land on a nearby tree that you can make out the brightly colored patterns on their chests. Sulphur crested cockatoos also inhabit the island, fighting with the lorikeets for the title of noisiest bird. Their huge white bodies are easily identifiable in both the trees and the sky. Their black beaks emit unbelievably loud screeches and if you're close enough you can see the bright yellow crown of feathers that give them their name. 

Magnetic Island is a noisy place - the bird life, which also includes the laughing kookaburra, kept me up late at night and ensured an early rising. But I loved every minute of it. I truly felt like I was in the wild. At night, possums creep down from the trees and search for food. The small, rodent like animals perched on almost every rooftop - some even came down near the kitchen to eat scraps of food left on the tables. Their huge eyes make them absolutely adorable.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, we decided to explore one of the island's many walking paths. The Forts walk, a two-hour stroll through the rainforest and near the edge of the island, proved to be my favorite experience on the island. For it was here that I saw koalas for the first time. Before arriving in Australia, I'd never even seen one in a zoo. And I was extremely grateful for this, because my first glimpse of a koala, high in a eucalyptus tree in the Australian wild, is one I'll never forget. 

We must have spent a half hour just gazing up at the cuddly animal in awe. Koalas sleep for 20-22 hours a day - mainly because they need this rest to digest the toxic eucalyptus leaves that make up their diet. Perched high on a branch, this one was out for the count. His eyes were mere slits and his huge black nose rested again a branch while his bottom was snuggled into the crook of another. Every once in awhile he'd stretch his short limbs, showing off his black claws, and then settle back into a similar position - looking just as comfortable as he had before. Koalas seem completely relaxed and perfectly content to balance their furry bottoms on the rough bark of a thick branch. 

Walking for only ten more minutes brought us to our next koala, this one sleeping similarly in a thinner tree that was waving back and forth in the wind. As relaxed as he looked, he must have had a good grip on the tree because he didn't move an inch as the tree rocked in the wind. Occasionally, he would move his mouth as if chewing an invisible eucalyptus leaf, but without even opening his eyes. He was captivating.

On the way back, after climbing to the top of a lookout providing unbeatable views of the mainland and one of the island's sandy beaches, we found the koalas in the exact same place. Not long after we arrived back at the first koala, we heard a strange, guttural noise coming from deep inside the rainforest. The koala's ears perked up and he opened his eyes wide (well - as wide as a sleepy koala can). Immediately, he started replying to the call. The deep loud noises coming out of the sleepy, cuddly creature were downright shocking. I can only liken the alien sounds to the grunting of a pig or the mooing of a cow. And as soon as he finished, he wrapped his arms around a branch, laid his head down and was instantly sleeping. 

Sometimes the koalas are low enough in the trees to touch - which you can do if you follow a few simple rules. Never put your hand above the koala’s head, this will scare them. Don't scratch them behind the ears as you would a cat - using only the back of you hand, pet them on their back. The human palm carries many germs and koalas can get sick quite easily.

Magnetic Island has four main areas - Horseshoe Bay, (for water sports), Arcadia, Nelly Bay and Picnic Bay. The island is small and a bus regularly runs the 10 kilometers from Horseshoe Bay to Picnic Bay. If you want to see rock wallabies, head to Arcadia where the car ferry docks. The mini kangaroo like animals bounce all over the rocks and you can feed them vegetables. They’re not shy – they’ll come up to you looking for food. If you visit during rainy season, October to March, then you'll also be able to visit a secluded waterfall in Arcadia. 

If the rain is heavy enough, as it was this January, it’s definitely worth the quick walk to this waterfall that's not in any of the guidebooks. At Arcadia, walk up Endeavour Road until you come to a walking path leading into the woods. Follow it for about 150 meters, and you'll see a little path branching out on the left. Look carefully - it's hard to spot. When you've found it, follow the path for another 100 meters or so and you'll come across a two tiered waterfall of cool, clean rainwater running into a shoulder high swimming hole - complete with rope swing. But don't bother looking for this in the dry season - it won't be there. 

The following is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:

• Islands - From The Caribbean To The Mediterranean
• Cancun - The Daylife
• Western Canada Part One - Walk With Dinosaurs
• Western Canada Part Two - More Adventures In Western Canada
• Istanbul - History Comes to Life
• Teaching English In Turkey - Falling In Love With Turkey
• Charmed, I’m Sure! - In Morocco 
• The Country Of Eternal Spring - Guatemala
• Pure Life - Traveling Through Costa Rica
• Britain - Beyond London
• Scotland - Castles, Monsters and Fairy Whispers
• Luck Of The Irish - The Emerald Isle
• Island Hopping In Greece - Mediterranean Summer
• When In Rome…..Eat Ice Cream - Italian Adventures

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