Cairns Hotels
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Diving the Great Barrier Reef
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I figured since I had some more days in Australia then I couldn't leave without seeing one of the wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef. And since the only real way to see it is by diving, I signed up for a certification course and reef trip all in one. So for the last week I have been in Cairns, where it was sunny and very warm, and after landing I was already happy to leave the Sydney rain and feeling better. I had a day to look around, and spent some time at the cable ski park-
basically a lake with a cable tow to practice wakeboarding. So for a couple of hours I worked on my board riding while trying to avoid baking in the sun and overusing my shoulder muscles (or at least what's left of them after being on an almost non-existent workout plan). Since it was jellyfish season (this area being home to two of the most treacherous in the world) the beaches do not have swimming, but right downtown is a sea water lagoon / beach with a large park that was very popular and made for a nice place to relax, read, and go for short swims. Other than that Cairns was almost all tourist oriented, about the size of Bundaberg, and all kinds of rain forest and dive trips to choose from, but not much to distinguish the city itself.
The dive classes started the next day with some classroom work (watching videos) and trying out the scuba gear in the pool. It wasn't too difficult- I was certified a long time ago (longer than I want to think about) but only went on my one certification dive to a Florida sinkhole, so figured I needed a full refresher. After another day of pool and classroom work we boarded the dive boat and headed out to the reef- it was good to be on the water again and not worrying about where and what to do or eat.
I was feeling pretty healthy by this point except for the sore shoulders from wakeboarding and a persistent occassional cough (which is still lingering).
On our very first dive we went exploring and saw a sea turtle almost right away! It was swimming a little ways off but the water was so clear it was easily seen. Amazing creatures. There were a lot of fish, a beautiful variety of colors, types, and shapes, the occasional stingray, once in a while a shark, amazing coral, giant clams... just astounding.
It was really cool being underwater and easy to get used to the equipment, breathing fine and looking around in wonder. The routine for 3 days and two nights was dive, eat, dive, eat, dive, eat, with some relaxing in between. The next 3 dives we worked on all the stuff we had learned in the pool- it was slow going but there was no shortage of beauty to look at when not being asked to do such things as flood your mask or breathe from your dive buddy. I was paired up with Jens, a Swede on the trip with two other friends, and they were very relaxed in the water and a lot of fun on land.
Even when we went snorkeling, you could see so much- I saw a long line of about 30 squid, a small reef shark, a spiny starfish, two huge but empty giant crab shells, and endless varieties of fish. The highlight was a night dive, which once over the nervousness of night, was just awesome. I glimpsed a shark from a ways off, saw a puffer fish and a giant crab, but it was magical being underwater in the dark- much like flying at night when it can be beautiful and a little scary at the same time.
The last day I went on a dive to almost 30 m (100 ft) where the pressure can cause nitrogen narcosis, a general feeling of well-being and relaxation- kind of like being a bit drunk. I didn't feel that at first and when I looked up and couldn't really see the surface, just an area a bit lighter than the rest, I was a little freaked. It is possible (until you look at your bubbles) to get disoriented underwater, and I can see why.
But after a minute or two started feeling pretty chill and relaxed, probably due to narcosis. Unfortunately by going deep we missed seeing a giant turtle in that area that was just a tad smaller than me- not kidding they have pictures to prove it- but it was a good qualification to have.
For the last dive we brought along a camera and I now have a great respect for underwater photographers- not only does your subject rarely remain still, it is hard enough to keep yourself still, all while getting close enough to get detail and good color. But I did alright- all these pictures are ones that I took. Since it was just me and another dive buddy, we used up as much air as possible and stayed under for about 45 minutes.
It was a fantastic trip, met some cool people, and I am so glad that I found out I had extra days here, because the reef is definitely something to see. We dived only 4 sites, saw an amazing diversity of coral and sea life, and to think that the Great Barrier Reef covers an area larger than Japan (with areas managed to reduce human impact) is mind boggling. I am currently reading a really good collection of essays on evolution by Stephen Jay Gould..
and to see the almost uncomprehensible variety and quantity of life and adaptation is fascinating, awe-inspiring, and humbling. A must see if you visit Australia, either snorkeling or diving.
The day we returned was Australia Day, so combined with the traditional end-of-dive-trip party, we all went out and celebrated our dive certification and the landing of the first convict ship in Australia. It was a cool way to end the trip and being here for Australia Day was a good wrap up to my Australia experience. Error: Photo does not exist in this entry Having learned how cheap it is to fly within Australia, I now realize I could have seen a bit more, but you can't see it all and now I still have something left for when I return!
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