Green Island Big 65 Birthday Getaway

After a fast trip to France with Gen, I woke up the day after our return with the knowledge that I was 65, teetering on the edge of pre-retirement with the start button pressed on my pension.

Gen summoned all her culinary powers to whisk up a celebratory dinner with a splendid bottle of red and mint choccies for dessert.

My birthday present had been pushed back because of the French trip and was a mystery to be revealed in early April.

Mystery drive on Saturday morning to the Wharf in Cairns. Last minute frenzied search for an overnight car park with an entry high enough for our 4WD. Finally found the Hilton had just the right thing.

Boarded the Great Adventure Hi-Speed boat with a bevy of Chinese day trippers. Roasted ourselves in bright sunshine on the upper deck.

Arrived after 11am to a glorious beach scene, then flopped into the resort.

Lovely rooms away from the crowds with an inner swimming pool. Lots of activities which are zealously touted at every opportunity.

Buff-breasted rails are even more numerous than Chinese tourists and they have lost all fear of humans - the rails, I mean. Gen lost a travel sticker from her T-shirt. Next thing we see is a rail with the sticker on its foot which has given it the power to skid alarmingly round corners. We buy a takewaway and take it back to the hotel to eat on our balcony. Nicely nestled in trees, our deck seems delightful. Gen raises half a wrap to her lips. Suddenly a rail vaults onto the table, pushes up into the air and pecks a large mouthful straight out of Gen's lips. I retreat indoors to thumb my nose at the rails which are clearly off the rails in attitude.

Gen takes a long walk around the edge of the island which has a lush carpet of rainforest.

Next we head out to get our stinger suits and snorkel gear before waddling down to the beach where we have fun with the new toy, our GoPro. Floating over seagrass and sand, we enjoy lovely warm water with the occasional passing fish or struggling hermit crab in its shell.

Fish feeding at 5 on the jetty provides the sight of turtles languidly gulping air from the sea's surface; as well as huge numbers of trevally, batfish or moonfish of large dinnerplate size; and surgeonfish together with lots of brightly coloured and striped smaller fish.

Humans received attention directly afterwards with the provision of complimentary sparkling wine whilst we watched dozens of black terns return from the reef to roost in the beachside forest; and saw the sun dip below the horizon behind the clouds.

The meal of the day is a seafood platter dinner by candlelight in the Emerald Restaurant, washed down with a fine bottle of red. Prawns, spanner crab, calamari, and reef fish sacrificed themselves for our digestion with soy and citrus and aioli sauces.

Our effort to get up before 6am and see the sunrise is thwarted when the footpaths are all blocked off to allow minitrucks to unload the barge at the jetty. Breakfast is crowned by a pancake machine and the provision of a whole comb of honey from which we cut delicious sections.

We walk to the end of the island through thick rainforest and come out at a windswept beach.

Reef herons are patiently fishing by the edge of the water and spend a long time without success, whilst graceful terns dive and flip fish in front of the heron's beak. Finally, one heron strikes it lucky, tossing its prey into the right position to swallow it.

The island helicopter circles overhead and fast boats speed to the horizon, carefully skirting the creamy waves above treacherous reefs.

Just before we leave, we take a glass-bottomed boat out to the reef where we spot giant clams, big schools of trevally, batfish, and even a ray; plus majestic turtles complete with cleaner fish on their shells.

All day we enjoy brilliant sunshine and rampant breezes which make the return boat ride to Cairns a spray-soaked event, much to the merriment of the other passengers.





All in all, a great weekend to celebrate the passage into semi-retirement with the promise of more adventures aplenty to come.