Type 23 frigate HMS Marlborough slipped into the Australian port of Cairns after her long passage from the Seychelles via Diego Garcia.

Cairns is a town of around 90,000, but that figure can double during the tourist season, although the British visitors said the town was spread out and had a feeling of spaciousness about it.

Cairns is a hub for many adventure sports businesses, and as there is pretty much something for everyone, many of the crew went back to the Great Barrier Reef, which the frigate had carefully negotiated on her way into the port, for a closer look.

It was, according to several of the ship’s company, like something out of a David Attenborough documentary – there really are tens of thousands of fish, all shapes and sizes and colours.

From beautiful parrot fish some 2ft long nibbling at coral to shoals of tiny yellowtails which flit around divers’ heads in shoals, the variety was bewildering.

Angel fish as big as a human head floated by, and several British sailors met Wally, a large Maori wrasse who is very curious about divers and likes to have his chin tickled.

Even those who don’t dive were able to enjoy the spectacle, as snorkellers in just 6ft of water over the reef were swimming in a giant aquarium.

There were many other activities, including quad bikes on a 300-acre site, testing man and machine to breaking point – one or two people were still walking a little gingerly several days later after an ungainly and unexpected dismount.

There were also trips to the mountains, rafting, bungy jumping, game fishing – and a lively nightlife which started around 300 metres from the ship’s berth, from blues clubs to progressive rock.

The food was excellent, and while the adventurous chose crocodile and kangaroo, the more traditional opted for superb barimundi fish, shrimp and mussels.

The people of Cairns were extremely welcoming and genuinely pleased to see the British visitors, and as new friendships were forged, some of those who flew their families to Australia intend to return to the Cairns area in the future.

Wherever Marlborough goes there seems to be one item that is bought as a souvenir by one member of the ship's company which then fuels a buying frenzy. A year or so ago, it was snoring camels in Bahrain, while in Goa it was wooden elephants. In Cairns it was to be jacarus or Australian leather outback-style hats – there is now a ship full of Crocodile Dundee wannabes. How they will go down in Portsmouth city centre is another matter.

Talking of crocodiles, the inlet in which the ship was berthed was known to be inhabited by these creatures.

No one is thought to have seen any in the water, but members of the Cairns Yacht club delighted in telling the Marlborough crew how a 12ft croc had taken residence on their beach front –about 150 metres astern of the ship. Then they invited Marlborough to go sailing with them, but the general view was that the scenery was best enjoyed from a safe veranda.

That one of the things about Australia; old hand-drawn charts proclaimed at the edge that “here be monsters", and that is certainly true of Australia, where all manner of odd beasties make their home. But beasties or no, as the ship left Cairns for New Zealand, it was difficult to sum up the visit briefly and succinctly, other than in the time-honoured fashion – bonzer!

If you can play hard all day and night, want for fun, friends and adventure, and you can't find a holiday location that can keep up with you, Cairns could be the answer you have been looking for!