Blogs from Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, Oceania - page 8

Today starts early as we have to drive to Cairns to catch the boat to Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef - well some of it anyway! We were well stocked with water, crisps, sun lotion and swimming kit. We boarded the catameran that was to take us out to Green Island, about an hours journey. It was smooth sailing most of the way until we got clear of the headland and then it got a bit choppy, but most of us had taken sea sickness pills and we were all fine. On the journey out you can book various things - we'd gone for the whole package which included snorkel hire, a ride on the semi-submarine and a buffet lunch. I made enquiries about doing a scuba dive there, and after showing my PADI ... read more

On Tuesday we went on Quicksilver to the outer reef, called Agincourt. On the boat it was hard to walk around because you went from side to side. I got a drink, when I was walking with it, I had to grab onto to everything so I did not spill it. When we got to the activity platform you could have lunch on the boat. After I finished my lunch I went and had a look at the underwater observatory. It was rocky on the way back. ... read more

As I wrote in the previous entry, this is my trip to Heron Island; the second half of my mid-semester break. This island was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to! Day 1: On the same evening in which I returned from Fraser Island, I left for Heron Island that very night, about 4 hours later. At about 11:30pm on the night of April 13th, we were scheduled to depart Brisbane. However, due to 5 guys not thinking we were leaving the following day, we didn't get to leave until about 12:15am as we were waiting for the 5 guys to get on the bus. The bus was very full, about every seat was taking. It definitely was not the most comfortable of rides up to Gladstone. I'm sure everyone's legs were cramped ... read more

"G'day mate, what can I do foy you?" "I'd like to learn to dive please." "No worries mate." And so that's how I obtained my SSI Open Water certificate. Well, nearly. I walked into the CDC shop on Tuesday to see about learning to dive and getting to see the Great Barrier Reef before it all goes the way of Betamax. With the Oz experience buses only leaving Cairns at the start of the week and being full, I needed something to occupy myself with for at least 4 or 5 days. Naturally when in Cairns one goes SCUBA. So I signed myself onto the CDC 4 Open Water Course, involving 2 days in the pool to practice, a theory test and 2 days 1 night out on the reef. The course started the very next ... read more

So I'm kneeling down on the ocean bed 10 metres deep in the bath-like warm water of the northern, outer Great Barrier Reef, nervously breathing through a regulator and air tank, as Scuba Steve points out a stingray that casually swims by and holds a board up to the group that reads 'welcome to the underwater world!' This was the group's first dive and the previous two days had been spent in a Pro-Dive centre in Cairns, learning about diving and jumping in the pool to practice skills like regulator recovery, which came in handy when another diver accidentally flipper-kicked my breathing apparatus out of my mouth whilst 15 metres deep on a later dive! This first dive of our 3 day live-aboard dive boat extravaganza gave us the chance to get used to scuba diving ... read more