Exploring Green Island, Australia...
An unexpected day...
At the The Bar & Bait Shop we love to have our Islands To Highlands Crew and Members share their adventures and cool places they have been to so the rest of us can add it to our bucket lists. Plus, it's a nice way to recognize some of the people and places that deserve our gratitude for making our experiences a little more special. Here's another one for ya...
Taking a needed break from work, the golf course and guitar time, our friend Jon Shamon headed Down Under to scare the locals and to hit a ton of sites on his own list. This included crisscrossing Australia and spending time in many regions that a lot of us normally don't get to see. On his jaunt into Northeastern Queensland, he hopped on a boat and headed out to Green Island National Park to spend an unexpected day with the BIG Crocodiles and a living legend.
Here's Jon's story in his own words...
Just off the coast of Cairns, Australia you’ll find the very scenic Green Island. I went to enjoy a leisurely walk (you can do the entire island in 40 minutes) while spending the remainder of the day on the beach doing a bit of snorkeling. Unbeknownst to me, there was an exhibit on the island called Marineland Crocodile Park. Having no other plans, I decided to head towards the exhibit. Seeing the gift shop and being disappointed that they no longer offered visitors the possibility to hold a baby croc (for good reason as it leans towards cruelty to animals), I really didn’t expect much. The lovely lady at the register, Fiona, proceeded to tell me about the multitude of crocodiles they had including the largest in captivity named Cassius. This huge beast, weighing more than a ton, was rescued by her father in 1987 and is today over 110 years old. The exhibit was far bigger than I expected and includes 17 large fish tanks with clownfish and surgeonfish (Nemo and Dori) amongst other types. In addition to the animals, there are hundreds of unique Melanesian wood carvings on display which her father, George, began collecting over 70 years ago.
From the caretakers, I learned more about this unique man named George Craig. Throughout his lifetime, he has claim to citizenship in at least five countries; Australia, Canada, Papa New Guinea, Peru and the United Kingdom. He was the “original” crocodile hunter having performed this duty for nearly twenty years before turning to conservationism and rescue. With images of his unique life including fleeing head-hunters in the 1950’s while living in Papa New Guinea, I inquired as to when he passed away. I was quite surprised to find out, he was still alive and well and could be seen on the island driving around in his red motorized scooter. I left the exhibit with plans to return for the turtle and crocodile feeding at 1:30pm. Following my trek around the island, I grabbed a drink and headed towards the snorkel rental stand. On my way, an elderly gentleman stopped near me in a red 4-wheel cart. I inquired if he was George, the owner of the crocodile park. Caught a bit off guard, he told me he was! Letting him know I had spoken to his daughter and that she had relayed many of his unique journeys, we struck up a conversation. He told me about one of his first adventures, a stowaway on a banana boat in Bristol, England headed for the Bahamas. He then told me about his aquatic performance with Johnny Weissmuller, the original Tarzan, and Esther Williams a world-class swimmer and Hollywood icon from the Golden Age of cinema. After exchanging a few jokes, I told George I would be back at his park for the afternoon show and hoped to see him again.
I returned as agreed and watched the feeding of Billie (their Hawksbill Turtle) and the feeding of the first two crocodiles. Not noticing me at first, George pulled up to watch the show. I greeted him and we took up where we left off. He inquired if I would like to see them feed Cassius. I told him, the crowd was a little much for me and I preferred chatting with him. He said he agreed and proceeded to lead me to his personal workspace which had at least another 1000 pieces of Melanesia art including totems, tribal masks, idols and shields. While he had started collecting in the 50’s, much of the artwork dates back over 100 years. His collection is so vast it has been in magazines around the world. We traded recommendations on music to add to our Spotify catalogs and I got a peak at his latest hobby, that of painter. I was quite impressed and asked if he sold them. I was a little disappointed when he told me he did not. I spent at least another two hours with George that afternoon and learned much more about his family. As we were saying our goodbyes, he got up and went over to a large desk where he retrieved a small painting of Cassius which he handed it to me. Confused, I replied, “I thought you didn’t sell your paintings?” He responded, “I don’t”, and smiled. I left not only with a treasured gift but with a wonderful new friendship. Whether or not you have the opportunity to meet George or his remarkable daughter Fiona, the Marineland Crocodile Park is well worth the time and for me a memory I will never forget.
Thanks Jon for sharing your "unexpected" adventure, your amazing story and for the ideal photos!
Here's What They Offer
Marineland Crocodile Park is a family-owned and operated business on Green Island on the Great Barrier Reef making it the only coral cay with Crocodiles. Also on display is one of the world's largest collections of Melanesian Tribal Artifacts, an amazing display of aquariums and an extensive gift shop.
How To Find it
Green Island is approximately 12 hectares in size and is quite unique. Of the 300 coral cays in the Great Barrier Reef, Green Island is the only one with a rainforest. The National Park is a beautiful 6,000 year-old coral cay located in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park about 27 km offshore from Cairns in Tropical North Queensland. You'll definitely need a boat to get out there so Jon recommends you check out Great Adventures for tour information and fares.
Marineland Crocodile Park
P.O. Box 2810
Cairns Old 4870
Australia
Ph: +61 (07) 4051 4032
E-mail: info@greenislandcrocs.com.au
Website: https://www.greenislandcrocs.com.au/
If anyone ever gets back there, drop us a line and send us some of your own photos of your experience so we can update this post. Mahalo!
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Why hello there Cassius...
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