Kangaroos, Crocs & Coral: Our Aussie Safari at Sea

G'day mates! Jenny and Mike here, back at it again—this time exploring the land down under, and what a wild (and deliciously weird) ride it’s been. Our next stop in Australia was Townsville, which welcomed us with tropical vibes, sugar plantations, and an intro to Australia’s unique take on lunch.

We boarded a bus and cruised past miles of sugar cane fields—kind of like Hawaii, but swap out the ukuleles for didgeridoos. We learned all about the area’s sugar farming history, which has deep ties to Australia’s agricultural past and a bit of an eco-challenge twist.

Lunchtime was... let’s just say, an adventure. We were served a bit of “bush tucker”—aka traditional Aussie outback cuisine—and bravely sampled crocodile pizza and a kangaroo meatball. Mike described the textures as “mysteriously chewy with a hint of ‘should this be happening?’” But all was redeemed by a hero of a fish called barramundi—a local white fish that’s thick, flaky, and downright delicious.

After lunch, we took a stroll through the tropical foliage. Sadly, a recent rainstorm had turned the trail into a slip-n-slide, so we cut the hike short. No croc sightings for us (probably for the best, tbh). On the way back, we stopped at a roadside stand called Frosty Mango, where we treated ourselves to mango ice cream. In the hot and humid weather, it was basically nectar of the gods.

And then—kangaroos! Actual kangaroos! Our driver pulled over so we could check out some big roos just casually hopping around someone’s front yard like they owned the place. They were way bigger than expected and looked at us like we were the weirdos. Fair.

Next up: Cairns (pronounced "cans" because Aussie English is a wild ride). This was one of our bucket list days—THE GREAT BARRIER REEF. We boarded a catamaran that took us out to a massive floating pontoon stationed on the reef. I mean, how often do you get to float on one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World?

We suited up for snorkeling—yes, full-on wetsuits and everything—and splashed around in coral-filled waters, surrounded by fish of every shape and color. The coral formations were the true MVPs—vivid, vibrant, and totally otherworldly. We also tried out a glass bottom boat (cool), and then leveled up to a submersible boat ride (SO COOL). We floated beneath the surface and spotted fish, coral, and even a sea turtle doing its chill turtle thing.

Last Aussie stop: Darwin, aka "The Top End." It’s like walking into a sauna with a great sense of humor. We visited the Territory Wildlife Park, which only showcases creatures native to this super unique part of Australia. Our guide Martin was full of fun facts and led us through spiral-barked trees, giant ant nests hanging in the trees, and more flora and fauna than we could ever name.

But the real excitement? The animals. Wallabies hopped around like it was no big deal, birds performed in an amazing flight show (shoutout to the clever bird that cracked open a huge egg using a rock!), and we admired an osprey, a barn owl, and an emu-like creature with serious runway walk energy.

Then came the crocodile. Even behind glass, this dude was TERRIFYING. Scaly, toothy, and too close for comfort. He turned his head and stared me down from about five feet away and I swear I heard boss fight music.

That night, we shared wild stories with our new cruise buddies, laughed a lot, and looked ahead to our next adventures: Komodo Island and Bali. But first—a sea day. Aka nap day.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering—we’ve achieved perfect gym attendance so far. Gotta balance out all that gelato, mango ice cream, and barramundi, right? Cruise calories are real, people.

Stay tuned for more adventures and possible close encounters with dragons (hint: Komodo, we’re coming for you!).