The Great Barrier Reef Adventure

Wow - where do I start!!  How about at the beginning...

We were up, dressed and hitting the sidewalk by 7 am this morning.  We walked the short 5-6 blocks to the Reef Terminal to catch our air-conditioned  fast catamaran out to Green Island.  As we got onto the boat, we made our way to the first level, then up to the second level, and finally headed up to the top - kept following the crowd.

As we made our way to the island, the reservations were confirmed and payments made for the adventures that awaited us on the Great Barrier Reef.  After much confusion about where to go and who to see and to get the details hammered out so that Rachel and I would be on the snorkel tour together and Rose and I would not be on our Scuba Doo at the same time Rachel was diving.  Whew..got it all together so we settled back and finished our beautiful ride out to Green Island.

Green Island was very beautiful - we walked along the boardwalk thru the rainforest and sat by the pool for a while.  I walked down to the water and went down the steps into the ocean to remove to plastic bottles that were floating around - people are so careless at times!!.

After two short hours at Green Island, we headed back to the boat to continue our adventure to the Great Barrier reef.

As we were standing in line - a sea turtle popped up out of the ocean.  I'd add the picture but the connection is so slow - it is taking a very long time to load the photographs  - so it will just have to wait.  I'm tired and tomorrow is going to be another busy day.

Got back onto the boat for a 45 minute ride out to the reef.  Once we arrived, it was straight over for our Scuba Doo adventure.  Yes - I am the one that smacked myself in the head because I tried to enter it incorrectly - pretty funny - Rachel actually got a picture of it as it was happening but then I was under water and you can't really tell what was going on.  Once I got my head in the little hole and was properly seated, they removed the scooters from the deck and we were off for our adventure - it was a little scary at first, sitting on a scooter - in the ocean - with your head in a bubble!!

We saw some beautiful fish but alas - no turtles.  It was murky underwater but we got to see some really pretty things.  We had a guide that "pushed" us around but we ran the motor.  I can't imagine diving everyday at the reef - I bet they have seen exciting things.

After the scuba doo - Rachel and I headed over for our guided snorkeling tour.  This is the first time I have snorkeled - once I figured out to keep my mouth completely shut, it was great - salt water tastes awful.  The coral was beautiful - I didn't swim over it very much in fear of not only hurting it but I didn't want to get cut.  the water in some places was about 20 or so feet deep but over the coral, it would be 2-3 feet - just enough room to paddle over.  I was very glad I put on a life vest - it enabled me to just float.  I used my underwater video camera and the videos came out pretty good.  The one time I needed it - of course I left it on the platform  - that story later.  Rachel and I pretty much ditched our guide - we kept going here and there - so much to see.  The really blue parts of the reef are actually where there is no coral - it is the sandy bottom.
We got so excited about the snorkeling, we made it to the platform just in time for Rachel to gear up for diving.  Rose was getting on the submersible & I stayed behind to photograph Rachel's diving experience.  It was really neat - just as she got off the platform, I was able to go below and take photos of her swimming off.

Suddenly I was alone - Rachel diving, Rose in the submersible.  It was very hot so I decided to go snorkeling again and cool off.  Only had a few minutes to float around so I left the camera behind.  BIG MISTAKE.  I was floating around minding my own business enjoying the beautiful coral and there it was - a SHARK- swimming under me less than 10 feet away on the bottom!!  I got very still and wasn't completely sure what to do.  I kept thinking don't swish around - don't swish around.  I did watch him - oh for about 5 seconds and slowly turned around and started paddling like hell back to the platform - thank goodness for fins!!  I kept looking up to see where I was before I had gotten a ways out - I'd paddle then look up - I guess the lifeguard saw me and kept watching - I was not about to have a jaws moment and  yell SHARK - so I quickly got my fins off and quietly told him I had seen a shark - he said - oh it was just a reef shark - they won't hurt you.  Sure they won't.  I ran over and grabbed my underwater camera hopped back in and went looking for him. Nothing - we had 10 minutes left at the platform and I was determined to see him again.  But alas, my shark encounter was brief at the reef but hey - I saw a shark up close in the wild - not in a tank and not on tv -but  in real life in it's world. I ran out of time and had to pack up and get back onto our boat - didn't see him again - I snorkeled til the last minute.

Got back onto the boat for our 45 minute ride home.  Sat up top again and enjoyed the view.  There were some guys from Japan (?) that kept looking at Rachel and when I took a picture of her - so did they - one of them hopped in asked to have his photo taken with her - she says it happens all the time - she is really tall 5 11 & 1/2

As we got closer to shore, it was raining on land - it was so beautiful - the clouds were low on the mountains and there was a rainbow down the side of one.

Got back to land and walked around town - we were tired and hungry so we stopped for pizza and a cold one.  Found a great pizza place and just as they put the pizza on the table....Rose spilled her beer all over it!!  It was very funny!  Beer soaked pizza is actually pretty good.  We ate, made our way back to the hotel - saw those scary bats again - settled down and prepared for our next adventure.

Today we are headed out to the Kuranda Village - taking the train and the skyrail aka bucket in the sky!!

Connection too slow for picture posting ;-(

Must get ready - only an hour before they pick us up!!

Tune in next time for our Bucket in the sky report

WOW - what a day