Soaring through the skies and diving into the earth—Queensland is insanely fun

When traveling abroad, bringing your passport and money is a given, but when visiting Queensland in Australia, it’s also highly recommended that you bring along some courage—and if you have a strong heart to boot, even better. This isn’t to say Queensland is some perilous den of danger, but rather that many of the exciting activities here come with a bit of an adrenaline kick. As long as you’re willing to throw caution to the wind and go all in, you’re in for an unforgettable ride.

 

To stimulate thrill and pleasure in a pleasurable way, there are generally three key elements: height, speed, and the imagination of potential danger. To let your nerves adjust gradually and not deplete your adrenaline too quickly, let’s start with an activity that’s all about height.

 

In Australia, many places offer hot air balloon tour companies, but whether the balloon actually takes off largely depends on the weather—so just signing up and paying doesn’t guarantee a flight. However, in the Cairns area of Queensland, thanks to its ideal climate and temperature conditions, the success rate of hot air balloon launches exceeds 90%, making it the perfect place to fulfill your hot air balloon dreams.

 

Taking a hot air balloon ride isn’t without its challenges—the first hurdle being the need to wake up at 3:00 a.m., because the tour company’s shuttle will be waiting outside your hotel before 4:00 a.m. This is definitely a tough step for those used to sleeping in. But getting up early is absolutely worth it—because while you can always catch up on sleep later, the rising sun won’t wait for anyone.

The launch site for the hot air balloon is in Mareeba, over an hour’s drive from Cairns. When we arrived, the land was still pitch black, and looking up, only countless stars were visible. The only light on the plains came from the gas burners used to inflate the balloon. As the horizon slowly shifted from deep black to indigo, the outline of the balloon gradually took shape. Once it was fully inflated, the “balloon captain” invited everyone to step into the basket, and the magical journey officially began.

 

Riding in a hot air balloon is a truly magical experience. Though everything around is silent, it does nothing to calm the excitement in your heart. The scenery on the ground grows smaller and smaller, the rustling of tree branches in the wind becomes barely noticeable, and the distant rainforest, half-hidden in morning mist, resembles the immortal gardens of fantasy poetry. The hot air from the gas tanks wards off the pre-dawn chill, and the whooshing sound reminds us of the passage of time. The rising sun bathes the plains in glossy green, and the geometric patterns of the fields begin to emerge clearly. The occasional moving black dots are cattle grazing leisurely, and if you’re lucky, you might even spot kangaroos hopping about. Though the breathtaking view has already jolted you wide awake, it also transports you into another surreal dream—floating endlessly like this, it feels as though you could drift all the way to the magical land of Oz.

 

The Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, is one of the strongest reasons many travelers include Cairns in their itineraries. Coral reefs are formed by coral polyps—marine invertebrates that secrete calcium carbonate, which hardens into limestone after their death. Over time, new generations of coral polyps build upon these remains, gradually expanding the reef. What’s astonishing about the Great Barrier Reef is that it consists of over 2,900 individual reefs, stretching 2,300 kilometers along Australia’s northeast coast, covering nearly 350,000 square kilometers—about 10 times the size of Taiwan. This is the result of 18 million years of accumulation, and today, the reefs are still living organisms. As long as the environment remains undamaged, they will continue to grow on this shallow continental shelf.

 

Just reading about these facts might not fully convey the breathtaking beauty of the Great Barrier Reef—you have to dive in and see it with your own eyes to feel the awe. This endless underwater jungle is made up of coral reefs of all shapes and colors, while schools of brightly patterned fish of all sizes swim solo or in groups through the coral forests. Sea anemones wave their tentacles, occasionally revealing clownfish seeking shelter, and the dark shadows gracefully gliding by are elegant sea turtles. The scene is nothing short of magnificent—and if it weren’t all so vivid and within arm’s reach, you might think you were watching a Hollywood special effects masterpiece.

 

Upon reaching the platform, the first thing you should do is check the schedule for the semi-submersible reef viewer, as it only departs four times a day—and missing it means you’ll have to wait for the next day. As the name suggests, the semi-submersible doesn’t fully submerge, but the large glass windows at the bottom offer a clear view of the dazzling and intricate underwater world. The ride lasts about 30 minutes, circling above the coral reefs, bringing you face-to-face (through the glass) with a variety of fantastical marine creatures—as if you’re watching a live episode of a Discovery Channel nature documentary, except this one is happening right in front of you.

 

The platform also provides free snorkeling gear for anyone to use, but to truly experience the magic of the Great Barrier Reef, you’ll want to try some paid optional activities: scuba diving, underwater motorcycles (Scuba-Doo), and helicopter flights. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the few places where even non-divers can fulfill their dream of diving. With the guidance of professional instructors, you’ll get much closer to the coral reefs—you’re no longer just watching through glass, but actually immersed in the underwater world, becoming part of the marine ecosystem. Surrounded by over 400 unique species of coral in stunning shapes—stag horn, umbrella, mushroom, brain corals—and hundreds of colorful fish darting about, the experience is simply mesmerizing. You can even spot turtles, reef sharks, and schools of tropical fish swimming beneath you. It’s hard to describe in words just how incredible it feels to be down there, and you’ll likely find it hard to believe that such wonders exist right beneath the ocean’s surface.