Its on days like this that I feel very lucky. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most majestic natural sites I have seen. Truly mind boggling. When you are snorkelling over it you realise how wonderful it is..
Met up with my group on Sunday night. We have a tour leader, Graham an Aussie , and 8 others. 6 single travellers and 2 other women who know each other. Age ranges are very close - 5 women and 3 men. After 3 days it seems we have a good group of people and getting on with each other is easy.
Monday I booked to go on a snorkelling trip onto the reef from Cairns. Left at 7:45 and boated 3 hours out onto the reef to a palce calling Hastings Reef. Snorkelled for 1 hour over the reef - which was only 2 feet deep in the water . The colours and shapes of the coral were amazing - hopefully my underwater camera worked. Then we had lunch and went to another reef called Breaking Reef - which was similarly awesome. Then back to shore for cheese and wine and off the boat at 5pm - and the cost?? 35 quid!! www.reeftrip.com if you want to see more
The barrier reef stretches 1500 miles down the coast - think of that - longer than Britain!!
Tuesday we were up at 6 for a 450 miles drive south to Airlie Bay. We stopped a couple of times on route - once at Billabong Sanctuary a home for crocodiles that have been captured because they were too close to town and posed a threat.
So heres a fact about crocodiles in this part of the world. Crocodiles are basically lazy and would like their food on a plate - so attacking large animals isn't worth it as a good meal for them is say a basketball size of meat. They will always go for the easy option. In Queensland if you go kayaking, walking or fishing the advice (and they do it) is to take a dog with you - as presented with 2 options the croc will choose....... (sorry Paddy and Lucy).
Got to our camp site last night at about 6 ish. Up early this morning and managed to catch the end of the game (well done red men!!) and today we were off to the Whitsunday Islands for another snorkel and beach bbq. We went out on Maxi Raggamuffin (check out the web for info) , which is a proper Ocean Going Yacht that has won the Sydney Hobart yacht race 3 times (the most ever). The reef was brilliant again and the yacht was also excellent - racing across the waves with sails blowing and boat at an angle. Very, very good.
Anyway I'm updating this while the 2 other members of my cook team are shopping for food - after that we are cooking seafood risotto for the others (god help them, I said I needed to ring Pete for help!)
Tomorrow off early to a cattle station and then on to Fraser Island. Hopefully update you from there but if not (its a bit remote) will do it on Monday.
Have an excellent weekend and hope the carols are sung in tune!!!
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1 comment:
Croc bait how very dare you Mr Poole! Lucy misses you too! You should have paid attention at my cookery classes,saffron is always good for colour.No carol singers as yet, must of heard we have a very furious dog? Bloody cold here at the moment but it is a good excuse to have a nice fire, beach bbq's you don't know what you're missin! Keep checkin the loo seat for spiders! with love as usual x
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