Boy did i have big expectations for this one: visible with the naked eye from space, one of the 7 natural world wonders, some of the best diving in the world, number one on the places of where my dad wants to visit...this better be good.
Two flights and a wasted day and i arrive in Cairns at midnight. By 9am I've arranged 4 days on a live aboard to the outer reefs and the coral sea. With 2 recommendations for this company and over 30% off the price as they're leaving in a few hours, i think fate has stepped in...this must be good.
The boat is much bigger than i thought and there are 27 passengers. I soon discover things are done differently here than in Asia. I actually have to show my PADI card and I'll be diving with a buddy but no instructor or dive master. The fellow passengers are friendly, the food on board is excellent and the water temp. is 26C...oh no. I don't think a 5mm long-sleeved, short-legged wetsuit will be near enough to keep me warm. My fears are proved right - i spend all my dives cold, it doesn't help that Dennis my Dutch occasional buddy goes without a wetsuit. We all know how "freak deaky" the Dutch are (especially in their tight pantsh). We see beautiful pristine corals, sharks, turtles, octopi, eels, shrimps, crabs, lion fish, scorpion fish etc etc. and potato cod. Unbeknown to me a 'highlight' of the trip is to 'sit' in a circle and have the 2m behemoths feed right in front of your face. As much as i don't like the idea from a naturalists point of view, i still enjoy the whole experience. These cod have 100's of sharp teeth, and they love to show you them as they lunge towards you trying to gulp their food. Scary stuff.
But...
It wasn't as good as i thought it would be. I wasn't disappointed, i just wasn't overwhelmed by it. It wasn't Sipadan or Mabul or discovering wrecks and the water was too cold for me. The live aboard was great...just not amazing.
The trip ends, i avoid goodbyes where possible as always. Then it's time to close my eyes, feel the earth move and open them to the reality of Cairns. I'll tell you about that later, for now i have a bus to catch to Port Douglas...
