ArticleAbove and Below

The country-club tour includes only one non-aquatic stop but that part of the tour is a wonder in its own right - and an intense one. A place where 25 or so adults of all ages turn into an elementary school class filing along a narrow path, their mouth agape, and listening to horror stories told by the guide. The stories are necessary to convince the tourists to stay on the path at all times - so, they focus on those who didn't, thus letting some or other specimen of the lush flora, just meters away, to come in contact with any unprotected part of the unfortunate tourist's body. Strong allergies would be the mildest outcome of such an encounter, while severe burns and even death were not uncommon - in particular, when plants happened to be appropriated and used unwisely… Soon enough, the duly impressed tourists stop turning their heads right and left, and concentrate on what's above, instead - and that's exactly what they are there for. The trees they are looking at are, quite likely, among the tallest objects on the planet, be it man- or Nature-made. While even regular trees are often sufficient to dwarf humans, denizens of a tropical forest make them look like specks of dust, almost literally. Calling it a “humbling experience” doesn't even begin to describe the awe one feels in the presence of those giants…

Cairns-based “Falla Reef Trips” provides for a very different kind of awe, nothing to do with how tall the attractions are. To be precise, I should rather say “how deep”, because - as it's easy to guess from the company's name - the main attraction in question is the Great Barrier Reef. Once there, the actual experience is beyond not only description but most pictures, too. It brings to mind wildest fairy tales featuring multistoried underwater palaces built altogether of precious stones, where the Sea King and his royal family are waited upon by myriads of mermaids. Notwithstanding proverbial bleaching, one can spend hours just eye feasting the reefs and savouring their shapes and colours - and the tour operator encourages his guests to do exactly that (and provides them with protective gear and other necessary equipment). I said, “_his_ guests”, because that operator (as in “business”) also happens to be the tour creator, the ship-owner (and builder), and a hands-on educator. That Doug-of-all-trades bought a wreck of a ship, painstakingly restored it to its historical glory and concocted an itinerary that rendered his tour a whole new dimension. The tour consists of three distinct parts - relaxation (soaking up the atmosphere, contemplating the ocean and, possibly, socializing), exploration (the nitty-gritty of the whole experience - the one-on-one time with the "magic palaces") and education. As the ship turns back towards Cairns, tourists are offered to participate in various activities, such as pulling up sails and steering the helm. What is a daily routine for sailors, turns into an exciting treat for laymen - and most of them, young or old, just can't have enough of it. Finally, there is a snack/story time when Doug tells the group about the class of ships Falla belongs to, as well as about the local marine life…