Entry 10: Dive! Dive! Dive!

After leaving Ayers Rock I spent the best part of two hours peering down from 35,000 feet on the barren expanse that is Australia's 'outback'. As far as the eye could see, the parched red soil continued, before the view was interrupted by a layer of cloud. We broke through that cloud with half an hour of the flight left to reveal rivers, lakes and farmland surrounded by dense rainforest. We were descending into Cairns, and the Tropics......
Getting off the plane once again the humidity hit us like a bucket of water. Cairns is a resort town and we arrived on Saturday night with all the shops still open and the bars and restaurants filling by the second. It was a case of dumping our bags and having a wander round. Although a resort, Cairns doesn't have much of a beach so the (fairly) recently updated waterfront has a massive public outdoor funpool, and it gives the place a real friendly and relaxed feel as families are out enjoying the evening along with the hardcore revellers. Cairns' trump card however, lies offshore:
Larger than The Great Wall of China, one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World and the only living thing that's visible from space..........The Great Barrier Reef....................and as you can see we now have an under water case for Sam's camera.
Our boat trip out to the first of our 3 dives on the reef (during our second day in Cairns) was fairly rough, but unlike some we were able to retain the contents of our stomachs. In total the 3 dives meant we were under the water for over 2 hours and although not as 'fish packed' as the 'Navy Pier' it was still a memorable event as my (Sam has dove on the GBR before) first experience of diving the Great Barrier Reef. Sitings included shark, turtles, rays, large wrasse, potato cod, barracuda and hundreds of different types of smaller fish. We were out practically all day on the boat what with allowing time between dives and then went out for dinner that night with the peculiar feeling of still bobbing up and down, coupled with a tropical storm with continuous lightning. We've booked another 2 dives further down the coast that should be pretty special........more on that later, weather permitting.
Our time in Cairns came to an end when we picked up another little oven to head up the coast in. Same model meant the thieves couldn't charge us $100 just to watch a familiarization dvd. Our first quick stop was a place called Mossman Gorge, a tourist magnet where idiots come to spoil a picturesque river by swimming into the viewfinder of ya camera.......don't they know it's all about OUR enjoyment?! If you sense a touch of jealousy you'd be right, the sweat pours off you here as you walk around these tropical forests and it would have been lovely to jump into one of those (non-croc dwelling) waterholes, but we choose not to follow the crowds where possible, and we gave the communal baths a miss. So we continued the very scenic coastal drive, in which the odds on us having a head-on collision were very high due to my concentration being drawn to the views rather than staying in my own lane. Fortunatley we made it to Port Douglas.....unfortunately, we had to leave the next day to keep within our schedule. Port Douglas was idyllic, with its laid back atmosphere, great bars and restaurants as well as every other amenity any small town would need, all blended in nicely with no high rise buildings of any kind. Very cosy and a place where within three months I reckon you'd know everyones name and your local drinking hole of choice would have a Gin & Tonic waiting on the bar when ya finished ya shift..................cause Port Douglas has its own small ambulance station.......................oh! and there's a golf course here too!! it's perfect!!..........So Lewis, Gary and Malc, we gave them your names and details. But unfortunately, Lewis - you're still wanted for driving violations and theft from when you were over here. Malc - they said, what with the heat over here they couldn't risk taking on a ginge. And Gary - apparently your belly still contains too much lager!!......................Sorry guys, we tried!!
From Port Douglas we drove to the Daintree River where we went for a cruise and saw tree frogs, more fruit bats (flying foxes) than you could ever count and of course crocodiles or 'Salties' as they're known over here, although we didn't see any of the adults that can reach up to 5 metres in length. The cruise was only for an hour and something we did on the spur of the moment. We then crossed the Daintree River in the camper via a ferry and progressed slowly through the rainforest on the winding and narrow, albeit tarmac, road that finishes before turning to gravel (and 4x4 vehicles only) at Cape Tribulation: our destination for 2 nights.
Cape Tribulation was the name given to this place by Captain Cook after his ship ran aground on the reef here. To the indigenous aborigines it's known as Kulki and is another World Heritage Site and one of the few places in the world where the rainforest meets the sea.
We've been down to the beaches here, most of which have one warning or another. If its not 'salties' that hunt along the shore as well as up river, it's the 'stingers' (jelly fish), and contact with either can be potentially fatal. Shame we can't get a few of each down at the 'hot walls' (Southsea) to kill a few chavs. We've walked through rainforest areas and seen spiders as big as our hands, snakes and large lizards. Up here is also the home of the Cassowary; a large flightless bird related to the African Ostrich. They can reach up to 2m in height and have the kick of a mule. Due to their reputation for being aggressive, their mug also appears on warning signs.................................unfortunately we never did see one in the flesh; well they are an endangered species!!
Cape Tribulation is a true 'wild frontier' like the outback, except the total opposite to look at and negotiate. We're glad to have come up here.........however, our need to head south and escape the humidity and sleepless nights means my foot was firmly to the floor as we travelled the 500+ km south to Townsville.

We were both really surprised at Townsville. A military town that conjours up thoughts of Bordon and Aldershot, but this must be a squaddies dream posting (Lee, put your request in immediately!!......hope the family's well and I'm still waiting for you to make me famous.....times movin' on?), with nice beaches, an average of 320 sunny days a year and an abundance of bars, restaurants and clubs that line the attractively developed waterfront.......it's like a mini Cairns. We had no idea it would be this nice even with a good write up in the 'Lonely Planet'.
You're probably wondering what we're doing here if we didn't expect much?? Well we're here for one reason, and that's for our next dive.

It's advertised as Australia's best dive and the 'Lonely Planet' goes a step further and says:

"some say the Yongala is the best wreck dive in the world".

Now, like it or not, you're gonna get the full run down on this wreck so if I bore you, I make no apologies...

The SS YONGALA was built for the Adelaide Shipping Company in Newcastle (UK). The 111 metre long steamer left Mackay at 13:40 hrs on the 23rd March 1911 bound for Townsville. Five hours later she passed the lighthouse keeper on Dent Island in the Whitsunday passage, steaming into what was described as "worsening weather'. With no radio on board (ironically to be fitted during her time in Townsville) the captain had little warning of the cyclone ahead.
When she didn't arrive in port, it was thought that she'd taken shelter behind one of the many islands as ships often did to wait out the storm.........Two days later a search team found pillow cases and some life jackets floating in the water, but had no idea where the Yongala had sank.
With no survivors, the SS YONGALA still remains Australia's worst maritime disaster with the loss of 122 lives....
Located by the Australian Navy in 1947 whilst plotting the waters for mines (now the technology was available), originally they thought it was a reef. It wasn't officially identified however until 1958 thanks to the serial number on the ships safe when a local man claimed salvage on the vessel. The wreck is now protected under strict laws and still remains a mass gravesite.......
The tragedy is made worse due to the fact that the Yongala's deck sits only 14m below the surface and from the dive site you can clearly see land. The main funnel has never been found and it's assumed a large wave tore the funnel off whilst another flooded the engine room sinking the vessel almost immediately....
For those pirates among you still wondering, only papers were found in the safe!!
As well as it's history, what makes this a good dive site is that it's the only thing that lays on the sandy seabed for miles around. So coral polyps are carried in the sea currents (which can be strong here), stick to the wreck and start to grow, and they've been doing that for almost 100 years!! This has a knock on effect, because then a home is created for all those small fish that live and feed off the coral, which attracts predators, who also have larger predators......and on it goes. And they all congregate here, in and around the wreck of the SS Yongala.

On entering the water, you can't see anything apart from the sunrays disappearing into the deep blue. The strict rules mean you have to follow a guide rope down to the wreck which looms out of the deep. The amount of small fish must enter the thousands as shoal after shoal swarm around the wreck. The predators such as the jacks, spanish mackerel and barracuda sit slightly off the wreck darting in from time to time to pick off their prey which scatters the shoals momentarily. There are big cod and Maori wrasse down here too, and soon after we begin traversing the hull (she sank and pitched at 60 degrees) we see a guitar shark. There are hawksbill turtles and lots of sea snakes (that I'm much more accustomed to these days) both of which are air breathers and make their way to the surface periodically. With their inquisitive nature, the sea snakes often come very close to check you out. A closer inspection of the coral reveals Moray eels, which are evil looking things that look like they'd enjoy nothing more than one of ya fingers.
Unfortunately, being 'open water' qualified, only allows us to a depth of 18m, although rules are there to be broken and we drop to 24, but the wreck sits in 30m of water so we were unable to see the reef sharks that sit at the bottom. However, this was soon forgotten when a Manta Ray made a visit to the wreck. In Coral Bay (if you remember) we snorkelled above the Manta Ray, this time it was above us. They have a beauty and grace that is tough to match, and it stole the show yet again.

Following our time in Townsville we drove further down the coast to a place called Airlie. Airlie is the 'gateway' to the Whitsundays and whilst in Cairns we booked ourselves on a three day and two night sail around a few of the Whitsunday Islands. This would also include a dive (of course) and some snorkelling.
There were 15 of us on board, of various nationalities, plus a 2-man crew to look after us; Andy, who had a real passion for sailing and hands of leather. And Zac, a free spirit who once joined a circus as a way of travelling the west coast. However, this ended somewhat prematurely when he witnessed the lion tamer's son lose his arm during a mauling from one of the pussy cats. They were both really nice guys for very different reasons and we took to them immediately. Our vessel was 'EUREKA II' one of the fastest ex-racing yaghts (now put out to pasture around these beautiful islands) and a former Sydney-to-Hobart competitor. Unfortunately, without windy conditions for any of the three days, we never got to feel her in full flight.
Our sail took us to several bays and past several of the islands including Hayman Island which is home to an exclusive resort ($700-$3000 per night). Miss Roberts, we've booked you into your own private suite next to the Beckhams for Christmas, hope you can make it (drop us another line girl, what ya up to? we're short on gossip!!). We dropped anchor at Tongue Bay (Whitsunday Island) and had lunch before being ferried to shore to spend some time on the famous Whitehaven Beach. If paradise has a beach, this is it! The sand, at 98% silica, is the finest sand in the world and feels unlike any other sand we've ever walked on. It's as fine as icing sugar and almost as white. So bright in fact that we are warned to apply sunscreen EVERYWHERE as the sun reflects off the sand so well that you can get sunburnt UP your shorts!! Whilst anchored in Tongue Bay, every few minutes turtles would surface for air and a bet with Andy as to who could spot the first one lost me a precious beer.
For our nights at sea the skies were clear and with no light pollution the stars looked even better than they did in Africa, with the constellations of 'Orions Belt' and 'Pegasus the Horse' easily recognisable as they have been throughout our journey in the southern hemisphere.
The diving and snorkelling have all been conducted in 'stinger suits'. Lycra all-in-ones (no full body shots I'm glad to say..... (there was but he wouldn't let me use it - Sam)) that protect you against jelly fish. Our faces and hands however, remain bare which is slightly disconcerting having seen dozens of jellyfish whilst sailing. The marine life when we've been in the water has been limited to fairly small fish during our Whitsunday's jolly, but the coral has been stunning and easily the best we've seen. The final day held an unexpected surprise; Shortly after leaving the mornings' snorkelling site, Andy asked me if I wanted to take the helm for a moment. Needless to say I jumped at the chance. To have someone sail you around the Whitsundays is one thing, to actually be actively involved is another. That unexpected few minutes turned into well over 2 hours as I steered us (under timely instructions of course) from Cook Island back to the mainland. Obviously I didn't let the experience go to my head, but I don't think it's unreasonable that I've insisted Sam now refers to me as 'Skipper' or 'Captain' from now on (and I told him what I would call him instead - not printable - Sam)................Captain Jack to you Linda on my return.
Back on terra firma, we say our thank yous and goodbyes to our crew. Reluctantly I was dragged by Sam out of the marina after wandering around offering my services for hire.

After another long drive of some 6 hours and a cracked windscreen (that would later rob our budget of $270) we arived at 1770. 1770 takes first prize in our opinion for best named place in Queensland. I'm sure you've already guessed but I'll tell you anyway, it was named after the year that Cook landed.........24th May 1770.
We stopped off here to do another two dives on a small (could walk around in 10 minutes) island called Lady Musgrave. The island has a lagoon that is best seen from the air. If you're interested, I'm sure if you google 'Lady Musgrave Island' you'll get the aerial view that we don't have, to show you. It's a beautifully remote spot but in all honesty the diving was disappointing, with little colour in the coral and few big fish. The 2 dives delivered both the best and worst visibility yet. On the outside of the lagoon the visibility was over 30m. However, within the lagoon we were down to about 8m. So with nothing new to see we resort to trying to make each other laugh which results in having to clear your mask of water and retrieve your wetsuit after it's been poked up your arse with a well aimed finger...............................Grow up???................................NEVER!!

Next, to Hervey Bay, where we had our windscreen replaced and had an interesting evening in quite possibly the worst Italian restaurant in the world.
We were studying the menu, when two old soaks sitting outside with their wine said;

"You can't go wrong". "You'll be entertained, and the food is fantastic."

In hindsight we should have walked away as soon as our waitress turned up sporting a set of gnashers that looked like she'd chewed through the thick chains that up till now had kept her safely locked away from public view. The food was slightly worse than awful, and we were treated with a 2 man live performance. Both men were 4 years older than Jesus, and were completely tone deaf.......yes you guessed it, the two old fellers we met when perusing the menu. A loud Christmas works party had also descended on the place (business must have been bad this year) who could have collectively lost a total of 30 tonnes and still been overweight. Still, the food poisoning in the morning should help. At one point I was close to shouting "I'm a celebrity, get me outta here!!".

Having been to the most westerly town in Australia (Denham, near Monkey Mia) , driven past the hottest (Marble Bar) and the wettest (Tully) - that still holds the record for the most rainfall in a populated area, with 7.9m in 1950, our next stop is the most easterly town in Australia, Byron Bay.
Byron Bay is (to quote the Lonely Planet once again): 'A hedonistic pleasure park'

A surfers paradise where clean living is achieved through good food and a healthy appetite for outdoor pursuits................oh! and probably a large dose of alcohol and weed. The town has to be commended for the fact that McDonalds cannot trade here due to local pressure groups, and on a trip where we've both agreed to go hungry (or eat in a crap Italian) rather than step foot in a McDonalds, that's fine by us.
The beach is really nice here, and every other person is an advert for either Billabong, Quicksilver or O'Neill. Not enough time here, but we plan to have surfing lessons when we get to Sydney............."When in Rome" as they say!

So onto our final stop on our east coast swing...........Brisbane.
After dropping our bags off at our latest hostel we took the camper van back, which took an age due to several cars and a tanker crashing in various parts of the city, causing heavy traffic. We finally made it in one piece back to the commercial centre to have a good wander round. We did the same again for our second day and just got a feel for the city before catching our flight out to Adelaide.

Our next journey will take us from Adelaide along the coast to Melbourne and into late December. So we'll take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and the best of luck and health for 2008, when we hope you'll continue to log in as we give you news of our time in Sydney before heading for an adrenaline fuelled month in New Zealand.

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