The reef trip we took was actually to Michaelmas Cay which is a little sandy island. We decided on this one so that it would be better for the kids, rather than being cooped up on the boat they could play on the beach, it was really beautiful. The first picture is from a distance, the second is on the Cay.
Our hotel had a pool with warm water literally just outside the door. No one else was ever in it so it was like our own private pool. Ian's swimming is getting so good- he can swim front crawl across the pool now. Lexi also loves the water, she splashes and is now putting her face in without trying to drink the pool.
Although Cairns is tropical their aren't really any beaches so they built a giant pool on the waterfront called the Lagoon. It's amazing- gorgeous blue water overlooking the ocean. It is shallow at all the edges and only 1.5m at the deepest part. It's surrounded by grassy areas and a deck for sunbathing. We spent a ton of time there too.
We're in Sydney now with lots on our "to do" list so we'll update the blog as our adventures continue.
We took the 1hr15min roundtrip hike up to the Wineglass Bay lookout in Freycinet National Park, there were amazing views of white sand beaches and turquoise waters. We were even rewarded with a wallaby sighting at the top. Everyone we passed was super impressed that our three year old was making the trek (that's what hockey players do you know). Just for the record, the picture below is from another walk in Freycinet- I actually carried Lexi for the long hike :) Although Cam did have a 35lb weight on his shoulders for part of the way up.
On our last day in Tasmania we went to the Bollorong Wildlife Conservation Area and got to feed the kangaroos and see a ton of animals found in Tasmania. Afterwards we followed the Convict Trail to Port Arthur where the jail for repeat offenders was located. Some of you may remember (I don't) that there was a massacre here more recently- 1996 - where a gunman opened fire. The buildings are mostly in ruins but really neat to see.
Finally, no blog of Tasmania would be complete without a picture of a Tasmanian Devil....
We went on a bus trip to see the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island where hundreds to thousands of little penguins come ashore every night to the surrounding countryside to nest. It's a pretty amazing sight. We saw lots of other wildlife on the same trip as you'll see in the pictures. The baby kangaroo in his mummy's pouch was supercute- almost as cute as our little koala! 
