Oh Ahh Cap'ain.... I found my sealegs!!

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Hey guys!!

Well just hit dry land and all i can say is get me back on that boat!!! Im swaying!! i liked it better aboard a tin can - no bugs or bitey things!! So after a few nights in townsville I was settiong sail for the great barrier reef and some of the best diving ever!!
15 of us with 3 instuctors and a skipper and a cook..............just hope i like them!!! We were on the boat for 8pm and didnt set dsail til 11pm with the gear checks and stuff and then we were off........sailing through the night to the first dive site - wheelers reef! Sailing through the night isn't all its cracked up to be! takes a lot to drown out the noise of an engine whilst you're sailing and trying to sleep!!

Even though it has only been a month since i have dived i was getting a bit of the heebie jeebies - it seemed everyone else was a lot more qualified than me, or at least had dived a little more recently! oh - er! But once we hit the water it was amazing!! Have never seen that far underwater before - visability of over 20m and so much to see!! Sharks from day one (dont worry i still have all my fingers & toes!), turtles, angel fish, sting rays, nemos, the whole works!!!! To many to name and dont even have the pictures to show you! so after 4 dives on the 1st day and rediscovering my fear of night dives i went to bed after a beer very very tired! this time we stayed put for the night and everyone slept much better!

Day 2 brought the anchor being raised at 5am and moving onto Davies reef and another 4 dives!! again more sharks white tipped reef sharks and eppilette sharks - very cool! Also exploring cave and swim throughs into caves! Again found my fear of night dives - will probably stop doing them soon - really dont agree witrh me! I mean who wants to go into water with only a torch to see things by when if you go in the day you can see it all??? So back to the boat for apple pie and the briefing for the big dive........the shipwreck of the S. S. Yongala!

Day 3 came and we were in the water by 6am!! trying to remember all the info we had been told, so the nerve and tireness rolled into one made evryone very wired! Once in the water it just took one look and the heart was in the mouth - evrything was so big!!! Bigger than me! Saw so much.......manta ray, huge turtles, barracuda, shoals of fish, groupers, angel fish the size of car tyres! crazy!! Also 2 different types of shark including guitar sharks! The current was very strony and before we knew it we were at the end of the shipwreck and having to swim against it back to the boat. Half way along and the oxygen was running out so had to do an open water ascent and get picked up by the speed boat - well i only like to travel in style! An hour for some quick brekkie then back in the water..........the current had got stronger and I didnt go far but sat on the line and just watched - truely amazing!!

Then we had a large one last night...... having been in the water diving at 6am i was just getting in at 4am this morning!! Dancing on very swollen feet now seems a very silly idea but hey!! So i think Im gonna chill on magnetic island as the plan of walking is out the question with swollen toes.................such a hard life!

(called magnetic island as it sent captain cooks compass crazy when he sailed past for those of you who were wondering....)

love to all

missing home lots

3 days til i see paul! wahoo

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