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Published: January 7th 2008
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Great Barrier Reef
(Image from http://www.sxc.hu) Saturday 5th Up early - I blame it on the time difference and a keeness to see if I can get some dives, a dive, some snorkelling - I don't care now - sorted! I came here to see the Great Barrier Reef and I want to see it! I spend an hour with Naomi, one of the YHA staff, and it becomes clear that Cairns is over-booked, I'm definitely not getting on the one I started trying to book 5 weeks ago, and I probably can't finish my scuba certificate either, so I settle for the best location single-day trip available - for Sunday.
So, I now have a day free to do whatever I want, so I go to the shopping centre to try and sort a few things. Need some new flip-flops (you, of course, know that they call them thongs over here!), some food, etc. Weather is beautiful but bit too hot/humid for comfort. Find an internet café where I can burn another set of DVD backups of my photos, by the time I come out the skies have clouded over which is not great planning - go for a wander to find a few photos
and search for my badge patch before heading back to the hostel, cooking dinner, chatting to my roommates and ready for an early sleep for a 645 pickup in the morning.
Sunday 6th The dive, the dive, the dive... But first, the early start, the drive to Port Douglas and the 2 hour catamaran trip to get out to Agincourt Reef (north Great Barrier Reef, apparently the further north you get, the better it is). We fill in paperwork on the way over (my options to complete the certificate would have been there but need an Oz dive medical first), watch a 'do this or you will die' DVD, and get allocated instructors. My only options are introductory dives, but at the first dive site I get allocated snorkelling - which is fine - get to see the reef from the top, get used to breathing through a tube and the hang of the camera - although I missed the turtle which so many saw!
Second dive site is only about 30 minutes later, and I'm geared up, feeling REALLY nervous as last time I scuba'd I'd just missed out on the certificate. Alwin was my instructor, and
of the 4 people he's been allocated, one went to another group and another decided she didn't want to do it (no money lost until you let go of the rope apparently)... So, there was just the 2 of us and Alwin was able to point things out to us. We were right on the continental shelf (if you kept swimming you'd maybe get to South America first!) which drops about a mile, but we were sticking to no more than 8-10 metres. Plenty to see and after hoovering up my air on the descent (where I had to do partial mask flood and swap regulators (air supplies) before being allowed to continue), my breathing has calmed down and I'm really enjoying this. Liz had recommended that I do a couple of fun dives before retrying the skills and I come up feeling more confident underwater, having seen lots of underwater life, including a big shark in the murky distance... Which swam away from us.
So, second dive, decide it's a must. But first, lunch - plenty of tasty buffet options here and find a handful of people to chat to. Back into the gear and there's 3 of
us this time. Jump in and don't seem to be getting and air so splutter to the surface. Alwin adjusts something and I'm ready to dive. Another good dive, we go to 9.5m and my air lasts a couple of minutes longer but it's still not great! See lots more, take more photos, and a last look before up we go again. Ditch the gear, and sit and watch some videos - don't have $108 to purchase but Megan's done a great job. Chat to some more people, and the journey back is over pretty fast.
A further hour or so on the bus back, get back to the hostel and see it's 6.15pm, so decide to ask if they know where nearest church is. She looks up Anglican, I walk to it - no evening service but over the road is a friendly looking Baptist Church so make way into there. Interesting double-act sermon on 'No Compromise', and immediately after a couple of girls chat to me and offer me a lift back - well timed as as we get in the car it starts to absolutely POUR down. Quick snack, shattered so sleep!
Monday 7th No
great hurry to get up, no great plans for today. Resort my bag, do a face mask - at which point a couple of maintenance boys want to come and fix the bedside light! Settle down to sort the finances - try and work out what I've really spent and what I have left for New Zealand (especially as I'll be there an extra couple of weeks!) - without ready access to a computer finding it difficult to make things tally, but Australia has been more expensive than I expected - partly because of some of the things I have opted to do!
All day the rain continued to pour down. I went back to the shopping centre as my flip-flops were faulty. Also found a light/toe-covered pair of shoes ($14!) to replace the lovely ones Justine bought me last year - I have worn them to death, and on surf camp ripped part of the sole off. Also found a book to read on the plane for $5 (about GBP2)... Most paperbacks are about $25! Went back to the internet café, asked for a machine with a DVD writer, spent 35 mins sorting material for it, then find
that machine will not burn DVDs - hardware is there, software is faulty. Ask for another computer and say shouldn't have to pay for that one, which I thought he'd agreed to, but instead got thrown out - lovely - makes you want to come back! Found another but focused on sorting a few things instead, before heading back to make rice/veggie curry, and going to bed.
Tuesday 8th Heard Joanna come in late, leave early (she wasn't noisy, you're just aware of these things), but slept in til 830am, when I picked up the book for the plane and that was it - aside from a shower break - until 3pm, when I finished and felt the need for real food - rather than nut bars!
Nothing much happened the rest of the afternoon either, chatted to Hilary my new room mate, we then went back to the shopping centre to check out books (i didn't buy any - still have one), buy her some food, then get back and shortly after Katie gets back from her 2 day liveaboard... We had chatted about this before she left - she completed her scuba certification in a quarry
in N England in December (how cold!). She managed 4 of the 7 dives and had a good time... We chatted for ages, along with some other people, and Katie shared some wine as we watched the rain continue to fall! We went on the net during which time the loudest, etc electrical storm started - and shorted the internet connection. We sat and watch the lighting, etc for an hour, then I felt the need for bed as I had a 3.45 start....
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